Syeda Bahadur is proud of where she comes from. Hyderabad, the city of pearls and biryani, she exclaims. After all, it is where she was born and brought up, and, importantly, where her love for volunteering work stems.
Syeda studied her Bachelor’s in Engineering with majors in Electronics and Communications in Hyderabad. But she bounced between classes to devote her time to Udaan, a career guidance and educational program for underprivileged children in Hyderabad.
She was also involved with the Model United Nations conferences throughout major cities in India, educating herself and, at the same time, spreading awareness on the international peace body and their role in global peace, fighting hunger and addressing women rights.
In all of this, what Syeda realised was the sense of social responsibility commensurate with her education and background. “There are a lot of stereotypes in India, for instance, that a kid needs to become a doctor or an engineer, while the irony is that these students find it difficult to even complete school,” she reflects.
So, dealing with students who are themselves dealing with the uncertainty of completing their education in the first place, and inspiring them to not only finish their school but also to pursue various things as per their passion—was something that broke her heart. “No one should be in that situation,” she rues.
In 2013, Syeda came to Melbourne to pursue her Master’s in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Deakin University and graduated in 2015. Like other migrants, she went on to work in various sectors and thus began her expatriation. However, she realised she had the unshakable urge to volunteer again, and believes contrary to popular belief, people need help all the time—even in a developed world.
After she moved to Wyndham about four years ago, Syeda got back to volunteering and community development. She got a huge kick-start from Wyndham-Building Blocks Leadership Program 2019, which was organised by Wyndham City Council. It equipped her with a lot of skills enabling her to transform her ideas into projects for the right people in the community. “It reconnected me to my passion of helping,” she says.
Prior to this, Syeda was already helping women from multicultural backgrounds based on her understanding of how migrant women need to hone job interviews skills, confidence, and so on.
When Wyndham Arts and Events group started Wyndham Arts club with the goal to support emerging artists in Wyndham during the Covid-19 lockdowns, Syeda started interviewing diverse artists and made short videos on their stories to help them reach out to local audiences digitally and inspire others in the community.
Last year, the club expanded the community group to about 700 people, organised its own event and renamed the group to Wyndham Arts, Festivals, Workshops and Events.
During the pandemic, she was also translating health messages into Urdu as part of Multicultural Health Awareness Program. But as COVID-19 prolonged into months and a year, Syeda saw the impacts on mental health—isolation and loneliness taking a toll on many.
Unfortunately, she was going through the same not being able to see her mother, who passed away last year in Hyderabad. Syeda admits to seeking help from professionals to deal with her grief and that set the path for helping others in the same predicament.
Last September-October, she, along with project partner Tania, ran the ‘Spring Social Group’ for a small group of residents of Wyndham. The main aim of this project was to address loneliness and feeling of isolation within the community with positivity, mindfulness and emotional support. “This was a very unique project and helped people in need due to the pandemic.”
This project was supported by IPC Health (one of the largest providers of community health services in Victoria) and was part of Wyndham Health Champions program that ran in collaboration with Wyndham City Council. “We created a safe space for people to share stories and learn relaxing techniques from our guest speakers. There are many people in the community who still need support to address their mental health and support to overcome what they lost in the pandemic—jobs, loved ones, businesses,” she says, adding, “We hope to reach more people and run the sessions this year in spring with potential partnerships.”
Also as an executive board member of Wyndham Park Community Centre, Syeda contributes to the strategic decisions and support the operational staff. “Since the pandemic the centre has been one of the forefronts in responding to community needs. Seeing the positive difference our centre makes in the lives of hundreds of families in Wyndham, week in and week out makes me happy and honoured at the same time,” she says.
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It is not surprising that someone with Syeda’s passion has so many roles. She is Vice-President (2019 to present) of Wyndham Park Community Centre, Member of The loop, Wyndham People’s Advisory Panel (2021 to present), President of Wyndham Arts & Events Inc (2020 to present), Volunteer of Werribee River association (2021 to present) and Volunteer of Wyndham Volunteers Association. She is also taking up the role of Board member with Hoppers Crossing Cricket Club.
Currently, Syeda works with Metro Trains as Authorised Officer, a profession plotted quite like a mathematical equation to what she loves doing otherwise. “It’s again such a lovely opportunity to work within community and to make a difference in people’s lives. That is something which made me take up the job. It’s a wide role and it’s a beautiful role where I have a lot of customer interactions.”
She encourages people to volunteer as there are many programs that people can opt for in their areas of interest. “Community centres and neighbourhood houses are such amazing ‘go-to’ places for the community A lot needs to be done,” she says.
Syeda does not see herself as doing extraordinary work. “There are hundreds of people who are doing similar work, it is not just me,” she modestly says, adding, “There is a certain satisfaction and happiness in finding time to help others.”
For the first time, Syeda will be taking a short maternity break as she is expecting her first child. But she hopes to resume both her professional job and her volunteering. Her determination to make a difference in people’s lives remains unabated!
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Syeda Bahadur is proud of where she comes from. Hyderabad, the city of pearls & biryani, she exclaims. After all, it is where she was born & brought up, and, importantly, where her love for #volunteering work stems. #TheIndianSun @indira_laisram https://t.co/7syo2obGpm
— The Indian Sun (@The_Indian_Sun) February 25, 2022
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