Bridging Cultural Divides

In conjunction with Red Cross, Life Without Barriers, MacKillop Family Services, Anglicare Victoria, Wesley Mission Victoria and Jesuit Social Services, Cricket Victoria held a T20 Blast carnival to introduce participants to the game.

Ten teams took part in the fiery competition that eventually saw Wesley Mission Victoria crowned as victors.

Commonwealth Bank Bushranger Jayde Herrick was in attendance along with the Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane and the Principal Commissioner of the Commission for Children and Young People, Bernie Geary.

Junior cricketers from Manningham and Forrest Hill cricket clubs played alongside the asylum seekers, assisting them with rules and encouraging them to get involved in the game.

“It’s great to see that through the game of cricket we can bring everyone together,” Forrest Hill Cricket Club’s Adam Matthews said.

Away from cricket, the tournament also gave participants the opportunity to tell their stories, informing the crowd of the hardships they faced in finding a new home in Australia.

Participants, the majority of whom were teenagers, shared their experiences of leaving their family and travelling to Australia as well as sharing the processes they encountered once arriving.

Aimed at providing asylum seekers with the chance to forget their difficulties, the carnival proved to be successful in bringing the community together in a fun and engaging environment.