Call for artists to illustrate Njernda children’s book

May 25, 2022

Creative collaboration: Njernda foster care recruitment and assessment worker Sharyn Kelly and her collaborator Karen Lee Mills are calling out to any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists who can help them illustrate their new children’s story book. Photo by Contributed

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in the Echuca-Moama region are being invited to register their interest in being commissioned to create artwork with an important message to convey in a new children’s story book.

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Written by Njernda Aboriginal Corporation staff member Sharyn Kelly and collaborator Karen Lee Mills, the story follows the journey of eight-year-old Billy Turtle, who has to leave his Country on the Murray River to go into foster care in the city, when his nan falls ill.

Ms Kelly, a Njernda Foster Care recruitment and assessment worker, said conveying the importance of cultural connectedness for First Nations children who needed foster care placement was the inspiration for the book.

“Once it’s determined that a child will be placed into foster care, our goal is always for the child to remain on Country, with their mob and in surroundings familiar to them,” she said.

“But the sad reality is that if we can’t meet the care need in our local community, children sometimes need to be placed elsewhere, which only increases their confusion, uncertainty, and the trauma they experience.

“Our hope is to create a resource to highlight why being a foster carer in our local community is important.”

Ms Kelly said the Njernda Foster Care program was a culturally responsive service that supported carers to care for First Nations children and young people while maintaining cultural identity and cultural safety.

“We accept carers from all sorts of backgrounds, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, men and women, single people and families — our program is focused entirely on what is best for each child in our care,” she said.

“We have some wonderful Aboriginal carers and families, but equally, we have non-Indigenous carers who believe, as we do, that when care is needed, our local community is the best place and provides the best outcomes.

“We’re hoping to create a much bigger network of people in our community who are committed to caring. The more people who understand the importance of keeping our kids on their Country and all the benefits that brings, the more people we hope will put up their hand.”

All artwork submissions will be judged by a Njernda panel who will make the final decision on the artist to be commissioned to illustrate the book.

To register your interest, email Sharyn Kelly at SharynK@njernda.com.au or phone her for more information on 0419 613 974.