By Dhabessa Wakjira

In a moment that celebrates both personal achievement and the power of lived experience, Dr Melika Sheikh-Eldin — Manager of International and Community Development at AMES Australia — has been inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, one of the state’s most prestigious recognitions of women’s contributions to their communities and the nation.

The announcement was met with pride and joy across AMES Australia and the broader settlement sector, where Dr Melika has been a guiding force for more than two decades.

“Congratulations to Dr Melika Sheikh-Eldin, our Manager of International and Community Development, on being inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women,” AMES Australia shared in a statement. “This well-deserved recognition celebrates Melika’s outstanding leadership and commitment to creating opportunities for multicultural communities.”

A Journey from Refugee to World-Leading Innovator

Dr Melika’s story is one of remarkable transformation — and of turning personal hardship into a force for systemic change. She fled war in Eritrea in the late 1970s, volunteering in Sudanese refugee camps and in Cairo for organisations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , the Red Cross, and Save the Children. She resettled in Australia in 1992.

Since joining AMES Australia in 2001, she has dedicated her career to settlement, community development, capacity building, and advocacy. Her work has helped thousands of new arrivals settle successfully in Australia and has influenced settlement policy and practice both nationally and internationally.

At the Victorian Honour Roll of Women ceremony, it was recognised that Dr Melika Sheikh-Eldin has transformed her lived experience as a refugee into world-leading approaches to community integration and social cohesion.

Three World-Leading Models

Dr Melika’s impact at AMES Australia is perhaps best illustrated by the innovative programs she has led — programs that have become blueprints for others:

1. The Nhill Rural Settlement Project

In western Victoria, the small town of Nhill was facing economic decline. Dr Melika’s project settled Karen refugees in the community, revitalising the town’s economy and creating a model now considered a global blueprint for rural settlement.

2. The Werribee Park Gardening Program

Engaging isolated Karen women in gardening, this program addressed critical issues of isolation and mental wellbeing. Its success was so evident that the model has been adopted by other organisations.

3. The Community Guides Program

Perhaps her most influential innovation, the Community Guides Program recruits former refugees to use their lived experience to assist new arrivals. Dr Melika has travelled to Sweden, New Zealand, and Japan to help international organisations establish programs based on this model.

Challenging Stereotypes, Championing Two-Sided Education

Throughout her career, Dr Melika has disrupted gender stereotypes and challenged the public perception of what refugees can achieve. Central to her philosophy is the concept of “two-sided education” — the idea that both host communities and new arrivals must learn about one another for true integration to occur.

This mutual learning, she explains, helps mitigate the fear of the unknown — the anxiety that so often fuels resistance to newcomers. It is a simple but profound insight: integration is not something done to refugees, but something built with them, and with the communities that receive them.

A Scholar and a Mother

Dr Melika’s achievements are all the more remarkable given the circumstances in which she pursued them. While raising three children as a refugee in a small Australian town, she completed a PhD in aquatic science — a testament to her intellectual rigor and her refusal to be defined by the limitations others might have placed upon her.

Since 2007, she has also sat on the board of the Refugee Council of Australia and represented the nation as a “Refugee Voice” at annual UNHCR consultations in Geneva, advocating for policy shifts that recognise refugees as stakeholders rather than recipients of aid.

A Well-Deserved Recognition

The Victorian Honour Roll of Women celebrates women who have made exceptional contributions to Victoria and beyond. Inductees are recognised for their leadership, courage, and lasting impact on their communities.

Dr Melika’s induction places her among a distinguished group of women who have shaped the state’s social, cultural, and political landscape. For the Oromo community and for refugees and migrants across Australia, her recognition is a moment of immense pride.

“Congratulations, Melika. We are incredibly proud of you,” AMES Australia said. 💙

Learn More

To read Dr Melika Yassin Sheikh-Eldin’s full profile on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, visit:

🔗 https://www.vic.gov.au/dr-melika-yassin-sheikh-eldin

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