Celebrating the Achievement of our Friend Mr Satwant Calais OAM of the Calais Foundation

At Vanni Hope, we love celebrating the achievements of our community. Not only our field teams, volunteers, and supporters who power our work each day, but also the wider network of people who choose service, kindness, and leadership as a way of life. Every person who stands for community, dignity, and opportunity is valued by us because those values are at the heart of everything we do.

It is in that spirit that we warmly congratulate our friend  Mr Satwant Calais on being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Australia Day 2026 Honours List. This recognition reflects his outstanding contribution to strengthening leadership, service, and cultural identity among Sikh youth, and his deep commitment to community building in multicultural Australia.

We have come to know Satwant through our relationship with the Calais Foundation, where he is a leader. As a supporter and partner of Vanni Hope, the Calais Foundation has stood with our mission to empower communities across Sri Lanka, and we are truly grateful for that support.

An honour that reflects real impact

An OAM is not just a title. It is a public recognition of years of consistent effort, quiet sacrifice, and meaningful outcomes for others. Satwant’s work has helped empower young people to lead with confidence, hold pride in their identity, and serve their communities with purpose. It is the kind of leadership that builds stronger families, stronger neighbourhoods, and a stronger Australia.

This is also why we feel especially proud to celebrate this milestone. We are honoured to work alongside someone whose values align so closely with what we aim to achieve, practical support that reaches people who need it, leadership that develops others, and service that is grounded in empathy. Partnerships like this remind us that meaningful change is never created in isolation. It is built through relationships, trust, and shared commitment.

We recognise the significance of this award, and we celebrate it with genuine respect and joy.

Strength in support beyond our own diaspora

Our mission has always been focused on empowering communities across Sri Lanka, supporting families through hardship, strengthening access to essentials, and helping people build stability and hope for the future. When communities beyond the Sri Lankan diaspora choose to stand with that mission, it matters deeply.

We are excited to be working with, and supported by, communities across Australia who reflect the best of multicultural solidarity. The Sikh community’s commitment to service is widely respected, and we are grateful to feel that spirit in the support shown through this partnership.

Looking ahead with gratitude

To Satwant Calais, congratulations once again on this well-deserved honour. We are proud to recognise your achievement, and we look forward to continuing our work together through the Calais Foundation.

To our broader community, thank you for being part of a movement that values service wherever it comes from. We celebrate every person who helps turn compassion into action, and we are excited for what we can achieve together in the years ahead.