Matter Machar has been presented with this year’s Young Enterprise Award.
By Bridget Cook
Matter Machar has achieved much contributing to city of Greater Dandenong since moving to Australia in 2002.
Mr Machar, the winner of this year’s Youth Enterprise Award, came to Australia from a Kenyan refugee camp on a scholarship and has since made the most out of his opportunity.
He completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Fisheries) in Tasmania before moving to Melbourne in 2005.
When Mr Machar found it difficult to find a job, he began volunteering with the City of Greater Dandenong’s youth services.
“I couldn’t find a job, so I thought working with young people would be a good thing to get into,” he said.
It was through this that Mr Machar was offered a traineeship through LINK Employment and Training in youth work and protective care.
Mr Machar was named Apprentice of the Year at the 2008 Australian Training Awards in Darwin, for the way he applied himself to his training, with hard work and devotion.
Mr Machar believes that his Sudanese background helps him work better with the youth of Dandenong.
“I think that because Dandenong is so multicultural, being Sudanese helps the kids relate to me and what I have gone through,” said Mr Machar.
Mr Machar has high hopes for the future and continues to look for how he can help people.
“I want to work as a teacher, in vocational training – I just want to help people,” he said.
“I hope that in the future I can help Third World countries and their people get back on track.”
