A 16-year-old youth community representative has won the Young Citizen of The Year award by Manningham Council in Victoria.
Humdan Hafeez won the award based on his work for the youth in areas of social inclusion of young people from diverse backgrounds.
Talking to SBS Urdu, Humdaan says that his aim is to be an advocate for the Muslim youth and Pakistani community, not just in Manningham but globally too.
“My parents always told me that your actions and behaviour speak louder than words.
“With this concept, I got involved in the community. I initiated the Youth Leadership program with YMCA. We designed a program about mental health awareness for the youth."
“Humdaan is 16 years old and dedicated to improving the lives of people in our community. Coming from a Muslim background, he has made it his mission to socially include young people from diverse backgrounds so they can integrate into the community. He understands the struggles that they face and wants to help in any way he can.” – Manningham Council, Victoria
According to the Manningham council’s , “the award recognises the outstanding contribution made by a young Manningham resident to improve our local community, that can be demonstrated through leadership qualities, inspiring others through action or being a positive role model.”
Humdaan Hafeez receiving the Young Citizen of the Year award by Manningham Council, Victoria. Source: Supplied
Hamdaan also organised an art competition to create awareness about mental health.
“We offered the youth a chance to talk about mental health through creative expression. Many youngsters responded with songs and artwork.”
Hamdaan is also involved with the youth advisory council to identify issues and find ways to fix them.
"I meet with the mayor and councilors and advise them about the youth issues and concerns.
"Similarly I also speak on the issues of Pakistani Muslims community in Victoria.
“I serve as the voice of the Pakistani Muslim community and if there are any problems, I try to advise them on how they could be fixed."
