St Marks’ recently welcomed 2016 Young South Australian of the Year and co-founder of the Zahra Foundation, Mr Arman Abrahimzadeh, to the College for a very special Port’n’Talk with our students.

Many will recall the news of the tragic murder of Arman’s mother, Zahra, at the hands of her husband at the Adelaide Convention Centre in 2010, after she and her children had suffered years of domestic violence. In Zahra’s memory, her children Arman, Atena and Anita established the Zahra Foundation, which:

 “…aims to assist women who have been threatened and abused in the hands of their partners. And mothers that want to save their children from violent homes. The goal of the foundation is to empower these women to stand on their own feet. This foundation will also be a tribute to women who sadly lost their lives in search for hope of a better life for themselves and their children.”   Atena Abrahimzadeh

Arman spoke to the students with deeply moving honesty about his family’s experiences, and spoke inspiringly about the work of the Zahra Foundation, and what we can all do to help those affected by domestic violence.

We are very grateful to Arman for his very personal and powerful account, and for the invaluable insight and understanding passed on to our students.