Victorian African Communities Committee

Pauline is the Victorian State Member for Cranbourne, first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. She is the Government Whip in the Victorian Legislative Assembly and was first appointed as Chair of the Victorian African Communities Committee (VACC) in early 2023 and has since been reappointed by the Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria for a second term.

Before becoming Member for Cranbourne, Pauline was an adviser to the Hon. Jill Hennessy, then Minister for Health and former Attorney General. Pauline provided advice encompassing the policy areas of prevention and population health, refugee and migrant health, cancer, blood borne viruses, Community health, family violence, dental care and the government’s response to the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry.

Tigist is a counsellor and advocate with extensive experience specialising in culturally responsive mental health support for marginalised communities. She is a returning VACC member and previously served as a VACC Community Deputy Chair.

Tigist’s expertise includes trauma recovery and crisis mental health support for refugees, asylum seekers and victim-survivors in hospital, custodial and community settings. She has held advisory and community leadership roles, including serving as a committee member on the Multicultural Health Advisory Committee for the Department of Health, board member of African Think Tank, and as a member of the African Communities Working Group and Intercultural Advisory Committee for Melton City Council.

She is the Founder and Director of Pola Practice, where she leads a team of therapists delivering assessment, treatment and therapeutic interventions, and works as a counsellor for 1800 Respect.

Abraham is an academic and project management professional with experience in the not-for-profit sector, specialising in youth justice, program evaluation and social change advocacy. He is an Associate Research Fellow and PhD candidate at Deakin University, researching post-settlement challenges and justice system contact of African Australians.

He is also a Senior Advisor at Victoria’s Violence Reduction Unit, leading policy and program workstreams to reduce serious youth violence, and brings expertise in evaluating culturally responsive inclusion programs across the public sector and academia.

Abraham is co-founder of the Black Rhinos, a soccer and basketball club mentoring at-risk youth, and a director at Sandown Lions Football Club, supporting sporting pathways for migrant and refugee young people. He was named a 2025 Westpac Social Change Fellow and 2026 Victorian Young Australian of the Year.

Gebreselasie is an Education and Employment Facilitator at Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre, where he coordinates the VACAP Employment Broker Initiative and the Skills First Reconnect Program.

He has over 25 years of experience in community development, including overseas emergency relief and development programs, and supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Australia.

Gebreselasie holds qualifications in sociology, social change and development and has held a range of program and teaching roles in Australia, including National Program Officer at the Australian Red Cross and sessional teaching in community development at Chisholm Institute of TAFE.

Jemima is a Public Health Officer at Bendigo Health with experience across community, healthcare, and research sectors. She contributes to public health governance and outbreak management, including leading key health promotion initiatives.

Jemima holds both leadership and governance roles as Co-Founder of Public Health en Afrique, an African-based NGO, and as Co-Chair of the Advisory Committee for the ‘Health Research for All’ program at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

Previously, as Health Promotion Officer at Robinvale District Health Services, she developed the organisation’s Gender Equality Action Plan 2022–2025.

Nimo is a disability advocate with over 10 years’ experience in community services, specialising in disability inclusion, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, co-design, and human rights policy. She works as an independent Disability and Inclusion Consultant, providing policy advice to government and the community sector.

Nimo has held advisory and governance roles, including Vice President of Disability Justice Australia and member of the Strategic Direction Advisory Committee for People with Disability Australia. She has also contributed to financial capability initiatives through the Women’s Referral Exchange Network and participated in the Intersectionality Framework Working Group for the Australian Sports Commission.

Previously, Nimo was Disability Advocacy Coordinator at the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, where she established the first statewide disability network for culturally diverse communities and led the National Community Connector Program to increase participation of migrant people with disabilities in the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Noma has over 20 years of experience in the welfare sector across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with expertise in social work, child protection and community services leadership.

She is currently Chief Operating Officer at Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-Operative (GEGAC), and has previously served as Executive Director of Children, Youth and Families, leading integrated programs that support First Nations children, young people and families.

Her prior roles include Area Operations Manager and Acting Director for Child Protection at the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, where she was responsible for operational leadership, budget management, and service performance.

Fred has over two decades of expertise in policy, project management, system-wide improvement, and financial systems. A Chartered Accountant, he has worked across the public and private sectors in Australia and the UK, including with leading consultancies EY, KPMG and Deloitte. He is currently Director of Financial Systems and Projects at the Victorian Department of Education.

Fred is Co-Founder and Chair of the African Music and Cultural Festival and a founding member of the African Australian Communities Leadership Forum. He was also a member of the Victorian African Communities Action Plan Implementation Committee and the previous Victorian African Communities Committee.

In 2023, Fred was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his significant service to African communities in Victoria.

Nyachan is the Founder and CEO of Nas Recovery Centre, Australia’s first African-led rehabilitation service delivering culturally responsive alcohol and other drug support to African communities.

Nyachan has over 10 years of experience in health treatment services, providing dual diagnosis treatment to individuals and groups with a focus on culturally and linguistically diverse communities. She has served on Victorian Government advisory committees for Suicide Prevention and Youth Justice.

Nyachan was recognised as a 2024 Westfield Local Hero Finalist and a finalist for the Women’s Agenda Emerging Leadership Award.

Rumbi is a social worker and academic with experience across Australia and South Africa, specialising in child protection, family wellbeing, and community development. She is a Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator at ACAP University College and has published on family issues, including the prevention of family violence.

Alongside her academic work, Rumbi serves as a Family Consultant within the federal family law system and as an Advisor to the National Council of Women of Victoria. She is also a Board Member for the Zimbabwean community in Victoria and the Founder of Safer Family Solutions, which promotes culturally responsive practice for multicultural communities.

Rumbi is also the Founder of the Dr Nyanhoto Foundation, focused on advancing family wellbeing and education for vulnerable children.

Mahamed Ahmed is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Think Village, a grassroots organisation supporting young people and communities through collaboration, mentorship, and resilience-building initiatives.

He is an African-Australian for-purpose leader with experience across the not-for-profit, local, and state government sectors. His work focuses on strengthening participation and co-design, ensuring young people and under-represented communities are actively involved in shaping the decisions and systems that affect them.

Mahamed works at a systems level to influence policy, practice, and service delivery, advocating for more inclusive and responsive approaches that centre community voice and support community-led solutions.

Achol is a community leader and advocate whose work spans communications, inclusive program design, and community safety. She is currently completing a Master of Marketing at Victoria University, bringing academic insight to her work in community engagement and youth leadership.

She is the founder of Miss Junubia Australia, a grassroots initiative empowering African Australian women through leadership and development opportunities, and serves as Equity and Diversity Officer with the Victoria University Postgraduate Association.

Achol has also held leadership roles in student governance, political engagement, and marketing, earning recognition for her contributions to community and student initiatives.