Our Team
Vivina Deng
Founder / Director
Nearly five years ago, Vivina Deng started AusUnityAid with nothing but a vision, a deep well of lived experience, and an unshakeable belief that community can heal what circumstance breaks. Today, that vision has grown into an extensive hub that families, youth, and individuals across Victoria and NSW turn to in their moments of need but Vivina built it alone, from the ground up, one relationship, one act of service, and one late night at a time.
Vivina's own story is one that many African women will recognise in their bones. She came to Australia as a young immigrant, carrying with her the hopes of a new life and the weight of everything left behind. Along the way, she became a single mother, navigating the demands of raising children while building a future in a country that was still becoming home. There were challenges that could have broken her. Instead, they became the foundation of her purpose. Through her years working closely with community, Vivina witnessed firsthand the quiet, often invisible destruction that can unfold in the lives of young people; the disconnection, the lost opportunities, the potential left unrealised. It is this that ignited her deepest passion: building a better future for the youth of Australia, particularly those from migrant and refugee backgrounds who so often walk a path she knows intimately herself.
With over 10 years of community experience behind her, Vivina has never stopped growing. She is currently pursuing a Master of Psychology, working toward full registration so she can deepen the clinical and therapeutic support AusUnityAid offers to the people who need it most. It is a reflection of who she is, someone who never simply arrives, but continues to reach further for the sake of others. For Vivina, Australia is not just the country she immigrated to. It is home; a home that gave her refuge, opportunity, and the chance to rebuild her life when she needed it most. AusUnityAid is her way of returning that gift, ensuring that every family, every young person, and every individual who walks through its doors is met with the same compassion, dignity, and belief in a better future that once changed the course of her own life
Peter Hamzat
Acting Director
Peter Hamzat brings a rare and powerful combination of frontline emergency care experience and deep community insight to his role as Acting Director at AusUnityAid. Of Nigerian background, Peter spent over 5 years working as a paramedic, a career that placed him directly in the lives of individuals and families during some of their most vulnerable moments. It was through this work that Peter discovered his true calling: not just responding to crises, but helping build the systems of support that prevent them in the first place.
This realisation led Peter to pursue further study, and he is currently completing his Bachelor of Community Services, combining his real-world frontline experience with formal training in community welfare, advocacy, and support systems. As Acting Director, Peter draws on both his clinical background and his growing academic expertise to guide AusUnityAid's strategic direction, oversee day-to-day operations, and ensure the organisation continues to deliver genuine, high-quality support to the multicultural and CALD communities it serves.
Peter's leadership is grounded in empathy, urgency, and action, qualities forged through years of showing up for people in their toughest moments. He understands, perhaps more than most, that community wellbeing isn't just about responding to emergencies, but about creating stability, connection, and opportunity long before a crisis occurs. Under his leadership, AusUnityAid continues to grow its impact, guided by his unwavering belief that every individual and family deserves access to compassionate, culturally responsive care.
Dr. Mohamed Ahmed
Education and Employment Pathway Advisor
Dr. Mohamed Ahmed serves as AusUnityAid's Education and Employment Pathway Advisor, guiding migrants and refugees through one of the most critical steps in their settlement journey: building a sustainable future through education and meaningful employment. Drawing on his own academic background and deep understanding of the barriers migrants often face when navigating Australia's education and job markets, Mohamed works closely with individuals and families to identify pathways that align with their skills, qualifications, and aspirations.
In this role, Mohamed helps clients understand how their existing qualifications and work experience translate within the Australian context, connects them with accredited education and training providers, and supports them in accessing recognition of prior learning where applicable. He also works alongside clients to build practical, job-ready skills including resume writing, interview preparation, and understanding workplace expectations and rights in Australia while linking them to employers, apprenticeships, traineeships, and further study opportunities that fit their goals.
Mohamed's approach goes beyond simply pointing people toward the next step, he takes the time to understand each person's story, strengths, and circumstances, offering guidance that is both practical and genuinely supportive. Having witnessed firsthand the challenges many migrants and refugees face when trying to have their skills and experience recognised in a new country, he is deeply committed to breaking down these barriers and helping clients see education and employment not as obstacles, but as achievable pathways toward stability, independence, and long-term success.
Through his work, Mohamed plays a vital role in AusUnityAid's mission helping community members move from uncertainty to opportunity, and ultimately, from surviving to thriving in their new lives in Australia.
Abrar Obaid
Community Engagement Officer
Wol Ngong
Registered Counsellor
Olivia Agwak
Youth Advocate
Abrar Obaid plays a key role in connecting AusUnityAid with the communities it serves, building genuine relationships and creating opportunities for individuals and families to access the support they need. With a strong commitment to community-driven action, Abrar works to ensure AusUnityAid's programs remain relevant, accessible, and responsive to the real needs of the people we work alongside.
Passionate about fostering trust and connection, Abrar regularly engages with community members, local organisations, and partners to strengthen AusUnityAid's presence and impact. Whether through outreach, events, or one-on-one support, Abrar is dedicated to making sure every person who connects with AusUnityAid feels welcomed, heard, and supported.
Abrar's work reflects AusUnityAid's core belief that lasting change happens through genuine community collaboration; listening first, and building solutions together.
Wol Ngong brings a rare and powerful blend of professional expertise and lived experience to his work as a registered counsellor. Having lived a life shaped by real challenges and real growth, Wol doesn't just offer technical, evidence-based support, he offers genuine cultural understanding, meeting each client where they are, with an insight that can only come from having walked a similar path.
Wol's passion lies deeply in youth and men's mental health. He is a consistent and dedicated advocate for men's wellbeing, recognising that so many of the conversations that matter most are the ones that rarely get started. Rather than waiting for people to come to him, Wol goes to where connection naturally happens; on the soccer field, on the basketball court, in the everyday moments between young men and their peers. Through informal sports sessions and community programs, he creates safe, judgement-free spaces where difficult conversations can begin organically, often for the first time.
For Wol, counselling isn't confined to a session or a clinic, it's about building trust, breaking down stigma, and showing up consistently for the people who need it most. His work reflects a simple but powerful belief: that healing often starts with someone willing to ask the hard questions, and stay for the answers.
Olivia is AusUnityAid's Youth Advocate, bringing a vital youth perspective to everything we do. She plays a key role in identifying the needs and wants of young people in our community, helping shape research and youth engagement programs that are genuinely responsive to what young people are facing today.
As an active and engaged community member, Olivia brings invaluable insight to the team grounded in real, lived understanding of the challenges and aspirations of local youth. Her work helps create opportunities for young people to navigate services across Australia with greater confidence and support, ensuring no young person is left to face these systems alone.
Olivia's passion for youth advocacy drives AusUnityAid's commitment to putting young people's voices at the centre of our programs and decision-making.
Wafaa Awad Suliman
Youth Engagement Officer
Wafaa is a passionate Youth Engagement Officer at AusUnity Aid, committed to creating welcoming spaces where young people feel heard, represented and empowered to participate in their communities.
In her role, Wafaa supports the development and delivery of youth-focused programs, community events and engagement initiatives. She works closely with young people to understand their experiences, ideas and aspirations, helping ensure that youth voices play an active role in shaping AusUnity Aid’s programs.
With a strong focus on connection, inclusion and empowerment, Wafaa is passionate about encouraging young people from diverse backgrounds to build confidence, develop leadership skills and create meaningful connections within their communities.