Immaculate embraces differences

Tanzania, that’s where I was born. I came to Australia in 2006, which is about nine years ago now. My family love me and help me and support me.

I have two sisters and two brothers. I’m the youngest. With my middle sister we sing karaoke and play in the park. I like cooking with my older sister, and with my brothers we go places together.

I know how to play a couple of instruments. I’ve played the recorder for five years, and also play the ukulele, piano and guitar. I’m actually pretty good at the guitar. You can get really sore fingers learning though because of the strings.

I’m in Year 7. My teacher told me we’d get heaps more homework at high school, but I’m still waiting for that to happen. In high school they divide you by how smart you are. I think the higher class you are the harder the tests are. I’m somewhere in the middle. I like that system though because it means we can be in smaller classes and you get to know one another and one teacher all year, that is better.

You have to have an education because in this country if you don’t have money you don’t have anything. There are places you can go that can support you, yes, but the best thing to do is to get an education so you don’t need as much help. Education helps you reach your goals so you can have a good future. We are very lucky to live here.

If you don’t like the school environment then you’re not going to learn. There has to be good, friendly teachers and people around you who want to help you, that’s the type of thing that leads you on a good path and gets you to enjoy school.

I used to get teased for saying words wrong. I remember I couldn’t say ‘excuse me’. But now I’ve grown up and learnt English properly and just find it funny how I used to pronounce things. I actually laugh about it now. I like that kind of thing though. No one is normal, did you know that? Everyone is weird or awkward in some way. When people are weird they’re funny and more interesting.

I don’t really like the saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’. It’s not true. Words – you kind of keep them in your head, some people get very upset by them. Unless you’re like me, I don’t really care what people think.

I don’t worry about much. I like how it is, I like everything. I’m very happy in my life. Like, what is there to worry about at just 12 years-old? I’m sure most of the difficult stuff is yet to happen.

My life is one of the most important things to me. I love who I have grown up to be so far; that’s my biggest personal achievement. I know some other people haven’t gotten this far.

Download the full publication This is Me: Stories from culturally and linguistically diverse children and young people.