In a bid to empower multicultural voices and amplify community stories, The Indian Sun conducted its second free media training workshop at Strathaird Family & Community Centre, Narre Warren South.
The training session on 1 June brought together members of Saathi MAA (Multicultural Association of Australia), a dynamic group of entrepreneurs from diverse cultural backgrounds who also support vulnerable women and migrants with skills, guidance, and pathways to employment.
The event, held as part of a broader media training initiative supported by the Victorian Government’s Multicultural Media Support 2024/25 program, featured practical sessions in media writing, storytelling, social media, and digital communication—aimed at strengthening the confidence and capacity of grassroots organisations and emerging community leaders.
Participants expressed enthusiasm about the workshop and its impact.
“Great introduction to media and the importance of stories, I had never really considered the importance of that before,” said Tanya, who suggested having more group discussions in future sessions.
Pooja Gupta echoed the sentiment: “I loved it and learnt a lot.”
Ekta Jha praised the engaging style of facilitator Indira Laisram, noting, “The pitch was great.”
Geeta Tagra highlighted how the session helped her understand “how to rise yourself,” while Himani Goel appreciated the in-depth breakdown of storytelling techniques and media outreach strategies.
Mona Kaur found the session well-structured: “The slides were well presented. It covered the goals of the program, story writing, headlines, captions, use of images, and social media tips.”
Kartik Shah added that the session “raised a lot of awareness and was a great reminder of how important stories and the media is to spread around the good messages to people and make a difference to community.” He recommended that future sessions be extended in length to allow for deeper exploration.
Over the next five months, the media training program will continue to roll out across Victoria, focusing on empowering representatives from four specialist groups, including youth leaders, grassroots organisations, and community volunteers. The initiative aims to cultivate local storytellers and media voices who can confidently represent their communities in the public sphere.
For Saathi MAA and others involved, the training marks an important step towards reclaiming narratives and ensuring that the rich stories of Victoria’s Indian and multicultural communities are heard—and seen—across the media landscape.
Chanchal Kumavat, founder and president of Saathi MAA, thanked The Indian Sun and the Victorian government, stating initiatives like this help the community build confidence, find their voice, and connect through powerful storytelling.
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📰 The Indian Sun hosts free media workshop for Saathi MAA in Narre Warren. 🎤 Empowers multicultural voices with #storytelling & digital skills. 💡 Part of Victorian Govt's media training initiative. #TheIndianSun @indira_laisram
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