Drawing on their community connections and organising prowess, two big-hearted Rotary clubs in Victoria and South Australia have made a tangible difference to the lives of Afghan families fleeing their homeland.
By Jeanette Leigh, Rotary Club of North Balwyn, Vic
On August 15, 2021, Afghanistan’s President, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country as American troops withdrew after a 20-year occupation. Capital city Kabul fell into the hands of the Taliban. Sadly, such a disaster is not a solitary event, and currently the record-breaking figure of more than 100 million people have become displaced across the globe due to spreading tyranny.
Since the fall of Kabul, Melbourne’s Bakhtar Community Organisation (BCO), largely with help from the Rotary Club of North Balwyn, Vic, has successfully helped more than 3,000 of these refugees resettle into a new life in Melbourne.
The speed at which people were extracted from Kabul saw the Afghans arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs. BCO, headed by founder and CEO Bassir Qadiri, rallied to help everyone that came off those rescue-mission planes. They worked with the COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria agency and AMES Australia, providing care packages and interpreting services to new arrivals.
Then there was the issue of negotiating housing and settling people into Australian life. Given that the government could barely cope with the volume of refugees, BCO needed to reach out to other organisations for help.
Rotary Club of North Balwyn members Rowan McClean and Cris Yudi began discussing what they could do to help.
“When we heard about the Taliban terrorising Afghan embassy employees and army interpreters, we discussed how we could help,” said Rowan. “We met with members of the club and began sorting roles for people and, importantly, identifying members who had trailers. Then we arranged a meeting with Bakhtar.”
The relationship between BCO and North Balwyn Rotary moved quickly.
“Refugees have nothing, so this partnership provided them with immediate household needs so that they could send their kids to school and achieve the peace of mind to find jobs. Ultimately, it means that each refugee can contribute to the community,” said Bassir.
“Initially, Centrelink couldn’t keep up with the influx of refugees, so we arranged for 20,000 meals to go out via the FORaMEAL project run by Rotary Club of Canterbury,” said Rowan.
During Christmas that year they delivered truckloads of toys to the kids with help from other clubs, such as the Rotary Club of Bacchus Marsh. They also got in touch with a City of Greater Dandenong council officer, who helped them locate a scout hall with two tin sheds. This became the site for refugees to come and collect goods.
The efforts of the Melbourne community have been incredibly important, with people flinging open their garages to donate their superfluous goods for refugees.
A constant dialogue between Bakhtar and the North Balwyn club ensures that donations match specific needs: a couch for one family, a fridge and TV for another.
“Over one weekend we sent four truckloads of goods to different houses,” said Rowan. “Seeing a Ukrainian lady crying tears of joy and gratitude because her child had received shoes is huge.
“One doctor with his wife and seven children had narrowly escaped Taliban forces through the Khyber Pass. We provided him with household goods including a lawn mower. He was thrilled to be able to mow his lawn so his children could play outside.”
When it comes to humanitarian causes, Rowan, a retired Australian Trade Commissioner, is no novice. He established the Vietnam Communities Support project in 2009, which enhanced farming and education in the impoverished Phu Tho Province. Much of his retirement is spent in the service of the needy.
Likewise, BCO founder Bassir was inspired by his mother, who was a women’s rights advocate for 40 years in Afghanistan. During the first Taliban period in 1996 she ran a home school for girls and women.
“Giving back to the community and supporting is the best way of being human and the best religion to have. I have always been engaged with community,” says Bassir.
Noticing that new arrivals brought divisive political and religious issues from their place of origin, Bassir established BCO as a secular organisation that provides a platform for diverse groups to unite under one umbrella.
The aim was to create understanding and tolerance so people could integrate successfully. Now, the organisation is run by 55 volunteers from all walks of life, and it shares similar principles to Rotary.
“We got along so well with Rotarians because we share the same vision, being secular and supportive of everyone regardless of background. We help whoever needs to integrate into Australian society, including Ukrainians, Papua New Guineans, Malaysians, Vietnamese and Sri Lankans.”
BCO has worked with around 25 charities, however Bassir says their main supporter has been the Rotary Club of North Balwyn, with 70 per cent of their donations coming from the club. To date, the club has sent 78 truckloads of household goods to meet refugee needs, and Rowan doesn’t see the project ending anytime soon. The Australian Government has just approved another 31,500 places for Afghans.
“The project will continue for as long as people need to escape terror and oppression. This has been one of the most successful projects in the history of Rotary. Not a day goes past without something being done by the Rotary Club of North Balwyn on this project.”
More info: Anyone who wants to help sort household items for refugees is welcome to join the North Balwyn volunteers for 60-90 minutes on Saturdays at noon and Tuesdays between 2pm and 5pm. Quality items including beds, bicycles, mattresses and blankets, etc, can be dropped off at the depot at 417 Belmore Road, Balwyn North. Please contact Rowan McClean for more information via rowanmcclean@gmail.com