THE region celebrated its vibrant multicultural population on Wednesday with events held in both Northern Grampians Shire and Ararat Rural City.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In Ararat a lunch was held while in Stawell attendees enjoyed a morning tea.
The event forms part of the OPAN Project - Opportunities Pyrenees, Ararat and Northern Grampians - a regional migrant and refugee resettlement project that aims to promote resettlement and employment opportunities in the region to migrants.
OPAN is a joint project between councils, Ararat chief executive Tim Harrison said.
Read more: A quarter century of bringing holiday joy
"The aim of OPAN is to establish a sustainable, long-term regional migrant resettlement model for families," Dr Harrison said.
In Stawell, OAM recipients John and Margaret Millington were special guest speakers.
Nyoluk Myong also spoke to the crowd.
Ms Myong is a South Sudanese woman who moved to Stawell through her own volition earlier this year after visiting as a member of a bus trip organised through AMES and the Northern Grampians Shire Council.
She said she was instantly welcomed into the community and quickly found work and her new home with assistance from the Stawell Neighbourhood House.
"When I first came here, I don't know where 'here' was. I have lived in Melbourne for 10 years so I didn't really know Stawell," she said.
"Then I came to Stawell and when I came here I found good, friendly people."
Ms Myong now works in community care.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday morning from The Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Ararat shire, sign up here.
