OUR TEAM
Our Inclusive Communities Team is a group of passionate, like-minded people who want to make a difference by reducing and preventing family abuse in our CALD communities in Australia.
Their input and experience along with their commitment, and volunteering are greatly appreciated. If you would like to join us, please write to Dorothy Gilmour at info@rotarysafefamilies.org.au
Dorothy Gilmour
Creator and Co-Chair Rotary SAFE Families and Inclusive Communities Initiative.
Rotary Zone 8 Regionalisation Specialist Leader: "Gender Equity, Rotary SAFE Families, Prevention of Family Violence to any Community or Diversity".
Vast experience and professional, academic history in Social Sciences including human behaviours and challenges of specialised groups.
Her main practice was in the area of trauma, loss, and; grief for individuals, parents and families and included debriefing after a critical incident in workplaces and post community disasters. Her services included years of University lecturing in Masters programmes of Psychology, Social Science and Family Therapy.
Dorothy remains an advocate for social justice and fairness for those less fortunate. She is determined for everyday people to be part of the solution in the prevention of family violence and elder abuse across the world.
Dorothy believes that we must take some responsibility and assist our Police and social services to manage this epidemic of violence: 'We must assist a victim or possible victim of abuse, by being able to identify and report any form of abuse, not sit on our hands. Let us help to ensure our children and grandchildren do not perpetrate this lack of respect for humanity.”
A passionate Rotarian and 'champion' of Rotary SAFE Families for Rotary in Australia. "Onwards and Upwards!"
Peter Berg, Co-Chair Inclusive Communities
I had a long career in the financial services industry both in Australia and overseas and one of the best things in my life was to join Rotary a little under 10 years ago when I became a member of Rotary Melbourne. For 6 years I was a Board member at Expression Australia and am now very pleased to be able to actively pursue voluntary work within Rotary.
My interests are in the Arts especially literature and music, the Environment, world affairs, sport and unsurprisingly still take a keen interest in global financial markets. Rotary has been a perfect fit for me in that I have been able to pursue most of these interests within Rotary.
I have been active on the Environmental Sustainability, Arts, Community Welfare and Investment committees at Rotary Melbourne also being involved outside the Club with other Rotarians in the activities of ESRAG and Rotarians for Bees.
A little under two years ago I became the Ambassador for SAFE Families at Rotary Melbourne and am a member of the SAFE Families Inclusive Communities Initiative leadership team which has given me an opportunity to work with Dorothy Gilmour and a wonderful group of people who are committed to spreading the important messages on how to make the home a safer living environment for all family members.
Domestic abuse sadly exists in all communities across Australia and apart from having serious damaging ramifications on mental health and well-being it can also cause the break-up of a family and contribute to homelessness.
Family abuse can start in the simplest of ways and escalate over time to be a very serious situation impacting the lives of the most vulnerable family members. The psychological harm to children can be profound.
If we can highlight ways in which a potentially dangerous situation in a home can be prevented, then our Inclusive Communities Initiative will have had a positive impact.
Ahmed Tohow
Ahmed is based in Australia from Somalia origin, he has completed a Master of Terrorism and Security Studies as well as Master and bachelor degree of International Development Studies from Charles Sturt, RMIT and Latrobe Univer sities respectively.
Ahmed is a founder and a Director of East Africa Security and Policy Forum EASPF which aims to promote the values of peace, stability and security in East Africa. EASPF mission is facilitate an informative forums that combines the work of leading experts, scholars, government representatives, diaspora professionals to promote a cohesive and stable global community and realize it's vision.
Ahmed is also an Ambassador for Peace and a Member Advisory Committee at Universal Peace Federation UPF Victoria branch. He is Deputy Chair Board of Directors of the Global Somali Diaspora gsd.org.uk
Prior to his professional career, Ahmed worked for several aid agencies, UNITAF and UNISOM’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia in 1990s;UNISOM, Red Cross, UNHCR and IOM in Africa. He specialises in peace building, countering violent extremism, conflict resolution and community development. Ahmed has more than 15 years experience in the areas of civil war, particularly on Horn of Africa.
Shakilah Wesonga
Shakilah was recognized for her work with Rotary SAFE Families and its Inclusive Communities Initiative, by the UPF-Australia Peace Building and awarded the Global Ambassador for Peace in 2022.
Additionally, Shakilah has worked with the KenAus (Kenya/Australia) Fellowship to bring unity between Kenyan tribes and help others in their Christian faith and wellbeing.
Shakilah has been instrumental in the production of the film and translated Guide in Swahili: "You Can Help to Prevent Family Abuse - Swahili". Her ability to connect with African communities continues to increase the reach of our Inclusive Communities Initiative.
Shakilah is the NDIS Local Area Co-Ordinator, Brotherhood of St Laurence.
Oscar Lumire
I am the Charter president of the Rotary Club of Kericho, in Kenya. Kericho is a county located in the rift valley highlands and globally known for it's production of tea. The major people here are the Kipsigis community who are mostly farmers.
I am currently the Service Projects Director of the Rotary Club of Kericho and I have managed to gear the club to a few projects. Currently we are building and renovating toilets in public primary schools in Kericho County in a bid to promote good hygiene and prevention of diseases. We are seeking more partners to ensure we achieve our target of reaching 10 schools in rural areas by end of this Rotary year.
Our club has also partnered with other clubs to pioneer the construction of AIC Litein Hospital Eye Clinic. With the increasing number of patients with Cataract aliments, our club saw it of need to have a modernized eye clinic that will increase eye treatment in Kericho County.
Being part of SAFE Families Inclusive Communities Initiative led by Dorothy, I have shared the guidebook on the Prevention of Domestic Violence to an organisation protecting women and children from abusive marriages to help them in implementation of their programs. The program, is game changer in the slums as a few families have already been reunited for a better course thanks to Dorothy and her team in Australia.
Additionally, we are set to implement a Menstrual Health Program aimed at providing sanitary pads to girls. This need is vast in the rural areas in Kericho County as poverty and lack of knowledge has seen girls having to use Handkerchiefs or miss school days because of Menstruation.
This program will see the introduction of washable pads to ensure sustainability. To make this program successful, we are seeking partners to make education comfortable to the girls in the villages and encourage them to achieve their dreams.
Lookman Lawal
Lookman Lawal was born in 1977 in Epe, Lagos, Nigeria, into a large family of 10 siblings. GrowingLookman Lawal was born in 1977 in Epe, Lagos, Nigeria, into a large family of 10 siblings. Growing up in a disadvantaged environment, his parents often struggled to provide basic necessities. Despite these challenges, Lookman was motivated to strive for a better future.
After working tirelessly in Spain for 8 years, Lookman eventually found love in Melbourne, Australia,where he married his partner, Faye, in 2013. They hope to start a family of their own one day.Lookman's career spans various fields, including sports consulting, accounting, real estate, and charity work. His experience as a volunteer with The Salvation Army inspired him to establish his own not-for-profit organization, HER Africa, in 2019.
HER Africa focuses on advancing health, education, and general well-being for women and children Nigeria. They have built toilets, provided sex education, and distributed sanitary items to young girls in schools. We have introduced the use of menstrual cups in public schools in Epe through our partnership with Saalt, an American sanitary items brand. Currently, HER Africa is currently working on building a bakery to provide employment for women which will enhance productivity and the local economy.
Lookman is driven by a desire to give back to the community and is inspired by his family's values.Through HER Africa, he aims to continue supporting and providing for communities in Nigeria, raising awareness, and expanding their reach.
With a dedicated team of volunteers, HER Africa aims to uplift communities in Epe, Lagos, by providing sustainable employment opportunities, fostering skill development, and promoting independence. Their mission is to raise awareness and extend their impact to wider communities in Nigeria.
Ron Moss
President and PP Rotary Caroline Springs. He is passionate in his work with Family Violence and Inclusion, Diversity and Equity.
Ron provides the Inclusive Communities Team with a dynamic style and many contacts that are beneficial to our work in diversity.
Ron is an eexperienced consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the Defense & Space industry. He is skilled in Analytical Skills, Operations Management, Workplace Safety, Management, and Continuous Improvement.
Ron has strong professional consulting skills with a Masters focused in Management and Governance from the University of New South Wales.
Ari Talantis
I'm a social media enthusiast, Rotarian, wife of Richard, and mother of Clark.
I love people, and doing what I can to make this world a better and safer place.
Cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family are my hobbies. I am interested in online communities and how they influence our behaviour. Using the Internet to connect to people globally is proving invaluable to our initiative. I am bilingual, Greek is my mother tongue, I also majored in Modern Greek for my undergraduate degree, but as I was born and reside in Melbourne, English is my first language.
I believe that the needs of every community, are valid and that the well-being of all ages and sexes is important within those communities.
The older I become the more I realise that we are all people, no matter where we come from. We all have the same needs, and we all deserve to have the same chances in life. Giving people the tools to attain this makes communities safer and happier places to be part of.
I have a Masters Degree from the University of Melbourne in Publishing and Communications. The publishing part does has to do with digital publishing, i.e., websites and the like, not books.
