Full Name
Zufi Emerson
Job Title
Adoptee & Actor
Speaker Bio

Zufi’s family was formed through adoption - she was born in Ethiopia, as were her two younger brothers. Adoption was the last chance for them to thrive and by each of their first birthdays they were calling Australia home. Now as an actor, (Actors Centre of Australia) writer (Run Girl, SBS) and host (CloseUp), it’s clear both a permanent home and loving family enabled her to focus on being a kid and doing what she loved most. She is frustrated our care system remains laden in bureaucratic red tape meaning other children no longer have this same chance.  

She’s gutted that in our own backyard programs like the one their family was formed through closed its doors, there’s an ever-growing over-representation of Aboriginal children in the care system and devastated to know there’s enough children in out-of-home care in Australia today to fill a stadium.   
Zufi continues to support Adopt Change because she knows first hand when children are taken out of the ‘too hard' basket their trajectories drastically change for the better. She remains adamant  there are several global issues that are complicated to solve, but  'A Home For Every Child' should be a unanimous no-brainer. Knowing children at risk are counting on adults, Zufi will continue to share her story with transparency until we see a trauma-informed care system and process which truly means every child has the opportunity to thrive as she did.  

Zufi Emerson