Every person has different traits that them unique to who they are. My character, I consider myself an industrious person, a self-motivated person, a supportive person and a person of integrity. I have worked so hard at different stages of my life to achieve some of my dreams, of which I am very proud. In my family, I was the youngest girl who was separated from my parents at the age of four years old. With the help of my grandmother, I have tried to live a normal life like any other child, although life was not easy. I had always been involved and helped my grandma with household duties and other easy tasks a child could do. For example, fetching firewood and washing dishes. My grandma was extremely pleased with me at all times for being proactive. Another example where my hard work was displayed was during my schooling days. Despite the difficult life, on top of being a girl with no parents. I was very involved with learning everywhere I went as we moved from place to place, seeking a better life and a safe place with my grandparents. When we settled in the Refugee camp in Kakuma, I worked thoroughly and hard to complete my primary education and passed it well. My results at the end of primary school were very good, and they impressed my sister and her husband. As a result, my sister’s husband sent me to a school in Kenya, where the quality of education was better than in the Refugee camp. He provided all school necessities and paid school fees, and I replicated the same results as i did in primary school. He sent me to university, where I started a Bachelor of Human Resource before I decided to get married and moved to Australia. After I relocated to Australia. I encountered new challenges, such as learning about Australian systems, entering the workforce, and learning cultural differences. Out of these challenges, I remained focused and I worked harder to settle in well to achieve my dreams of becoming a good wife and mother to my beautiful children. I became a good multitasking person, for example, I did my Certificate III when my first child was one year old, and got a job, with age care, a job which was a the time demanding and needed punctuality while working. I also enrolled in a nursing study. In conclusion, to achieve all these, I organised my routine, careful planning and good time management. Every time, I strive to elevate myself regardless of the challenges I encounter on the way.
Moreover, I have integrity that helps to guide my thoughts and actions in all areas of my life. It empowers me to stand by my principles and social morals even when it is hard. This strength allows me to maintain honest and open conversations rather than hiding my true feelings over short-term personal comfort. For instance, I normally speak up about any issues that I see as a concern to my community. For instance, I encourage women to participate in the local community leadership of South Sudanese in Brisbane. Also, I always take my concern to community leaders, even though the past culture does not support women to engage in community affairs. It’s hard, and some men always find it difficult to engage with women, but I believe women should work hard and participate in this era. In changing this trajectory path, women need full commitment and full involvement of people with high integrity. Also, I overcome life barriers because of being resilient. For example, if my busy work life, family and studies become challenging. I sometimes feel frustrated. However, I always compose myself and consider how I could change it to be an opportunity to grow, which reminds me to always be patient and flexible in my approach. Thereafter, I always try to take positive actions.
Another characteristic I possess is being a supportive person. This strength has strongly shaped my life experiences. For example, I value the support I have received, without it, I would not have made it to where I am today. So, I take any support that I can provide to others seriously if it will make a difference in someone’s life. My life experiences, work experiences, and my emerging career in Human Services are the fuels that empower my strong desire to support people. I have developed good communication skills that enable me to connect well with people in my work and personal space. In my previous community services job, I built meaningful relationships with clients where they built trust with me, some parents shared personal information with me, which allowed me to work well with them and to provide help or direct them to people who could help. For example, one family had children who struggled or had communication delays. I worked with the family, and I referred them to the health provider. That family received support, and the children are now doing well. In addition, I received a lot of positive feedback from clients and school staff, which enlightened and reassured me that I had given back to the society that had helped me. Even though the members who had benefited from my work were not direct people or the community who helped me, I believed in humanity. In recognition of my community services, I received a city of Ipswich medallion in 2017.
My hobbies and interests aligned well with my strengths and skills. These enable me to spend my spare time on the things I enjoy and important to me. First, I enjoy listening to podcasts in the car and at home, which I believe is good for leisure time and possibly for learning, particularly active listening and building trust. In Addition, listening to podcasts also informs me of new ideas and helps to build a strong knowledge about a certain topic, which I need for growth in both my work and my career. Second, I enjoy reading and meditating on the bible. This hobby has been embedded in me since my childhood. I used to watch my grandmother reading her bible every day. She used to encourage me to read the bible and learn from it. I have adopted these habits and continue to do them now in my adult life; I continue to practise them because I believe they benefit me in many ways. For example, reading the bible supports my spiritual growth, increases awareness and guides my views on how I perceive other relationships in this world. Lastly, I like to be involved in volunteering activities. I started volunteering back in the refugee camp, where I was involved in Sunday school in the church. When I arrived in Australia. I could not work or study for the first two years in Australia as per my visa requirement. As a result, I volunteered as a teacher’s aide at a local primary school in Goodna. Furthermore, I am always actively involved in my local community and church activities. whether it is free work or paid work, I always take my involvement seriously and devote my time and services to make a difference in people’s lives.
