“The cultural aspects that the service provides is really important because what it does is provide a cultural safety nest for these children to give them the strength so that when they do go into schools and other places that they have a strong social and emotional wellbeing and a very strong identity of who they are that they will be able to cope with whatever life throws at them† Geraldine Atkinson – Bangerang/Wiradjuri woman
Lulla’s Family and Children’s Centre, Shepparton from Liz Arcus Photography on Vimeo.
“Our mission is to provide Aboriginal children from birth to school age with a range of early learning educational and care programs that reinforces their cultural identity and builds their self esteem and confidence to provide a foundation of life long learning”
Miranda Borlini, director of Lulla’s Family and Children’s Centre
“The Health day at Lulla’s we are able to provide all the health workers from Rumbalara and other services to be able to make sure all our children get the 3 1/2 – 4 year old check to make sure they were school ready” Miranda Borlini, director of Lulla’s.
“It’s a very great idea to have to the Health day at Lulla’s, it’s a one stop shop.
What made it easier was that it was at a place that Siona was familiar with” Nicole.
“Health checks are important. We need to be well but years ago the old people used bush medicine but now they are all gone and we are not using that traditional medicine because we don’t have to. We have all the services that the whole community has and that’s really marvellous” Aunty Irene
“Aboriginal people tend to get chronic diseases earlier than non-indigenous Australians.
A regular health check will help identify these diseases and treat them earlier”
“ I think that it’s really important within the centre that there is an avenue to provide a space for elders and community members to come in. One of the really valuable things having Aunt Irene come in and do her storytelling is also
that it enables her to bring her book that she wrote and to show them on paper her story and her historyâ€
Geraldine Atkinson.
“I like to be with the children and I want to tell them that I love them and that I care for them”
Aunt Irene.
“We come together every Wednesday night to have meals together†Aunt Irene
“We laugh we joke and we are able to see them interact with other young people and knowing the community, it’s important.
On the mission we grew up very very close, we knew all our elders, we knew all the next generation and we knew all the little ones and it was different but now we are all in different areas so it’s very important that we have social gatherings things that draw us togetherâ€
Aunty Irene.
The early learning hubs project with Lulla’s Children and Family Centre is a Greater Shepparton is a Communities for Children activity co-ordinated by Relationships Australia Victoria
To see other Communities for Children Funded Program that I also documented go to
the Mother Goose Program at St Georges Rd Primary School http://www.lizarcus.com/documentary/mother-goose-program-at-st-georges-rd-primary-school
and Gowrie St Primary School Sandplay Therapy http://www.lizarcus.com/documentary/sandplay-therapy-at-gowrie-street-primary-school
Over the next few weeks I will also be uploading more documentaries of Communities for Children Funded programs. These programs are all very different from one another and all make a big difference in the lives of others.
If you wish to have your program documented please contact me liz@lizarcus.com or 0407861303
