Newsmaker: Talal Alshemari

Talal Alshemari

This week's Newsmaker is youth worker Talal Alshemari, who is involved with Free Parking Rotorua, an initiatives that provides free sporting activities for young people in the community.

Tell us about yourself?

I was born in 1986 in Kuwait in the Middle East. During the 1990-1991 Gulf War we were living in a basement of our house and I saw so much tragedy that a 5-year-old should never see.

My father was taken hostage but escaped in 1994. We travelled from one refugee camp to another, from Kuwait to Iraq to Saudi Arabia to Syria to Jordan.

Then my family got the opportunity to come to New Zealand in 1995 through the United Nations refugee centre.

I have been in New Zealand since 1995 and have lived in places such as Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua and Tauranga.

Tell us a bit about your role as a youth worker at Free Parking?

My role is simply to assist the team to create an environment where the youth can access resources and programmes to create their own opportunities.

What do you love about your job?

Everything from working alongside Maraea Pomana and Tanah Taya William to creating opportunities for the youth to building the website to socialising with the community.

What motivated you to get involved with youth work?

I was trying to gain an opportunity to work at the youth prison, rugby academies and other youth programme providers but every time I applied for a job they used to tell me that I didn't have enough experience.

So when I was 24 years old, I was working as solutions manager at a local IT business and I decided to invest into my future by starting my own youth programmes from the commission that I gained from hitting my sales targets etc.

Along the way, the youth and I were privileged enough to work alongside some of the greatest people including comedian Mike King, Warriors legend Monty Betham, All Black legends Tana Umaga, Pita Alatini, Hika Reid and Wallabies coach Ewen Mckenzie, former Wallabies and Steamers player Steve Kefu, former Crusader Tu Umaga Marshall and Whaka captain Dougie Edwards, among others. Last year, I was privileged enough to meet Warren Tumarae, from another youth initiative, Bully Free Bro, who introduced me to the team at Te Warieke Purea Trust and things went from there.

What do you think are the main issues youth face in Rotorua?

Their values are not in a alignment with their dreams.

What would you like to see Rotorua change to help youth in the city?

Rotorua is the most inspiring city in the world. It's beautiful and it offers many programmes for the youth and I wish I was born here. But possibly more adults practicing what they preach to the youth.

Tell us three things about yourself that most people wouldn't know.

I have never tasted any alcohol in my whole life. I was the first Kuwaiti to play in the 1st XV rugby competition in North Harbour.

I'm the only person from Rotorua and Bay Of Plenty who is fighting in the IT Heavy Hitters boxing fight night on May 3 for comedian Mike King.