In times of tragedy, we see humanity coming together, irrespective of gender, caste or creed. Australia too has witnessed touching moments, where a group of teenagers rescued koalas, firefighters spent holidays away from families to put off the bushfires and many such noble acts by ordinary people. Now there is one more such deed done by an Indian woman. A Sikh woman cancelled her India trip, to cook and feed Australia’s bushfire victims. It was Sukhwinder Kaur’s first trip to India in 10 years, but she decided to forego it, to be there for her community.
What’s In It?
35-year-old Sukhwinder Kaur, from Melbourne, had scheduled a trip to India so she could visit her sister who is in a coma after she suffered a stroke. But she changed her mind and decided to stay back in Australia so she could cook and feed over 1000 meals per day to families who were forced to flee their homes after fires ravaged East Gippsland. A reputed news agency stated that Sukhwinder Kaur had been camping at Bairnsdale Oval since New Year’s Eve to help her community who she fondly refers to as her family.
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She wakes up early in the morning and works hard till 11 pm. She states that her first duty is towards her community where she has lived for long. She also said that she would fail to call herself a good human being if she wasn’t there for her community during difficult times. Sukhwinder fondly adds that this is her family and she has a responsibility towards them, and she can’t leave when they are suffering.
What’s More?
Sukhwinder Kaur threw light on how more and more Australian bushfire victims have been frequenting her food van. And she and her team have been working hard day and night to provide sufficient meals to the victims. She said that initially there were up to a hundred people coming to her food van but then many more people were evacuated from their homes and started visiting her food van for a meal. So she has been preparing up to thousand meals every day. In another news Sikh Restaurant Owners Are Offering Free Food To Aussies Affected By Bush Fires
You will surprised to know that the kitchen team comprises of just four people. She has a room right next to the kitchen, where she sleeps. She had even taken leave from her job at Australian Post and has been camping at Bairnsdale Oval since 30th December. This is the place where temporary relief shelters for victims have been erected. And even though Sukhwinder Singh wanted to meet her gravely sick elder sister in India, she wanted to serve her community first who have been undergoing an awful tragedy. And she considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to do so. The world surely needs more noble, kind-hearted people like her.