There are many ways to support g-oz with one of them being the simple act of raising awareness for the positive, impactful work that we do in the communities that we collaborate with.
With g-oz existing as the philanthropic arm of the Australian Girls Choir, the AGC community is our strongest, largest and most vocal group of supporters. Thanks to this committed and dedicated group of AGC families and friends g-oz is met with a reliable, stable and ongoing pool of donations each year that fund a large portion of our programs.
AGC g-oz Ambassadors and AGC choristers across Australia also partake in creative and effective fundraising events throughout the year, such as bake sales and movie nights; and consistently raise awareness for g-oz at any given opportunity.
One such AGC member and g-oz supporter is Ella, AGC chorister from Adelaide.
In her final year of schooling, Ella choose g-oz as the topic for her SACE report and shared her g-oz knowledge and experience with her class and her school.
Ella was selected as one of the twelve AGC members from across Australia to participate in the g-oz Reverse Travel Program to Lockhart River (QLD) during National Reconciliation Week this year.
‘The goals which I had set for this trip were to take every experience in and to fully immerse myself…I tried to take in as much information as I could so that I could later share it with people I love and raise more awareness of this beautiful organisation.’
Cross-cultural learning, story-telling and connection were central to the week-long experience on Wuthathi, KuukuYa’u, Uuthalanguu, Umpila and Kaanju Country, with Lockhart River State School students proudly sharing their personal experiences and culture with their AGC sisters.
‘…this included learning choreography, learning a song in language called ‘Gnarra Burra Ferra’, singing their [community] song ‘Old Lockhart’ and learning a dance for [the song] ‘Blackfella/Whitefella’ that we would perform with the girls later in the week.’
Ella’s ‘life changing experience’ in Lockhart River and her enthusiastic support for g-oz even lead her parents, Tanya and Simon, to donate a significant amount to g-oz during the annual g-oz Giving Circle fundraising campaign this year: ‘As parents, we were excited that Ella could have such a special experience…and are delighted to support a programme that continues to change the lives of both the community and the choristers.’
In the final words of her report, Ella reflects on the impact that the Reverse Travel Program experience had on her: ‘Saying goodbye was the hardest part of this journey. These kids have touched my heart and made me view life differently and made me more aware…[the communities g-oz work with] don’t get enough recognition and opportunities that we do in Adelaide which is why this program is so special to not only the kids, but the teachers and community.’
Thank you again, Ella, for your reflections and your effort in raising awareness for g-oz and the communities that we work with!
To read about g-oz Community Programs, click here.
To learn more about g-oz in Lockhart River, click here.
Every young person deserves access to high-quality performing arts education that improves not only their education and employment pathways, but their overall wellbeing on their journey to success.
To support the education and success of the next generation of girls in remote Australia, donate to g-oz today by clicking here.
