NSW Humanitarian Awards 2025 Winners Announced
We are proud to recognise the remarkable individuals and organisations who have gone above and beyond to support refugees and people seeking asylum in New South Wales.
The NSW Humanitarian Awards 2025 celebrate those whose tireless efforts have helped to build a more inclusive, compassionate, and resilient society. Across a range of fields, this year’s recipients have demonstrated outstanding commitment to human rights, community engagement, and the wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable populations.
It is with great appreciation and admiration that we present the winners of the 2025 NSW Humanitarian Awards, by category:
Best Project
An outstanding project working with or assisting refugees. The project can be run by an individual group or organisation and can either be ongoing or completed during the last year.
Awarded to The Shifa Project (Educaid Australia)
The Shifa Project, co-led by Educaid Australia, is a trauma-informed mental health and healing initiative supporting all communities across NSW – with a focus on Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab communities – affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The project is named in honour of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza – a vital symbol of healing and resilience for the Palestinian people. Shifa (meaning ‘healing’ in Arabic) is about offering culturally and spiritually grounded support for refugees, diaspora communities, and frontline workers. Through healing circles, arts-based practices, psychoeducation, and community-led debriefing sessions, the project has reached over 300 individuals with care, cultural safety, and community leadership. It also provides frameworks for frontline and community workers, including STARTTS staff, with tools to manage vicarious trauma and burnout. With deep community partnerships, the Shifa Project has expanded its reach into Islamic schools, allied health, and service networks. Shifa Project exemplifies how culturally responsive, grassroots mental health care can meet emerging needs during humanitarian crises. It continues to strengthen community resilience, empower lived experience leadership, and shape national conversations around collective trauma and healing.
Education
Schools, universities, and other educational institutions, or individuals working at these institutions, who assist refugees by breaking down barriers to education.
Awarded to Michael Cleary
Michael Cleary is an EAL/D Education Leader with the NSW Department of Education and a longstanding advocate for equitable learning environments for students from refugee backgrounds. With nearly 20 years in education, Michael has been instrumental in transforming support systems for newly arrived learners across NSW. He has founded and led several refugee support networks for teachers and school leaders in Western Sydney that have connected schools with service providers to support whole-of-school approaches to refugee inclusion. Michael has designed teacher professional learning frameworks, created new student support tools, and led the development of culturally responsive curriculum adaptations. His work has had a systemic impact, informing departmental policy and empowering educators to foster welcoming and high-expectation learning environments. Michael’s vision, collaboration, and persistence have helped change not just classroom practice but entire communities’ approaches to refugee education.
Government and Legal
Individuals or organisations from the government or legal sectors working to advise, assist or support asylum seekers or refugees.
Awarded to Translated Health Resources for Refugee Communities Project
The Translated Health Resources for Refugee Communities Project, led by the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS), is a groundbreaking statewide initiative to improve health equity through language-accessible and culturally safe resources for refugee communities. It is the first known project of its kind to comprehensively audit refugee health resource needs, identify critical gaps, and deliver responses at scale. In collaboration with people with lived experience, health services, and organisations like the NSW Refugee Health Service and Settlement Services International and supported by the NSW Ministry of Health, the project developed multilingual resources in 20+ refugee languages. Topics include mental health, maternal health, domestic and family violence, and cancer screening. A best practice guide for developing health resources for people from refugee backgrounds, community video campaigns, and educational toolkits support sustainable sector-wide change. This initiative demonstrates the power of codesign, lived experience, and community trust in public health. By addressing longstanding gaps in health literacy and accessibility, MHCS has set a new standard for inclusive and effective health communication in Australia.
Refugee Supporter
A member of the broader Australian community, of any background, supporting and assisting refugees in any capacity, in either a paid or unpaid position.
Awarded to Leissa West
Leissa West is the Manager of Multicultural and Refugee Health Service at the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD). She has championed health equity for over 35 years and her leadership has fundamentally reshaped the way refugee health is approached in regional NSW, embedding culturally responsive and trauma-informed care practices across the region. Leissa’s work includes research in reproductive and sexual health care access in refugee settings in Africa (Congo and Uganda), establishing refugee specific health clinics in South Western Sydney, co-founding the Illawarra Refugee Issues Forum, developing consumer-led cancer care programs, and establishing pioneering maternity health initiatives for refugee women. She has collaborated closely with community leaders, service providers, and researchers to co-design solutions that meet the complex needs of newly arrived communities in regional settings. Her programs have improved service navigation, health literacy, and engagement outcomes for refugee patients. A key driver of systems change, Leissa has led the implementation of cultural responsiveness strategies across ISLHD and helped shape national conversations on inclusive care – particularly in cancer screening, treatment and survivorship for culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Her community-led, evidence-based approach continues to influence refugee health frameworks far beyond her region.
Media
Media outlets, journalists or media officers supporting, prioritising and/or raising awareness of refugee issues.
Awarded to Sam Dover
Sam Dover is a journalist at SBS whose investigative reporting has brought national attention to the experiences of Sudanese refugees in Australia. His recent work has focused on the impact of renewed violence in Sudan, including ethnic massacres and a humanitarian crisis that has displaced millions. Sam’s coverage includes exclusive interviews with genocide survivors, displaced families, and community leaders, both in Australia and abroad. His reporting bridges global human rights issues with the lived realities of diaspora communities in NSW. Through compelling multimedia storytelling, Sam ensures that refugee voices are not only heard but humanised. His journalism is recognised for its rigour, compassion, and commitment to truth. Sam’s work continues to challenge mainstream narratives and advocate for justice, awareness, and policy attention for those affected by forced displacement.
Media (Highly Commended)
Media outlets, journalists or media officers supporting, prioritising and/or raising awareness of refugee issues.
Awarded to Youssef Saudie
Youssef Saudie is a journalist at SBS World News whose cross-platform reporting has shed vital light on the issue of statelessness—an often invisible legal and humanitarian crisis affecting many refugee communities in Australia. His in-depth series profiles individuals from countries including the DRC, Lebanon, Myanmar, and in the Middle East. Through interviews with stateless people, a United Nations official, and legal experts, Youssef explores the barriers to permanent residency, the absence of a stateless visa pathway, and the mental health impacts of legal limbo. Through thoughtful journalism that amplifies underrepresented voices, Youssef has contributed meaningfully to refugee reporting in the digital age. This work is one of the few in Australian media to focus exclusively on statelessness, offering a more in-depth exploration of the issue than many previous reports. By shedding light on the complexities of statelessness, Youssef has expanded the scope of public and media discourse around displacement and belonging and has drawn national attention. His series has helped shape public understanding and more informed policy conversations on the issue.
Media (Highly Commended)
Media outlets, journalists or media officers supporting, prioritising and/or raising awareness of refugee issues.
Awarded to Huma Media HUMA Media [empowering voices]
Huma Media, a not-for-profit media platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of diaspora from Afghanistan. Through films, social content, and media series in Dari, Farsi, and Hazaragi, Huma Media addresses complex topics such as mental health, domestic violence, women’s rights, and settlement challenges—areas often underrepresented in mainstream discourse. A recent 19-part series by Huma Media exemplifies this impact, delivering culturally resonant, community-led content designed not only to inform, but to empower. Huma media ensures refugees are not only the subjects of storytelling but active creators – working as writers, editors, and producers in their own right. This approach builds both professional opportunity and narrative agency. Through bold storytelling, inclusive production, and social impact, Huma Media has helped reshape public understanding of refugee experiences while building capacity within the communities from Afghanistan. Huma’s work stands as a model of grassroots media leadership and cultural resilience.
Refugee Community Worker
A former refugee working on refugee issues with their own or other refugee communities, in either a paid or unpaid position.
Awarded to Adeeb Razzouk
Adeeb Razzouk, a multidisciplinary artist and Youth Engagement Worker at the Community Migrant Resource Centre, was born in Syria and resettled in Australia in 2019. Since then, he has harnessed the power of storytelling and participatory arts to support community healing, empower young people, and celebrate cultural identity. Shaped by his own refugee experience and informed by his training in Theatre of the Oppressed, Adeeb works with communities to create interactive, improvisational performances that explore themes such as displacement, identity, and intergenerational trauma.
His standout projects include Fly Me to Mars! a series of cinematic work shops, and What You Think ? an interative theatre show that invites audiences to become collaborators, using physical theatre, and roleplay to process and share lived experiences. Central to his artistic approach are the values of resilience, agency, and collective healing.
In addition to his performance and casework, Adeeb leads workshops, training and presentations in partnership with local and international organisations, such as Key Intimate Scenes, as well as local community groups, such as the Arab Studio Theatre. His practice sits at the intersection of art and social justice, delivering transformative experiences and risk minimisation strategies for refugee youth and multicultural communities. Adeeb’s work powerfully demonstrates how personal narrative and creative practice can work together to foster inclusion and inspire change.
Refugee Community Worker (Highly Commended)
A former refugee working on refugee issues with their own or other refugee communities, in either a paid or unpaid position
Awarded to Mujgan Tahery
Mujgan Tahery is the Founder and CEO of the Uniting Circle Multicultural Community Centre in Penrith, Western Sydney. A former Afghan refugee, she brings over 15 years of lived and professional experience supporting refugees and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Through Uniting Circle, she leads programs including mental health counselling for women, English and computer literacy classes, youth initiatives, and workshops on respectful relationships and domestic violence awareness. Her centre also offers emergency relief, casework support, and business mentoring for CALD entrepreneurs creating a culturally safe space for education, empowerment, and community connection. Mujgan is also a national advocate for multicultural communities, refugees, and settlement policy, using her lived experience to drive systemic change and amplify marginalised voices. She hosts a multilingual radio program on Alive 90.5FM’s Afghanistan Australia Radio, sharing vital information and resources with newly arrived communities and the broader public. She is deeply respected for her compassion and for bringing hope to her community.
Youth
A young person aged 12-25 of refugee background making an outstanding contribution to Australian society in their chosen field.
Awarded to Roger Ly
Cultural leader with the Khmer Community of NSW. As a Cambodian-Australian with strong intergenerational ties to the refugee experience, Roger channels his heritage into artistic expression and advocacy for healing, especially among young people. His most recent work, Hope to Peace, was developed for the global event that marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of Phnom Penh with Cambodian living Arts, titled Acts of Memory. This community production brought together Khmer youth and elders to reflect on the trauma and legacy of war through storytelling, performance, and cultural ritual. It became a powerful vehicle for healing and connection across generations.
Roger is also a trained actor and performer with experience across theatre, film, and live performance. He has collaborated with companies including Trantrum Youth Theatre, Whale Chorus Theatre Company, Knock n Run Theatre, and with AFTRs. In 2023 he featured in a sold-out production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream staring as Puck. In South-West Sydney, Roger works directly with Khmer youth, using theatre workshops to explore identity, resilience, and belonging. In 2024 he was an associate producer and cultural consultant for the short film titled Interview with a Hero, directed by Celeste diep. The film was selected to show at this year’s Sydney Dendy Film festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival. Roger is currently in post production for a documentary telling Khmer Rouge survival stories titled “Grief to Hope”. Inbetween art projects, Roger facilitates interfaith and intercultural connection programs with Together for Humanity and Catholic mission. Roger Ly is a dedicated multi-disciplinary creative and is a vital cultural bridge within his community, a passionate health and wellbeing practitioner, and a powerful emerging voice in refugee-centred youth work and the performing arts.
Rural and Regional
Organisations or individuals working in regional areas of NSW to assist refugees.
Awarded to HNELHD GP Honorary Medical Officers
The GP Honorary Medical Officers (HMOs) of the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) are a team of volunteer general practitioners delivering trauma-informed healthcare to newly arrived refugees in Newcastle and Armidale. Operating within a nurse-led, multidisciplinary Refugee Health Program, this extraordinary group has provided essential, culturally safe medical care to more than 5,000 refugees since 2004 — with over half being adults directly treated by these GPs.
The program was born from community need, evolving from a small pilot for Sudanese children to a comprehensive, district-wide service for refugee families. The HMOs are not paid for their work; instead, they volunteer their time and expertise to ensure no health concern goes unmet. They provide early health assessments, coordinate complex referrals, manage infectious and chronic diseases, support NDIS applications, and frequently navigate medical and social issues that fall beyond the capacity of standard GP clinics. Working alongside refugee health nurses, interpreters, bicultural workers, and organisations like STARTTS, they form a safety net for some of NSW’s most vulnerable new arrivals.
What makes the HMO model exceptional is its sustainability, scalability, and heart. Many of the current doctors have volunteered for years, providing continuity, trust, and culturally responsive care. Their impact was further deepened in 2023 when the model expanded to Armidale to support the Ezidi refugee community. The program has become a benchmark for low-cost, high-impact community health that bridges public and private care and responds flexibly to changing needs.
In a time of mounting pressure on Australia’s primary care system, the GP HMOs of HNELHD stand as a model of what ethical, relationship-based, community-centred healthcare should look like. Their compassion, commitment, and long-standing service continue to improve refugee health outcomes across rural and regional NSW.
Sport
Awarded to an organisation or individual for outstanding efforts in promoting sporting endeavours among people from refugee backgrounds.
Awarded to Qasim Haidari
Qasim Haidari is a passionate football coach and community volunteer whose work with the Australian Afghan Football Association (AAFA) has transformed the lives of young Afghan refugees in NSW. As a former president and long-time member of AAFA, Qasim has led initiatives to create safe, empowering spaces where newly arrived youth can build confidence, cultural pride, and belonging through sport.
Founded in response to growing isolation and dislocation among Afghan youth, especially following the fall of Kabul, AAFA offers structured soccer programs that promote teamwork, personal development, and physical and mental wellbeing. Qasim’s leadership has seen the organisation represent NSW in national tournaments, mentor youth in leadership roles, and keep young people engaged in meaningful, community-led activity.
Qasim’s contribution is not just about soccer—it is about healing, identity, and support. His commitment to using sport as a protective and developmental tool continues to inspire across refugee and multicultural communities.