In 2019, Bawurra Foundation has set itself a goal to focus on 'Community First', and this new series 'From the Roo's Mouth' covers the many diverse individuals who work within our own Foundation and Community. This time, we sat down with Programs Manager Evie Peterson, who gave us her story about how she found her way into the Bawurra family.
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My name is Evie Peterson, and I'm the Programs Manager for the Bawurra Foundation.
I decided to pursue a place within the Bawurra Foundation, as I was inspired by the passion and drive of the team to preserve Indigenous knowledge and culture through harnessing the power of technology, which in turn aims to engage Indigenous kids with their culture and improve their learning outcomes.
When I first started with the Bawurra Foundation I was helping transcribe textbooks. However, today I am now in charge of coordinating and creating the content for the digital library, which our teams use to educate Indigenous kids about culture in regional communities.
I've had the chance to do things as part of the team I never thought I would have go the chance to do. The most rewarding and memorable experience I have had with the Bawurra Foundation was at the end of 2018, when I participated in a trip to Indigenous communities across New South Wales.
It was amazing, providing me with the opportunity to see how Bawurra’s digital library is being received within Indigenous schools and how the work I am doing impacts this process. To give them a chance to understand their culture and community, and improve their learning outcomes is something I'm very proud of.
Community is an integral part of one’s identity. It provides connectivity, security, belonging and support and can be found almost anywhere. I believe it matters a lot to an individual’s personal development, hence naturally making it an essential part of the Bawurra Foundation, both within the team and in the communities it impacts on.
Looking forward, I cannot wait to add more quality content for the digital library. Seeing where this library will go is something I'm very excited about, and I am looking for it to touch more communities and hopefully inspire more Indigenous kids.