by Nicholas Duck
Trafalgar's Arfa Sarfaraz Khan was last week recognised for her incredible efforts in the community at the 2024 Volunteering Victoria Awards.

Attending the Melbourne-based ceremony on Tuesday, Arfa was named the recipient of the Volunteer Leadership Award.
Her award came largely through her work as a cross-cultural leader and advocate, particularly as president of the United Muslim Sisters of Latrobe Valley (UMSLV) - a position she has held since 2015.
Through UMSLV, Arfa - a practicing Muslim - has sought to support new and emerging multicultural communities, empower women and youth as well as fostering interfaith dialogue.
Speaking after the ceremony, she said she was shocked when her name was read out as the winner.
"People had so many good bios and so much they've done and winning from them is incredible. I just thought 'I don't deserve it'," she said.
"I feel happy, I'm not going to say you don't feel happy. It's a really good feeling, but I still feel there were people who were much more worthy of it."
As a migrant, Arfa moved to Trafalgar in late 2012 from Wollongong, having travelled there from her original home in Pakistan.
With two very young children and a working husband, she described how she had struggled to figure out where she might find a sense of community.
She was inspired to join the UMSLV, taking it upon herself to welcome other new arrivals to the area and help them acclimatise to their new surroundings, as well as trying to encourage connection between the Muslim community and other groups.
"There has been a big stigma and some people have big biases against the Muslim community, not everyone of course but there are those pockets of people," she said.
"It's a burden that I think we as Muslims carry. Why do we need to justify if someone's done the wrong thing? It's not me who's done those things, I'm not a bad person.
"We need to have a better understanding of each other. Obviously there's always a fear of unknown, so when you meet people and are open towards it we are much better for it."
The UMSLV is due to celebrate its 13th anniversary this year, having run a number of successful programs in that time in the Latrobe Valley, Baw Baw and beyond. The group now has members from as far as Bairnsdale and Wonthaggi.
From events dedicated to cross cultural understanding like Ramadan iftar dinners and Eid Festivals to anti-racism campaigns, the organisation has grown significantly in the number of people it helps.
One notable program the group has established is the Hello Buddy mentorship program, which connects multicultural women with people living in the area who can help make them feel welcome and impart skills and knowledge they may want to learn.
The UMSLV has established itself as a voice for the local multicultural community, now being consulted in major decisions by local councils.
"Getting a seat at the table is a really big thing for us because we felt our voices were not being heard. Now we are asked for our opinions. That's a testament to the work we do."
Arfa believes strongly in creating a welcoming environment for people of all cultures and faiths, not just Muslims, and said at the end of the day we are all human and all deserve respect.
"We can't have the perfect world - we'd be living somewhere else. It's a utopian concept, there is no perfect world, but we are all striving towards it. We all want to feel safe, feel loved, feel protected," she said.