Rohingyans are an ethnic group from Burma. It's been 6 years since the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar. Some 10,000 Rohingya men, women, children & newborns were killed. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingyans remain in refugee camps in Bangladesh & India.

There are around 3000 Rohingya people living in Australia, but their voices are not heard. Many remain on temporary protection visas. Please join us on the evening of Sunday 10th December, to learn about their culture, through food, a panel, poetry reading. There'll be a henna tattoo artist on the night too. We're also donating a portion of the event profits to Maiya School, a girls-only learning centre in Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh. This is the only place that can provide education for these girls as Bangladesh doesn't allow any of the refugees to work and/or get education. You can learn more about it via this video. Also, we'll be raising awareness on the work that our event partner, the Australian Rohingya Women's Development Organisation (ARWDO), does. 

Please join us for an insightful panel, facilitated by Asma Nayim Ullah, poet and a dedicated Rohingya community youth leader & a passionate human rights advocate, with a particular focus on championing the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum. In 2013, when she was just 9 years old, Asma and her family were forced to flee to Australia by boat. Through her writings, speeches, and collaborations, Asma Nayim Ullah has emerged as a young advocate, fervently sharing her individual experiences as a Rohingya, and tirelessly addressing the profound impact of enduring persecution on the Rohingya people. Asma is a co-founder of the Australia Rohingya Women's Development Organisation (ARWDO). The rest of the panel are:

Sajeda Bahadurmia, a Rohingya woman and a strong community leader. She is the co-chair of the Australian Rohingya Women's Development Organisation (AWRDO). She is dedicated to the Rohingya community, improving the lives of individuals and families, and enacting positive change. Sajeda has a prominent level of understanding of refugee and asylum seeker needs, gender issues and the impact of torture and trauma. Sajeda is committed to community engagement and community development both in Australia and overseas and in 2018 received the STARTTS Humanitarian Award.

The second panellist is Zoe Bell, a practicing social worker with over 10 years’ experience in the forced migration space. Zoe has been working with the Rohingya community in Sydney, Australia since 2012, beginning as an asylum seeker settlement worker with SSI. In 2018, Zoe undertook a PhD and engaged in a participatory action research project with the Rohingya community. The thesis focused on the lived experience of statelessness and refugee protection. Zoe is involved in the Australian Rohingya Women’s Development Organisation, a refugee-led organisation tasked with empowering Rohingya women, reducing social isolation, and encouraging community development.

And the third panellist is Mohammad Rauf, Director ARDA-Australia Inc. Mohammad is a prominent figure associated with the Arakan Rohingya Development Association (ARDA). He is recognized as a community leader from ARDA, which is actively involved in advocating for the rights and welfare of the Rohingya community. In 2019, Mohammad was awarded the Local Volunteer Award by Federal Member for Watson, Tony Burke and in 2022, Mohammad was awarded the NSW Volunteer of the Year Award by The Centre for Volunteering and NSW Government. 

Henna artist, Khaleda Fazul Ahmad, will be offering free henna tattoos on the night too. Khaleda, a highly skilled and passionate individual, is a talented henna artist who hails from the culturally rich Rohingya community, known for its resilience and vibrant traditions. She calls the bustling and diverse city of Sydney her home, where she intricately weaves her cultural heritage into her art, leaving a mark of beauty and tradition on the skin of those who seek her services.

Thank you to the City of Parramatta and Navitas Skilled Futures for co-sponsoring this event!

*Apologies, we can't cater to everyone's dietary requirements

Welcome Merchant is a social enterprise with a mission to elevate entrepreneurs and artists in Australia who identify as a refugee, a former refugee or as a person seeking asylum. We provide a free online directory and run free skill-building workshops for them. To fund these free services, we run events in partnership with refugee chefs and artists.

Artwork by Enayet Khan.