We all have a responsibility to help people in need. I live a privileged life now, but that has not always been the case. I have experienced displacement, trauma, a childhood lived across four countries, and disrupted education. It has made me think deeply about people living with the dire consequences and uncertainty of seeking asylum. Now, I am able to give back. I joined the Asylum Seekers Centre board in July 2023. My new role as a board member is an extension of my advocacy work with the Red Cross and the Refugee Council of Australia, and as a teacher and refugee coordinator with the NSW Department of Education.  My reason for wanting to contribute is a deep sense of responsibility. I took this from my late father – he had an incredible generosity of spirit. This is my way of doing a part of the puzzle. I believe that there are three choices in life: to improve ourselves, to save the world, and to enjoy the world. We must carefully balance all these possibilities and I think we are stronger together as a collective.  I arrived in Australia just before my 18th birthday. I had had less than six years of formal education. I came without my family and had to stay in a women’s shelter as a teenager. I was on my own and had nothing. But at least I had hope. Everything I have, I had to work hard for. When I arrived in Australia, unlike those supported by the ASC, it was as a recognised refugee, giving me at least some sense of assurance. Though I faced immense challenges of my own, I was given this opportunity in Australia. Abang at an ASC event in 2022. Image: Erin Black I am now dedicating myself to supporting access to this certainty for people seeking asylum who face dire challenges and uncertainty. There is an urgency because they don’t know what will happen to them. They are still in limbo. The ASC is instrumental in ensuring that we are leading the way in advocacy to the government, raising awareness, and offering practical support. The centre gives a voice to people who are in a vulnerable situation.  I can see how challenging it is for the staff and yet they just keep pushing through. Without the ASC, there would be catastrophic consequences for so many people.  On 23 November, I am hosting the Asylum Seekers Centre’s Speaking Asylum event to celebrate our 30th birthday. The event will highlight the stories of people seeking asylum, what the centre has been doing and the work of many allies. Stories are powerful. Stories have kept me alive. During my journey, I developed a strategy of telling myself stories. When I arrived in Kenya as a refugee, I went to school for the first time, and I discovered the transformative power of story sharing and listening to other people’s stories through different mediums. People who don’t learn from stories tend to repeat the mistakes of the past. Without stories, people perish.  We can lose everything, but we keep our story. Our resilience story is something we always carry. Stories keep us from living in despair. At Speaking Asylum, we can come together as a community to listen to these stories.  I am honoured to be part of the event and I am looking forward to it. I am fascinated to hear from all the storytellers and the allies – their inspiration, their hope, their resilience, and their humanity.  Please join me at this special event to celebrate 30 years of stories and 30 years of the Asylum Seekers Centre.  Warm regards, Abang Anade Othow Board Member, Asylum Seekers Centre   T 02 9078 1900   F 02 9078 1999 Asylum Seekers Centre 43 Bedford Street Newtown NSW 2042 Australia