Articles by Nkayla Afshariyan's Profile | SBS Journalist

The program that stopped teen substance abuse in Iceland is coming to Australia

Dec 16, 2020 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| Triple j

Twenty years ago, Iceland had one of the highest rates of youth drug and alcohol consumption in Europe. Now, the country ranks as one of the lowest for youth drug and alcohol rates. And it's thanks to an evidence-based preventative model that will soon be rolled out in Australia. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation has announced it will trial the Planet Youth program in ten Australian locations over the next two-and-a-half years.

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Practice your handwriting and send your relatives a Christmas card

Dec 16, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

When was the last time you received a handwritten letter in the mail? I don't mean bills or letters from your local MP or a birthday card from your dentist; I mean thoughtful, personal cards from family and friends. I'm Australian-born and have lived most of my life in Australia, but my family are Kiwi and live in New Zealand. While most of my cousins, aunties and uncles use Facebook to keep in touch, my Grandpa doesn't.

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Share the Dignity this Christmas by donating items to help vulnerable women and girls

Dec 04, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

With over three million Australians living below the poverty line, Christmas time and the holiday season can be disheartening for those who are facing tough financial situations. A few months ago Share the Dignity, an Australian charity organisation distributing sanitary items to vulnerable women and girls, held their August donation drive. Over 220,000 sanitary items were collected during that month, an "extraordinary number", founder Rochelle Courtney told Hack.

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#YouCanTalk encourages all Australians to look out for each other this holiday season

Dec 04, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

The holiday season is fast approaching, bringing with it time with family, friends, end-of-year work celebrations, and just all round good vibes. Unfortunately, this time of year can also be really difficult for many people. Feeling lonely and isolated around Christmas time is quite common, according to our leading mental health organisations.

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Which fashion brands made the naughty and nice list this year?

Nov 26, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

Now that Christmas is officially less than a month away, you might be starting to think of what presents to get friends and family. If fashion is their thing, or yours, Oxfam Australia wants you to keep in mind some of the Australian fashion brands leading the way for ethical commitments to living wages.

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Australian households significantly underestimate their food waste

Nov 25, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

How much food do you think you throw away each week? And of that food, how much is actually still edible? Our perceptions of food waste and the reality of how much food we send to landfill are at odds, according to a new study by our national food waste centre. The National Benchmarking Study Summary Report found that while 76 per cent of people are strongly motivated to reduce their household food waste, they underestimate the actual amount of food thrown out by up to two-thirds.

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'Shark proof' wetsuit material could reduce blood loss, save lives

Nov 19, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

What are three words that'll make every surfer, every water baby, every Aussie who frequents the beach very excited? 'Shark proof' wetsuits. Australian marine researchers from Flinders University have tested two types of protective fabrics for their resistance to shark bites. The fabrics incorporate ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibres (UHMWPE), which were then put onto widely used neoprene material in wetsuits.

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After the rain came the relief for these young farmers

Nov 05, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

Jimmy Barnes, rain dances, dirt offerings and prayer. These are just a few of the things credited for the rainfall across drought-affected regions of New South Wales over the weekend. The two-day totals have generally been the highest received in inland NSW this year, according to a spokesperson from the Bureau of Meteorology. For 22-year-old teacher Mollie Harley, seeing rainfall on her family's farm in Bobadah, near Cobar, was an amazing feeling.

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Psychological distress continues to rise in young Australians

Oct 23, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

Young people are increasingly experiencing psychological distress, with one in four now reporting they struggle with their mental health. The Can We Talk? report released today by Mission Australia and the Black Dog Institute, found that rates of distress have continued to rise over the past seven years. The report found rates of young people aged 15 - 19 experiencing psychological distress had risen from 18.7 per cent in 2012 to 24.2 in 2018.

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Social work benefits from lived experience, but mandatory working clearances may hold some back

Oct 15, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

If you want to become a social worker, chances are you'll have to get a Working With Children's Check. In fact, two thirds of Australian universities require students to have a Working with Children's Check (WWCC) before they enroll in social work or degrees, even if they don't intend to work with children in their field.

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Trans and gender diverse people 'four times more likely to experience sexual violence'

Sep 23, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| Hack

More than half of transgender and gender diverse people have experienced sexual violence or coercion, a rate four times higher than the general Australian population, according to new research. The research was part of the largest ever study of trans and gender diverse people in Australia, published by the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales.

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How to look out and care for wildlife this bushfire season

Sep 10, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

With each bushfire season in Australia comes new images of injured, burnt and dead wildlife, caught in the blazes or fleeing their habitats. Bushfire seasons vary depending on location, but the Rural Fire Service lists October 1 to March 31 as the statutory danger period for bushfires. Less than two weeks into spring, fire authorities say this is the worst early start to bushfires in Queensland's history, with one home destroyed and several others damaged.

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Young people are leading the fight against climate change, in efforts and attitudes

Sep 09, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

The next global climate strike is due to take place on September 20, with hundreds of thousands of children expected to march for climate action. Adults, workers and unions have also been extended an invitation to march alongside the kids, to demand a global effort to tackle the climate emergency. But just how different are the attitudes between young people and their parents and grandparents when it comes to climate change?

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Can business fill the void created by government inaction on climate change?

Sep 04, 2019 |

By James Purtill , Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

With governments slow to act on climate change, there's a growing campaign to convince corporations to cut emissions themselves. And, by some measures, it's working: In Australia, large banks and insurers have said they will no longer insure new thermal coal projects (including Adani), while investors in mining giant BHP have this week urged the company to suspend its membership of business groups accused by activists of undermining the Paris climate change goals.

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'Ask for Angela' safety campaign launched to combat sexual violence in Sydney

Aug 23, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

People who feel threatened or unsafe during a date or social situation can now ask Sydney bartenders for 'Angela', in a new initiative to combat violence and sexual assault. The NSW Government today launched the internationally recognised 'Ask for Angela' safety campaign to prevent violence and anti-social behaviour in Sydney's CBD.

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One for you, one for her: Collection drive to help end period poverty kicks off

Aug 06, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

There are currently 3.2 million Australians living below the poverty line. More than half of those people are women and young girls, many of whom will have their period on a monthly basis. For many disadvantaged women and girls, the cost of buying sanitary items each month is too expensive, and many go without. These statistics were the catalyst behind Share the Dignity, an Australian charity organisation distributing sanitary items to vulnerable women and girls across the country.

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Dylan Alcott kicks off new campaign to help people with disabilities find work

Jul 23, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

Dylan Alcott - fresh from winning tennis championships at Wimbledon and the French Open - has set his sights on a new battle to help people with disabilities gain employment. The Remove the Barrier campaign launched today, part of the Dylan Alcott Foundation, and is aimed at dismantling the unconscious bias that makes it difficult for people with disabilities to get a job. One in five Australians are living with a disability, but only 54 per cent of those people are employed.

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End-of-life conversations are hard, but they can empower young people

Jul 09, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

Almost five years ago, after returning from a family holiday to Hawaii, Jacob Wieck noticed his leg was feeling really tight after the flight home. His mum Debbie said it was probably a blood clot. After all, he was six-foot-two and had been cramped in the back of an airplane for hours. As it turns out, it was a blood clot and Jacob was treated for it. But something about the situation made Debbie's "mum instincts kick in".

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Australia needs more ethnic blood donors to reflect our multicultural society

Jul 02, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

As the Australian population continues to grow, the Red Cross estimates the need for blood and blood products will rise 100 per cent over the next 10 years. One in three people need blood, but only one in 30 donate each year. And in a multicultural society, the need for blood donors from different ethnic backgrounds is growing too. Roughly one-third of our population were born overseas, but they account for just one in five blood donors.

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The Kimberley is at risk of facing animal extinctions. This is the bold plan to save it

Jun 26, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world. We're the fourth worst for animal extinctions globally, and more than 1,800 plants and animals are on our threatened species list. In the last decade, a bat, a skink and a rat have all gone extinct. While it can feel like we're on course to become the extinction nation, there are plenty of environmental organisations trying to help protect our threatened species.

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Gut feelings, chance, and brazen gambles: These are your stories of taking crazy leaps for love

Jun 11, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

When you hear "the things we do for love", what do you think about? Maybe it's embarking on a road trip with a guy you matched with on a dating app, but have never actually met; that's Rowena and Macca's story we brought you a few weeks ago. After sharing their story, we were inundated with messages from triple j listeners who had their own tale of taking a leap for love. The stories you shared with us ranged from the heartwarming, the hilarious, and a few tales of how it can go wrong.

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Leading mental health bodies develop new app for better support

May 06, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| Triple j

If you're struggling with your mental health, asking for help can be a really daunting task. Making that first move to check in with friends to tell them you're not okay can seem impossible. So, some of Australia's leading mental health organisations have teamed up to create an app to make it easier to ask for help. Developed by the Red Cross, the My Team app allows you to create a team of trusted contacts who can be there for you and provide support during tough times.

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Calls for koalas to be listed as endangered

Apr 02, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Conservation groups are warning that without increased protection, koalas will become extinct in New South Wales by 2050. In it's Koala Conservation Plan, the World Wildlife Fund of Australia argues for koalas to be given an endangered listing along the east coast of the country.

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Oxfam reveals workers paid 55c an hour to supply major Australian fashion labels

Feb 26, 2019 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

In Bangladesh, 100 per cent of garment workers don't earn enough money to put food on the table, despite working in factories supplying Australia's $23 billion fashion industry. In Vietnam, the numbers aren't much better; 99 per cent of garment workers don't earn enough to afford essentials like housing, healthcare and education. Both countries are key sources of clothing for Australian brands and the target of Oxfam Australia's latest report into the lives of workers in fashion supply chains.

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Young people support a tax on sugary drinks

Dec 13, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

The majority of young Australians support a tax on sugar sweetened drinks, despite being the biggest consumers of them, according to an Australian-first study. The study, published by Deakin University today, found a majority of 18-30 year olds support a proposed tax and would drink less sugary drinks and more water if the tax was introduced.

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Moving back in with your parents is ruining young adults' mental health

Dec 11, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

If you've had to move back in with your parents after living out of home, you're likely to experience a few downfalls. Maybe you've got a lost sense of independence or no locks on your door. Or maybe you're seriously struggling with your mental health. In a recent US study, young adults who "boomerang" back home - that is, move back in with their parents after living independently - experienced an increase in depressive symptoms.

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How game developers are tapping into mindfulness

Nov 26, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

If you're a gamer, there's a strong chance you play for reasons other than just a bit of fun. The latest statistics from the Digital Australia Report 2018 show 67 per cent of Australians play video games; aside from passing the time, gamers also play to de-stress. And game developers have picked up on this. Farming Simulator 19 is the latest game to offer a "Mindful Gaming" experience, explaining the slower pace of the game and immersive detail as a way for people to relax.

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'I wasn't going to judge': Mentors helping people recover from eating disorders

Nov 12, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

For those with an eating disorder, finding the right treatment plan or someone to talk to can not only be costly, but also overwhelming. Rebecca knows this all too well. She had recovered from her own battle with anorexia when she found a peer mentoring program for people with eating disorders. The program was something she wished she had access to during her own recovery, so she jumped at the chance to help.

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Australia wastes 40% of the food it produces

Oct 30, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

Australia, we throw out $20 billion worth of food each year. Just let that number sink in. We create three times the amount of food we need to feed the country and we throw out 40 per cent of that. That's all according to Dr Steve Lapidge, the CEO of Australia's new research centre into food waste. The Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) opened in Adelaide this week, tasked with tackling our growing food waste problem.

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Push to make the contraceptive pill available over the counter in Victoria

Oct 25, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

There's a push to give Victorian women easier access to the oral contraceptive pill, by making it available over the counter. In an election promise by the Victorian Coalition, Shadow minister for health Mary Wooldridge has vowed to give women the choice to get repeats of the pill from a pharmacist, rather than going back to their GP.

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What it's like to do sex work as a side hustle

Sep 26, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

When we released the What's Up In Your World survey a few months ago, we found about a third of young people aged 18-29 had a side hustle. One of those was sex work. In its most simplest form, sex work is the exchange of any sexual service or sexual content, not just full service sex, for money. This includes everything from erotic massage and escorts to cam workers, stripping and acting in porn. And people get into the sex industry for a bunch of reasons.

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Defqon.1: promoters and families say shutting down festival won't stop drug use

Sep 17, 2018 |

By Avani Dias , Nkayla Afshariyan

| Triple j

The father of a young man who died at the Defqon.1 festival three years ago has slammed the NSW Government's promise to shut down the event, following the death of two people at the festival on the weekend. NSW Premier Gladys Berijiklian has vowed to do everything she can to shut down the music festival after a 23-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman died in suspected overdoses.

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'Your disease is real': Breakthrough in diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome

Aug 31, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

There's been a major breakthrough for people living with chronic fatigue syndrome, with new research into the causation of the disease undercovering it's a pathological illness. Researchers found chronic fatigue syndrome and the related myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME, is a calcium ion channel impairment condition. For those who are living with ME/CFS, the announcement proves the disease is not a physiological or a psychological condition - it's real.

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Dairy farmer calls for fairer pay after revealing $2.46/hr paycheck for milk supply

Aug 17, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

A dairy farmer from the New South Wales north coast has been flooded with support, after he revealed he was paid just $2.46 an hour for supplying milk last month. Shane Hickey, from Kyogle, uploaded a video to social media this week calling out the big supermarkets for the "unfair" pay. "I would like to do a personal shout out to our supermarkets Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and IGA.

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Sydney cyclist left with broken collarbone after alleged hit-and-run

Aug 05, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

A Sydney cyclist is appealing for information after he was struck by a van in an alleged hit-and-run on Friday morning. Eddie Vining was training with a group of triathletes in Centennial Parklands around 7:00am, when a white van reversed out of a parking space and into a small number of cyclists. The van hit Mr Vining, leaving with him a broken collarbone, ruptured ligaments and a deep cut on his forehead, before driving off.

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Daryl Maguire faces calls to quit NSW Parliament as his position is labelled 'untenable'

Jul 13, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

NSW MP Daryl Maguire is facing calls to quit Parliament altogether after admitting before a corruption inquiry that he sought payment over a property deal. Mr Maguire resigned from the Liberal Party yesterday after the revelations at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The member for Wagga Wagga apologised "unreservedly for causing distress and embarrassment" to the Liberal Party and resigned from his position to sit on the crossbench.

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Meet the young Kaytetye woman closing the gap on Indigenous knowledge

Jul 12, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan , Tom Tilley

| ABC News (Australia)

Most Australians believe it is important to know the histories of First Nations peoples, but less than half (42 per cent) say they have a high knowledge of that history. Those figures, realised as part of the 2016 Australian Reconciliation Barometer by Reconciliation Australia, helped spur one Indigenous woman to curate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories in one place.

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'Ask for Angela' safety campaign launched to combat sexual violence

Jul 10, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

People who feel threatened or unsafe during a date or social situation can now ask Sydney bartenders for 'Angela', in a new initiative to combat violence and sexual assault. The NSW Government today launched the internationally recognised 'Ask for Angela' safety campaign to prevent violence and anti-social behaviour in Sydney's CBD.

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Critics want a $444 million Great Barrier Reef investment to be handed back

Jun 08, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

The Federal Government has promised to invest $500 million dollars to protect the Great Barrier Reef. Almost all of the funding - $444 million to be exact - is going to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF): a small, not-for-profit organisation. But some politicians aren't happy the money is going to the foundation, which has huge business partners on its board.

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Ruff Sleepers: Free dog washing service for pets of the homeless

May 11, 2018 |

By Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

With youth homelessness on the rise in many of our capital cities, and with a lack of social housing, more and more people are facing a cold winter on the streets this year. And for disadvantaged and homeless people with pets, their furry friends are also at risk. Services as vital as pet washing and vet checkups are often out-of-reach for homeless people, so a group of students and volunteers have come up with a plan to help.

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What is your university doing in response to sexual assault and harassment?

Feb 26, 2018 |

By Avani Dias , Nkayla Afshariyan

| ABC News (Australia)

We've been covering stories about sexual assault and harassment on campuses all week. But do you know what your university is doing to deal with it? And if you're a victim do you know what services are available? Hack has reached out to every university in the country to see what they’re doing about sexual assault and harassment on campus.

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