Sharon Orapeleng is a high achieving and inspiring woman from Botswana. She came to Australia almost 14 years ago to study for a degree in Behavioural Sciences, majoring in psychology and neuro-science at Latrobe University. She also holds a postgraduate diploma and a master in Behaviour Management from Bond University where she has specialized in autism spectrum disorders. Sharon also received training to practice as a neuro-therapist from the Neurotherapy Institute of Australasia.

She has worked for both government and non-government organizations including Disability Services with Intensive Behaviour Support team before joining the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) managing a community development project. Sharon also worked for Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre (QTMHC) coordinating mental health literacy project including supervising team of Bilingual Mental Health Promoters across the State.

Currently Sharon has been involved in establishing a national project called Mental Health in Multicultural Australia (MHiMA), which provides national focus for advice and support to providers and governments on mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. She is also an accredited Adult Mental Health First Aid instructor.

As a very active community person, Sharon has been a member of different committees including the Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Advisory Committee. She is the current Vice President of the Queensland African Communities Council (QACC) an umbrella body for African community organisations and African individuals residing in Queensland. Amongst Sharon’s list of achievements, she was featured in a tribute gallery “Everyday women, extraordinary lives” by the Qld Government- Office of Women’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day for her contribution to the community.

Besides her work and roles in different committees she is also doing motivational talks for young women and is also collaborating with Brisbane City Council libraries giving talks on Africanliterature. Sharon’s passion for community work also extends to her home country Botswana; she is the international director of Semphete Orphan Care Centre, which her family started in 2007 based in Good Hope, Botswana. The centre is a not-for profit organisation and is currently providing support to 63 orphaned and vulnerable children and youth.

Dr Uchechukwu Foster Onwuchekwa is a lecturer at Spencer Gulf Rural Health School with the School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, University of Adelaide.

Dr Onwuchekwa is responsible for supporting and teaching students, including through use of structured tutorials and supervised attachments, for students who are in year 4-6 and are on rural placement.

In addition, every year, Dr Onwuchekwa is involved in supervision of students on rural medical attachment to Central Clinic under the James Cook University Medical School placement programs.

Dr Onwuchekwa is also the Practice Manager at Central Clinic, Port Pirie and an examiner for the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) from 2005 to present date. As an Examiner for RACGP, Dr Onwuchekwa helps to inject rural input into the medical exam conduct. He is among specialist examiners overseeing would be Graduating GP specialist across Australia in medical exams conducted twice yearly.

Dr Onwuchekwa was appointed the lead Mentor  and representative for South Australian (one of  the 11 lead mentors, selected nationally), in the RACGP pilot program for mentoring International Medical Graduates, who arrive in, or are already working in Australia, towards achieving a smooth transition to practice medicine in Australia . 

In addition to the foregoing activities, he   provides clinical duties as General Practitioner, and   also supports the Port Pirie hospital where he has inpatient admission rights, as one of the doctors to deliver Emergency /Trauma   medicine cover in its on call arrangements.

In 2011 Benetas was awarded an Employer of Choice for Women citation by the Federal Government's Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency for the sixth year; recognised as a 2010 Fair and Flexible Employer by the Victorian Government's Working Families Council; won Aged and Community Care Victoria's 2010 Media award for promoting issues affecting older people; and was awarded the 'Number One' leading aged care organisation in Australian by INsite, the aged care industry newspaper.

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Dr Stephen Omifolaji

Stephen graduated in Oct 1990 with MBBS from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and has been practicing as a GP since that time.

Stephen moved to South Africa in 1995, where he enrolled in Masters degree program in Family Medicine at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Subsequently Stephen obtained his GP fellowship, the MCFP(SA) from the college of Medicine, South Africa in 1999.

Stephen and his family moved to Australia in 2000, 1st practicing in Queensland, undertook further studies and obtained his Australian GP fellowship (FRACGP), in 2003.

Stephen joined the Breed street clinic in 2002 and has remained with this practice since then.

Stephen's medical interest covers the whole spectrum of general practice, in particular, the  psychological problems,  musculo-skeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, care of the elderly and occupational health care in General Practice.

Stephen provides GP occupational health care for the staff of several large employers in the Latrobe Valley.

Stephen also regularly visits the local aged care and residential facilities to care for residents..

Stephen lives with his wife Bukky and three children: Jennifer, Victor and Maryanne in Traralgon and his hobies are soccer, table tennis and bicycle riding.