Melbourne's cultural centre
Video case study! As a volunteer at the City of Melbourne’s Multicultural Hub, Devi gets to meet people from all kinds of cultures and backgrounds.
Devi tells his story in his first language of Nepali, with English subtitles.
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Volunteering case study transcript (English)
Hello, my name is Devi Ghimire. I work as a volunteer at Melbourne Multicultural Hub in Elizabeth Street.
How did you get involved in volunteering at the Multicultural Hub?
I was looking for an organisation to work as a volunteer. One of my friends told me about a vacant volunteer position at this centre. After that I applied for this (position) and then I started working here.
What do you do in your volunteering role at the Multicultural Hub?
In this organisation, I work as an assistant to the receptionist. I arrange rooms, set-up laptops and projectors and do general cleaning for the events organised by various government and non-government organisations. I also answer phone calls from clients and do other office-related work like printing, photocopying and laminating.
Do you need any specific skills or experience to do your volunteering role?
You don’t really need specific skills or experience but it’s good to have one. I did not have any (experience) but I learnt a lot of things as I continued to work at this organisation. And because the staff working here are very friendly, that made it easier for me to work here. But it’s easier if you have done this kind of work before.
What is the best thing about being a volunteer?
One of the best things about being a volunteer is that you interact with a lot of people. Mixing with people from various races has given me self-satisfaction. I have been able to interact with the people here, gained a lot of knowledge and I am also happy that I have been able to learn about other cultures.
Are there any other similar volunteer roles available?
If you are interested to be a social worker, then there are a lot of vacant positions here that you can apply. This place is very useful for people who want to be a social worker.