Marita

Who are you? How did you come to Australia or were you born in Australia? Please share your experiences.

I’m Marita, I was born in Kenya. I lived there until I was 13 years old then relocated to Switzerland. After a few years I then moved to France and resided there for some time too. I came to Australia 12 years ago to study and travel. I consider myself Kenyan with a mix of these other cultures. I live and work in Australia and call it home.

Name one thing you really passionate about and why?

I am passionate about modelling and acting. It is something I have always wanted to do but got a bit side-tracked whilst building my career as a lawyer. Even though I enjoy working as a lawyer, nothing brings me more excitement than getting ready for a photo shoot, audition, learning lines, getting casting calls and everything that goes along with it.

Describe a few things you find fascinating about Australia’s multicultural society?

I love how being Australian encompasses so many different cultures as well. I’m Australian but Kenyan first. I know quite a number of Australians with the same sense of pride of being Aussie but also embracing their other nationalities. In addition, this diverse environment produces a wide range of great food, music, festivals, fashion and art.

What kind of experiences have you had in relating with people whose backgrounds differ from your own?

Relating to people from different backgrounds to my own is something I do on a daily basis. As a lawyer, many of my clients are from a wide range of backgrounds. They come from various countries and speak various languages. We often have to use interpreters in order to assist them. I also interact daily with various actors, extras and models from all sorts of backgrounds.

What did you learn from this experience?

Relating to people with different backgrounds gives me the opportunity to learn about different cultures, countries, languages, foods, music and so much more. It is all a learning experience for me. It is also a chance to share my own story in some way.

What does a commitment to diversity/multiculturalism mean to you?

Being committed to diversity means accepting others regardless of their culture, background, ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation and any other differences to my own. To accept others without discrimination or bias.

What do you see as the advantages and challenging aspects of an increasingly diverse community. What can we do to overcome such challenges?</h4
There are boundless advantages to increasing diversity within a community. It is an opportunity to learn about one another, share experiences, languages, food, music, cultures and stories.

That said, I also realise that embracing change is not only difficult on some individuals but also a systemic issue. We have to encourage a shift in behaviour patterns in relation to diversity and then implement these changes within our community.

What fun and interesting activities/events can we do/hold to aid in bridging the cultural gap thereby creating an inclusive society for all to enjoy?

I would like to see some more music and food festivals. I think that they tend to bring out the best in people and their views about different cultures.

Follow Marita @marita.hazel