A walk for refugees was the inspiration behind a young Braybrook leader taking out a major prize for community-minded youngsters.
Marian College student Imra Banu (pictured) delivered a powerful five-minute speech calling for asylum seekers to be settled in Australia without being processed offshore, part of her winning entry in Sunshine Lions Club’s annual Youth of the Year award.
Imra, 16, who plans to study medicine, said taking part in the Palm Sunday March for Refugees in April, through her involvement with the Justice Democracy Forum, was a “turning point for her interest in activism”.
“It encouraged me to speak about asylum seekers for my [award] speech,” she says. “We should extend our utilities and resources to those whose life has been threatened, because it is a matter of human rights.
“According to my mother, I was visibly shaking [during the speech]. I was actually the first candidate to answer the two impromptu questions, which was intimidating.
“It is an absolute honour to be named youth of the year for the Sunshine Lions Club.”
Apart from the speech in front of Sunshine Lions’ members, teachers, parents and fellow students, Imra was also judged on her leadership, sporting and cultural activities.
She volunteers at her local library helping primary school-aged children get a grasp of English, and has worked with St Vincent de Paul and Bupa Aged Care.
Imra will now go to the regional finals, where she will compete against contestants from six other western suburbs’ Lions Clubs early next year. State and national competitions will follow, if she’s successful.
