By Molly Magennis
A Victoria University student has been named the Victorian Premier’s Volunteer of the Year for her work supporting Indian and South Asian communities.
Jaya Manchikanti, a Victoria University PhD candidate, is the founder of IndianCare, a St. Albans based not-for-profit organisation that aims to address the welfare needs of the South Asian community in Victoria.
As Volunteer of the Year, Ms Manchikanti received the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Award and a $10,000 donation to charity, which will go to IndianCare.
Alongside this, she was also presented with the Volunteering Leadership Award for her work
IndianCare has supported more than 5000 Victorians since it began in 2018, with its small team of staff and volunteers working to tackle issues such as family violence, alcohol harm and providing referrals.
The team are a mix of first- and second-generation Indian migrants, which allows them to provide culturally sensitive responses for referrals to support services.
Ms Manchikanti said the next big goal for her is to complete some volunteer work in India, a country which continues to need ongoing support due to the impacts of the pandemic.
“I came to Australia as a young girl, but I have always had a strong affinity with my birth country,” she said.
She is currently undertaking a PhD, with her chosen topic “Examining Australian third-sector community development praxis in relation to progressing the Sustainable Development Goals”, particularly focusing on women, the disadvantaged and responses to the pandemic.
Those who would like to get in touch with IndianCare should visit indiancare.org.au/ or call 1300 005 040.
