MELBOURNE: Two Indian-origin achievers of Indian origin are among the 20 inspirational Australians who received a grant of Australina dollar 1 million (USD 672,805) for developing innovative and sustainable solutions to social issues. Amar Singh and Rishi Verma from New South Wales have been awarded the grant through the Tomorrow Maker initiative of the AMP Foundation in Sydney.
Singh, the 41-year-old founder and president of Turbans 4 Australia, has received recognition for his contributions to the community as well as his work advancing religious tolerance and multiculturalism.
Singh, who was subjected to racial epithets because of his beard and turban, came to the conclusion that interacting with the community through charitable work was the best method to educate others about the Sikh community and religion.
In order to help those experiencing financial difficulties, food poverty, homelessness, and those affected by natural disasters, he set up his charitable organisation in 2015.
In addition, he recently received the coveted 2023 New South Wales Australian of the Year Award for his assistance to the locals during the epidemic, drought, and bushfires.
A revolutionary portal ophthalmoscope was developed by Verma, an ophthalmologist, aerospace engineer, and entrepreneur, to assist combat diabetic retinopathy, which is the main cause of blindness among Australia's aboriginal and rural communities.
He was reared in Lidcombe and is also co-founder and CEO of Stethy, an AI assistant that offers doctors diagnostic tools.
"Stethy began to create a world where everyone has access to quick, affordable and safe medical care at any time anywhere ," Verma, currently a doctor at NSW Health, said.
He earned his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Wollongong before working as an intern in space engineering for NASA.
We know that climate change and environmental issues threaten our very existence; the global pandemic has highlighted the fault lines in our society; and current economic conditions are impacting everyone but are disproportionately impacting our First Nation people and disadvantaged communities across Australia -- all very big issues, according to Nicola Stokes, general manager of AMP Foundation.
She said, "I am happy to let you know that our 2022 Tomorrow Makers are not hesitant to take on obstacles or tackle what are known as 'wicked problems,' those social issues deemed to be too difficult and complex to handle. The Tomorrow Maker programme, now in its ninth year, helps Australians from all walks of life make a difference in their community.
The AMP Foundation, which has given more than USD 108 million to organisations and people since 1992 in order to help them bring about positive change, supports the initiative.
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