Beny Bol OAM has made significant contributions to community well-being, particularly within the African community and youth in Queensland. Mr Bol has demonstrated outstanding dedication to advocating for social justice and cohesion, and mentoring disengaged youth.
Having arrived in Australia on a humanitarian visa in 2007, Mr Bol has since acquired 2 Master’s degrees and written a book about his experiences. He founded the African Youth Support Council, which employs mentors to run rehabilitation and early intervention activities inside juvenile detention centres, in schools and at the African Youth Centre in Brisbane.
His ethos as a Youth Worker is to focus on empowering young people to set positive goals and prevent them from entering the justice system. In 2021, Mr Bol was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his extraordinary positive impact in the community.
If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the world, what would it be?
“Turn every country into a strong democracy so that every child regardless of their upbringing and background can have a chance to realise their potential and contribute fully to their country and community.”
What’s a surprising fact people wouldn’t know about you?
“I was well-known as an effective, young, traditional fisherman who would catch the biggest fish that could feed dozens of people per catch back in the cattle camps where I grew up. Swimming was also my favourite hobby as a child, but I never attempted to swim in Australia for the 17 years that I have been here because I don’t want to wind up in trouble with the sharks.”
