Stories of Community Resilience

Soft-skills are soon becoming the must-haves for sustainability and professional growth. Workforces in the 21st century require individuals to understand the importance of leadership and communication skills in their professional lives.  On that note, Indu Kannaiyan joins us to delve deeper into relevance of soft skills. Indu migrated to Australia in 2011 and is professionally qualified in Hu...

Diabetes is one of those diseases that is slowly cropping in almost every household, irrespective of age and race. But, can diabetes be prevented? Mubina Jamdar is an accredited practising dietitian and a philanthropist. She is the founder of a not-for-profit organisation called 'Diabetes Hub Multicultural Australia'. The mission of the organisation is to prevent diabetes and other lifestyle relat...

Marriage or a partnership is an institution that requires a lot of effort for sustainability. However, married couples are often the subject of societal ridicule when they choose not to have children.  And we ask - why this mandate? Why cannot we think of responsible and sustainable procreation? On that note, we speak with Akshay Ahuja who joined us all the way from Singapore. Akshay is an IT...

In October 2019, shocked, saddened, and angered by economic and political demise in Lebanon, the diaspora community took to the streets in Melbourne and many cities around the world demanding radical systematic change. Initially spontaneous and born out of grief, these gatherings filled with chanting, singing, speeches and traditional dancing brought the diaspora community closer together and esta...

A woman is always judged by her external characteristics, even in the 21st century. Women who do not adhere to the societal norms of 'beautiful' are often deemed as an outcast and are judged by one and all. On that note, we spoke with Ishita Kumar who shared her experience of dealing with hair loss and embracing baldness.  Ishita was born and brought up in Delhi. An architect who turned her p...

Mental health and associated therapy is an often ignored topic as it comes with a lot of stigma associated with itself. On that note, we speak with Gurvinder Kaur who uses the medium of arts as therapy for mental health. Gurvinder is a South-Asian migrant woman working in the mental health sector for 2 years and uses her lived experience to inspire people to access mental health support.  Gur...

Akshita Dabla is all of 19 years and is currently a 1st year MBBS student studying in Uzhhorod National Medical University, Ukraine. In this episode of resilience, she recounts her experience of realising that Ukraine was at war and how she had to cross the borders and fly back to India (her Homeland). This young woman has a strong message for our society - WAR is not the solution. We wish her wor...

Religion and faith play a big role in our lives. BUT, what happens when someone grows up in an inter-faith household ? Our guest- Sameera Singh is 33 and works in IT. Sameera is  a feminist wand is on a journey of learning more about feminism and it’s values while she actively unlearns and challenges some of patriarchal values within our society and values. Sameera enjoys travelling, au...

Dr Pravati Panigrahi is a Medical professional with special interest  in creating awareness on  Mental Health and Domestic violence in communities. As the Founder & Director of Pink Umbrella International,an ACNC regd  public charity(Aus), and as an academics from  University of Sydney in Human rights & Social justice sector, she works passionately for social...

It takes a lot of grit and determination to follow your passions. And even more difficult when you are a performing artist. On that note, we speak with Taufeeq Ahmed Sheikh from Sydney. Radio, theatre & films surround Taufeeqs’ life, fuelling his passion for storytelling. Making his TV debut as an actor at the age of 9 in India Taufeeq went on to acting, writing & directing for theat...

Being a parent is tough work. And being a single parent is not an easy road to walk upon.  In this episode, we talk to Paromita Bhattacharya who joined us from Sydney. Paromita moved out of India when she was all of 18 years old.  She is an absolute self-made person and a single mother to her son. She is currently working for Austrac which a regulatory board of Australia. Paromita consid...

The LGBTQ+ community needs to be loved, accepted and acknowledged by the global community. On that note, our next guest provides massive hope, support and resilience through his journey of coming out as Gay. Prateek Gajwani, was born and raised in a slightly different family structure in the capital city of India and was re-raised in the American Society in a BIG (Brown Immigrant Gay) way. He is s...

Mental health and physical/emotional well-being are of utmost importance in Post-COVID times. Many of us have gone through immeasurable grief and loss during these two years and constantly live in uncertainty. In lieu of that, regular dialogues around mental health are the need of the hour. Dr Beulah Joseph has  been based in Melbourne for the past 27 years, having originally come from Singap...

International students have been the forefront of uncertainty during the pandemic. During these times, finishing a Doctoral degree requires grit, sanity and determination. On that note, our guest- Dr Eshan Arya was born in Mumbai and has been living in Australia since 2008, He has travelled, lived, studied, and worked across 12 countries and on merchant navy ships.  Eshan has a PhD (Pol)...

The pandemic has seen all of us struggling either physically, mentally or financially. But the maximum brunt has been faced by those working in the Medical Industry. Their grit, energy and relentless dedication has proven to be an inspiration for all of us. Our guest of this episode, Saheera Razeek is  a single mom to  two beautiful boys as well as a full time Radiation Therapist working...

Naina Menon is from Kerala but stays in Himachal Pradesh and is a proud 33 year old transwoman who has achieved many milestones in her life. She is an engineer by degree and professionally a successful writer, fitness trainer and a model. She has risen recently to be an inspiration to many people from the LGBTQ+ community and is very actively involved in speaking about gender equality and issues f...

Neha Rajagopal is a special needs teacher and a counselling psychologist. She moved to Melbourne in 2017 with her husband and is a proud mother of her 15-month-old son, Advaith. Her passions include dance, music, gardening and yoga. Produced by Chris Mallika Bhadra. You can find more of Chris's media projects at: Coconut Chats YouTube and Instagram Durdeshe Bangla YouTube and Instagram Ananda Danc...

Dr Shanthi Joseph is a university Senior Technical Officer and Lecturer, who went through a phase of 'unlearning' after years of working in highly planned and structured environments. She realised that when the going gets tough, it's ok to take a step back and be kind to yourself. Produced by Chris Mallika Bhadra. You can find more of Chris's media projects at: Coconut Chats YouTube and Instagram...

Hithanjanee Yatawara from Bindaas Bollywood Dance Company shares her views and experiences owning a small business and navigating a divorce during a pandemic, and how her family, friends, colleagues and students supported her and one another. Find out more about Hithanjanee and Bindaas Bollywood Dance Company at: http://bindaasbollywood.com.au/ Instagram Produced by Chris Mallika Bhadra. You can f...