United Muslim Sisters
Providing women of diverse backgrounds, countries, and religions with the chance to share stories and ideas to improve cultural understanding.
The United Muslim Sisters of Latrobe Valley provide a chance for women from many countries, backgrounds and religions to share stories and ideas to improve cultural understanding. Following two successful trials in the community, the group are taking their 'Living Libraries' program into schools where students can borrow a person as a 'book' and listen to their story.
2016 Pitch
Funds raised: $33,920
In April 2016, UMSLV presented at The Funding Network event with Kindred Spirits Foundation in Melbourne to implement a pilot of living libraries called [MY] Story, focused on engaging young people. The program was set up to recruit and train its own youth facilitator, to reach 100 students across two schools, with already having developed 50 young cultural ambassadors.
The impact...
After attending a 'living library' session at Trafalgar High School and participating as a reader, high school student Alan volunteered to become a book. His story entitled “One palette, many colours” was about his multicultural background and the challenges of migration. Using imagery with paint to depict cultural colours, separation and divide, Alan retold his story at the launch of the 'living libraries' for youth, describing how the project gave him the confidence to unpack, develop and tell a story that he had not been comfortable speaking about in the past. He has since become a youth advisor and an awesome cultural ambassador within his local community.
Learn more about the story behind [MY] Story
School is a place where all students should feel safe regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity. There are teenagers in Gippsland who feel racially vilified - students who are considered different and feel isolated and at risk of being victimised or bullied. [MY] Story seeks to compliment policies and practices that schools already have in place so that all students can feel a sense of belonging to their school community and look forward to their future at home in Australia.
Hear the United Muslim Sisters of La Trobe Valley describe the impact of TFN support...
Read their Impact Report
Learn more about United Muslim Sisters of Latrobe Valley.
Supporting Sustainable Development Goals:
