Netball brings Liverpool community together for Harmony Day celebration

Last month, students from Fairfield High, Indie College, Ashcroft High, Afford Disability and James Busby High School attended a Harmony Day event hosted by Netball NSW.

The event, held in Liverpool, involved a range of Netball activities and games, cultural performances, and stalls set up by the participating organisations, all in the spirit of Harmony Week.

With Harmony Week centering on the diverse cultural backgrounds of Australians, this event brought together a range of students from different walks of life – and some who had never played netball before.

Pacifique Ndayisaba , a law graduate and human rights activist and founder of Multicultural African Communities Network,  was involved in the event and talked strongly about the theme of togetherness on the day, and how it showed that netball, and sport altogether is a “powerful tool” to bring people together.

Originally from Burundi, Ndayisaba likened the unity he saw on the day to that of Africa:

“When I talk about Africa, or African communities, they are from 54 countries… they are all from diverse cultures. Coming to Australia, I also found this diverse society, and sport is the best tool to bring harmony for these different people.”

Since coming to Australia, Ndayisaba has grown a passion for netball, and making the game accessible to as many people as possible. The event in Liverpool saw students engage in netball activities, learning new skills and drills from Netball NSW coaches.

“It was beautiful, because I was there and I saw that projection of what Netball NSW can offer. I saw kids from both primary and high-school throwing and catching the ball, playing netball for the first time… you could see the joy of everyone.” – Ndayisaba on the joy that netball brought on the day.

With the opening ceremony conducted by Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun, the day was also decorated with a range of cultural performances. Fijian performers did a traditional dance, which was complimented by storytelling by elders, and students were lucky enough to try some Fijian desserts. These performances were accompanied by African drummers and dancers which were organised by Ndayisaba, which he said were enjoyed by the people very much.

“Dancing is always symbolic of the best moment. At marriages, sporting games, they perform so people can enjoy, and that is what we saw today. It is the definition of harmony.” – Ndayisaba on the cultural performances of the event.

Perhaps one of the most powerful moments of the day, however, was the story of Ali Naji. 17-year-old Naji was born with Cerebal Palsy, living in a wheelchair for the first 15 years of his life. In 2022, he had a life-changing surgery, allowing him to walk and not rely on his wheelchair. At the Harmony Day event, Naji shared his story with the students, inspiring them with how he went from not being able to stand up, to now walking on his own.

Uniting moments such as these were made possible by a range of organisations which made the Harmony Day event possible. Odyssey House, Lebanese Muslim Association, Migrant Resource Centre, South Western Sydney Local Health District, South East Community Engagement-Multicultural Services office, and Netball NSW each had significant contributions to the day, particularly through their stalls which were set up for students to interact with.

Reflecting on the day, Ndayisaba expressed his awe and appreciation of seeing students play netball for the first time and Netball NSW staff sharing their knowledge and tips with them, as well as the celebration of cultures which brought the community together.

“I hope it is not only on Harmony Day that netball and togetherness is embraced like this… let us make Harmony Day every day.” – Ndayisaba’s powerful closing words on the Netball NSW Harmony Day event.