Sikh woman cancels trip back home to India to cook 1,000 free meals each day for bushfire victims 

Sikh woman cancels her first trip back to India in a decade to visit her comatose sister so she can stay and cook 1,000 free meals a DAY for bushfire victims

  • Sukhwinder Kaur gave up her time and holidays to cook for bushfire evacuees
  • Has spent the last week in East Gippsland region instead of going back to India 
  • Premier described her and rest of the Sikh Volunteers Australia team as legends

A Sikh woman has cancelled her first trip back to India in 10 years to cook meals for distressed bushfire victims.

Sukhwinder Kaur, 35, from Melbourne, had scheduled a trip back to her home town to visit her sister who is in a coma after she suffered a stroke.

But decided to stay in Australia to cook more than 1,000 meals a day for families forced to flee their homes after fires ravaged East Gippsland.

Ms Kaur has been camping at  Bairnsdale Oval since New Year’s Eve to help the community who she now regards as her ‘family’.

Sukhwinder Kaur (second right) and other Sikh Volunteers Australia volunteers have dedicated the last week to feeding bushfire evacuees from the East Gippsland region

Her day begins at dawn and ends at 11pm, where she camps out in a room next to the kitchen before it starts all over again. 

‘I realised my first duty is towards the community here where I have lived for so long. If I had left the people here during such a difficult time, I don’t think I could call myself a good human being,’ she told SBS Punjabi.

‘This is my family too and I have a responsibility towards it. I just can’t go while my family is suffering.’

Writing on their Facebook page, Sikh Volunteers Australia said ‘no words could describe’ Ms Kaur’s dedication.

‘(Ms Kaur) is working continuously from last five days in bushfire effected area Gippsland region Bairnsdale,’ they said.

‘She is preparing food three times a day around 400 meals. She has not gone back to home from last five days. Thank you for the delicious taste.’ 

Sukhwinder Kaur (pictured) was meant to go back to India to visit her sister in a coma but stayed to feed her 'bigger family'

Sukhwinder Kaur (pictured) was meant to go back to India to visit her sister in a coma but stayed to feed her ‘bigger family’

East Gippsland residents were forced to flee their homes due to bushfires (pictured January 2)

East Gippsland residents were forced to flee their homes due to bushfires (pictured January 2)

Ms Kaur (left) cooks up to 1000 free vegetarian meals each day for bushfire vcitims

Ms Kaur (left) cooks up to 1000 free vegetarian meals each day for bushfire vcitims

Ms Kaur said she is grateful for the chance to serve the community. 

‘I feel particularly happy when I see that no food is wasted and all of it is used up in the community,’ she said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews met Ms Kaur and other Sikh Volunteers Australia members on January 2 to personally thank them for their tireless efforts.

‘There’s a saying that in a crisis, we should look for the helpers. These legends from Sikh Volunteers Australia drove up to Bairnsdale from Melbourne on Monday – and they’ve been serving free, hot meals ever since. People helping people. That’s what Victoria is all about,’ Mr Andrews later tweeted.

Two lives have been lost, at least 200 homes destroyed and a million hectares burnt across Victoria in the last week.

Sukhwinder Kaur (third left) met Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (right), who described the Sikh Volunteers Australia as legends

Sukhwinder Kaur (third left) met Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (right), who described the Sikh Volunteers Australia as legends

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