Zarifa Alizada
The Friends’ School Class of 2025
Refugee Scholarship recipient
When I see women in Afghanistan today — girls my age, people I grew up with — who have no access to education beyond primary school, who are just at home with nothing, it devastates me. But it also pushes me. Since I have this opportunity, I can’t waste it. I have to make the very best of it — for myself, and for them.
Zarifa’s story
My name is Zarifa Alizada. I’m from Afghanistan. In 2019, my family decided to move somewhere safer — that offered opportunities for the girls in the family to continue their education, to go to University. Within Afghanistan our schools would sometimes be shut down or bombed because of our beliefs and ideology. I spent 4 years in Malaysia as a refugee – that was tough for our family. We arrived in Tasmania in 2023 and I was accepted on a refugee scholarship at The Friends’ School. Now I’m at the University of Queensland, studying a Bachelor of International Studies, majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Read Zarifa’s full story
Image: Principal Esther Hill, centre, with Zarifa, right, with Middle School students. Zarifa brought a new perspective to our School.
Sharon Vulimu
The Friends’ School, Class of 2011
Refugee Scholarship recipient
I was born in Kenya. I grew up in a village, about eight hours away from Nairobi. I know this sounds like a cliché, but coming to The Friends’ School was life changing. To be honest, I really believe in God — to me it felt like some sort of divine intervention or favour. I didn’t even expect it. I really hope my story can speak to people, speak to their heart. Because you might think that your contribution is very little, but what you don’t know is the seed it’s planting. You don’t know how it can change someone’s life.
In Swahili, we have this saying: kidogo kidogo hujaza kibaba. It basically means ‘little by little leads to something bigger’.
Learning Facilities
Co-funded with the Friends’ community, spaces like the Revell Sports Centre help students engage fully in school life and discover their strengths.
Lean in…
…to offer our learning community facilities that support wellbeing, teamwork and confidence.
Library resources
A Friends’ education prepares students not only to navigate complexity — but to respond with clarity, integrity and care.
Lean in…
…to help our students develop vital information literacy and critical thinking skills in a world of artificial intelligence and hyperconnectedness.
Image: Students perform in The Farrall Centre, built with the assistance of community donations.
“While I studied at school, my mother ran the women's shelter across the road from Friends’. So, I would go from being at a leading independent school, walk across the road and see people that were homeless. Needs based scholarships even out the playing field for people to have opportunities to have access to a really good education.”
“I consider that under the example set by the school staff, I obtained important character, career and social values that far outweighed the academic achievements. I am quite convinced that these things, learned at a very impressionable age stay with one throughout life’s journey. It is important in my opinion, that past students recognise the influence that the school has had on their lives by contributing to annual giving.”
"Donating to the school shows appreciation for the education and life skills that I and my children have received, and for the membership of a strong family community that is so actively promoted by the school and still felt by so many all these years afterwards. It would be very rewarding to think that someone, who otherwise would not have had the chance, could go on to have this sort of foundation for the start of their life story."
“I consider myself very fortunate to have spent fourteen years of my life as a student at Friends'. I would have stayed longer if I was allowed. The Friends' Motto of Nemo Sibi Nascitur has guided me through my life. It is important to support the school because it offers not only a top-class education, but as well the Quaker way gives one a clear set of values to live by.”
“I donate to The Friends’ School for my appreciation of the education I received from Friends’ teachers and my enjoyment of my school years. The philosophy of the School, the responsibility towards others and the tolerance shown towards people with differences have stayed with me throughout my life.”
“It’s quite an emotional experience meeting people that put so much into you as a person and really see potential and gifting you something that you never really think you can give back. But I think you can give back by just trying your best and that’s exactly what I’ve done.”
“I received a bursary to allow me to stay at Friends' for years 11 and 12 when my parents could no longer afford to keep me there. I still appreciate that support and am grateful I got to complete my matriculation with my friends and gain all the extra experiences I did in those 2 years.”
"I hope that if I can help someone else gain the kind of education I had, this will benefit the particular student but also Tasmania and the whole of humanity. The School has strong values and a deep integrity that profoundly affected me."