Helping and getting helped in return
Our employees as Friends of Refugees in Melbourne, Australia
Every journey has a reason. For some, it is the hope of being resettled.
Many Infoscions are true global citizens and as part of giving back to society, they take up different causes. One of the areas where some of our colleagues found that help was needed, was in helping displaced and asylum-seeking people of various nationalities re-establish their lives. Our colleagues in Melbourne – Delroy Harry Coelho, Srikanth K.L., Kenith Furtado, Kalyan C P and Kaushik Mysore Dharmaraja – are active participants in St Augustine’s Church’s social outreach program to assist refugees in establishing a new life. Let us find out more from this amazing group of individuals.
Tell us about your volunteering journey – how did it all begin?
I had an inclination to get involved in a social cause. It began on a casual Sunday afternoon in 2013 when I met one of my acquaintances who was busy re-shuffling her plan and trying to get things in place since one of the volunteers had not turned up for the planned visits to the refugees that afternoon. That’s when I was asked if I could fill in the void. I gave it some thought – I had time that afternoon and there were volunteers needed to reach out to people in need; so I felt there was every reason for me commence my journey.
Why did you choose Friends of Refugees, Melbourne (FORM) for your volunteering?
I saw a post on the Infosys Bulletin Board by Delroy and connected with him. So far, the journey has been good and it has also helped me to add to my list new friends who have similar thoughts about giving back to society.
Tell us about your volunteering journey – how did it all begin?
I saw a post on the Infosys Bulletin Board by Delroy and connected with him. So far, the journey has been good and it has also helped me to add to my list new friends who have similar thoughts about giving back to society.
Why did you choose Friends of Refugees, Melbourne (FORM) for your volunteering?
I have always wanted to give back something to the society, so I grabbed this opportunity and started volunteering. I always wait for the next schedule, so that I can go talk to people and stand by them, giving them hope and the assurance that we are there to support them always.
Tell us about your volunteering journey – how did it all begin?
I was introduced to this social cause by Delroy and it was a good start during the toughest of my times. This helped me develop a positive outlook and would boost me to proceed with the rest of the week.
Why did you choose Friends of Refugees, Melbourne (FORM) for your volunteering?
I wanted to do something good outside my work and coincidently, my friend was talking about his involvement with such activities, and I felt I should also get involved. Ever since I joined, I have started to really look forward to the weekends. I also volunteer at ISKCON’s community kitchen on Saturdays.
Tell us about your volunteering journey – how did it all begin?
I was always inclined to do some sort of social outreach activity and I met some wonderful people at St. Augustine’s Church after a Sunday service through whom I got introduced to FORM and that’s where the journey began.
Why did you choose Friends of Refugees, Melbourne (FORM) for your volunteering?
For me, it was just about the cause we were serving, and I am especially happy since I met many like-minded people who have been selflessly working to help our refugee brothers and sisters.
Tell us about your volunteering journey – how did it all begin?
We are unfortunate souls living in times when countries are clashing with one another and people have no option but to move in search of safe havens. The news of children drowning, families being ripped apart and the trauma that scars them for life pushed me to do the bare minimum that I can do in the hope of bringing about a change.
Why did you choose Friends of Refugees, Melbourne (FORM) for your volunteering?
– I got to know about this dynamic group from a colleague and could not wait to be a part of it. Their stories of yearning and finding happiness in spite of difficulties life throws at them are inspiring. There is something about their smiles that teaches me a lesson in hope. So yes, I volunteer with FORM to help and get helped myself.
Who are the beneficiaries of your volunteering efforts at FORM? Tell us more about your involvement with FORM.
We reach out to some of the refugees and asylum-seekers in detention as well as the ones out of detention and looking at beginning a new phase of life. When it comes to visiting people in detention, it’s about checking on them and spending time with them as they are not permitted to move out of the detention center unless a situation arises.
The refugees out of detention need the human touch as well as some material aid. We have home visits during which we spend some time with them and determine their material needs. On the Moving Day, we collect items from the donors in the morning and deliver the goods to homes of the refugees around midday. We have recently begun a school holiday program for the kids of the refugees under which we organize activities for them.
It is often said volunteering is a social activity – apart from working for the benefit of society, working with like-minded friends and colleagues also aids in bringing better benefits to volunteering programs. What is your experience of working with your colleagues in your volunteering journey?
“Volunteering with colleagues certainly brings benefits to the volunteering program as well as to the corporate employees. While the focus of volunteering has been to help someone in need, it has also been an opportunity for me to mingle and have some fun with my colleagues involved in this initiative. It has helped me nurture my relationship with them both at work and off work.” – Srikanth
Do you think volunteering has changed you as a person? How has it impacted you personally?
Volunteering for this cause has to a large extent changed our outlook towards migration, certain political aspects, and about humanity at large. Each time we have volunteered, we have come across different kinds of people – both among refugees and volunteers. Some of the experiences that we’ve gathered have made us realize the extent of the turmoil around the world today and feel doubly thankful for the graces that we have been blessed with.
What is your message for professionals who wish to take up volunteering, but don’t have guidance on how to begin?
We’d say one needs to discern or speak to someone knowledgeable around them to determine what their calling is. It would be anything, from serving in retirement homes, being a friend to those in foster care homes, or visiting the sick or those in prison. Once the calling is identified, there are a number of channels through which one could find volunteering opportunities. There are plenty of organizations around us who are always in need of volunteers.
