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Ready to Volunteer - Selba

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Ready to Volunteer - Selba

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I volunteer because volunteering

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has changed my life and my daughter’s life.

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My name is Selba-Gondoza Luka.

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I am originally from Malawi in Central Africa.

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Afri-Aus Care is a culturally appropriate mental health organisation

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that was established by myself out of lived experiences of the African people.

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When I started the organisation, I had depression and generalised anxiety.

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When I started helping others, I saw that

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healing was very quick, like it was a speedy recovery.

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Now, I’m a public speaker. I go to conferences!

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Volunteering has helped me to bond with my daughter,

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bond with women who are in trouble and bonding with the community.

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So they come here to volunteer their hours doing some gardening,

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cooking so that we can eat.

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There’s English classes where they improve their English, build resumes,

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and then we find them jobs.

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Sometimes you can tell someone, ‘Oh, come and volunteer’.

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Immediately you mention the volunteer part, you turn off their mind.

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They have to see.

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Volunteer doesn’t mean even physical work.

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Picking up a phone,

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finding out ‘How are you today?’

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Volunteering has founded real Selba. Who I am.

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I was meant to be a volunteer regardless of what.

Updated 2 September 2025



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