Albury Wodonga Multicultural Community Events Inc. (AWMCE INC.) 

Non-profit Multicultural Organisation  

Building connections, celebrating diversity, advocating and empowering diverse communities within the Albury-Wodonga region and beyond.

AWMCE Inc. services, support, and activities provide:

Community Building and Social Inclusion

Youth Employment Supports

Cultural Events and Live Performances. 

Wellbeing and Mental Health Awareness

Support Australian Migrants, CALD communities and international students. 

Emergency Relief and Community Support

 Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns 

Youth Empowerment and Leadership, etc.

AWMCE INC. Fosters social cohesion, supporting individuals within diverse communities affected by mental illness, past traumas, and suicide. Bring the communities together to continue conversations and share experiences. Deliver programs to support young children, youth and seniors with their education, safety, health and wellbeing, sports, etc.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/18GU68GZHf/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Email: info.awmce@gmail.com

🔹AWMCE INC.  bring the communities together, showcase multiculturism, entertains, empowers, educates, and helps the multicultural communities during difficult times. Creating the pathways so that they can connected in their communities, feel welcome and make it easier for them to belongs in the community.

AWMCE fosters social cohesion, supports migrants, refugees, CALD diverse communities, Indigenous communities, the border Australian community and international students together in the Albury Wodonga region. Support individuals affected by mental illness, past traumas and suicide. Also, aims to bring the community together to continue conversations and share experiences around trauma, suicide and mental illness. Extending to deliver programs to support young children and youth with their education, health and wellbeing, sports, pursuing their further studies and outpatient medical treatment with their financial assistance across Australia. 

2023 Fundraised Events- Multicultural Cuisine Day for Youth medical treatment raised 15K in 13 days by AWMCE INC. Youth initiatives. Assisted with ongoing radiotherapy treatments. 

2023 Multicultural Dance Exchange: Community movement connections, 6 week 3 workshops. Supported and collaborated with Erica Okamura. 

Traditional Aboriginal dance, Filipino dance, swing dance, Balkan dance, Rwandan dance, Bhutanese/ Nepalese Dance, Indian dance, Belly dance, Scottish Highland dance. 

2022- Delivered Orphan child and seniors with Handmade Toys by Betty and provided financial support in NEPAL SNEHI KAAKHA, a social service organisation.  

2021- Organised 100 people a day Covid -19 Vaccinations for months at the clinic for the young people in the border communities. 

2021- Raised thousands of dollars for the medical treatment of Nepali artists with kidney transplants.

Several movie screenings were held in the last few years. Some of the projects include Live Concert with international artists and local youth from various multicultural backgrounds. The Live Concert was successful, with more than 400 people attending the show.

Women Empowerment Project: TEEJ MELA with Pashupati Sharma,  with 300 people, along with international artists, local men and women from various backgrounds. This event brought together local women from CALD and refugee backgrounds. With guest human rights lawyer Fadak Alfayad, presenting cultural performances and discussions around the barriers for CALD and refugee women to keep themselves and their families safe.

Numerous movie screenings, a fundraising project organised at Regent Cinema for local kids, youth, adults and elderly people. Each time, 100 to 150 people participated. The funds that were raised from the movie screening were used to organise events and give back to the communities.

The awareness and Reflective Journey Project consisted of interviewing people, allowing them to reflect on their life experiences and was published on Facebook. This project attempted to give people a chance to reflect on their lives and share wisdom with the newer generation.

In 2019, "MULTICULTURAL YOUTH SHOWCASE" to Celebrate Cultural Diversity. Multicultural Youth performing various dances, singing and music. Cultural foods, traditional dresses and Cultural Fashion Walk were exhibited. There were 500 more people from diverse cultural communities such as indigenous, Bhutanese, Nepalese, African, Philippines, Iranian, Indian, Panjabi community, etc. Free cultural foods, drinks served, traditional dresses and CULTURAL FASHION WALK were exhibited. This event provided a unique opportunity for young people, elderly people, and diverse community groups to showcase their cultural skills to the wider community. This was a great, family-friendly, fun event and an opportunity to witness and share various cultures in our region.

In 2020, the "Multicultural Wellbeing Programme"  for 5 weeks, which included Hiking, Biking, Running, Yoga for senior men and women, Fitness and Boxing classes for the diverse community in Albury-Wodonga. Coordinated by Om Guragai, Bhakta Bhattarai (Durga), Govin Dahal and Bibek Pokhrel.

AWMCE make themselves and distributes reusable facemasks to vulnerable multicultural communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has delivered several projects in Albury and Wodonga over the past 3 years. Most of our projects have focused on events that celebrate and bring together diverse communities, to increase social participation, wellbeing and social cohesion in our community. Due to COVID 19, build capacity in our local Multicultural community to increase wellbeing and social connection, through online and small group programs. 

2020-2021-"Emergency COVID-19 Food Relief Packages". AWMCE organised to distribute the basic food packages to communities impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemics including Migrants communities, International students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Identified Vulnerable Australian Families. Punya Foundation Inc served as an auspice for AWMCE. The relief package program was run in collaboration with diverse community-based organisations and multicultural communities in the Albury-Wodonga region with the support of volunteers. The relief package distribution program was attended by the representatives of government agencies, Police departments, Multicultural Community Organisations, Youth groups, International students and community members.

2022-“Economic Empowerment of Blind Women through Entrepreneurship”. The four day programs focused on the menstrual hygiene of blind and visually impaired women. AWMCE and Punya Foundation supported the On 13 June 2022. The Blind Women Association Nepal (BWAN). The program observed a number of empowerment activities. Group training was provided to the blind and visually impaired female participants regarding food safety and food preparation techniques. Interactive training was provided regarding menstrual health, how to best manage hygiene and complications of poor menstrual hygiene. On the last day, the menstrual sanitary kits and hygiene material were distributed to the participants.

2026 H O L I FESTIVAL with Eleena Chauhan, Sirjana Khatri and Ramesh Raj Bhattarai

2026 First LIVE BAND with Legendary Artists: Deepak Bajracharya and Rhythm Band 

AWARDS ACHIEVEMENTS

Young Australian of the Year Vic 2024- Founder, Bhakta Bhattarai

Community Group of the Year 2023– Albury Wodonga Multicultural Community Events Inc

Multicultural Award 2013-From Wodonga Senior Secondary College

Individual Community Service Award (2019)- From Wodonga Council at Red Carpet Award 

Meritorious Service Award (2019-From Government of Victoria Award for excellence in Multicultural Affairs

Young Citizen of the Year (Bhakta Bhattarai)2020 from Wodonga City Council

City of Wodonga Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity 2020 from Latrobe University

Young Legend Award Wodonga from Sustainable Communities-Tidy Towns Awards 2020

ACKNOWLEDGE OF COUNTRY

AWMCE Inc. acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the traditional custodians of the lands we now call home. We pay our respects to their Elders, Past and Present, as well as emerging leaders. We are committed to the process of reconciliation with Australia's First Peoples, acknowledging the important role they play in Australia's future.

Join us on Facebook as we come together to support and celebrate the remarkable stories of multicultural communities in Australia.

AWMCE  invites you to participate in events, share stories, and spread awareness about the importance of creating a safe and a welcoming and supportive environment for all. Let's make a positive impact together.

AWMCE INC. Founder Bhakta Bhattarai  

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Multicultural Award 2013 from Wodonga Senior Secondary College

Meritorious Service Award from the Government of Victoria in 2019

Received the Young Joint Citizen of the Year 2020 in Wodonga

Social and Economic Justice -Community Champion from Premier’s Sustainability Awards 2021

TWO CITIES One Community Volunteer of the Year Award 2023

City of Wodonga Prize for outstanding contribution to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity from Latrobe University.

Young Legend Award from Sustainable Communities-Tidy Towns 2020 Awards

Community Group of the Year Albury Awards 2023

2024 Young VIC Australian of the Year

2025 Latrobe University Young Achiever 

What Services / Activities AWMCE Provides

1. Community Building & Social Inclusion
• Empowers emerging migrant and refugee communities. Mirage News+2Facebook+2
• Builds bonds between culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and the broader Albury-Wodonga community (Nepali, Bhutanese, African, Indian, etc.). SBS Australia+2Facebook+2
• Provides a social platform where people can share personal stories, build belonging, and connect. SBS Australia
2. Cultural Events / Performances
• Organises multicultural celebrations, such as youth showcases, cultural dance, music, movie nights, and live concerts. Wodonga Council+2Facebook+2
• Promotes cultural expression and talent among young people from migrant backgrounds. 
3. Wellbeing & Mental Health Awareness
• Raises awareness on mental health, suicide, and trauma within the multicultural community. AlburyCity
• Runs projects to support mental well-being, including wellbeing-focused community programs (e.g., yoga, boxing, biking during COVID-19). SBS Australia
• Delivered community projects focused on mental health awareness, trauma support, and suicide prevention.
• Conducted well-being activities such as yoga, boxing, biking, and community engagement events during tough times.
4. Emergency Relief & Support
• Provides support during difficult times, such as distributing food packages, helping community members access COVID-19 testing and vaccination. SBS Australia+1
• Fundraises to assist community members in hardship (e.g., medical treatment support). SBS Australia
• Provided food distribution, welfare assistance, and community outreach during COVID-19 and times of hardship.
• Helped families access essential services, testing, vaccinations, and crisis support.
5. Advocacy & Awareness Campaigns
• Runs awareness campaigns on topics such as visa issues, settlement, and other migrant/refugee-related challenges. SBS Australia
• Amplifies multicultural voices in the region to foster inclusion and cross-cultural understanding. Facebook+1 
• Led campaigns on settlement challenges, visa awareness, youth motivation, and community safety.
• Became a trusted voice for multicultural communities in the border region.
6. Youth Empowerment, Leadership and Employment Support
• Specifically has youth-led initiatives refugee-background young leaders). SBS Australia
• Creates platforms for young people to showcase their culture and talent, and to talk on issues that matter to them. 
• Created programs that help young people build confidence, leadership skills, and cultural pride.