1. Gunawirra is a not-for-profit, member-based organisation working side by side with
Aboriginal young women, men and children from the ages of 0 to 5.
We work at the interface of healing trauma and giving education.
Gunawirra
2. Gunawirra offers projects and programs that encourage
young Aboriginal mothers and fathers to avoid the dangers
of alcohol, substance abuse, domestic violence and
sexual abuse through every encouragement, self
empowerment in the community, group activities and
individual psychotherapy.
We work in targeted areas of Sydney inner and outer
suburbs and provide highly specialised programs that
have the immediate purposes of prevention and early
intervention for the protection of the infant, child and
family unit.
Gunawirra creates projects, programs, booklets in 35
preschools across New South Wales. It provides training,
consultation and emotional support to Aboriginal and non
aboriginal preschool teachers and workers in Aboriginal
community areas.
3. Gunawirra
Our Vision
Aboriginal children will assume their full and rightful place in Australian society as resilient,
empowered people; aboriginal children will have the kind of early childhood which allows them to
develop to their full potential.
Our Mission
Gunawirra’s works towards a world where respect and dignity of personhood matters.
Where equality of opportunity matters, regardless of race, color or creed.
Where wrongs perpetrated are acknowledged but with a focus on redress for the future.
Where mothers and infants are given a “fair go” so they can do a better job with their kids than
their parents did with them.
Where the terrible trans-generational cycle of poverty, violence and abuse is broken.
Where dads lift their heads in dignity, and no man, woman or child need ever be ashamed of who
or what they are.
Where Aboriginal people of many cultures may find again their spiritual core and cultural base in
a way that gives them pride.
Our continuous work is the prevention of violence or violation of each Aboriginal’s person-hood.
We hope as a result of our early intervention, loss of self esteem will be replaced by increasing
confidence, instead of serious disorders we will have increased understanding and self care -
that suicide ideation will be replaced by a pride in self.
This stands at the center of all our work.
4. Norma Tracey
MAASW NSWIPP –
CEO and Board Director
“Our continuous work is the prevention of violence
or violation of each Aboriginals person-hood. This
stands at the centre of all our work. We hope as a
result of our early intervention - loss of self
esteem will be replaced by increasing confidence.
Instead of serious disorders we will have
increased understanding and self care and that
suicide ideation will be replaced by a pride in
self.”
“The goal we developed is to break the cycle of
trans-generational trauma and abuse in individual
Aboriginal families and so mitigate and, in some
cases, eliminate the dangers of further abuse and
trauma.”
Norma Tracey with The Governor of NSW - Professor Marie Bashir
5. WHY DONATE TO GUNAWIRRA?
Gunawirra is independent and not-for-profit charity.
Gunawirra is not a government or church agency and receives no government funding.
Gunawirra relies on donations and grants to fund 100% of all programs, staffing and day to
day expenses.
Gunawirra has launched 12 programs which have been designed to give infant, toddler and
preschool Aboriginal families the support and skills, for as long as is needed, to help the
children feel safe, loved and cared for – both at home and at preschool.
Gunawirra’s vision is to give nurturing and emotional support from pregnancy through to
school age - with a particular focus on 35 preschools across NSW.
6. Gunawirra's
programs
Inner Suburbs Project
Mothers with children under 6 months are referred by choice and participate in
Aboriginal art, cooking, baby care and massage, nutrition, photography, DVD
making, leadership in community projects.
Web site activities
Over 50 preschools with Aboriginal children can access information on the five big
ideas of the our Young Doctor’s Program: health and hygiene; nutrition;
identity; trauma; culture and environment.
Tom Davis Foundation Camp
Parents and children go on a three day camp from country centres and city
centres, focusing on their children, parenting, getting to enjoy and know each
other.
Art Therapy
As a means of healing trauma. Gunawirra has carried out over 100 one hour
interviews with traumatised children in preschools, their parents and
teachers. From this we are creating a program to train preschool teachers in
the support and healing of these children.
Eingana gardens
Gardens grown in over 30 preschools. Each community designs, builds and tends
a garden with traditional bush tucker and a vegetable patch.
Strongman Inverell
We employ a young Aboriginal sportsman to act as a role-model and play sports
with the children in the preschool where many children have an absent or
abusive father or a father in jail.
For more information on
these programs and
more please visit:
gunawirra.org.au
7. Goorong Karadjji (Child Doctors)
OUR FIVE BIG IDEAS
MY Health and hygiene
MY Nutrition
MY Coping with trauma
MY Identity and my culture
My environment and the world I live
in
Gunawirra
joins hands
with Malpa
8. How you can Help
Every little bit counts…
You or your company can help Gunawirra by making a simple financial donation. This can be
allocated towards one area of our work (e.g. education) or to a particular welfare project.
Gunawirra can offer a range of benefits that will recognise your contribution. This is also a
tax effective way of supporting the community in which you live and work.
The donation doesn't necessarily have to be financial. It could include;
Gifts in kind (products or services)
Backpacks
Water bottles
Sun hats
Stationery packs – pencils, scrapbooks, notebooks, crayons
Underwear
Clothes
Shoes
First Aid kits
Hygiene Kits – including toothbrush, toothpaste, washer, soap, wipes, cotton buds,
tissues.
Toy Donations - 2,000 Toys are distributed to 35 Aboriginal preschools each
Christmas and clothes and other needs of a medical nature during the whole year.
• Provide access to resources that can help us to create posters or DVD’s that assist in
educating the children on health, hygiene etc.
9. PROGRAMS NEEDING URGENT FUNDING
$25,000-$30,000 - Young Doctor’s Program
Health and hygiene; nutrition; identity; trauma and culture and
environment. This will sustain our work in giving out culturally aware
material and training to isolated centres for a year.
$10,000 - Inner Suburbs Project
Funding for one year, includes bus pick up and drop off.
$5000 - Art Therapy (per school)
Funding assists us to visit, train teachers and supervise this five
session module program using art as its central medium.
“Paint me your story, tell me your story”
$2500 - Casula project
Support a mother and child in this program for a year.
10. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
corporate
$10,000 Nutritional Program (in four preschools)
Develop a garden of bush and veggies and fruit trees etc. These gardens
are a bit costly because they have to be raised to protect against foxes,
bunny rabbits etc. Also included is herb in a pot for each child to take
home and later report on, usually mint as it can withstand anything.
Cooking day for mums to come and make lunch - this is a great success as
it also involves going grocery shopping. As most families live on “take-
away” they do not shop or know how to cook basic meals.
Introducing the kids to packed lunches is a great achievement in itself -
also included will be a poster on nutritious food.
$10,000 Breakfast Program for 1 year (three preschools)
o Fresh fruit for lunchtime and afternoon tea for three preschools.
o These children often turn up having had no food that morning and more often than
not also no dinner the night before.
$10,000 Camps with Parents (two preschools)
o Camps where the parents accompany the children and they are
taught how to cook healthy, fresh food together. We like to put
three of these on a year and it is so much pleasure for the mothers
11. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
$2500
Sponsor an Aboriginal child for one year to attend preschool. Funding includes;
o Bus to and from school.
o Clothes and school gear such as books, paints etc.
o Breakfast at the school (where there is a program).
o Family support.
$120
Cooking session - help nine mums with infants under 9 months to buy and eat healthy
food and learn how to cook it.
$100
Sponsor a child for a month who would otherwise not be able to attend preschool.
$50
Underwear (one term) for the pre-school to distribute when needed.
Weekly breakfast for children arriving hungry to preschool.
$25
Weekly fresh fruit package to give to the children in the afternoon before they go home.
Books for children as they do not have a single book in their home.
Preschool clothes for one child.
Stationery pack for one child - backpack, pencils, scrapbooks etc.
12. How to donate
ELECTRONIC TRANSFER (EFT)
Commonwealth Bank
Account name: Gunawirra Limited
BSB: 06 2151
Account No:1029 7042
CREDIT CARD
Visit gunawirra.org.au and click on the “Donate Now” button
or telephone Norma Tracey on (02) 9427 2028
CHEQUE
Gunawirra Limited
Mail to: PO Box 827, Lane Cove NSW 1595
13. Thank you very much for taking the time to
consider donating to Gunawirra.
For further information, please contact:
Norma Tracey – CEO
Phone: 0448 419 079
Email: ntracey@gunawirra.org.au
Or visit:
gunawirra.org.au