PARENTING STORIES UPDATE

Listen to powerful and moving stories that tell the journeys of strength, resilience and apprehension of the many Australian voices from Africa.

The CD and DVD are nearing completion, and ICE is now organising design, distribution and launch in September. It is expected that the radio plays will be broadcast on community and mainstream radio stations to raise awareness in the general and African communities of parenting and cultural issues faced by newly arrived Central African families. The digital stories’ DVD is an information resource for service providers and community members and will be distributed to appropriate organisations in western and south-western Sydney.

Parenting Stories is a community media project addressing the issues and challenges of parenting in emerging communities, and particularly for recently-arrived families as they deal with settlement issues and transitioning their family life to a completely new legal and cultural context. Working with Central African communities in NSW, the project is producing 6 radio stories in 6 languages, and 10 digital stories in English. The African languages identified as having most impact are Dinka, Swahili, Arabic, Juba Arabic, and Lingala. Local actors have been engaged for the recording of the radio plays, and local community members have translated the scripts. The coordinator, Saleh Saqqaf, has worked hard to engage communities in all stages and aspects of the project.

There will be an online offering….keep an ear out!

[Article posted 19 July 2010]