Abdi Aden
Abdi's world fell apart when he was only fifteen and Somalia's vicious civil war hit Mogadishu. Unable to find his family and effectively an orphan, he fled with some sixty others, and joined another 300 heading to Kenya. On the way, death squads hunted them and they daily faced violence, danger and starvation. After almost three months, they arrived in at refugee camps in Kenya - of the group he'd set out with, only five had survived.
Meet the Speaker
All alone in the world and desperate to find his family, Abdi couldn't stay in Kenya, so he turned around and undertook the dangerous journey back to Mogadishu. But the search was fruitless, and eventually Abdi made his way - alone, with no money in his pockets - to Romania, then to Germany, completely dependent on the kindness of strangers. He was just sixteen years old when he arrived in Melbourne. He had no English, no family or friends, no money, no home. Yet, against the odds, he not only survived, he thrived. Abdi went on to complete secondary education and later university. He became a youth worker, was acknowledged with the 2007 Victorian Refugee Recognition Award and was featured in the SBS second series of Go Back to Where You Came From.
Despite what he has gone through, Abdi is a most inspiring man, who is constantly thankful for his life and what he has. Everything he has endured and achieved is testament to his quiet strength and courage, his resilience and most of all, his warm-hearted, shining and enduring optimism.
Where were your born?
I was born in Somalia.
What other jobs have you had?
I have been a Youth Worker for over 13 years.
What themes are recurring in your work?
My work revolves around community development. Overcoming hardship, mental health issues, adolescence and difficult social positions are themes that tend to recur in youth work.
What have been the highlights of your career?
My greatest ongoing professional achievement is creating development programs for young people and their families. My biggest personal achievement was gaining my Bachelor of Arts in Community Development. Other highlights include being acknowledged with the 2007 Victorian Refugee Recognition Award and my involvement in the SBS documentary series, ‘Go Back to Where You Came From’.
What are you passionate about?
Supporting social change and the promotion of human rights.
Haven’t I seen you before?
Probably on the SBS series ‘Go Back to Where You Came From’. My youth work has also featured in The Age and numerous local Melbourne papers and Today Tonight ran a story in 1996 on my family’s reunification after years of war. More recently, you might have seen me promoting the VicHealth report on what to do as a bystander witnessing racism.
Speaker Type
Audience
Locations
Have you booked this speaker before?
Please fill out an evaluation form to share your feedback on the session.