Reflections on Volunteer Experience
Reflection On Warmun – Looking Back Over Two Years
My name is Leanne I am a 28 year old school teacher. I have been a teacher at Mount St Joseph Milperra since 2001. Mount St Joseph is an all girls school, run by the Sisters Of St Joseph. Throughout my time here I have been inspired by the work of the Sisters both within the school and the wider community, they are a powerful group of women who take their inspiration and guidance from Blessed Mary MacKillop, their founder.
With a passion for teaching and a belief that I could do something, I sought to become involved in Indigenous education. A bizarre series of events changed my journey within a matter of months. I am a true believer that we must be aware of the forces that guide us in our journey, so indeed I do believe that I had a calling to join the staff at Ngalangangpum. This too, is a school run by the Sisters of St Joseph. Over the next two years Ngalangangpum was a place that challenged me to live the authentic call of the Gospel. The Josephite tradition at the school enabled me to embrace my gifts and talents and use them in a way to serve others in a very practical way.
4000km from my home town of Sydney, in the middle of the wet season, there was a great sense of excitement when I first arrived. This was soon followed by tears of frustration for the community and for my students and the ‘dead ends’ I faced. These were a people who had suffered, a people whose traditional lifestyle was so foreign to the one I was asked to make them a part of. Consequently I needed to make a deeper commitment to access resources within myself and the community.
In the first week I was faced with an average of four students a day. Literacy was low, many of my high school students were unable to read or write. I knew there were more high school students in the community, as my class list indicated at least 15. Programs were poor and I saw the classes being run more as a baby sitting service than a school. Again, in the vision of the Mary MacKillop, I sought change for justice. I updated programs, gave opportunities for students leadership, and challenged both staff and students to raise their expectations.
Of an evening I would go to the local basketball court and shoot hoops until one or two emerged from the community. Most nights the students on the court would way out number the students that attended school that day. I made it a point to move towards students who looked of high school age and would end the night by inviting them to come to school. By the end of term two we had days where the number of students in the class would out number the chairs. We peaked at nineteen students for a few weeks… but it seemed in my excitement of getting these students to school I had failed to predict the range of problems that came with it. Behaviour was the main one. Some of these students had had little experience of school and the boundaries that go with attending. Most students had very low literacy levels some did not know how to read words as simple as ‘and’ ‘at’ or ‘me’. Others brought with them the heavy burdens of the unpleasant reality they faced every evening when they went home. Each one competed for attention and often used bad behaviour to get it. I found that the learning that took place earlier in the term with the regularly attending students was put on hold as I struggled manage the variety of behaviours and emotions that coloured the classroom.
Challenges such as this were unbelievably hard. Consequently I had to make a deeper commitment to access the resources within myself. A large amount of support came from the Sisters at Ngalangangpum. I found great comfort in my faith.
Everyday was a challenge for student attendance, for interest and for cross cultural understanding. However, I found ways to meet these challenges and as this is happening I am realised a depth of person in myself. The following year we extended the high school staff from 2 to 5 to cater for a regular number of 30 high school students. Literacy and numerousy improved and students developed an interest in learning. Service is a relationship. What I gave to my students in Warmun, was matched by the many gifts that they have given to me. I was continually met by the face of God in these students.
There is a real beauty in the work that is done at Ngalangangpum and it is complimented by the environment in which it is situated. Throughout my time there I was gifted with the friendship of a local woman by the name of Leanne Mosquito who is the same age as me. Time spent with her and her family has given me insight to the Spirit of their land. It is living, breathing and has a soul. On reflection it was a source of regeneration for me, I too feed from its energy. The beauty of the landscape is sometimes contrast to everyday occurrences of life there, perhaps a reassuring message, from a loving God.
I continue to feel a connection to the people of Warmun and know that my call to service with them is not over yet. I was lucky enough to have brought a group of students to Sydney to share my country with them and I will return to Warmun later this year with students from Mount St Joseph.
There are countless moments I have shared with the people of Warmun that have lifted, enriched and strengthened my being. I really feel that if Jesus was walking the Earth today, he would be spending time in a place like such as this.
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