A Polish migrant who arrived in Australia in 1968, Gosia has spent many years offering her experience and skills in multicultural community work, specifically within the aged care industry.
With an extensive higher education background – with a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Administration and a Master of Business Administration – Gosia has served on a range of community and state government committees and is now employed with RDNS SA Dom Care part of the Silver Chain Group as a Multicultural Consultant.
One of her achievements was to set up a link and advocacy service in the metropolitan area, Whyalla and Riverland. Aside from the aged care industry work, Gosia has also worked with refugees and domestic violence victims.
Within her own Polish community, Gosia has been actively involved for decades and is currently the President of the Polish Women’s Association of SA, a member of the Dozynki Harvest Festival and Polish Hill River Church Museum. Aside from her involvement in the Polish community, Gosia is also on the Council for Women of Diverse Cultural Backgrounds and was a member of SA Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission for 14 years.
“I want to give back to the community, my experience, knowledge and expertise . Whether we are Asian, European, non-Christian we all have the same humanity and all of us need to link and integrate,” she said.
“When I was growing up in pre-multiculturalism culture it was assimilation. I was forced to Anglo-Saxonise my name and that is how I became Margaret.”
Gosia is on the MCCSA Board with the determination to contribute her knowledge to enrich the future so the bad experiences of the past are not repeated.
“We have a new stream of migrants and it will be ongoing if we are to grow as a nation. We need to assist new arrivals to feel part of mainstream society,” she said, “We need more educational programs to have a cultural exchange amongst our existing communities.”
“Cultural awareness will end stereotypes and negativities in our diverse communities and we need to have diversity in all workplaces and to reflect our population in all spheres.
We need a leap not a step and it must become mandatory to acknowledge the benefit of diversity by having diversity in the workforce.”
Gosia’s hard work has been acknowledged and the Polish Government awarded her the Gold Cross for services to the Polish community in 2000. In 2009 she received the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland for services to the Polish community.
The Australian Government also recognised her hard work and in June 2005 she was awarded an OAM for services to the community.