Baby Hub - update
We’re pleased to let you know that the Galiwin’ku sewing project is in full swing.
Over the last year sewing machines, fabric and supplies were purchased and delivered, sewing lessons commenced and beautiful clothes created.
The sewing project has been a wonderful opportunity for the mums to learn new skills, make new friends and connect with their community. Everyone is very happy with the opportunity to make their own clothes, and not always having to commute to Darwin to buy clothes.
We’ll have further updates from Nancy and the team soon, so keep an eye out.
You did it!
We’re so excited to announce that our fundraising target has been reached. Thank you to everyone who generously donated and spread the word. Your support will make a world of difference to the mums and babies of Galiwin’ku.
The fundraiser has now closed.
Keep an eye out for an update from Nancy and the Baby Hub crew very soon!
Help send sewing machines to the remote Aboriginal community of Galiwin’ku
Stitched together by Yolngu Elders, the Sewing Project is an idea to pass on skills and strength from generation to generation at Baby Hub, a maternal and baby wellbeing centre in Galiwin’ku, East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
Young mums will be able to come together and learn how to sew, building lasting friendships, as well as picking up new skills. They’ll learn to sew beautiful clothing for their babies, and connect with Baby Hub’s health check-ups, nutrition classes, playgroup and parenting classes.
$15,000 will buy sewing machines, fabric, scissors, tape measures, needles and thread to set up and run a small sewing centre for at least a year.
Your donations will be used for:
Cotton reels and needle sets
The tools needed to start sewing.
Fabric and patterns
Bolts of fabric for baby clothes and clothes for the family.
Eight sewing machines
The equipment to make it all happen!
Maintenance and replacement parts
Because everything breaks down sometimes we will need some replacement parts handy.
Where is Galiwin’ku?
Galiwin’ku is a vibrant community, on Elcho Island in East Arnhem Land. The population changes during the seasons, but approximately 2,200 Yolngu call Galiwin’ku home and together speak up to 22 different language dialects. There’s a daily flight to Darwin, 550km away, that takes about two hours. The drive is long, so freight has to arrive by barge.
A small project, bringing new knowledge
"This project is a small wind, bringing new knowledge to grow... Our strength is passed from generation to generation. The Baby Hub Sewing Project is a small project. But it is a seed to open eyes. Mothers can come to this place and learn to sew. They can build new skills and feel proud to make clothes for their yothu (baby).”
Nancy Gondarra, Baby Hub Community Development Officer
When you chip in, Nancy and the Baby Hub crew will keep you in the loop.
From the excitement of the delivery of the sewing machines, to the first pieces sewn with love: if we can raise these funds, you'll receive updates from the Baby Hub team over the coming months. Let's make this happen so Nancy and the Baby Hub team can get this wonderful program up and running!
Donor FAQS
Baby Hub. What is it?
Set up like a home, Baby Hub is a quiet wellbeing centre where all young Yolngu mums can share, relax and grow.
Also welcome are dads, grandparents and carers. Baby Hub rose out of the Healthy Baby Healthy Community Program to target the community needs around malnutrition in early childhood. These days Baby Hub is so much more. Baby Hub runs baby health check-ups, baby nutrition and cooking classes, playgroup and parenting classes to help mums and babies stay strong and healthy. The improved health of children on Galiwin’ku is in part thanks to the work of Baby Hub.
Galiwin’ku? Tell me more
Galiwin’ku is on Elcho Island in East Arnhem Land. The community is laced on one side by mangroves teaming with local food - mud crab and barramundi – and a reef on the other side, where oysters, crayfish, and turtles live in turquoise blue waters.
There’s tropical rainforests, tidal creeks and cliffs with brightly coloured ochre rocks. That’s where body paint for ceremonies and art works comes from.
Galiwin’ku prides itself on its maintenance of cultural values. Popular Market Days held on the Church lawns every Friday could even be a place for the mums to sell their baby clothes in the future.
Red Cross and Baby Hub
Baby Hub is run as a partnership between Miwati Health, the local Aboriginal Health Service, and Australian Red Cross.
The team is Leandra Natani, an Aboriginal Health Worker and Veronica Gondarra, Aboriginal Community Worker. Miwatj employs both. Then there is the amazing Nancy Gondarra who you met in the video. Nancy is a Community Development Officer. Red Cross employs Nancy, Jenanne Yirrtharama, a Community Worker and Raisa Brozalevskaia, Senior Community Development Worker.
Stitch a difference – how your money helps
Your money will sew seeds of strength!
$15,000 will set up a Sewing Centre at Galiwin’ku’s Baby Hub centre. All money raised will go towards equipment, materials, shipping and repair.
The centre plans to buy eight sewing machines and spend the rest of the money raised on bolts of fabric, patterns, thread, scissors, needles, thimbles, cotton and sewing machine replacement parts. Shipping to Galiwin’ku will cost a bit too. The amazing women at Baby Hub will run the sewing lessons.
If we raise more than $15,000, extra funds will go to support other similar initiatives.
Why a Sewing Project?
Sewing together weaves relationships. New skills build confidence and pride. And machines stitch beautiful handmade clothes for babies to wear. At the same time, mums connect with Baby Hub’s health check-ups, baby nutrition classes, playgroup and parenting classes, which help mums and bubs grow strong and healthy.
As Community Support Worker Nancy says the ‘sewing program is a small project but it is a seed to open eyes’. Growing out of the mums and bubs are strong families and a stronger communities.
Are donations tax deductible?
Yes, all donations over $2 to the Baby Hub Sewing Project are tax deductible.
Will I see how my money is spent?
Absolutely! When you join us, you’ll be an important part of the Sewing Project. We’ll email to let you know when we reach significant milestones, like half way to our fundraising goal, or when we buy the first sewing machines. When we get photos from Baby Hub, we’ll send them on so you can share the joy and excitement.
A big thank you to our Supporters
The real heroes who are kindly helping us achieve our goal
Anonymous
$36
Fiona James
All best wishes to Galiwin'ku community and the Baby Hub initiative. You will be a strength to many communities to make great achievements.
$260
Anonymous
Enjoy being creative and learning new skills. We enjoy being able to help you.
$31
Anonymous
Yo, marrkapmirr miyalk mala! Manymak mirithirr djama nhumalang. Love from wangany Melbourne/(Golpa) miyalk
$104
Peter
$250
Tracey
So glad you reached the target! Can’t wait to see what you see.
$20
Alison Williams
$52
Anonymous
Fantastic initiative - would love to see more of these types of programs in remote communities.
$260
Lesley Clementson
$52
Julie Broadfoot
$52
Mohana Yamasani
$305
Julie M Mccoy
This donation is the combined efforts of many people to raise this money. I am merely the person lodging the donation.
$240
Megan Nielsen Patterns
We are very passionate about local causes and the joy that being part of a sewing community brings and are so thrilled to be supporting this project!!
$7.95k
Truffy Maginnis
$52
Michelle Adams
Hello, I am a keen dressmaker and I’m so pleased to be able to support young mums learning the skills that have been taught to me I wish you lots of success!
$52
Elisabeth Wennevold
$10
Anonymous
$21
Anonymous
$21
Adrian Sayasane
$208
Suzanne Parker
Mums, I know you will really enjoy the creative process of sewing for your precious little ones. All the very, very best from a fellow sewist xxxxxx
$52
Anonymous
A wonderful idea. Good luck with the Sewing project
$125
Grant Baldock
$52
Gaby Richards
I love sewing for myself and my children, and I feel so happy when they choose to wear those clothes. I hope these parents enjoying sewing, and feel the sense of accomplishment I do with this wonderful craft.
$52
Margaret
What a wonderful initiative. May there be joy with the creation. I learnt to sew as a small child & made all my outfits as a teenager on the Singer. I continued to sew clothes for my children when they were little.
$52
Adriane Hayward & Joseph Nauer
$21
Katie Headley Headley
$73
Deepti W.
Great initiative. I love sewing and it truly is a way to empower and bring people together. Good luck to the Sewing Project team. Looking forward to seeing what you do. Best wishes from Perth.
$50
Olivia Fuller
$31
Tracey Trenter
$21
Anonymous
$21
Isabel Hose
Having previously worked as an R.N. in East Arnhem this sounds like a great idea, I wish you success and lots of fun.
$52
Carol Martin
Well done
$21
Caroline Buchanan
From my family to yours. I hope you enjoy sewing for your family.
$50
Anonymous
What a great initiative! As a sewer, this is a great way to connect!
$52
Isabel Andrews
$52
Rebecca Thomas
$52
Donelle
From a grandmother sewing for her babies - what a awesome skill to learn
$52
Kathryn Bannister
$52
Jackie Sullivan
What a wonderful idea. All the best to the sewing hub in Galiwin'ku
$52
Chook Yon
$52
Anonymous
$21
Anonymous
$104
Elizabeth Rocheta
$52
Fiona Brown
$52
Zoe Taylor
Beautiful project to help the community
$50
Jillian Farrer
$52
Anonymous
$52
Jude Jones
What a great idea. Have fun at Baby Hub. Id love to see some of the things you make.
$52
Anonymous
Good to see positive projects in regional communities
$104
Anonymous
$10
Lorena Uriarte
What a great project. Hope you reach your goal 💥
$21
Bev Buckland
$83
Andrea Henning
$104
Andrea Eeritt
$104
Janine Hamilton
$21
Betty Wolf-gatignon
What a great community initiative for young mums and babies! As an artist/ weaver and teacher I fully acknowledge the benefits of a sewing project for the wellbeing of women . Besides learning very useful skills there is the added benefit of building meaningful relationships, plus the health checks and the parenting classes, fantastic! I am very happy to contribute and wish Nancy all the best with setting up this project. I hope one day to be able to see with my own eyes how you are all happy sewing! Betty.
$310
Sandra Barton
All the very best & what a great idea & project . In memory of my mother who loved her Singer sewing machine & everything she created in it
$21
Yu Chun Zhong
Please keep this card number for your regular donation please take the money in every first Thursday of each month. Kind Regards, From John Zhong, the director of WORLDZHONG PTY.LTD.
$21
Lucy Towers
$62
Mary Mcclure
I lived in Galiwin’ku many years ago and have since taught students from there at boarding school (adopted into the Burrarrwanga ). Great to be able to support Galiwin’ku again!
$100
Anne-marie Dickson
Happy stitching!
$31
Jenny Dally
Good on you team. such a wonderful and creative idea. a fantastic asset and skill for the Baby Hub.
$42
Carol Hey
$52
Allyson Becker
$104
Allison Muir
$50
Anonymous
Can I help?
$104
Julie M Mccoy
$21
Joceline T
$10
Anonymous
$21
Rosie Schultz
$21
Alison Jones
Women coming together to talk and work while children play- sounds great!
$31
Jackie Martin
$21
Raisa Brozalevskaia
Awesome project!
$104
Melanie And Mary-ann
$52
Anna De Montignie
Please keep me posted as to development and results. Good luck with the project!
$21
Amanda Potter
$21
Ernest Yung
$52
Jeff Darlington
$52
Anonymous
$104
Gwynne Hannay
$52
Kim Carter
$21
Khairul Madkhul
$20
Sharon Clements
$50
Evelyn Seath
Wonderful project in so many ways! Good luck.
$21
Sue Bussell
I wish you all happiness & fun with the Baby Hub project - what a fabulous idea!!
$52
Romina Mitsopoulos
$52
Anonymous
Good luck with this project!
$42
Marcus And Aiden
When our mum told us about this my little brother and I decided to give our pocket money. Babies grow fast and need lots of clothes. We hope you raise enough money soon.
$10
Jan Martin
Wishing the project every success
$50
Sue Walker
$20
Molina Francy
$50
John Acheson
$104
Wendy Harmer
Happy sewing...
$52
Anonymous
Best wishes and much luck improving the lives of those living within this community.
$52
Karl
$21
Fiona James
It will be a rewarding time for Galiwin'ku community
$510
Belinda Bird
$26
Emma Whitmore
This is an amazing initiative and I wish you all every success. Sewing is a skill that too few of us still possess, I know I wish I had learnt the skill.
$5
Bridget Fong
$47
Anonymous
$52
