REPORTING FROM THE DIASPORA

Arpita Singh 23 GraduatedinIT, CharlesSturtUniversity

As the secretary of Yuva Australia, I was invited by the Indian High Commission and the MEA to be a panellist at PBD 2016-17 on the topic of "Problems faced by Indian international students in Australia". I travelled to New Delhi late last year and had the honour of participating in the 8th PBD Panel Discussion chaired by the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The issues we raised and the solutions we proposed were thoughtfully considered by the MEA and significant implementation strategies and solutions were announced at the annualYouth PBD 2017 held in January.

ACCOUNTING: GETTING A LOOK IN

Tom Smith 18 BachelorofCommerce, University ofMelbourne

Sincefinishing high school in November I have begun developing the necessary accounting expertise to transition into the corporate world, by working at the accountingfirm MurdochPartners.I have learnt the basic skills such as filing and archiving before undertaking a graduate accounting course in the CBD

I hope that these experiences will prepare me for the Bachelor of Commerce and beyond

EXPERIENCING THE LIFE Of INDIAN FARMERS

Hazel Johal 20

BachelorofBusiness, University ofTechnology, Sydney

In January, I participated in a 21-day innovation and empathy workshop with BUiLD UTS in rural Maharashtra. I went with fve other students from UTS to study the local community and one of the challenges they are facing, agriculture. For 18 days, I studied the local agricultural practices. One of the things I noticed was that they didn't use any machinery, the farmers still handpicked their crop andused methods that their fathers taught them. Soon, I realised that the old-school method of farming is heavily dependent on a regularwater supply, and inthe summer, lack of water makes farming impossible.Unfortunately, the farmers lack the training to do it any other way. On the other hand, meeting the local children was very exciting; they were so eager to share. I had a really good experience because everybodyI met was kind and no one made me feel that I was from a strange, foreign country. For Makar Sankranti on the 14th , the villagers bought all us girls matching sarees and took us to the local temple for an evening of cultural activity and prayer. Meeting these people is something I will cherish forever.

RELINKING WITH ARTS HERITAGE Keerthana Parthiban 22 BachelorofScience inIT, University ofTechnology, Sydney

Over the past year I've been part of a team of students working hard to reestablish the UTS Tamil Society and its annual event Kathambamalai.

First established in 1999, the society has a long and rich history of organising cultural events to fundraise for communities in Sri Lanka and India. We have now brought back its annual Kathambamalai event, reinvigorated for a new and diverse audience.

These past months of summer, we've passionately been working on script writing, dramaturgy, dance and acting rehearsals with a great cast and crew to bring to stage a thrilling dance drama titled Kaya/ Vizhi. We're proud to have provided a platform for upcoming youth talent and to have used this opportunity to establish ties with ourTamilcommunity in the form of donations to Vanni Rehabilition and Palmera Projects. Being able to bring this production to life has truly shown the potential of young people when we come together. Overall, it has provided us with an avenue to tap into our creative cultural roots in a university and community setting.

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NOT-FOR-PROFIT LEGAL SERVICE

• • • Azaara Perakath 21

• • BachelorofLawandCommerce,

• • UniversityofAdelaide

•

•

• Havingjustcompleted my third year

• of my law andcommerce (corporate

: finance)double degree, and armed

• with a lot of enthusiasm, I decided that this summer, much as I would miss the opportunity to sleep in,I would immerse myself in the opportunities available to me. The first step was applying to be a volunteer at JusticeNet, a not for profit legalservice that provides free legal help for people who cannot afford a lawyer or who are low-income and disadvantaged members of society.

• • This has so far provided me with

• invaluable practical experience in a : variety of areas oflaw and increased my

• passion for justice.I was also fortunate

• enough to secure a summer position

• • at the Australian Financial Security

• Authority, aCommonwealth Government

• Department, doing corporate related

• • work as part of a project team. And just

• to ensure I really did not have even a : moment to be bored these holidays,

I have also been doing research and oral advocacy as part of the University of Adelaide's JessupInternational Law MootTeam. We will be representing the University at the national round of the competition in Canberra in a few days. All in all, a busy but fulfilling summer and one that I am sure will shape my future!