Home Sickness

Every kid who comes away from home to a boarding school finds it difficult. How much more so for kids from remote aboriginal communites that do not pulse to the clock. It is much easier to be home with mum and the family.

The kids know they have been sent not for personal gain, but so they may be trained to help the Families and Community back home.

Parents asked them to come so they may learn to dialogue and negotiate with non-aboriginal australians, so Tiwi may speak for themselves and not rely on spokespeople who do not know the deeper Tiwi needs.

This year we have the grade 8 kids with the older ones Josetta and Sheree to help them settle in.

It is very hard, but the parents are ringing the kids most days, encouraging them to hang in, to keep trying....

Home-weekend 2008

The Tiwi Education project has now operated for over 18 months. Noreen and Sheree are elated and John-Baptist is doing sommersaults!

The project commenced when a Tiwi parent asked for our assistance. He wanted to get kids away from troublemakers and he wanted them to be educated alongside non-aboriginal australians.

We help because Australia is built on poor foundations if we fail in our care for the original Aboriginal inhabitants.

We are trying to appraise our program. At the outset we accepted that a program that targets Traditional Aboriginal embraces immense problems, for, as the Health Profile for Mixed Race Aboriginal approximates White standards, the profile for Traditonal aboriginal is a major quantum worse and so is the Educational challenge! A group of Tiwi organize the project from the Tiwi end. They nominate the kids and we of Vinnies Kenmore provide support to the kids while they are in Queensland.
We commenced with Therese and Josita. Therese had two terms at Downlands and did not return in 2007.
Sebina joined Therese and Josita for the final term of 2006 and survived until third term in 2007. Sebina is now married and Therese works at Nguiu on Bathurst Island and supports the program as much as she is able.

Brigita joined the program for the first term of 2007, lasted for two terms and in 2008 lives at Nguiu. Wilfred and Bradley also joined the program for the first term of 2007. they were joined by John-Piere for the second half of 2007. None of these boys have returned for 2008 and we understand they are working in CDEP on the Tiwi Islands.

Sheree joined us for the second half of 2007 and has returned in 2008.

We invited the Tiwi parent (now convening a Tiwi Vinnies) to come down and help us appraise the project.

Together we accept that it is hard for 16 year olds emerging into Adult life to adjust to the discipline of a White Southern College. We believe this is at the heart of the reason why Therese, Sebina, Brigitta, John-Piere, Wilfred and Bradley have not succeeded.

Their failure to persist at Downlands is not a failure, for God alone can evaluate the long term impact in their lives and for the life of the Community.

For the first term of 2008 we had Josita and Sheree and four grade eight kids. Noreen, Joanna, John-Baptist and Jessiah.

We intend to go up to the Tiwi Islands later this term, to talk with the parents and those who have not persisted in the program. We figure we have spent close to $20,000 on those who have not persisted. It costs close to $1000 to Uniform and insulate against Toowoomba temperatures and close to $500 per kid in fares per term.

We owe it to our kids and we it to our donors to ensure we are doing all that is necessary to provide opportunity.

If you are free to help fund this project, go to Vinnie's website: https://www.vinnies.org.au/show_appeal.cfm?table=appeals&parentid=0&id=43

First Term 2008

The new term started with kids missing flights. The airlines have been very generous allowing us to re-book.

The Federal electoral move into Nguiu was not good for morale and the older boys did not want to come back to school. So we had to replace John-Pierre, Wilfred and Bradley.

Following the visit last year, Tiwi Vinnies reps Eusebia and Noel thought it best to focus on younger kids, so they have longer exposure to Southern Education. So shepherded by Josetta who has been at Downlands for eighteen months, and Sheree who has had half a year, thirteen year olds Joanna and Jessiah, Noreen and John-Baptist came to Downlands.

The first assignment is to clothe the kids for the rigours of Toowoomba weather and to help them adjust to the regime of a Boarding School.

It is a big change for traditional aboriginal kids and they are to be admired.

Driving from the airport, the kids need the car heater up to what are Sauna Temperatures for me and anti-frost-bite for them. That's what happens when you move from the tropics!

If you would like to help fund this project, go to Vinnie's website: https://www.vinnies.org.au/show_appeal.cfm?table=appeals&parentid=0&id=43