Roving Reporter Profile : Allen,
Meet Allen. He's in his early 20's and lives in Croydon in Melbourne. Originally from Liberia, Allen has had a life of refugee camps and war torn countries. Having left Liberia because of war, Allen ended up in a refugee camp in the Ivory Coast (or Cote d'Ivoire). Twelve years later and because of war again, he left and fled to Guinea. Allen then spent two years in Guinea prior to coming to Australia 18 months ago.
If Allen had the choice to change his birth country or the developing countries he has lived in to make them a better place he says, "Change comes from within, so I have to change myself and how I think of the past and the suffering conditions."
Allen loves to learn, especially about things going on around him. As a result he doesn't have a favourite TV show. When he does turn on the TV - he watches shows about current affairs not just in Australia, but around the globe. At the moment Allen is most concerned about the wars.
Allen looks up to people who are seen and heard doing the right thing and that do not discriminate. "These people are obvious to everyone. They must also strive for the best, be independent and not rely on others." Allen's favourite examples are Martin King Jr and Thomas Jefferson.
Ten years down the track Allen hopes he will be able to achieve a level of education that will allow him to advocate for people who are at a disadvantage, not just in his his native Liberia, but also in other developing countries.
Allen doesn't want to have a 'particular place to rest'. "Today I'm here, tomorrow I'm in the US." Allen may also end up somewhere back in Africa or maybe in Asia. He wants to be everywhere so he can learn about things that are happening around the world.
Allen's ambitions hold many things, but mainly politics and political studies in the future. He doesn't want to become a political leader, but to become a person who can speak on disadvantaged people's behalf.
