by Nayda Hernandez
This month, our Community Spotlight Champion is Lilly Ngo, a compassionate and resilient Inala local whose powerful life journey has shaped her mission to uplift others.
At just eight years old, Lilly fled Vietnam by boat with her family and spent five years in a Malaysian refugee camp where she endured daily hunger, emotional hardship, and no access to education.
She still remembers lining up with thousands of others for just one meal a day. In 1994, Lilly and her family were granted refuge in Australia.
Arriving in Brisbane, she was filled with joy, living in a proper home and seeing cars for the first time, and being told she could finally go to school.
The early years in Inala were still tough.
Lilly didn’t speak English, felt isolated, and worked long hours alongside her mother, a tailor, to help their family make ends meet.
But those challenges planted the seed for a life of service and gratitude.
Today, Lilly runs a small beauty salon in Inala where she offers free facials and treatments to the elderly, survivors of domestic violence, and young people struggling with confidence.
Her goal is simple: to help others feel beautiful and walk with dignity and hope, no matter what they’ve been through. Enjoy this moving interview.
NH: Who inspires you and why?
LN: I’m inspired by my mum, she’s brave, loving, and always did her best to care for me and my siblings, no matter what. Back in Vietnam, we lived under a streetlight in a small shelter-style structure.
It’s hard to describe, but it wasn’t much. Still, she made sure we were safe and gave us everything she could. She risked everything for us, and I can never thank her enough.
As a single mum myself, my son gives me strength. He inspires me to be better and to help others, especially young people who lack confidence or don’t feel safe speaking up.
I want to create a space where they feel comfortable, supported, and heard.
Youth mental health doesn’t receive what I believe is enough support, so I’m doing what I can for females and male youth by giving them treatments to boost their confidence.
NH: What are you passionate about and why?
LN: I’m passionate about helping people feel confident in their own skin. A lot of the people I support are survivors of domestic violence, like myself.
Sometimes their scars are visible, but many carry emotional wounds. When I help them feel beautiful again, it supports their healing from the inside out.
I also love helping the elderly. Many don’t speak English and just need someone to talk to. When they leave my salon smiling and glowing, it fills me with joy.
To be honest, I would love to see more support for home-based businesses, especially for migrant women. Many of the women I help don’t have support from their husbands or communities, and often don’t speak English.
I spend hours teaching them how to start their own business because I know what it’s like to have no guidance.
There’s also a cultural barrier — many people who are in a position to help often can’t truly understand, because they haven’t walked in our shoes. Without proper cultural leadership and representation, it feels like we’re hitting a glass ceiling that keeps us from fully moving forward, and effective policy being made.
NH: What would you like to tell Lake News readers about your volunteer work:
LN: I’ve been doing free beauty treatments for more than five years.
People of all backgrounds and ages come to my shop from Inala, Forest Lake, Doolandella, Pallara, and surrounding suburbs.
I offer free facials and massages to anyone in need because I know what it’s like to have nothing. I feel blessed now, and I want to share that blessing with others.
This year, I’ll also be offering free facials at the Christmas Lunch for Grandparents, hosted by Joy.
I also volunteer regularly with the Vietnamese community. I walked in the Anzac Day march, and will be taking part in the fashion parade at the Golden Jubilee Celebration Dinner, which celebrates 50 years of successful Vietnamese integration in Australia (Queensland chapter).
NH: What inspired you to give back?
LN: My faith and culture both teach me to give without expecting anything in return. My mum raised me that way.
I never want anyone to feel like there’s no one out there who cares. If you want to give me a hand, you can contact me at desert lily at health and beauty at dlhealthandbeauty@gmail.com.
