From Community Participant to National Advocate: Samira Abdullahi Making Waves in Water Safety
MOVE Moonee Valley is proud to celebrate Programs Assistant Samira Abdullahi, who recently attended the 2026 National Water Safety Summit in Sydney and was appointed to the Royal Life Saving Australia National Multicultural Communities Advisory Group.
Selected from a highly competitive field, Samira will help shape national initiatives that improve water safety education, participation and inclusion for multicultural communities across Australia.
This significant achievement is the latest milestone in an inspiring journey that has seen Samira grow from a valued community participant into a leader, mentor and advocate within the aquatic and community engagement sector.
A Journey Driven by Opportunity and Community
Samira’s journey with MOVE began in 2025 when she connected with Community Engagement Coordinator Jaye Hansford through MMVLLEN to explore career pathways and opportunities for community involvement. What started as a conversation about future aspirations quickly developed into a pathway of personal and professional growth.
As a young woman from a Somali background and an active participant in MOVE’s Women Only Programs, Samira demonstrated a genuine passion for community wellbeing, inclusion and helping others feel welcome in aquatic environments. Her involvement in community programs and promotional initiatives highlighted her potential as an emerging leader and role model.
Through mentoring, training opportunities and workplace experience, Samira developed valuable skills and confidence, ultimately securing a role as Programs Assistant with MOVE Moonee Valley, supporting youth engagement and community outreach initiatives.
Leading the Youth Drop-In Program
One of Samira’s most impactful contributions has been her leadership of the Youth Drop-In Program at Ascot Vale Leisure Centre (AVLC).
As part of her role, Samira independently led weekly sessions designed to provide families with free access to aquatic facilities while connecting them to community programs, water safety education and support services. Her responsibilities included welcoming and engaging families, identifying participant needs, promoting available MOVE programs and linking eligible families to financial assistance opportunities.
Drawing on her bilingual skills and strong connections within multicultural communities, Samira successfully engaged Somali, Ethiopian and Eritrean families throughout the program, creating a trusted and culturally safe environment for participation.
Her efforts also resulted in several children being connected to MOVE’s All In! Program, helping reduce barriers to swimming participation and increasing access to vital water safety education.
The program provided an opportunity for families to build confidence in aquatic environments, ask questions and better understand pathways into swimming lessons and community programs. Parents reported feeling more comfortable engaging with staff and better equipped to support their children’s swimming journeys.
Importantly, Samira used each session as an opportunity to advocate for water safety and educate families about supervision requirements and the importance of developing swimming skills from an early age.
A National Voice for Multicultural Communities
Samira’s appointment to the Royal Life Saving Australia National Multicultural Communities Advisory Group recognises her leadership, lived experience and commitment to improving outcomes for culturally diverse communities.
The Advisory Group brings together representatives from across Australia to provide insight and guidance on addressing barriers to aquatic participation and developing culturally responsive water safety initiatives.
Having witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by newly arrived and multicultural families, Samira brings a valuable perspective to these national conversations.
Reflecting on her experience at the National Water Safety Summit, Samira shared:
“Attending the National Water Safety Summit reinforced the importance of working alongside communities to make water safety education more accessible, inclusive and culturally relevant. Meeting fellow members of the National Multicultural Communities Advisory Group was incredibly inspiring, and I’m honoured to contribute to a program that will help remove barriers, build confidence around water and create safer outcomes for multicultural families across Australia.”
