Uthra Simhan: Award-Winning Advocate and YouTuber Inspires Change with Holistic Health and Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Photo creative designer and production team: Platin Omari and Australia’s Fashion Grandeur @ australias.fashiongrandeur
Hair & Makeup: Rainu Sharma, Rainu Sharma (@makeupbyrainusharma)
Photographer: Balzinder from Balz iclick

Uthra Raghava Simhan, also known as Uthra Simhan, is a Mrs. Australia Legacy International finalist for 2024. With a strong background as an engineer and over 21 years of experience in IT, particularly in sales, customer experience, and cybersecurity, she has become a prominent figure advocating for important social issues. Her dedication extends beyond her professional expertise, reflecting her passion for addressing critical matters such as men’s mental health, childhood trauma, and the importance of early developmental stages in a child’s life. She also emphasizes the significance of health and nutrition, focusing on holistic and traditional cooking methods to promote well-being.

Simhan’s personal journey is deeply intertwined with her advocacy. Her mother, a cancer survivor for 17 years, has inspired her work, and she openly shares her experiences of trauma and the strength required to navigate and overcome such critical life challenges. This resilience has fueled her drive to create positive change, making her a committed supporter of various non-governmental organizations. She collaborates closely with the Harmony Foundation and the Saroni Roy Foundation, the latter of which has launched a global initiative this year to tackle period poverty and promote gender equality.

In addition to her advocacy work, Uthra Simhan engages in the community by modelling for local events and supporting new entrepreneurs, designers, and small—to medium-sized businesses. Her entrepreneurial spirit is evident as she co-founded Fingerprints, a workshop designed for children to engage in DIY crafts and STEM activities using waste materials, encouraging creativity and sustainability.

She also maintains a presence as a YouTuber and jewellery designer, where she continues to promote her message of holistic health and community engagement. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed; in her first year of active community involvement, she has won several awards. These include the 2024 Blacktown City Multicultural Awards for leadership, achievement, and excellence. She was also nominated for the Blacktown City Woman of the Year Award on International Women’s Day 2024, as well as for the NSW Volunteer of the Year Award. Her contributions were further recognized with the Pride of Workmanship Awards by the Rotary Club of Castle Hill in 2024.

Her influence extends to literary and media platforms, as she has been featured in the book Beyond Boundaries—Stories of Visionaries & Survivors by the Harman Foundation and in She Magazine. As a speaker, she has delivered talks on a wide range of subjects, including health and nutrition, the importance of a positive mindset, and the crucial issue of men’s mental health, contributing her insights and expertise to various forums.

Through her multifaceted work and community leadership, Uthra Simhan continues to inspire change. She leverages her professional skills, personal experiences, and passion to make a meaningful impact on others’ lives. GEQ magazine recently caught up with Uthra to discuss her journey in the industry, and here’s what went down:

You’ve had a great career spanning over two decades in IT sales and customer experience. What motivated you to transition your focus to community work, and how have these skills helped in your advocacy roles?

I think we have all had experiences growing up where our parents, grandparents, and families have contributed to the community, knowingly or unknowingly.

Ever since I can remember, my grandparents, parents, and family have always supported communities. My sister and I grew up with the teaching that “giving or sharing” is a blessing in itself. Sharing and supporting isn’t necessarily always about material things; it could be about spending time and being a good listener to someone going through the trauma of losing a loved one, the trauma of an accident, or simply spending time with someone who has had a bad day.

My sister and I would spend days at my mother’s workplace with visually impaired students, as she worked for an NGO supporting the visually impaired.

We were also part of the ROTARACT Club and spent weekends participating in various community events.

My parents would sponsor the children’s education. On our birthdays and for all special occasions and festivals, a portion of our spending would be donated to those in need.

So, we grew up supporting the community; it felt normal, like a ritual or even a tradition in our lives.

I must say I am blessed with a life partner who shares similar values. He will buy food or clothes when he sees someone homeless and wouldn’t think twice about sponsoring a child’s education.

Photographer: Rob from @newimagesydney
Hair & Makeup: Self / Uthra Raghava simhan (usimhan9)
Accessories: Self

As a finalist for Mrs. Australia Legacy International 2024, what do you hope to achieve through this platform, especially in areas like men’s mental health and childhood trauma?

Like many other girls, I enjoyed fashion as a child and being on the runway. I also loved performing dance routines on stage and being on TV or in front of the camera. I won my first pageant as the runner-up in Ms Rotaract India 2001.

I was selected as a finalist for Mrs Australia Legacy International 2024 last year, and the pageant was held earlier this year in February 2024.

The platform supports women in identifying various avenues, resources, and communities to expand their respective initiatives, which can grow into lifelong projects and ultimately become legacy projects.

As someone who has always been involved in community work, I wanted to expand my reach and support a broader group and more diverse communities. With the various areas I was already supporting, such as trauma management and sustainability, I decided to focus on three key areas: 1) Health and Nutrition, particularly the importance of traditional cooking; 2) Child Development, including raising awareness of early childhood health diagnoses and childhood trauma; and 3) Men’s Mental Health. The platform helped me expand these initiatives, especially on social media.

Initially, I never spoke about my initiatives; instead, I supported close friends, family, smaller community circles, and colleagues. I grew up thinking that helping others should be done selflessly and that we don’t necessarily need to talk about it. For me, sharing my work and achievements felt like self-praise or boasting. However, being part of the pageant changed my perspective; I realised that sharing what one does is more about providing direction and support to others who may need it.

You are deeply involved in promoting holistic health and nutrition. How do you incorporate traditional cooking methods into modern-day living, and why is it important to preserve these practices?

It’s extremely important to stick to one’s roots and stay grounded.

I personally feel that by adhering to our traditional way of cooking, no matter which culture we belong to, there is definitely value in it—it is healthier.

Every region has a particular cooking style and a specific way of consuming food, and there is a science behind it.

I have always been interested in topics related to health and nutrition. Coming from a family where both my parents travelled extensively, primarily within India during their childhood, they had the opportunity to explore various dishes. They loved to cook, and both are excellent cooks. As a result, my sister and I also developed a love for cooking and experimenting with different cuisine styles.

Photographer: Rob from @newimagesydney
Makeup and Hair: Self/Uthra Raghava simhan (usimhan9)

Your mother’s journey as a cancer survivor has clearly had a profound impact on you. Can you share how this experience has shaped your approach to coping with trauma and your advocacy for mental health?

My mother has always been a very active person, keeping herself busy with family and work, and she was an entrepreneur. However, she neglected her health and self-care, which eventually led to cancer. I was in my early 20s at the time, and being an emotionally sensitive and dependent person, it came as a shock to me—especially since she was planning to fly overseas to visit my elder sister, who was expecting her first child. I had to manage the whole situation, which was quite traumatic for our entire family.

During her treatment, my mother transitioned from being an active person to someone who had to stay indoors, with only minimal visitors due to her sensitive condition. As she coped with this change, she began analysing her strengths. She started journaling, practising yoga, and adopting healthy eating habits. She also began writing about her experiences and revisiting childhood hobbies that she had set aside after getting married and raising children. This shift gave her, and us, a new outlook and perspective on life: “Look at the positives within the negatives.”

She started writing magazine articles and sharing her creative ideas, such as crafts and cooking tips, on television. Eventually, she launched her own YouTube channel and released a book featuring over 200 healthy recipes.

So, all of this taught me the importance of:

  1. Self-care.
  2. The belief that every negative or unpleasant situation in life teaches us something new, helping us see the positives within an unpleasant situation.
  3. Seeking help when needed; it’s okay to express your thoughts and not shy away.
  4. Embracing unpleasant situations and then letting go.
  5. Men’s mental health: I noticed the emotional trauma my father went through. He tried his best to stay calm and handle the situations, but he did not cry, as we all grew up with the universal message that “men don’t cry; be a man.”
  6. Nutrition is extremely critical.

Launching the global project on period poverty and gender equality is a significant step forward. How do you envision this project creating tangible change, particularly for women in underprivileged communities?

The SuperNaari Project Equity Initiative, founded by Saroni Roy, CEO of the Saroni Roy Foundation, aims to educate and provide basic menstrual products globally. The goal is to reach 1 million Super Naaris in five years or less and ensure they have access to their basic rights and needs during menstruation.

Saroni’s mission is to support every menstruating person by creating awareness around menstrual and reproductive health and how it impacts life choices.

In many countries, girls and women are unable to participate in basic activities, such as swimming, during their periods. Numerous underprivileged communities cannot afford sanitary pads.

The initiative also includes installing vending machines for pads in public areas, raising funds to distribute sanitary pads, and educating all genders in schools and colleges about the importance of hygiene and the consequences of poor sanitary habits during menstruation.

The Period Poverty Initiative, spearheaded by Saroni, has my full support as part of her team at the Saroni Roy Foundation (SRF). I am extremely proud to contribute to this project, as I believe it addresses a critical issue that significantly impacts both physical and mental health.

As a co-founder of “Fingerprints,” how do you ensure that your workshops not only foster creativity in children but also promote sustainability through the use of waste materials?

Being from an artistic family, my sister and I grew up watching our parents create various items for our dance shows, TV shows, and school programs. For example, they would make face masks from broken bangles and multiple pieces of waste cloth or photo frames from cardboard. The idea of “best out of waste” became an interesting concept that we worked on as a family. In today’s environment, it’s extremely important to reduce waste and find ways to repurpose materials.

I started taking art and DIY craft classes for kids, which eventually evolved into Fingerprints, a workshop for primary school children designed to help them improve their creativity and thinking skills while also fostering a sense of responsibility, with a focus on sustainability. We engage kids in DIY crafts, encouraging them to think about how to repurpose waste materials, like milk bottle caps and containers. This instills in them a sense of responsibility to reduce waste and, when necessary, to repurpose materials, ultimately reducing landfill.

Our primary focus is to tap into kids’ creativity and thinking skills through crafts and STEM-based activities, creating innovative games. This approach helps them develop various skills, such as teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

We run after-school programs as well as holiday workshops, and we are working on expanding our initiatives into different communities and collaborating with various local organisations.

You’re involved in multiple ventures, from modelling to promoting small and medium businesses. How do you balance these diverse roles, and what drives your passion for supporting new entrepreneurs and designers?

When I started stepping into the community last year and extending my network to raise awareness about the topics I am passionate about, I realised that there are thousands of us facing significant pressure in our day-to-day lives, especially after COVID. I felt compelled to share my story of trauma handling and health and nutrition, as well as to create awareness around early childhood developmental issues and men’s mental health. To do this effectively, I conducted research on different communities and organisations. As an entrepreneur running a business in handmade jewellery and customised gifts, I reached out to many to gain a better understanding. All three segments—community work, modelling, and entrepreneurship—required me to engage with different communities and groups of people.

As I began working with these communities, I noticed many models, designers, and entrepreneurs trying to find their path. I readily offered my help. As I mentioned before, “helping or giving is a blessing,” so I never hesitated to support those seeking direction.

I am happy and proud to say that friends whom I supported have been able to establish their identities as pageant winners or designers.

I juggle a full-time job, community work, events, modelling, and family time, especially with two boys aged 11 and 2.5. Organising, prioritising, and asking for help when needed are essential. My husband assists me a lot with the kids when I am away for hours for shoots or events.

I also run a YouTube channel focusing on cookery and interviews with medical practitioners on topics such as child development and mental health.

You’ve won several community awards in just your first year of active community work. What do you think has been the key to your success in gaining such recognition so quickly?

Passion, focus, resilience, prioritising, a positive mindset, and, most importantly, sticking to our roots and staying grounded—no matter how successful one becomes—are essential. Last but not least, it’s important to be grateful to every single person who has journeyed with me.

I believe that every person in our lives, whether a stranger, friend, or coworker, plays a role in our growth. Even when we experience unpleasant situations with them, they teach us to become stronger, to “let go,” and that “nothing is permanent—neither success nor failure.” So, it’s crucial to remain grounded.

Mental health, particularly men’s mental health, is still a stigmatized topic in many cultures. How do you approach raising awareness and providing support in this sensitive area?

The factors that triggered my desire to create awareness about men’s mental health have been present since my childhood, especially during my teenage years. I noticed that the men in my family and social circles often did not express themselves or knew whom to talk to when they were upset. When women in the family faced health issues or when there was a loss of a loved one, the men would suppress their feelings and refrain from crying.

As I started travelling, I realised this issue is not necessarily cultural but a global one. Boys and teens have been told, “Don’t cry,” “Men don’t cry,” and “Be a man, be strong.” They fail to recognise that suppressing their emotions can have adverse effects on their health. Crying is often associated with fragility, while bottling up emotions is mistakenly seen as strength. Unfortunately, society has pushed men to exhibit strength in this way.

I also noticed that while communities raised awareness about women’s empowerment and supported survivors of domestic violence (DV), there were no events focused on men’s mental health. We did not discuss how to support men who may have experienced domestic violence or where they could go to seek help and guidance.

As a mother of two boys, I see it as critical to help boys, teens, and men cope with their emotions and feelings; by doing so, we also support women.

Through conversations with psychologists and further research, I have come to understand that built-up emotions, hidden and unleashed anger, and resentment are some of the causes behind aggressive human behaviour. This type of behaviour is a significant factor contributing to domestic violence in relationships. Research has shown that one of the prevention strategies for domestic violence is proactive and preventive psychology, which encourages adolescent boys to recognise their emotions and find a safe space to share them.

Although I have always worked with smaller groups and communities to raise awareness on this topic, last year I reached out to multiple local communities to explore how we could work together to spread awareness about the support available.

Earlier this year, I launched an initiative called MENTOO, a men’s mental health awareness program, in collaboration with Dr Niveditha Manokaran, founder of an organisation called UNTABOOS. UNTABOOS focuses on creating awareness about topics that have been considered taboo.

In just a few months, we have successfully completed two events. The objective of this program is to raise awareness about the support available for men’s mental health and to emphasise why it’s important for men to come forward and express their emotional issues. Men are allowed to express their feelings just as women are, and expressing any emotion is a human experience, not a gendered one.

We encourage families to attend the events because it’s crucial for all of us to support boys, teens, and men. This will help them cope with situations better and contribute to making our community a better place to live.

As someone who works closely with NGOs, how do collaborations with organizations like the Harman Foundation and Saroni Roy Foundation enhance your ability to make a broader impact on society?

I support various causes, such as raising funds for education in countries like India, conducting blanket and food drives with local community members here in Sydney, and participating in cancer awareness programs. However, I work closely with two organisations: the Saroni Roy Foundation and the Harman Foundation. The areas of focus for these organisations differ. For example, the purpose of the Saroni Roy Foundation is to inform, inspire, and engage multicultural communities and global citizens worldwide to create a safer, fairer, and more sustainable world. This year, they launched the “Super Naari” initiative, a Period Equity Initiative and Cultural Diversity Collective, with a mission to create opportunities and equitable access to basic human rights for girls, women, transgender men, and menstruating individuals who need it most.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my family, especially my parents, my sister, my husband, and my kids, for being extremely supportive and helping me become a better person each day.