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Dubbo Service Project
August 13, 2010
In a bid to change the world, I participated in a service project to Dubbo, an inland Australian city with a large Indigenous Australian community.
Our project was based in one of Dubbo’s less affluent areas at a community centre where we would run a holiday program for indigenous children. Door to door we went, asking if there were any children who’d like to join us for some fun and games. Each day, between 30 and 60 kids emerged from the sleepy streets to spend their holiday time with us.
This project is run every six months through Creston College (a university residence for women inspired by St Josemaría Escrivá), in conjunction with the not-for-profit social welfare organisation Reledev Australia Ltd (also inspired by St Josemaría). We were a group of 21 university students and young professionals, mostly strangers on the car ride in but laughing (and singing) like long-lost friends all the way back.
Our reasons for “signing up” were many and varied. As well as an opportunity to give something back to the community, it was a chance to develop as individuals and an opportunity to make new friends.
So each morning, we turned up bright and early with supplies in our arms and sleepy smiles on our faces. The main activities for the younger kids were sports and craft. These were really just a means of spending time with them, and giving them some friendly affection. We had some great conversations about what they wanted to be when they grow up, which was especially encouraging in those who previously hadn’t taken study very seriously.
The kids were just beautiful! Aboriginal and Caucasian mixed, they were every shade of golden with hair full of natural highlights. We soon melted under their glowing smiles and gifts of hand-made friendship bracelets.
We also ran a leadership program for older girls, with discussions that encouraged them to dream big and be the best they can be, for themselves and for the future of their community. The resilience and determination they showed was truly inspiring.
Another part of the project allowed us to witness a different kind of poverty that is epidemic in Australia: isolation and loneliness. Every afternoon we visited elderly individuals and couples who welcomed us into their homes and into their hearts. Sometimes we played Scrabble minus all the rules, or shared wedding memories with a long married couple. These people had such full lives and so much to teach us, it made us wonder why often they are not valued as they should be.
We grow up in a society where we are told that happiness comes from doing things for ourselves alone... and we are left empty. The work we did in Dubbo reminded me that real joy comes from thinking about others – instead of myself all the time. It was a chance to listen instead of always being listened to, a way of learning how to be a leader by serving others in everyday life.
Tamara Rajakariar.
Dubbo Service Project
July 2010
Our project was based in one of Dubbo’s less affluent areas at a community centre where we would run a holiday program for indigenous children. Door to door we went, asking if there were any children who’d like to join us for some fun and games. Each day, between 30 and 60 kids emerged from the sleepy streets to spend their holiday time with us.
So each morning, we turned up bright and early with supplies in our arms and sleepy smiles on our faces. The main activities for the younger kids were sports and craft. These were really just a means of spending time with them, and giving them some friendly affection. We had some great conversations about what they wanted to be when they grow up, which was especially encouraging in those who previously hadn’t taken study very seriously.
The kids were just beautiful! Aboriginal and Caucasian mixed, they were every shade of golden with hair full of natural highlights. We soon melted under their glowing smiles and gifts of hand-made friendship bracelets.
We also ran a leadership program for older girls, with discussions that encouraged them to dream big and be the best they can be, for themselves and for the future of their community. The resilience and determination they showed was truly inspiring.
Another part of the project allowed us to witness a different kind of poverty that is epidemic in Australia: isolation and loneliness. Every afternoon we visited elderly individuals and couples who welcomed us into their homes and into their hearts. Sometimes we played Scrabble minus all the rules, or shared wedding memories with a long married couple. These people had such full lives and so much to teach us, it made us wonder why often they are not valued as they should be.
We grow up in a society where we are told that happiness comes from doing things for ourselves alone... and we are left empty. The work we did in Dubbo reminded me that real joy comes from thinking about others – instead of myself all the time. It was a chance to listen instead of always being listened to, a way of learning how to be a leader by serving others in everyday life.
Tamara Rajakariar.
Dubbo Service Project
July 2010
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