Children of Kiribati and Climate Change

The children are beautiful, warm, laughing and school is valued. Most live in basic island accommodation with the  mwaneaba – community meeting area – where there’s eating, gathering, praying, sharing,  under a canopy of woven palms.

 The main island of Tarawa is densely populated with the ocean on one side and lagoons on the other. The other islands are sparsely populated, but all islands and peoples face serious issues of:-

safe water supply, sanitation, sea water rising with climate change.

 I’m here with the Pacific Calling Partnership to find out more about these low lying islands and take the message back that these islands with their people are at serious risk.

President Tong of Kiribati, Australian High Commission & the kids of Kiribati

Kiribati has taken me into the heart of the Pacific –

with warm, open Melanesian people, living on sandy palm lined islands in thatched huts, with pots bubbling their meals of – fish, octopus, fish, fish.. and more fish.

Highlights: Meeting President Anote Tong in Parliament to discuss climate change. I was moved to tears as he spoke about his people, the islands and climate change destroying villages and the need to prepare now with education and skills, so that his people will be prepared to leave their island homes when the time comes.

Australian High Commissioner spoke about Ausaid and their commitment to providing education; work to shore up the islands with sea walls ….. check out the Ausaid site.

The warm and wonderful kids of Kiribati at their beauty talent quest in their open air centres filled with song and dance.

The Pacific Calling Partnership is calling for world action to act to save Kiribati – a sea of islands in the Pacific.

AUSAID in Kiribati – helping kids get education

Landing in Kiribati is an experience – kids were playing on the airstrip, a New Zealand Hercules was on the airfield, the airport was tropical lined with palms and bread fruit trees. The faded hand painted signs – International Airport – marked the airport.

Once out of Customs, wonderful kids from the School and Centre for Children with Special Needs greeted us with welcome songs, coconut milk and floral garlands.

Ausaid funds the school with the help of parents. I felt proud of that. The kids are in dire need of books according to their teachers. I gave them new books from some of our great authors, as well as I Am Jack Daisy Sunshine, and some of my books.

Ausaid funds schools throughout the habitable Islands.

Pacific Calling Partnership Heads off to Kiribati

We’re on a mission to the equator, heading for 33 atoll islands in the Pacific.

Stop over Nadi in Fiji – greeted by Fijians singing -beautiful welcome.

Highlights: Meeting the rest of the party in Fiji.

Nicola Daley award winning cinematographer flew in from Alice Springs where she was filming echnidas to join Tom Zubreski producer and director of a documentary on Maria Timmon from Kiribati and the Pacific Calling Partnership.

Jill Finnane social justice advocate and fantastic organiser who gave me shiny green huge gloves for the mangroves we are going to plant in Kiribati – at 6 am before it gets too hot!!!!!

And there’s more ….. but later … we’re 10 in the delegation and the film makers Nicola and Tom. Ready to go to Kiribati now.

Pacific Kiribati Delegation:Patrick Dodson Father of Indigenous Reconciliation,Phil Glendenning Human Rights Advocate,Tom Zubrycki award winning documentary film maker …..

 

Nearly on the plane to Fiji, then flying to the capital of Kiribati -Tarawa – on the equator.

It’s a Pacific Calling Delegation including Patrick Dodson father of reconcilation, Phil Glendenning human rights advocate and Director of the Edmund Rice Centre, Tom Zubrycki award winning film maker - www.tomzubrycki.com. 

The world is so small – apologies for cliche – Tom met my cousin Ruth Balint (also a documentary film maker) for coffee a few days ago.

Our delegation shared dinner last night in preparation to start our 8 day mission on Monday.

My purpose: As a kids and YA author who writes to gives choices to young people, and as an ambassador for Room to Read bringing literacy to kids in the developing world, I’m on a fact finding mission.

I’ll try to report from Kiribati.

Wendy Blaxland’s ‘How are they Made?’ series launched at Abbotsleigh School Sydney

I launched Wendy’s series of 12 books ‘How are they Made?’ to hundreds of enthuisiastic Abbotsleigh girls dressed as their favourite book characters.

The research is huge, the books really, really interesting and fun on things around us – paper, pencils, plates & mugs,  sneakers, knives & forks, bottles and jar, jumpers, helmets, basketballs, guitars, cans -  I love the recycling focus too. 

Jacqueline Harvey coordinated the Abbotsleigh Literature Festival and was MC of the launch. She’s also the author of the popular series Alice Miranda -  boarding school adventures.  Such a great series. The teacher who dressed up as Alice Miranda was a huge hit with the kids. She bicycled into Wendy’s launch wearing a helmet – highlighting Wendy’s ‘Helmet’ book in the series.

 I loved speaking about Wendy and these fantastic books.

CBCA Celebrations for Book Week with authors Oliver Phommavanh, Chris Cheng, Jeni Mawter, Deb Abela & I Am Jack

Aussie kids at Auburn North was like the United Nations.

Kids whose families come from Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Thailand, China, sixth generation Aussie background and more … welcomed Aussie authors.

Their Principal Mr Harris celebrated books as a way to fulfil kids’ dreams of reaching their dreams.

Their Librarian, teachers, CBC President Carole Keeble welcomed authors, kids and parents.

The MC, talented author Deborah Abela, who co-ordinated this CBCA Book Week event, had the packed library in love with her book ‘ The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen.’

Oliver had them laughing; Jeni had them laughing even more; Chris has them engrossed in his amazing zoo stories and I was deeply touched that my JACK was on the feature StoryBridge painting that covered the main wall.

Thankyou to bookseller Kay from Shearer’s Bookshop, to the wonderful librarian  Catherine Clift, Leanne Hodges and President CBCA Carole Keeble and especially Deborah Abela.   

Thankyou to the kids of Auburn North for loving JACK.

Playback Theatre, Storytellers at The Hughenden

Storytellers crowded into The Hughenden for fabulous stories:-

Love Playback Theatre’s Stephen Meagher and his Sinbad the Sailor swashbuckling into the show.

Playback Theatre is interactive improvisation with actors and musicians and audience.

www.playbacktheatre.com.au – at Newtown Theatre Sydney

Andrew Kwong told wonderful stories. His life story  of being a refugee boy fleeing China is part of the Picador anthology, ‘Fear factor: Terror Incognito’.  

Andrew just did a Varuna Residency in the Blue Mountains where he told the spooky tale of ghostly visitors at 3.37 am every morning, I’ve done a fellowship at Varuna Writers Centre in the Blue Mountains and loved the sharing with other writers, the fireplace in the evenings and the beautiful eucalyptus bush.

The storytellers loved the stories and the afternoon tea as they dug into clotted cream, berry jams and mouth watering scones that just came out of the over from The Hughenden kitchen

Thankyou Head Chef – Kat Medina  

from Stoyrtellers Guild NSW

Lindfield Kids Welcome ‘I Am Jack’

The library was awash with kids’ drawings, books, activities, as hundreds of kids poured into the library at Lindfield Primary School.

The kids were enthusiastic about I Am Jack’ – asked all those important questions. Did he really make great jokes? Did he win against bullying? Am I the Mum in the book? YES!

The highight was when a group of kids sang Daisy Sunshine’s song to Skip to my Lou My Darling.  It was a joy:-

Girls ar great, boys are mates

Can’t you pay us, the same rates

We want to learn, cause we’re so smart

Dont’ stop us flying, to our hearts.

We’re mums and sisters, friends and people

Join us marching, marching, marching

Make the world a better place

For you and me and all of us.

Thankyou to the wonderful teacher Jacqueline Pentelouw for inviting me to speak to these terrific kids.

Thankyou to the welcome of the enthusiastic librarian and staff.

Geko Publishers & Sarah Davis & the Pirate

Sarah Davis is so flat out these days with her illustrations. Fearless – the scared but underneath BRAVE bull dog is an award winning dog – check out Sarah’s website – www.sarahdavisillustration.com

At the Writers & Illustrators Network at The Hughenden last week – which was warm and sharing as always:- 

 Jenny Hale is working full time on her second in her fantasy series of JATTA. Scholastic is waiting for it;

Tracey Slater has had her first stories published in School Magazine which is great too;

Dawn Hort has her new picture book with Wombat books … lots happening.

Sarah brought in some of her beautiful illustrations for her new book – the Girl and the Pirate.  It’s being published by a very high quality and special publisher Geko  (New Zealand publisher). Julie Marshall the publisher is such an innovative and dynamic publisher. Many of the smaller publishers are.

Sarah touched me deeply when she gave me the cover of the girl and the pirate. It’s filled with blue skiies, quirky characters, colour and I LOVE it. 

Thankyou Sarah.