Aboriginal Projects:

1. Gunawirra - Lets Cook A Nutritious Lunch

The Tingha Preschool provides education and care for 3 - 6 year old Aboriginal children of low income and additional needs, their families requiring high level of support. Gunawirra and the preschool are working together to create not only meals but a cooking program where the mothers can learn to shop and cook simple meals and have a lot of community and group fun together.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation partner with Gunawirra and Tingha Preschool to provide children with the early start in life, where they can learn and play free of hunger.

2. Edmund Rice Camps

In June 2012 Edmund Rice Camps Inc will be running a Kids at Risk Aboriginal Camp for Young People. With the support of the Sisters of Charity Foundation this camp will provide an environment that fosters positive self-esteem and personal development, while providing achievable challenges and goals.

The young people who will attend this camp at Woodside will have experienced social isolation, difficult family situations, come from low socio economic backgrounds, have difficulties at school and may live in foster care. The aim is to provide positive outcomes for young Aboriginal people by providing them with a holiday away from the pressures they maybe experiencing.

3. Kimberley Family Support Worker

The Catholic Diocese of Broome, WA, covers a vast area and has a population of 33,500. Half of that population identifies as Aboriginal. Although many Aboriginal people live in towns, there are over 200 remote Aboriginal communities located within the region and the Catholic Diocese of Broome plays a significant role in the lives of many of these people.

Working with the Sisters of Charity Foundation, the Catholic Diocese of Broome provides a Family Support Worker. This position engages with the families in remote areas and builds long and trusting relationships. The Family Support Worker also networks with government and non-government agencies around issues of family support and child protection.

4. Gunawirra Ltd - DVD for Aboriginal Mothers

Gunawirra Ltd is a not-for-profit member based organization that provides emotional and psychological support for Aboriginal children aged from 0-5, their family and support networks. Gunawirra’s vision is to provide nurturing and emotional support from pregnancy through to school age with a particular focus on pregnant mothers. Working with the Sisters of Charity Foundation, Gunawirra is developing a collaborative project that sees expecting Aboriginal mothers record, edit and publish to DVD a film that tells their own stories of being pregnant. The film will also include practical information regarding pregnancy as well as touch on issues such as drugs, alcohol and domestic violence. It is hoped the film project will be of such a standard that it will be distributed to maternity wards in major hospitals throughout NSW.

This project will empower young pregnant women with self-respect and creativity as well as create a collaborative and supportive atmosphere. It is hoped that this project will see young women educate themselves on pregnancy related issues as well as help others in similar situations.

5. Indigenous Women's Learning Circle

The Indigenous Women's Learning Circle Project is for young Indigenous women 14-24 years and aims to increase knowledge and skills in cultural identity and self esteem. The project consist of Indigenous women's business workshops, outdoor and care for kuntri skills, traditional art and craft production, mentorship relationships between young and old, goal setting, pathways to education and training, use of story, dance and song.

The project has three phases over 7 months:

1. Preparation, Orientation & Planning phase
2. Cultural Camp program phase
3. Follow-up and intergration phase

The overall aims for the project are:

• The maintenance and continued development of Indigenous culture in the Fraser Coast community.
• Building community sustainability with members of local Indigenous communities.
• Providing opportunity to participate in cultural activities which are about passing on knowledge and skills across age groups.

The Foundation acknowledges the Butchulla people as participants
and original inhabitants of this Fraser Coast region.