Having moved from South Africa, I am continually so grateful to have found such a beautiful home in the Redlands.
We have the best of all worlds with entertainment, nature and the bustle of community wherever we go. We are immersed amongst nature, animals, the bay and I have enjoyed living, working and relaxing in this beautiful city.
Feeling so a part of the community, I have loved giving back my time and resources to serve and get to know others.
We have some amazing children and youth living in Mt Cotton and it has been incredible to get to know them while volunteering at Livewires Kidsclub and C4 Youth.
I have also been so encouraged by the compassion and passion shown in the young people living in the Redlands.
I volunteer for a group called The Library Project Vanuatu and we install libraries in rural villages in Vanuatu where students do not have access to any books.
We have so far installed over 30 libraries and seen massive growth in student outcomes in these villages.
While this process has been so rewarding, it is also encouraging to see how people back home in the Redlands have donated time, energy and money to help aid this project.
We have had many people join missions, heading to Vanuatu to install the libraries, while others help back home in Australia with the collection, sorting and packing of books into a container.
The generosity of the community, even during Covid, with fundraising has been so appreciated and means we can keep up with the many requests of schools in Vanuatu desperate for books.
This community is beyond amazing and I am so grateful to live here and be honoured with the award of Redlands Coast Young Citizen of the Year.
- Jenali Collier, Young Citizen of the Year (Redlands)