South Asian Muslim Association of Australia (SAMAA) held Eid Milan in Sydney on Saturday 19 April 2025 at the Auburn Town Hall to bring together community elders to celebrate the annual Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
The Townhall was filled with the dignitaries, a large number of seniors, carers, volunteers, and friends of SAMAA.
The programme commenced with the recitation of a melodious Naat, poetry in praise of Prophet Mohammad (s), by popular Sydney singer Madam Shagufta Zia.
MC Mr Zaman Khan told the audience that SAMAA had signed MoUs with aged care service providers over the years. This is done to facilitate services to the community’s seniors. The most important aspect is that the services should be culturally and religiously appropriate.
Over the past few years, a few Muslim service providers have emerged in Sydney and SAMAA was quick to sign MoUs with them to offer services to South Asian Muslim seniors. IWAA (Islamic Women’s Association of Australia) specialises in Home Care services whereas Gallipoli Home offers residential care and home care services.
SAMAA committee member Mecki Ansari introduced another Home Care Provider, Comfort Care, and gave a detailed presentation on Home Care packages (HCP). The intent of the HCP Program is to support senior Australians to optimise health and wellbeing in accordance with their needs, goals, and preferences, and to help them to live safely and independently at home.
Home care packages deliver coordinated packages of care and services to meet the clients’ assessed care need within the limits of their budget and the scope of the HCP Program. Currently, there are four levels of Home care packages, which may be revised in July under an overhaul of aged care services.
Another presentation invited the younger audience to join SAMAA as volunteers to offer company and basic help to seniors in their neighbourhood. Mrs Sadia Niazi quoted the holy Prophet, saying the Muslim has two key duties, submission to god and service to mankind. She explained the services SAMAA volunteers can offer to the community elders.
Hon Philip Ruddock, the second-longest-serving parliamentarian in the history of the Australian Parliament, was the chief guest. He applauded SAMAA for its services to the seniors. He reminded that as you age, you tend to forget the second language, English in Australia for people of non-English speaking background. Therefore, it is important that seniors receive care from those who are able to speak their native language.
Mr Zahid Jamil welcomed the guests on behalf of SAMAA executive committee and described the community elders most precious, who had worked hard throughout their lives, raised their families, and have been part of building this nation. Settling in a new country with different cultural traditions and language barriers is challenging, and it was far more complex 40-50 years ago, but our seniors prevailed. Old age is a golden age and our seniors deserve the best and SAMAA tries to be part of this journey of our seniors.
“At SAMAA, we try to facilitate services that our seniors need,” Mr Jamil said, “SAMAA is a volunteering body, not a service provider, but we have signed MoUs with service providers to ensure that culturally and religiously appropriate care is provided.”
Mr Jamil stressed the need not to delay the process of aged care assessment to avail services on time.
Comfort Care Group and Noble Clinical Rehabilitation distributed important information to the attendees.
Ex NSW Labor MP Mr Shaqouette Moslemane applauded SAMAA for its services to seniors over the past 15 years. He expressed his desire that the government should support SAMAA in building its own facilities.
Mr Moslemane also introduced Kids on Wheels Alliance Inc to the audience, a charity dedicated to donating wheelchairs to disabled kids in several war-torn and third-world countries.
The audience enjoyed the charm of Bollywood’s Golden Era with a collection of melodious songs from the 60s & 70s. Mr Fasihuddin Khan formally started the programme by inviting the singer Tariq Mahmood and his team.
The guests enjoyed delicious Eid cuisine, were overjoyed to meet their contemporaries and left in smiles, thanking SAMAA for another joyful event.
To register as a volunteer with SAMAA or to register the elderly, please reach out to SAMAA services coordinator Mrs Kaukab Nagi 0468 725 415 or visit https://samaa.org.au/
Truly great service to humanity. Indeed, SAMAA has created environment for seniors never feeling older and retired people. They will continue to contribute to Australian economy as well as their families and enriching living environment.