How VAAUS Transform Communities Across Australia

Born from the halls of Viqarunnisa Noon School in Dhaka, a group of alumni in Australia has turned their shared roots into a powerful movement of compassion, empowerment, and social change.

The labour room was quiet except for the soft beeping of monitors. A young woman, far from home and terrified, held the hands of a few women she barely knew.

They weren’t family or close friends, but members of an organization she had just discovered, Viqarunnisa Alumni Australia (VAAUS). Formed by former students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

She had escaped domestic violence while pregnant and found herself completely alone in a new country.

But during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was not truly alone; she was surrounded by compassionate women from VAAUS, who became her family when she needed one most. They found her shelter, ensured her care, and stood by her side through it all.

That single act of compassion showed that VAAUS is more than an alumni group; it is a movement that turns sisterhood into purpose, bringing hope, strength, and pride to the communities it touches.

From School Memories to a Movement of Change

The idea of VAAUS was first born in October 2016, when a few Viqarunnisa alumni gathered at a restaurant in Sydney to reconnect and discuss how they could turn their shared bond into something meaningful.

What began as a simple meeting of hearts and memories soon grew into a bigger vision. By March 2017, that vision became reality with the official establishment of Viqarunnisa Alumni Australia (VAAUS), a platform built on sisterhood, purpose, and the desire to give back to the community.

Dr. Ifat Anjum, Dr. Fariza Sabrina, Fadia Tasneem, Dr. Suranjana Jennifer Rahman, and Tasrina Nahid Tonny founded VAAUS, driven by the vision of turning their shared roots into a force for good.

Later, under the leadership of Dr. Mahbuba Khanom Mukta and Dr. Suranjana Jennifer Rahman, the organization took a significant step forward by becoming officially registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and later gaining Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, expanding its reach and impact across Australia.

Seven Years of Impact
Since its beginning, VAAUS has contributed more than $42,000 to twelve organizations across six Australian states and territories, supporting health, education, and dignity initiatives for women, children, and families.

Over the years, VAAUS has carried out countless acts of compassion across Australia. When floods devastated Queensland and New South Wales in 2022, they instantly sent aid through the Red Cross.

They joined hands with Share the Dignity to support women in crisis with essential hygiene supplies, organized a charity dinner in Adelaide for the Little Heroes Foundation to help children battling serious illnesses, and raised funds in Perth for the Kids Research Institute to advance children’s health research. These are just a few of the many initiatives that reflect VAAUS’s unwavering spirit of service and its mission to turn empathy into action.

Beyond Australia, VAAUS partnered with the AIM Initiative Foundation in Bangladesh to improve education and infrastructure for underprivileged children, building a bridge of kindness between their homeland and their new home.

Changing the Story: A New Chapter for 2025

On November 9, 2025, more than 1,000 guests, including over 350 Viqarunnisa alumni from across Australia, will gather at Lantana Venues, Sydney, for the VAAUS Grand Reunion 2025. They’ll be launching their most ambitious initiative yet: “CHANGE THE STORY.”

The campaign focuses on ending domestic and gender-based violence through awareness, empathy, and engagement. VAAUS believes that change begins when silence turns into conversation and men become allies in creating safer communities.

This year’s initiative supports two organizations, ALO Enlightened Women and Cultural Diversity Network Inc. (CDNI), both empowering women from diverse and migrant backgrounds. 

Guests from Bangladesh will also join the celebration, as several Viqarunnisa alumni from Dhaka are expected to attend the event alongside their friends and families, making the reunion a truly global gathering of the Viqi spirit.

Amid the anticipation, Mazeda Begum of Acting Principal Viqarunnisa Noon School & College shared a heartfelt message of pride and encouragement for her former students, “It makes me so proud to see our daughters carrying forward the torch of service wherever they go.

This goes to show that when education is joined with compassion, it can cross all borders and bring real change to communities. VAAUS has truly been a beacon of hope, touching many lives through its charitable work across Australia.”

VAAUS’s “Change the Story” initiative is proudly supported by AIS Marine Investments as Title Sponsor, whose commitment to community development and sustainable growth perfectly aligns with the mission of this event.

What makes VAAUS truly special is not just what it does, but what it stands for: the power of sisterhood, compassion, and purpose.

From helping a mother in need during the pandemic to supporting women and families across Australia, VAAUS has proven that the bonds formed in a Dhaka classroom can inspire change across continents.

As it prepares to expand its domestic violence awareness and mentorship programs, VAAUS continues to show that being a Viqi means carrying forward a legacy of empathy, service, and action that knows no borders.

For more information about the VAAUS Grand Reunion 2025 and the Change the Story initiative, visit www.vaaus.org.