After a rough start in Australia which left Nilima without a roof over her head she is now in her third year at Brisbane Common Ground. “I love being here” she smiles. “I feel very safe, the staff support and look after me and the security system is also a big thing”. Before moving in Nilima was shown around by a friend who was living in the building. “I was very impressed by the whole setup”, she giggles. “Luckily for me there was a vacancy. When the time is right, things happen” she says confidently. “I am a very big believer in time”.
Prior to Nilima’s move to Australia she had a successful media career. Nilima worked as a radio presenter in India and at one point won a competition to work for BBC in London. “I was the one selected out of all of India”, she says proudly. Nilima also received a fellowship to Canada as a Professor of Media Studies for the University of Western Ontario. “That was another milestone in my life. I won that fellowship because of the paper I submitted, they loved it” she says glowingly.
After a very satisfying career and extensive travels which she says took her to some amazing locations including Saudi Arabia and Bhutan, Nilima was looking forward to her retirement in Australia with family. Destiny, however, had something else in store. “I had dreams of having a very comfortable retired life like a granny which all women dream of, but that was not to be”, she says shaking her head. “After two years I had to move to Brisbane Common Ground and start my life afresh”. This tipped the scales for Nilima, but due to her positive attitude she says she wasn’t greatly affected. “I got into the system of Brisbane Common Ground as smoothly as a fish would get into water” she affirms. “Finding the positive in the negativity of your life is the biggest blessing and every day I count my blessings”.
Since moving to Brisbane Common Ground Nilima has made a lot of new friends who now feel like family. “I don’t have a family in this country, but I never felt like I don’t have a family by being here”, she explains. Nilima also attends church where she has developed another close group of friends who feel like family. “They love me and I have some church children”, she laughs. “I like to keep company with creative people and those who are different in their own way because it inspires me and makes me happy”. Nilima is a unique soul with an insatiable appetite for life. A prolific artist, she also enjoys cooking her favourite Indian cuisine and volunteering with the Red Cross.
Aside from friends, church, volunteering and an array of hobbies, Nilima also likes to keep active at the onsite gym and teaches yoga which is refreshing for a lady who is almost 65 years old. “5 years for Common Ground and 65 years for Nilima”, she says cheekily.
