A Traveller is the person who will be finding storytellers and guest speakers who are willing to be interviewed. The Traveller records the interview, obtains informed consent for recording and publication from the storytellers and guest speakers, submits the recording for quality checking, and helps the National Team to promote the Speak My Language program and the interviews, particularly (but not only) using social media. Some Travellers may be selected to develop and broadcast content on community radio.
While originally hailing from Istanbul, Tolga has lived and worked all over the world as an expatriate (expat). Working abroad has enriched his outlook on life, as he explains "Multiple voices, perspectives and personalities bouncing off one another gave rise to out-of-the-box thinking."
While he appreciates Australia's multiculturalism, Tolga remains well connected to his local Turkish community. He is a proud volunteer of the Community Visitors Scheme (visiting elderly people), a member of the Turkish Association in South Australia, and he teaches Turkish to Australians. Alongside the valuable experience he has gained through his work and volunteering, Tolga has attained an Honours Degree in English Philology (Istanbul University) and is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional ( Digital Marketing Institute, Dublin).
He is proud to have put his friendly nature and native language skills to work for the Speak My Language program, and hopes this will contribute to a stronger Turkish community that supports disability inclusion. Tolga's role with Speak My Language was with the Multicultural Communities' Council of SA.
Tran holds a Bachelor of Justice/Laws from the Queensland University of Technology. She has a passion for serving the people of her community. Tran is currently working as a Social and Community Services Officer at the Darra Neighbourhood Centre, which is managed by the Vietnamese Community in Australia (QLD). Her role includes organising “living well” activities for and with people with disabilities, such as Morning Teas, School Holiday Activities and Cooking Sessions. Tran is also a bicultural support worker at World Wellness Group. Her faith, family and community inspire her to serve others. She has enjoyed using Speak My Language as another way to connect with and empower people from her community. Tran's role with Speak My Language was with the Ethnic Communities' Council of QLD.
Zainab is working towards a Bachelor of Social Work at Curtin University. She is employed as an advocate at the Ethnic Communities’ Council WA, as well as a disability support worker through another agency. She is passionate about advocating for human rights and is especially drawn to the cause of removing stigma around mental health. Zainab has used her professional knowledge and her cultural understanding to support people to share empowering stories about disability inclusion for the Speak My Language program. Zainab's role as Speak My Language Traveller was with the Ethnic Communities' Council of WA