Merylize: Meet our Pastoral Care/Community Engagement

Originally from South Africa, Merylize now calls Western Australia home. Her South African roots and multicultural experiences have shaped who she is and the way she connects with and supports women and families in her community. Merylize speaks English and Afrikaans.

Merylize works in pastoral care, community engagement and public speaking with Sister Project. She is passionate about advocating for women, empowering them and creating safe spaces where women feel heard, supported and valued. She is also passionate about building community connections, sharing lived experiences and encouraging women to recognise their own strength and potential.

Merylize loves Sister Project because it creates a space where women can belong, be seen and reconnect with themselves. It provides a safe and supportive environment for women from different cultural backgrounds to come together without judgement. What makes the work especially meaningful to her is the opportunity to walk alongside women, hear their stories and remind them that their circumstances do not define their future. She believes that every woman has a story, a voice and a purpose.

Her own journey has taught her the importance of community, courage, faith and having people who stand beside her. Being part of Sister Project allows Merylize to give back by using her voice and experiences to encourage other women to rise, heal, dream and believe in themselves.

Before joining Sister Project, Merylize spent many years working in childcare, including travelling throughout regional Western Australia and working across different childcare centres and communities. This experience gave her the opportunity to connect with children, families and people from many different backgrounds. It also strengthened her passion for community work and supporting others.

Merylize is a woman of faith, a mother, a pastoral care worker, community advocate and speaker who believes deeply in the power of hope and connection. She is passionate about creating spaces where women, particularly women from multicultural and migrant communities, can feel safe enough to share their stories and strong enough to step into their future.

She believes that sometimes our greatest strength can come from the parts of our story that we once thought made us weak.