Kids in Care
With more than 35% of children in our Love of Learning Program identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, we would like to improve our operations so First Nations children feel represented and included.
Over the years, we have implemented several actions to ensure our organisation is inclusive towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. As we grow, we want to formalise an approach, that guides its actions by implementing a Reconciliation Action Plan.
In 2020, The Pyjama Foundation made a further commitment on the path to greater awareness and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures within our organisation.
Our goal is to create an environment where every child in care sees themselves and their culture reflected, through our branding, program, and everything we represent.
Our RAP Artwork
As the next generation is an important thread of the preservation of culture, a child’s connection and identity is central to their wellbeing.
We commissioned artwork from contemporary Aboriginal artist, Rachael Sarra, from Goreng Goreng Country, who uses art as a powerful tool in storytelling, to educate and share Aboriginal culture and its evolution.
Her style is fun and engaging but is drawn from her heritage and her role as an Aboriginal woman in a modern world.
Our artwork represents our commitment to First Nations families and how we will continue to learn and evolve by connecting with communities and Elders to provide a safe environment for all First Nations children and families.
Through respectful, trusted and consistent relationships, a child can be supported to develop and redevelop a sense of identity and place.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan
Our First Nations Advisory Body
The Pyjama Foundation is committed to building a safe, inclusive and positive environment for all children.
Having a diverse group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ambassadors as part of the Foundation is incredibly important as it paves its way forward towards reconciliation. As a result, we have formed a First Nations Advisory Board, a group of key personnel who meet regularly to advise The Pyjama Foundation on the cultural needs of the organisation and share knowledge and insights relating to procedures and resources for our Programs. The Board plays a vital role in fostering awareness and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Members of our First Nations Advisory Body give integral guidance to The Pyjama Foundation, helping to create an environment where every child in care sees themselves and their culture reflected in our Programs. Of the 1,200 children we support weekly, 35% identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. We are committed to creating a culturally safe environment for these children while we support them in building their learning, life skills and confidence.
This is a commitment on the path to greater awareness and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures.
Artist Highlight: Meet Jontay Gothachalkenin
Jontay Gothachalkenin is an Aboriginal Artist and Founder of WIKKID. The Pyjama Foundation uses Jontay’s beautiful artistic cards to send out to key corporates and supporters. The Pyjama Foundation is proud to be using this art and sharing it throughout its marketing and beyond so all those we support feel represented.
Jontay designed this artwork to acknowledge and depict the land on which The Pyjama Foundation’s head office sits, Turrbal Country. Nammul is the traditional Turrbal word for child, which Jontay highlights in the centre of the artwork and shows surrounded by small circles that represent the support system that helps a child thrive.
