Michael Garang has witnessed the crippling effects of conflict.
Having fled South Sudan as the Darfur war broke out in 2003, the Burnside man is determined to dedicate his life to a peacekeeping role.
Mr Garang was eight when he left South Sudan with relatives before travelling to Cairo by boat and train.
He lived in Egypt for four years, arriving in Australia on a humanitarian visa in 2007.
He now lives with his grandmother and is studying for an advanced diploma of legal practice, hoping he can make it into the police academy.
“I don’t like seeing people fighting and I want to stop them,” Mr Garang says.
“If I become a police officer, I can calm the situation down and have back-up if I need to do something.”
Western Chances has awarded Mr Garang a scholarship, which he’s used to purchase a laptop.
“I didn’t have a laptop before,” he says.
“I would have to go to the library to do my school assessments. It’s going to make life much easier.”
Western Chances provides scholarships to young people in Melbourne’s west to give them the chance to overcome barriers to success.
It will be launching a new program on July 21.
Details: www.westernchances.org.au
