Sydney - A city of opportunity

Mwangi Wangethi and Lilian Chemng'eno can't spruik Sydney enough. The Kenyan couple, who hail from middle class families, are recently naturalised Aussies who first made the move to Australia in 2003 to further their studies and began their love affair with all things Sydney.

A glimmering harbour and bustling small bar scene may be on the ‘we love Sydney' list for many locals, but for Mwangi and Lilian the opportunity for a prosperous career was the town's biggest selling point. "Kenyan parents believe that education is very important and both our parents quickly embraced our suggestion to go to an Australian University," says Alex. For Lilian, the fact that Australia presented more job prospects than back home was all the reason she needed to make the move. "Kenya is very competitive when it comes to employment. To get a good job you need to have a minimum of a Masters degree under your belt. The opportunities are very scarce as compared to Australia," she says.

Mwangi, 32, works as an Intake Officer for the Department of Human Services, in the Ageing, Disability & Home Care (ADHC) Agency, while 31-year-old Lilian works as a Grants Officer for the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. "Sydney is a beautiful city but it is also very fast-paced. Sydney-siders are very work-oriented, to say the least," says Mwangi, who together with Lilian call Parramatta home. "We have seen Parramatta grow into a metropolitan city over the eight years we have been here and have become a part of this growth," Lilian says. Nevertheless, they're with most other Sydneysiders when it comes to Sydney's faults. "We'd like to see a better transport system. The trains are very packed especially during peak times and there is hardly any room to breathe in them." 

More Sydney celebrities and identities? Sign up to our weekly newsletter