Alia, Pakistan

Mrs. Alia completed her Bachelor in Arts from Pakistan, majoring in Psychology. After completing her degree, she got married to a well respected businessman and raised four children. All of them are highly educated. For thirty years, she was a devoted and committed housewife. Her life was comfortable and filled with happiness and satisfaction. Until her husband received threats from Taliban and her near relatives got persecuted on the ground of being Hazaras. This forced her husband to abandon his well established business and properties back home and to seek political asylum in Australia.

Although her new life in Australia was filled with challenges and financial hardships like she had never faced before, this was a beginning of a very bright future. She began working with Luz and Sisterworks selling Pakistani handicrafts and goods to the markets. Soon after that she became the vice president of the Australian Hazara Women Friendship Network (AHWFN), striving for the empowerment of refugee and asylum seeking women in Melbourne, Victoria.

Alia’s passion for cooking and creating delicious food has motivated her to start her own catering company, AMI catering. In the future, she hopes to expand her business.