“For those girls, they had never seen education before. They were so excited, so motivated. Their dreams were to be a doctor, a lawyer, someone. But now, all their dreams are gone.” Lida Hazara, founder and president of Women for Change said after Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul was taken over by Taliban forces.
A young girl died in hospital days after her unconscious body was pulled from the water at Lysterfield Lake on 16 January. “Behind every one of these numbers is a person – a brother, a sister, a father, a mother, an aunty or an uncle. A drowning affects so many people and it’s so tragic but it doesn’t need to happen. Drownings are preventable,” Life Saving Victoria’s Dr Bernadette Matthew said.
“When corruption occurs in the public sector it hurts all of us. “We expect our public officials to behave responsibly and with integrity, and for public resources to be used for the intended purpose to benefit the Victorian community.” Counsel assisting IBAC, Chris Carr said as part of the joint IBAC-State Ombudsman investigation Operation Watts looking into alleged rorting of public funds by some Victorian MPs.
“This man has not voluntarily signed up and vowed to protect others like the police, a soldier, a firefighter. This man is a rarity in today’s society and if this world was filled with men like him, what a beautiful world it would be.” Local hero Russell Irwin’s cousin Kara after Russell defended his neighbours from a violent attack.
“Fostering is not always easy, particularly when for instance they may die young, or be reunified against the child’s best wishes but in so many other ways it’s one of the best things I can think of to do,” Cranbourne foster parent Zoe said as part of Foster Care Week from 12-18 September. (September 16 edition)
“I have never seen a collection of this scale before and I’ve been working as an art dealer for 18 years. There have been five generations of this family who have looked after these pieces for 140 years and they were put into the spare room of the current Cutts home in Berwick,” Amanda Benson, head of Fine Art and Antiquities for Lloyds Auctions.
Pearcedale’s Aaron Blitz raised money for Lymphoma Australia after he was diagnosed with cancer.
“It’s like being an old man doing chemo at 24. You have your good days and your bad days and all you can do is enjoy your good days and get out and do things,” Mr Blitz said.
“People needed a way to restore their humanity, because it was being cut away by the detention system. I wanted that person to know there was someone that did recognise him or her as a human being and they were not forgotten, and they have our respect,” Narre Warren South resident Elaine Smith said. Ms Smith was listed in the Queen’s Birthday honours on Monday 14 June for her services to refugees.
“I like how you can just go into another world and let all your feelings out. As a character it’s a good way to let everything flow in you, and your imagination comes within the character.” Eleven-year-old Inuki Mannapperuma on playing the role of John Darling in a theatre production. 21/1
Mr Schiavello’s passion and enthusiasm for sports and commentating has taken him all over the world to commentate major sporting events. “I was just a regular kid with a regular background, no formal study ad no diplomas on my wall, but I made it to the top of the TV world and sports commentating world,” Narre Warren’s sports commentator Michael Schiavellosaid.
