Nikhar Budhadev
Diwali is about light, family and sweets. For thousands of Australians, it is also about the pantry shelf.
Sewa Diwali began in Western Australia in 2023 as a simple idea: use the festival season to collect food and essentials for people doing it tough. Three years on, it has spread across the country. This year, with Diwali falling on 8 November, Darwin has joined the list, and organisers say every participating state is signing up more partner organisations than before.
Last year, volunteers collected around 45,000 kilograms of food and essentials, all of it going to people who needed it. The team hasn’t set a formal target this year, but they are confident of beating that total. “We’re confident that we will be able to achieve much more than last year,” said a Sewa Diwali volunteer.
Macquarie Fields Public School along with Sree’s Family Day Care in Bungarribee and Bubsnest have already joined in. For schools and early learning services, it’s a practical way to show kids what Diwali is about. Packing a hamper tends to stick better than a worksheet.
Food insecurity remains a serious concern as cost-of-living pressures continue, and Foodbank has reported growing demand for its services, including from people asking for help for the first time. Many are families and individuals who never expected to find themselves in that position.
Once donations are collected, volunteers check them for safety. The food then goes to frontline charities across the country, including Foodbank, community pantries, emergency relief services and shelters. For a family stretched thin by rent and grocery bills, that can mean a few weeks of breathing room, and sometimes the difference between getting through a rough patch and sliding into something worse.
The campaign is built on Sewa, the Hindu principle of selfless service, but it is open to Australians of every background. Organisers say the aim is simple: serve the Australian community you live in.
The charities want to give people balanced meals, not just filling ones, so they encourage donations across different food groups: You can donate rice, pasta, canned beans or tuna, canned fruit and vegetables, long-life milk, cooking oil, tea, coffee and nut-free snacks, all are welcome.
Those wishing to make a donation can visit sewadiwaliaus.org for more information.
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