Paz's story

"I started taking drugs at a young age to escape my reality – I was living in a refuge, struggling at school and felt like the world was against me – it was nice to finally have something that numbed the pain.

The moment that this all changed for me was at a MMAD (Musicians Making a Difference) camp. I was 16 and ready for my life to change. So, I flushed the drugs and was ready to get my life back together. This camp was a turning point because it gave me something that drugs couldn’t: people that believed in me.

I learned how to be confident within myself, on stage and in everyday life. I learned how to let go of things that were holding me back, and once I finally let them go I was free to move forward. And the most important thing that I learnt, was that what people have said about me, does not define me. I am the only person that can define myself.

Looking on, 6 years later, I’m a stand-up comedian, doing shows all over NSW, I travel the world volunteering at camps like the one that changed my life in the hopes to help someone like me. The dream will always be to be the funniest person in the world but I hope to be able to travel the world making people laugh and making a difference."

Paz is now a manager with a leading footwear company and has started her own fashion label: www.sleazytheives.com – stealing hearts since 2018.

How UnLtd supports young people like Paz:

UnLtd has been supporting Musicians Making a Difference since its start by providing funding for critical programs, helping re-brand the organisation and creating and facilitating partnerships with organisations like Channel 10, Verizon Media, ARN, Kaimera and many more. Through UnLtd, MMAD has been able to grow as an organisation to help thousands more young people at risk. Paz recently performed her stand-up in front of 500 senior leaders of the media industry at the UnLtd: Big Dream event receiving a standing ovation!

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