Vanessa Lam
27 January 2015: University of Canberra alumna, Nip Wijewickrema has been named Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for 2014 for her contribution to the community.
She also received an award for Individual Community Service and was a joint winner of the ACT Chief Minister's Inclusion Award for Emerging Young Leaders.
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Ms Wijewickrema, who graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism last year, said that she was shocked and "was not expecting to win at all".
"To win three prestigious awards for young people is a true honour and an incredibly humbling experience. It basically tells me that what I'm doing is a good thing and that if I continue to do it, it'll hopefully inspire others to do something similar," she said.
The awards are presented to young people aged 12 to 25 who are making positive changes in the community.
Ms Wijewickrema and her family established a socially sustainable florist for those with special needs. It was started for Ms Wijewickrema's younger sister, Gayana, 15, who has Down Syndrome. The florist aims to provide meaningful job opportunities for those with disabilities.
Ms Wijewickrema said she really wanted to make a difference to the lives of those with disabilities.
"Meaningful employment for those with disabilities is rare. Gayana is going into year 10 this year and after that her opportunities are limited. I didn't want her to just live. I want her to be extraordinary and show the world the incredible things she can achieve, despite her disability.
"I think I've really found my calling and I'm extremely passionate about making a difference," said Ms Wijewickrema.
The sisters run the business together, Gayana delivering with a hug and Nip looking after the administration.
"We don't judge our business by profit. Gayana's happiness is our measure of success. She loves going around Canberra, spreading the flower power – so by that measure, we're doing well. "
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Ms Wijewickrema also volunteers as a Lifeline counsellor and assisted many young people through her work with the ACT Youth Advisory Council.
Of her work with Lifeline, she said it was an incredible privilege to be there for strangers experiencing such distress.
"It's a tough gig, I won't lie. The problems our callers are faced with are so wide and varying. I take solace in the fact that they're reaching out to such a fantastic service like Lifeline," she said.
Gayana was also mentioned in the ACT Chief Minister's Inclusion Awards with a commendation as an emerging young leader.
Ms Wijewickrema said she hoped that winning these awards would help with awareness of the business and encourage more people to take steps to supporting those with special needs.
More for information about GG's Flowers visit their website or Facebook.
