I used to think of my dad as unshakeable—quiet, strong, always composed. Growing up, I never questioned the weight he carried, or wondered what silence might be hiding behind his steady voice.

Then, one quiet afternoon in November 2024, my phone lit up with a message that stopped me cold. Just three words.

“I feel lonely.”

It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t loud. But it was devastating. In that moment, it felt like the earth beneath me shifted. My father, a man who rarely asked for anything, was reaching out with nothing but truth.

So I did what I could do best - organise a spontaneous game of badminton for my dad and a few local men in Goulburn. No sign-ups. No banners. Just people, rackets, and space to breathe.

And something beautiful happened.

After the final point was scored, no one rushed off. They stayed. They smiled. They talked. For the first time in a long time, they opened up. And I realised—it was never really about the sport. It was about connection.

That one evening lit a fire in me.

What if this wasn’t a one-time thing? What if other men—migrants, fathers, international students, uncles, elders—were also waiting for someone to offer them something more than silence?

So I kept going.

Every week, I organised what I could: cricket in dusty parks, makeshift BBQs, group walks, quiet wellness chats under trees. Word began to spread. Messages started arriving—men from across towns and communities, all saying the same thing in their own words: “I needed this.”

On 11 December 2024, SHER Foundation was born: with open hearts, a dream, and a Google Sheet.

Today, SHER Foundation isn’t just an initiative. It’s a lifeline.

Every gathering is run by people who understand what it means to come from somewhere else and try to find belonging.

Because sometimes, all a man needs is not a diagnosis, but an invitation.
A reason to show up.
A place to exhale.

This is our story.
And we’re just getting started.

Jasmine Deol

Founder and Director of SHER Foundation