Muslim Students Society, Southern Cross University

Background of this video:

Muslims as a part of society are working together to move the society forward. During the 2017 devastating flood, many of the Muslim brothers and sisters came forward spontaneously to help the flood affected people- both individually and in groups as it is an obligatory duty to help people in need.

On the day of flood, during and after the flood as well, they helped any flood victims, flood affected neighbors, friends and people in need in rescue, escort to safer dry places- like places of their relatives and friends in upper non-flood affected area or flood shelter (named Evacuation Center) established at Southern Cross University, they cooked and reach the food to the flood victims, helped them to come back at their places when the water goes down away, helped cleaning up their inundated business and homes, share their laundry to wash cloths, help people struggling with the-after flood clean up, lifting heavy things, sorting of flood affected homes, moving rubbish, looking after the kids when parents were working to rebuild their lives, some drive the recovery volunteers to reach their destinations and helped people in all all possible ways  to get back on their feet. 

Many of them also volunteered with "Lismore Flood Recovery volunteers" organized through recovers.org, "Lismore Helping hands" [later changed name to 'Lismore Helping Hands-Flood Recovery, Resilience & Readiness'] and some other After Flood Clean Up Facebook volunteer groups to bring the Lismore community back . The destruction and the devastation was heartbreaking to many and the local Muslims stood beside the flood affected community with physical and mental support.

The members of Muslim Students' Society, Southern Cross University (MuSt Society, SCU) at the Uni, contacted with the all possible contacts, made individual inquiry about their well-being during the flood and helped them to safety and food. After the flood, a list of flood affected students were made and submitted to the Associate Professor Bronwyn Barkla, who then coordinated the compensation fund with SCU chaplain Robert Lingard [Senior Pastoral Care Coordinator, SCU]. The both helped the affected students to get the fund allocated for the flood victims as well as financial and academic arrangements were catered for any disruption over that period to ensure that no-one will be adversely impacted.

Besides these, the Muslim students at SCU also worked individually in response to flood, move post-flood wreckage, continue long term look after and inquire the mental well-being of the victims as well as worked with the volunteer groups coordinated then from South Lismore Train Station. As the extended recovery efforts, they are still in touch with the people who are suffering from post flood trauma, fear, anxiety and depression and help them healing mentally, even after more than two years of that devastating flood.

Later on, these sporadic activities were much praised in the community and in different forums at various occasions which bring a thought to make an accumulated tiny documentary which depict these activity during the Lismore 2017 food. On the occasion of Breaking fast of Ramadan at SCU in last 24 May 2019, where more than hundred people gathered, some of the activities were compiled and was shown as a part of the activities of Muslims in Lismore. The video is available in youtube and much shared in in the local groups in social media.

We got enormous positive feedback from the community about the role of local Muslims, students and the University during and after the flood.

Some of the activities were also attracted much media attention and published in local and University media.