When Pooja Joshi Desai needs any information on her adopted home, she turns to a network of more than 16,000 women for advice.
Two and half years ago, Ms Joshi Desai left her large group of family and friends in Mumbai to move to Melbourne with her husband, Pranav Desai.
Like many migrants, the 31-year-old misses the deep bonds formed over a lifetime of living in one place.
"Melbourne is a beautiful city, but if I compare it with Mumbai life, it is very quiet," Ms Joshi Desai said.
"And there is no family. So it does get lonely at times."
But social media has been a saviour.
Ms Joshi Desai is a member of the private Indian Women in Australia Facebook group, where she has found an online sisterhood and a sense of belonging among its 16,600 members.
"If someone posts a query, I see some very genuine responses, and people are very helpful," she said.
"There is a lot of positivity in the group, and there's a lot of information."
Social media safe space for some migrants
Data from the 2021 census showed India had overtaken China and New Zealand to become the third-largest country of birth for people living in Australia, behind Australia and England.
In Melbourne, many new arrivals have settled in outer suburbs with limited public transport and means to connect.
While social media may not always be considered a supportive space, for those building a life in a new country, online communities can prove to be the difference between surviving or thriving.
In 2013, Kunal Sharma teamed up with his friend Maneesh Verma to start the Indians in Melbourne page, which now has more than 18,000 followers.
"I knew no-one when I came here," Mr Sharma said.
"I had no idea where to look for help, who to call.
"So, I thought, if there was a platform to collaborate, to talk to each other, to find people and share issues and problems, that would be great."
Deakin University's Earvin Cabalquinto, who is researching digital media and migration, said for many migrants, online forums were a way to connect not only with family back home but also with their networks in Australia.
"It's important for these migrants to have a sense of belonging and sense of community," Dr Cabalquinto said.
"Being part of social media groups generates a sense of connection, comfort, friendship, and also alliance and support in times of crisis."
He said migrants, particularly women, might not be able to interact with their neighbours due to language barriers. But on social media forums, the bonds developed as people shared common interests and cultural backgrounds.
"Social media is providing alternative space for migrants to access the most intimate … even taboo topics that can't be discussed on ethnic or traditional media platforms," he said.
"It's allowing women to share their everyday experiences, for example, their happiness, even the tensions in their relationships."
Reena Rana, who founded the Indian Women in Australia group two and a half years ago, said the forum came out of her need to connect with other mums.
Ms Rana said sharing her personal struggles with the group — a cultural no-no in the conservative Indian society — became a catalyst.
"Then the girls started sharing their own stories … from domestic violence to new mothers or pregnancy, accommodation, mental health … they started opening up," she said.
"We have even found donors for IVF, collecting money for people who are in need … anywhere across Australia."
Fighting isolation among elderly
The benefits of the groups have gone beyond online support, often translating into in-person help.
Back in 2013, Deepti Sharma's parents-in-law were planning an extended stay for one year in Melbourne.
But Ms Sharma knew, with both herself and her husband Sharad working full-time in the information technology industry, the elderly couple would be isolated for most of the day.
"I wanted to [find some] company for them so they didn't get bored," Ms Sharma said.
"So, I started searching on Facebook for Indian groups, and there were none. I thought, 'How do I connect with Indians here?'"
So, she decided to start one.
Nine years later, the Point Cook Indian Community, Melbourne group has grown to more than 24,000 members.
For many, the group proved vital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the international curbs on travel in full swing, Ms Sharma realised that many migrant women had no-one to help them through pregnancy and post-birth.
So she formed Helping Hands — a roster of 54 volunteers who provided home-cooked meals to 29 families for two weeks after the birth.
Domestic violence key issue
At times, connections within the groups have proven to be a lifeline.
Seema whose name has been changed to protect her identity, says after leaving her abusive marriage, she was financially destitute and had no friends.
She reached out to the Indian Women in Australia Facebook group asking for help and was connected with the founder, Ms Rana.
"I spoke to Reena, and she was like a mother to me," Seema said.
"She listened for hours and hours and hours."
Seema says she now tries to help other women recognise domestic violence.
"[The group] is like a family," she said.
"I am always sharing my personal experiences with other people and telling them what are the red flags."
For Ms Joshi Desai, the collective experience of the migrant women in the group helped her feel more sure-footed in her new home.
"I still feel I am new to this city, to this country. And there are lots of people who have been here for many, many years," she said.
"And, I think they are far more experienced than I am. So, if I am in a fix and I want to ask someone, I come to this group.
"It feels really nice … that you have people over here who you can reach out to … you do get that feeling of being included."
