“I always thought King’s Birthday Honours were for people high up – not regular people like us,” Bindi Shah OAM tells Indian Link.
As co-founder of a grassroots community-based charity WISEKidsWORLD, Bindi has been honoured with the OAM this King’s Birthday for her volunteering activities across the nation and beyond.
“It’s a lovely surprise and a great honour. It’s a nice way to know we’re on the right track — and that we are contributing. Heartfelt thanks to my husband Sunil and my children Jaini and Reyen. And to all my friends and colleagues who support our work.”
Bindi started WISEKidsWORLD in 2014 with fellow school parent Susan Day, as an additional activity alongside her day job as data analyst at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
“Susan and I met at our kids’ primary school, both of us keenly involved in school canteen, sporting days and other events,” Bindi recalls. “Honestly, our only intention was to lead by example, so that our kids could emulate us by becoming empathetic individuals and join us in our little community endeavours.”
Luckily for them, their local community in Cheltenham NSW is close-knit and welcoming, and offers many opportunities for voluntary initiatives – be it book fairs, clothes swaps, book swaps, community garage scales etc.
Their kids took to it like ducks to water, even coming up with unique ideas to fundraise.
“In fact, the name WISEKidsWORLD came up when we were all sitting around chatting one evening!”
It’s gone on to teach them to break the cycle of poverty by raising funds to support other kids less fortunate than them.
Along the way, they’ve all blossomed into confident, articulate young adults – while Bindi herself has become a familiar and much-loved figure in Sydney’s Indian community, always ready to lend a helping hand to a wide range of initiatives.
Today, WISEKidsWORLD is helping children thrive – not just across Australia, but also in Uganda and India. Since it began, the initiative has raised $170,000, with every dollar going directly to the chosen charities. Beneficiaries are introduced through trusted contacts. “We send school supplies, sporting goods, or help cover teachers’ salaries,” Bindi shares.
She is quite proud of their work in Uganda. “It fell in our laps when we got acquainted with an Australia lady who was building an orphanage there. We jumped in with whatever way we could support. The orphanage now has a dorm, educational facilities, and over the years has seen kids graduate from school, and returning to teach other kids there.”
Perhaps the most satisfaction comes from their sustained efforts at a slum school in Delhi.
“We’d been supporting them for a while, and during COVID we sent funds because we figured they might be in need. Imagine our surprise when they returned the money – saying please forward to someone else who needs it more than us, we are okay for now! Small steps, but we’re making a difference.”
Among their beneficiaries in Australia have been women’s institutions such as Hornsby Women’s Shelter, country schools for who they’ve collected school supplies, and country-based P&C committees for who they’ve raised funds.
“People now reach out to us with a cause to fundraise for,” Bindi reveals. “We send a call out for goods requested, or organise a fundraiser. Our most impactful programs however are in education. Education is everything where empowerment is concerned.”
What advice would Bindi Shah have for someone wanting to start off in a similar activity?
“School is a great place to start. Get involved and it will all fall into place. Find like-minded people. Don’t be shy in asking for help, pick up the phone and talk. The worst is, they’ll say no! There will be disappointments and failures, but keep at it – you’ll find people who will be more than willing to help.”
You’d think that in retirement, Bindi Shah might be taking it easy. Not a chance. As she speaks to us she has plans for helping out at The Dish of St John (a Hornsby-based community food program), organising a clothing drive for a Northern Territory charity, witnessing documents as a JP for Indian seniors with limited English, and cooking for Lucky Singh’s Guru Nanak Free Kitchenette. And that’s just the start of her weekend.
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