www.samaa.org.au

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STATISTICS

South Asian Muslim community is growing rapidly in Sydney over past 15 years. Earlier a large number of South Asian Muslims, many of them professionals, migrated to Australia in the early 70s and most of them are now approaching retirement age. Many of them have already retired and some have reached critical old age. Few of our elderly are admitted to nursing homes and few are living in their homes but are in need of special care. Many new arrivals have called their old parents to live with them and these elderly are leading quite an isolated life in a foreign land.  The table below shows the elderly population of South Asian region living in New South Wales as per census of 2006 by Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

The South Asian community by COB by 70 plus aged group - ABS 2006
      
 India Sri Lanka Pakistan Bangladesh Afghanistan
CENTRAL WEST12    
FAR NORTH COAST76    
HUNTER8318   
ILLAWARRA7517   
INNER WEST246274   
MID NORTH COAST92 12  
NEPEAN1914212  
NEW ENGLAND14    
NORTHERN SYDNEY60924931 23
ORANA FAR WEST1711   
RIVERINA MURRAY38    
SOUTH EAST SYDNEY424811515 
SOUTH WEST SYDNEY309130181011
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS26    
WESTERN SYDNEY7425373623 
TOTAL (4519)295413591244834
We estimate that well over 500 of above number would be Muslims. In addition Muslims born in Fiji and South Africa who are of Indian origin also live in large number in Sydney. ABS estimates that more than 60% of the Fiji-born population in Australia is of Indian descent.Thus we estimate that as many as 1000 Muslims of South Asian origin who have attained 70 years of age live in Sydney.   With the aim of providing care to the elderly of the South Asian Muslim Community, SAMAA is engaging in various activities. It includes providing voluntary services to the elderly and finding placement for those who need nursing home care.  Our elderly living in nursing homes find themselves lonely. They do not have companions of their own culture and their cultural and religious specific needs are not met. Through some government agencies, we aim to pool together our elderly living in various nursing homes and negotiate with the service providers provision of their religious and cultural needs.