Volunteering – giving back

So here is my tale:
A 180-degree turn was needed. Although my work as a health practitioner was profoundly fulfilling I knew I needed to be involved in something bigger than myself. But what?
I was waiting for someone to come to me and say: “Why don’t you come and help us? Join our team – our Cause needs you…“ I was waiting for an invitation. Waiting for the offer to step up into a life that was bigger than I felt, waiting to be called – so I could answer the call. But it was just not happening.
Then, seeking fun and the opportunity to enlarge my network with like-minded people I signed up for a seminar cruise with the inspirational Rock Your Life Leaders, Mike Handcock, and Dave Rogers.

That cruise was to be a turning point in my life.

I was plummeted from the ordered and clean streets of Perth to the chaos, smells and noise of the big city of Mumbai. On my arrival the airport reflected the chaos of the biggest celebration time of the year – Diwali – the Indian New year – a time of thunderous firecrackers and very little sleep.
And where was my pre-arranged driver?! I searched and searched the signs held up by others – nothing with my name on it. Time to ‘phone a friend’ – uh oh trusty iphone not working on Indian networks! Welcome to a different world Shazar!
Some considerable hours later having somehow found a taxi, negotiated an outrageous price, and survived a hair-raising drive up the express way… I made it to my friend’s house.
And it just happened to be my birthday! What a birthday it was. It was a new year for me, almost like being reborn.
Here I started working with two tireless women who quickly became my ‘Indian sisters’ who are both great supporters of the ‘under-privileged’. The first, Nandini Chandraratnam, supports a Shelter for Homeless Children – kids who have been rescued from the railway platforms, rubbish dumps and street corners –aged 3 to 15.

Even at 4 years old, most of these little homeless ones had already been at work – begging or selling stuff to commuters or drivers. They dash in and out of the bedlam of busy traffic, peddling their wares, and their gang bosses are just a few years older than them. Or they pick through mountains of rubbish on the dumps, running for first choice from the emptying garbage truck – salvaging plastic and other scraps of saleable recycling material – scraps worthless in any one else’s eyes. To see these children’s situation tears at my heart especially when you realize they have just as much potential as any child here in Australia.
My other ‘sister’ Maya Shahani, jokingly calls herself the original ‘slum dog millionaire’. For although now very wealthy, her earliest memories are of a childhood in the slums.
Now she devotes her life to gathering funds to support the destitute women of Mumbai and beyond. She is an incredible connector – and through her I saw the possibilities that can come when you bring the power of influential links to the grassroots movements. She names it civil society – as opposed to government – and looks to this to make real change.
And I was also very privileged to meet and now work with Satish Moon, a practicing Buddhist whose past life as an orphan himself has given him a special insight into the plight of the children in his care at the Shikshan Gram Shelter. Satish is a man of total trust. The vision comes, he says “We will do this” and then the resources for the project arrive. We are all looking on in amazement as his next visionary Strong Village Program begins to unfold. There is no place in his life for questioning and doubt.
These three quickly became my friends and mentors and I left India 3 weeks later knowing my life pathway had shifted and changed radically.
I was now part of a team dedicated to equality and freedom without which humankind cannot survive.
While there, the children of the Shelter had reached deeply into my heart. They had become family. It was obvious that working alongside them to assist their growth into sustainability was a cause of great worth that has the potential to evolve into a model for natural living, connected in harmony with the land, and showing respect for all living beings.
I asked myself: “What was my role in this world? How could I shine a light on the incredible work being done there? How can I share this on a much bigger scale? ” And that’s when I thought of you and that I could just invite you to come and join us.