Amar Singh: Indian-origin Sikh’s ‘Turbans 4 Australia’ helps Aussies in need

 Australians still remember the Black Summer bushfires of 2019 that destroyed 24 million hectares across the country, including New South Wales. At a time when the government and locals came together to help, a non-profit, Turbans 4 Australia, spearheaded by an Indian-origin Sikh, was among those who jumped into action to deliver food, water and groceries to New South Wales’ South Coast throughout the bushfire season. For an organisation that was launched just four years prior, founder Amar Singh did everything possible to serve the locals in their darkest time.

“From 2015 to 2019, it was a slow start for Turbans 4 Australia as I was busy running my business simultaneously. However, it was after the 2019 bushfires that Turbans 4 Australia really took off, and we haven’t stopped since then,” says Singh, whose nonprofit has supported the community during floods, bushfires and the pandemic. His untiring work for the people of the country helped him win NSW Australian of The Year award 2023 – which he calls a “huge honour.” “This achievement is a milestone for us,” says Amar as he connects with Global Indian from Prestons.

Indian Origin | Amar Singh | Global Indian

Amar Singh is the founder of Turbans 4 Australia

A new country and a new culture 

It was right after finishing Class 10 that Singh and his family boarded his first flight to Australia in 1998. Coming from a farming background in Nabha district of Punjab, the family relocated to a new country for a better life. However, the shift wasn’t easy for the then 15-year-old who had to leave behind all his friends for a “new country with no friends.” “There was no Facetime or WhatsApp back then. A 21-minute calling card would cost 20 AUD. For three years, I wrote letters to my friend Karamveer, from close friends, we had become pen pals. I missed the comfort of my life in Punjab,” he reminisces with a smile.

While the sentimental value of the known kept him rooted to his past, moving continents was a “cultural shock” for Amar as the high school environment was “totally different” for him. “I grew up listening to the commands from our teachers. But when I stepped in school here, it was very open. We could attend or bunk classes, or interact with our teachers,” he says.

Singh went onto study aircraft maintenance engineering in the early 2000s, which later landed him a government job. But he was keen to start something of his own, and in 2004, he launched his trucking company – something he’s still at, along with Turbans 4 Australia.


Source: https://www.globalindian.com/story/global-indian-exclusive/amar-singh-indian-origin-sikhs-turbans-4-australia-helps-aussies-in-need/ 

Location: Australia

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