Zia Haydari Commemorative Scholarship
The Zia Haydari scholarship gained its genesis in the passing of Zia to brain cancer in May 2024, Zia’s support crew started this scholarship in order to honour and cement his legacy.
Zia relocated to Wagga in 2019 to undertake a Bachelor of Social Work after receiving the CSU Asylum Seeker and Refugee scholarship. Which enabled him to complete a course he would have otherwise been unable to undertake due to the prohibitive nature of his ongoing residency matters. He made a home for himself in Wagga, staying at St Francis College for the duration of his study. During his studies he made great connections and impacted the lives of those he supported during these placements. Zia graduated in September 2023, attending his graduation ceremony, 2 weeks post tumor removal surgery.
The Zia Haydari Commemorative Scholarship honours who Zia was and is; to enable a committed Social Work student who has overcome challenges/barriers and/or continues to do so in order to complete their studies. A student who embodies the credo Zia lived by, “I will not be defeated”.
Zia would speak often of his beloved homeland of Afghanistan and the mountains of the Parwan province where he was born and raised. This formed the foundation of why he felt so strongly that he was called to study Social Work.
A quote from his father Nadir, “Earn your bread by the tip of your pen not by the force of your shoulder”. Speaking to the enduring impact Social Workers can have on those they work with, evident in his work during his placements.
Zia was incredibly humble; for those who were blessed to know him, his support crew, knew Zia to be a stoic, generous spirit, humorous, incredibly loyal, deep thinker and a true humanitarian.
Zia’s credo through all the challenges he faced, was “I will not be defeated”, and this is the approach he took to his diagnosis. From their initial discussions at Wagga Base Hospital through to his final days, he always maintained his hope. It is the wish that this scholarship will support future social workers to create a fair and equitable future for all, as Zia strived to do in all he did.
When invited to share his thoughts on peace for a Refugee Week service a few years ago, Zia shared the following; “I believe peace is a state which requires mutual respect, understanding, social justice, deep love towards one another, and a commitment to create a safe and sustainable environment in which to live”
Zia Haydari, a beloved friend, social worker and humanitarian.