The 3rd annual Carlton Family Camp was held in March this year at Camp Manyung in Mount Eliza, Victoria. The camp targets families from the Horn of Africa nations, many of who arrived in Australia as refugees, and live at the Carlton Office of Housing Estate. A record 100 women and children from 22 families attended. The Family Camp fosters a harmonious and supportive community for newly arrived migrants in the Carlton neighbourhood.

The Family Camp aims to build productive relationships between families and local service providers in the Carlton area. A number of local service providers visit the camp to provide information to participants in their area of expertise. The Family Camp provides an opportunity for participants to discuss the challenges of raising a family in Australia whilst maintaining traditional customs and cultural identity.

The Family Camp aims to increase understanding and cooperation within families and between different cultural groups. Volunteer leaders from within the Eritrean and Somali communities play a key role in fostering tolerance and cultural understanding.
The Family Camp also offers financially disadvantaged and socially marginalised families a very affordable opportunity to holiday in a safe and nurturing environment. These families are often prevented from enjoying time away from the Carlton Office of Housing Estate due to financial, language and cultural constraints. A substantial proportion of the African refugee community are single mothers (widows of war-torn African nations) and children who have survived persecution and torture in their respective countries.

Sarah Jane coordinated art workshops for the children during the camp and also conducts workshops for many of the same children who attend Carlton Primary School. The art shown on this page was done at the camp. Sarah Jane encourages the children to explore their culture, notions of harmony and to paint what they enjoy. She also supports them while they tackle harder images she sets as challenges.

‘For the kids art is always a sense of fun and creative expression. They are excited in learning new ways and the use of new media. When working in groups they like to paint each other more than the canvas so the coordination and its effectivity have been an interesting journey for me.

It is lovely to see them elated and proud of the work they have done, it is somewhat an infectious play time for them especially when I am walking the grounds of the school and I am followed like the Pied Piper saying “when can we paint again” to “pick me pick me”, as they try to climb on me like possums on a tree. I find the kids adorable to work with, they are very open with me, kind of like a big sister.’

Some of the artworks have been hung in the Royal Children’s Hospital and some other artworks have been sold to hang in corporate offices in the inner city. Other works are to be auctioned to raise money to help fund other art projects.