Indian woman cancels trip back home to cook free meals for Australian bush fire victims
Sukhwinder Kaur was all set to travel to India after a decade to meet her sister who is in a coma. She cancelled her visit to cook 1,000 meals a day for bushfire victims.
The raging bushfires in Australia have seen many groups and individuals come to the forefront to save animals and victims. People are being generous with their time and money to provide shelter, food and medical aid.
Thirty-five-year-old Sukhwinder Kaur, who resides in the East Gippsland region cancelled her trip to India to visit her sister who is in a coma to help the victims of the bush fires. She hadn’t gone home in a decade.
In a conversation with SBS Punjabi, she said,
“I realised my first duty is towards the community here where I have lived for so long. If I had left the people here during such a difficult time, I don't think I could call myself a good human being.”
Sukhwinder is working along with Sikh Volunteers Australia to distribute food. According to the Daily Mail, Sukhwinder’s day begins at 5 am and ends at 11 pm after which she moves into a room adjacent to the kitchen and starts all over again the next day.
Speaking about her initial days of helping victims, Sukhwinder said,
“Initially, we had up to a hundred people coming to our food van but in the last three-four days, there are many more people who have been evacuated from their homes coming to have a meal. So, these days, we are preparing up to a thousand meals every day”, reports SBS Punjabi.
Sukhwinder has been helping victims since December 30 at Bairnsdale Oval. Here, officials have created temporary relief shelters for the victims.
Looking at her dedication and commitment, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews took to Twitter to applaud her efforts and those of the volunteers.
She later said,
“A lot of people said they liked the food, or 'it was delicious'. I ‘m thankful to God that I have been allowed to serve the community. I feel particularly happy when I see that no food is wasted and all of it is used up in the community.”
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