SI Joondalup – East Timor Report – July
July 30, 2010
Click here to view East Timor Report for July
SI Joondalup supports Cullunga School
Culunga is an Independent Aboriginal Community School set in the Swan valley of Western Australia. SI Joondalup have been supporting the school as a Presidents Project for the last eighteen months. Culunga aboriginal community school enables indigenous people to gather together and produce a positive cultural environment. By providing a strong social, cultural and educational environment in which aboriginal people significantly direct the school and act as role models, it is hoped to encourage students to further their education and take up a range of career opportunities that a good education offers. Culunga is committed to developing a strong understanding of cultural identity, spirituality and a sense of pride. The school busses in the children from a wide area, and their philosophy is to teach the children a standard curriculum while maintaining their aboriginal culture.
On Wednesday 30 June I went as a representative of SI Joondalup to Culunga for a Special Parents Day where children’s work was demonstrated and displayed for parents to see. There were many parents present, sitting in the sun on chairs and talking among themselves, or walking through the classrooms and looking at what was on display. I tried to chat with them, but it was difficult and they were shy. Some of them were conversing with each other in an Aboriginal language.
We walked though the class rooms, and I was delighted to see one room open and displaying a notice “Book Fair” There were many books displayed along counters and ledges and the children were told that they could take one book (or books) home to keep. I thought this display of colourful books indicated that they were valued and were something to be desired.
These books were supplied by SI Joondalup member Maxine Saunders a teacher herself who discovered they were to be discarded in favour of new books at her local school. The children were very pleased to be able to choose a book to take home to read over the holidays and I thought it was a wonderful incentive to start children on the road to reading. Many of these children are still illiterate and the school is hoping that some members of SI Joondalup will come out to Culunga and hear them read
I went into the Pre Primary room and met the new teacher. She was just out of college and was full of enthusiasm for her little charges. The senior room under teacher Peter was quite a handful – he has about 20 students from year three to year seven, however he certainly had them all under control. They had been doing practical science experiments for the parents to see.
From there we wandered into the computer room, where the computer teacher had a collection of computers in various stages of repair. He told us that he had been a computer engineer in a former life and he was repairing old computers that were given to the school. He was also teaching the children how a computer was put together, and if some of the senior children could repair a computer they could have it to take home.
Sadly the school is not on broadband and they have no printer in the room, so the range of activities is limited. However their teacher, Kim, said that working on the computers, even at this level was teaching the children literacy as well as basic computer skills.
Sue Mulholland, the President -Elect of SI Maylands is the school secretary as well as a part time teacher. She is dedicated to the educational principles of Culunga and is very encouraging of SI Joondalup’s involvement with the school.
The school is a fairly new one and is set in spacious grounds. Kangaroos come and graze near the classrooms and there is an air of peace about the place.. The school buildings are impressive and were once a Catholic school.
In 1993, in the Year of Indigenous People, the Nyoongar Aboriginal Community took over the entire management and re-named the school as ‘Culunga Aboriginal Community School.’ Since then, Culunga Aboriginal Community Corporation consisting of parents and community members has been the major decision makers of the school.
It had been an informative day for me. We had spoken to the principal, Daryl, and asked him how he felt the school was going. He said that enrolments were up slightly and he felt that the school was attaining its goals.
.I also met the Chairman of The Board, Roland, another positive member of the team who felt that Culunga was on the right track.
.SI Joondalup is pleased and proud to be listed as a partner of Culunga .
I believe our next official visit to Culunga will be during Naidoc Week when president of SI Joondalup, Bobbi Buckle will present our cheque for $1000.
Jennie van Driel
SI Joondalup – East Timor Report
East Timor Delegation 2010
The 2010 East Timor delegation had their first meeting on 20 July.
Three members of SI Joondalup have indicated that they intend to join the delegation, with a further two members expressing interest. The meeting thought there should be no more than a total of six travellers.
A decision of the number of delegates will be made on 2 August, so if there are any others interested please contact Jennie van Driel before that date.
It was thought that a stay of between one week and ten days would be adequate between the dates of 4 and 15th October. The cost was estimated to be in the vicinity of $2000 in total, and less if Frequent Flyer points were used on the plane trip to Darwin.
The official visit to East Timor will include the official ceremony to recognise our contribution to the education of young women and girls in East Timor. There will be a meetings with Kirsty, Maria Alves, and the scholarship awardees and a visit to The Alola Foundation. We may also visit the Australian Ambassador to East Timor and the AusAid Officer at The Australian Embassy.
Other activities which are being considered are a visit and overnight on Atauro Island and a trip South into the mountains to Emera where there is a Guest House built by the Western Australian NGO Timor L’este Vision. This is the area where coffee is grown and we may see the harvest. It is also the place where Gusmao and the rebel army hid out in tunnels and caves from the Indonesian army; many of these subterranean refuges are still to be seen.
There could be the possibility of going on a field trip with The Alola Foundation to visit our chicken farms and the Bauro kindergarten in far Eastern Timor, and we thought we would like to visit the women who weave the lovely tais cloth.
Our next meeting will be on 2 August when we will be considering booking plane tickets while the cheaper seats are still available..
AusAid Grant
I have contacted the Australian Embassy in Dili twice and rung them up once. The AusAid officer promised he would E-mail me the new guidelines for grant application and nothing has arrived. My philosophy is that if we have a chance of being awarded in the vicinity of $20,000 it is worth a bit of persistence, so I will continue to contact him regularly. He is the same man who was in this position when we visited the embassy in 2008, and we found him very encouraging.
Jennie van Driel
August Newsletter
July 29, 2010
To view this newsletter Click Here.
SI Rockingham – Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea
As part of our yearly service activities, SI Rockingham recently again assisted in raising funds for three beneficiaries – holding an “Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea” to aid cancer research,selling bears for Princess Margaret Hospital, and selling products for Red Nose Day, which raises funds for research into SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
In spite of the many demands on income in these times, the club was pleased to raise a combined total of $6,129.95 which has now been distributed to the organizations involved.The fact that the Morning Tea was held at a local retirement village, and the PMH Bears and the Red Nose products were sold in local shopping centres, meant that we were also able to use this fundraising as a means of promoting both the Rockingham club, and what Soroptimism stands for.
PAM RYDER
Publicity Officer
SI Rockingham
Entertainment for Special Needs Children
July 25, 2010
Maylands Peninsula club is again supporting the attendance of young people at Circus Quirkus by funding six children with Down’s Syndrome to attend on July 25. Circus Quirkus is an annual entertainment event run by the Perth PCYC. This will be the third year Maylands has funded attendance of disadvantaged youth. Since its inaugural performances in Perth in 2002 this event has traveled Australia focussing on entertaining special needs children. Website http://www.circusquirkus
SI Albany – Welcome boxes a comfort
July 22, 2010
Soroptimist International of Albany has had some good coverage in the local press recently about its children’s welcome boxes it provides to the Albany Women’s Centre. The care backs go to children who attend the centre due to family crisis. A story was published in the Albany Extra newspaper and the Albany and Great Southern Weekender newspaper on the subject.
To read more click here.
HIV/AIDS in PNG
July 21, 2010
Dr Ann Clarke was invited to speak to Soroptimist International members from Maylands Peninsula at the Dec meeting in 2009. Ann gave information about the high incidence of sexual assault, pack rape and exposure to HIV that affects women and girls in Papua New Guinea. Ann had recently returned from living in PNG where she had been General Manager of PNG’s Business Coalition Against the spread of HIV & AIDS (BAHA).
This project would focus on an area where women and girls are at constant risk of violence and serious health consequences. The project is to support the health and education of Papua New Guineans, particularly women and girls, through the publishing and distribution of pamphlets which give information about the importance of post exposure prophylaxis (PEP); the treatment available; and, where to get help. These will be in standard English and Pidgin.
Th PNG PEP project is in its initial stages of development and one of the first actions will be to contact the SI clubs in PNG to enlist their support and advice.
SI Canning Districts – Handover of Knitting newspaper article
July 4, 2010
SI Karratha & Districts – July Newsletter
July 1, 2010
Click here to download the newsletter
