A REFUGEE turned Wodonga nurse has been named Victoria's Young Australian of the Year at an awards ceremony in Melbourne.
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Bhakta Bahadur Bhattarai, 28, better known as Durga, received the prize at an evening presentation on Tuesday November 14.
He has been described as a selfless support of the multicultural community in Wodonga.
In 2014, two years after arriving in Australia with his family from a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal, Mr Bhattarai founded Albury Wodonga Multicultural Community Events Inc.
It advocates for and showcases multicultural communities and arranges help during difficult times.
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Following his high school graduation, Mr Bhattarai trained as a pharmacy assistant before becoming a registered nurse.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, he distributed homemade masks and emergency food supplies.
Mr Bhattarai has also raised thousands of dollars for sick young people and disability support.
His fellow nominees were Seymour skateboarder Jayden Sheridan, 29, who founded Gnarley Neighbours which has its own streetwear label, youth and gender equality advocate Ashleigh Streeter-Jones, 29, and youth and disability advocate Charlotte Young, 21.
Mr Bhattarai will now represent Victoria at the national awards announced on January 25, 2024.
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