Visually impaired tabla student Nathaniel Schmidt’s journey
Melbourne resident Nathaniel Schmidt’s fascination for the tabla (the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music) began one weekend in 2009. He was watching...
Maharashtrians in Australia: Sammelan & a 28-year journey
In the early 1980s, there were around 30-40 families from the western Indian state of Maharashtra trickling into Victoria. Like any diasporic community, the...
The pandemic & mental health: Two lived experiences
Kalpana* is a student on a bridging visa. When the pandemic struck, she was living with an old couple for almost two years in...
From Kerala to Victoria: Santosh Nambiar’s ‘inner journey’
When Santosh Nambiar left an executive position at a biotech company in India in 1996 to start a career in New Zealand from the...
A homelessness story & the urgent need for refuge
Ravi* is a permanent resident. Although he has finished his Master’s in Accounting, he lost his job during the pandemic. But his woes did...
Pandemic conversation: How can we stay relatively safe?
With a highly infectious Omicron third wave, the pandemic conversation is now shifting to how communities and individuals can keep themselves safe.
On an average,...
How Nilesh Makwana reinvented himself after many failures
Perth-based Nilesh Makwana serves up a lot of stories—from growing up in India to working and studying in London to finally settling down in...
Pandemic still posing a challenge for overseas students
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life on every front. The Australian education sector, which has been badly impacted, is still facing challenges especially when...
Why we need to talk about Covid vaccine & children
Ten-year old Akash*, who goes to a school in Melton, is not vaccinated. His mother Supriya* says she is happy with not going ahead...
Harpreet Singh Kandra, truly a community volunteer
Early in June, Harpreet Singh Kandra proudly took the podium at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. The occasion was the first Victorian Multicultural Honour...