Westfield Parramatta has announced our own Saraswati Sashi ji as the Local Hero for Parramatta. The Hindu Council of Australia congratulates her and wishes her well and gives her full support to continue her work for the community.
Inspirational Saraswathi Sashi ji dedicates her life to counselling and guiding local people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Saraswathi ji is a volunteer Life Coach and Holistic Counsellor at Sewa Australia, a non-profit organisation serving the community with humanitarian aid, disaster relief and community development programs.
Saraswathi ji works tirelessly for the entirely volunteer-run organisation, where she has helped hundreds of people over the past 25 years.
Through her compassionate face-to-face counselling, workshops, seminars and advocacy, Saraswathi ji makes a positive difference to people experiencing domestic violence, family disputes or teenage issues.
She is also a generous sharer of knowledge and has trained more than 20 community members to become counsellors.
It is not unusual for Saraswathi ji to spend 10 hours a day helping others. One day she could be helping a traumatised teenager overcome bullying at school. On another, she could be advocating for a family with an incarcerated parent. During crises like the Lismore floods, she is at the forefront of the relief efforts, providing much-needed emotional support.
She feels validated to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero. “I am immensely satisfied when I help families and communities in need, which is the greatest motivation for me to do more,” she says.
Sewa Australia is a member of the Hindu Council of Australia.
