Witnessing the Power of Girls and Women United

On Tuesday, 14th October 2025, I stood at Lakeside Stadium Athletics Track in Albert Park, watching hundreds of young women run for something greater than themselves. The Go Girls Foundation’s 100km Challenge brought together girls from schools across Victoria, each step raising awareness and funds for women at risk. As I watched teams from Ruyton Girls’ School and Methodist Ladies’ College, and some others, give their all, I felt the full circle of my own journey—from a girl in the Venezuelan Andes to a woman who has found her voice through the unwavering support of other women.

From the Venezuelan Andes to Australia

I grew up in San Cristóbal, in the Venezuelan Andes, where my artisan family taught me to see possibility in every challenge. In 2014, the crisis forced us to leave. My husband, our three-year-old son, and I arrived in Australia on a student visa, not knowing if we’d see our loved ones again. Years of juggling followed—his studies and work, my cleaning jobs, raising our children. Applied for a refugee visa. and Then COVID hit.  

Finding Expression Through Art

During the pandemic, isolated and overwhelmed, I turned to painting as a lifeline. Each Painting became a way of expressing the ache of missing home and the profound loneliness of motherhood without community. But in 2021, when my daughter turned three, I decided to take action. I applied for a part-time cleaning position at Ruyton Girls’ School—and everything started to change.  

Having attended a girls’ school in Venezuela and grown up with two sisters, I’ve always loved the power of feminine energy. At Ruyton, I cleaned the Junior School, but my favourite part was the Art Room. My soul came alive surrounded by creativity and colours. Working there felt like a trampoline, giving me the courage to believe in myself again.

Two quotes around the school became my mantras. From the Year 12 Class of 2019: “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” And from the Art Room: “She believed she could, so she did.” These words, encountered during my evenings cleaning rounds, reignited something within me.

Breaking Barriers

I worked at Ruyton for four months. When we received permanent residency, inspired by this, I decided to believe in myself fully and pursue my art. My decision led me to find support in organisations like Sisterworks Inc. and The GO GIRL Foundation’s Program. They have been empowering me and supporting me with opportunities to regain my confidence and feel myself again. What I didn’t know then was the effect my presence had created at Ruyton—I was the first woman working as a cleaner at that institution, and my performance opened doors for other women to follow.

The Go Girls Journey

The Go Girls 100km Challenge brought together Year 9 and 10 students from girls’ schools across Victoria, united in teams to run a relay showcasing resilience, camaraderie, and the power of collective action. Watching Ruyton Girls’ School and MLC—which has also supported me through Sisterworks—give their best for this cause, I saw the future of women in support of women.

Earlier in 2025, I participated in the Go Girls programme myself. It gave me space for deeply introspective conversations with myself— It was a trip to the inner self where there are no victims, only protagonists. I witnessed the flow of connections building between each woman. It has been an intense journey, full of emotions, but most importantly, full of self-growth and empowerment.

Gratitude and Grace

Every day, I feel more content about myself and my journey. Through my faith, I’ve learned the humility of asking for help and the responsibility of embracing every opportunity with infinite gratitude. The support I’ve received from Ruyton Girls’ School, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC), Korowa Anglican Grammar, Tinter Grammar, Lowerther Hall Anglican Grammar, Ave Maria College, Strathcona Girls Grammar, Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, Melbourne Girls’ College,  Camberwell Girls’ Grammar School, St Columba’s College, St Mary’s College, Kilbreda College, Sisterworks, and the Go Girls Foundation has shown me that when women support women, we create ripples that extend far beyond ourselves.

The Go Girls Foundation supports unemployed women who have experienced domestic violence, migrant women facing social isolation, and women who have experienced homelessness. These are real women with real stories—women like me, maybe like you, who needed a hand up, a word of encouragement, a space to believe in themselves again.

From the mountains of San Cristóbal in Venezuela to the athletics track at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, my journey has taught me that we are stronger together. Every woman who believed in me, every institution that opened doors, every programme that created space for growth—they have all contributed to who I am today: an artist, a mother, a migrant, a woman who now knows that she can, and she did, and she will continue to.

When we support each other, we don’t just change individual lives—we shape a brighter, safer future where every woman feels respected, valued, and free to pursue what sets her soul on fire.