UPPER SCHOOL
MR TIM RAYNER HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL
‘ LOVE ALL . SHARE ALL ’ – A STATEMENT ON THE SIDE OF A DELIVERY VAN
There is much to learn from Sikh devotion to charity work
It was during those dreadful bushfires of 2020 that I first became aware of a group of Sikh volunteers in regional Victoria , who were helping to provide food to those Australians evacuated from their homes . It was a brief scene on television of a group of Indian men and women standing beside a white van in Bairnsdale , giving out food to grateful recipients .
Although the coverage had been very short , it did resonate .
By the end of that year , when our school had returned to a semblance of normality following online learning , Mr Nick Miller and I were discussing the 2021 Year 11 Immersion program . As the program ’ s aim is to nurture community service and development , it seemed logical that we should invite Sikh Volunteers Australia to school to speak to our Year 11 Immersion boys about the work they do in our community . And what a story it was .
Mr Jaswinder Singh explained that the charity work was started in 2014 by a group of Sikh friends in Melbourne , all of whom were on temporary visas . They wanted to give back to the community and country they had become a part of , and felt that a way to do this would be to offer their services to local community events .
This led to the idea of providing free food to any person who was in need , and to do so they all chipped in $ 1000 so they could purchase a delivery van . From this beginning , the group now serves or gives take-away food to the homeless and needy in the south-eastern suburbs . Their website makes interesting reading .
A motivating factor in this initiative is the Sikh commitment to charity work , encapsulated by the phrases written on the side of their service van : ‘ Love all . Share all ’. All Sikh temples across the world have a kitchen which provides free food to anyone who visits , whether Sikh or not . The Sikhs believe that by sitting side by side , eating and talking , with no special privileges , equality among all is reinforced .
The boys in the Geoffrey McComas Theatre listened attentively , while Mr Singh showed a video
MR JASWINDER SINGH SPEAKS TO SCOTCH ' S IMMERSION BOYS
of how the Golden Temple in Amritsar , India , feeds 100,000 people per day , which is a magnificent feat of human cooperation . The boys also heard about the many charitable events Sikh Volunteers Australia has been involved with , and how , over the years , the charity has grown .
Luke O ’ Brien , Year 12 Prefect , finished by asking several questions , and the floor was then open for the audience also to ask questions , of which there were a few . It was one of those talks we all left thinking , ‘ I never knew that .’
Surprisingly , and perhaps as a consequence of the boys ’ interest and warm support , Mr Singh finished the talk by inviting Scotch boys to a Sikh temple . He would be our guide . We are keen to take up the offer , as I ’ m sure our boys would find such a trip valuable and interesting .
We all have something to learn from our fellow Australians , as we strive to serve and help those in need .
www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 21