Dr Ashak Nathwani feels that volunteering is in his DNA – for the past five years, he has volunteered at MND NSW and said ‘there is no better satisfaction than having an opportunity to help others’.
Ashak was lecturing at the University of Sydney on sustainability, air conditioning, and facilities management, or seeking to improve the lives of people in a number of countries, such as through research on how to improve the comfort and sustainability of community gathering spaces. However, he still makes time to regularly assist MND NSW, raising awareness and assisting with vital operational tasks to support people living with MND.
When Ashak first arrived in Australia in 1972, he was a ‘political refugee with just 20 cents in his pocket’. He then spent decades as an engineer advocating for more energy efficient and sustainable buildings, later receiving his PhD from the school of architecture, design and planning at the University of Sydney, and was awarded Member of Order of Australia for his services to the Ismaili Community, Sustainability and Engineering in 2016.
Ashak was driven to volunteer for MND NSW after his wife Samim experienced MND, sadly passing away in 2019 after a battle against the devastating disease.
He has since volunteered his time at MND NSW, and said the organisation ‘provides an excellent service to those suffering from this insidious disease’.
”MND NSW has limited resources and relies on volunteers to carry out the necessary work that it does,” Ashak said.
As part of his role as an MND NSW volunteer, Ashak has spread awareness of the condition via presentations, usually in the Sydney region, recently speaking at Rotary Clubs in Seven Hills, Pymble and North Sydney. He also comes to our Gladesville office to assist in cleaning equipment, as well as with carrying out stocktake activities. He said his favourite part about volunteering for MND NSW was that he could ‘keep in touch with
like-minded people with similar goals, and to help people in need’.
In addition to his time spent volunteering with MND NSW, Ashak keeps his wonderful wife in his thoughts, designing a new air conditioning system for the HMAS Onslow, a submarine commissioned in 1969 which
has been a major drawcard at the Sydney Maritime Museum since 1999.
After hearing the airconditioning system issues meant access to the vessel was restricted due to early closure times, he set about creating the new system so children wouldn’t miss seeing the exhibit. His wife Samim was an Early Childhood Development expert with two Masters degrees, and he felt that designing and dedicating the new HVAC system to Samim ‘seemed like a fitting tribute to her passion’.
“Samim always advocated that children learn through experience and would not have been happy knowing that children were missing out. It struck me that I could provide a solution, my expertise in air conditioning and the family could provide the funds to make it happen,” he said.
In addition to this, he has also written Defeating Mr CO2, a book offering practical solutions for reducing energy use and cutting associated costs in homes and buildings, with a portion of proceeds from the sale of the book going to MND NSW.
If you would like to join Ashak in volunteering for MND NSW, contact our Volunteer Coordinator Marcia Lazo at