Upcoming Events

Mohammed Ali is a retired biochemist, former Multicultural Volunteer of the Year, and founder of Helping ACT – a local charity that strives to facilitate and encourage members of Canberra’s diverse society to give to those who need it to build a more compassionate and caring community. Mr Ali says that his desire to help people came from his vast experiences throughout life, including growing up and working in Pakistan, Nigeria, and then Australia. Mohammed was one of seven siblings in a humble Pakistani family, and he was always supported and encouraged by his family to study and work as hard as he could to enjoy a better life. Thanks to his hard work, he was a great student; as well as being a gold medallist in biochemistry at Karachi University, Mohammed topped his course in both Honours and in his Masters, and was immediately offered a teaching position after he graduated. Mr Ali spent 3 years teaching in Nigeria before moving to Canberra in 1991, and he was shocked by the scenes of poverty he simply thought would not be around in our country. “I had a dream that when I went to Australia, I wouldn’t see these problems – but here also you see struggling families and homeless people,” Mohammed said. “These people need food – it’s a basic human right.” “I thought that we have to help.”   Join us to hear how Mohammed Ali made the decision to start Helping ACT three years ago, and how he continues to facilitate and encourage the provision of food security to the vulnerable – mostly refugees and asylum seekers, homeless people, international students, and anyone else in need. Midweekers are available to people of all ages who want to come and listen to inspiring stories from our local men, as well as to understand some of the key issues facing young guys in our region. You don’t have to be a guy to come to a Midweeker – just interested in supporting young guys and their…