Reader\'s Digest AU NZ 03.2020

I

n 2016, Maryann Webb was

soothingherchild whenshe

asked herself a question: if

achildfrom alovingfamily,

surroundedwithtoysandbooks,

canstillfeelanxious,howmusta child

livinginpoverty,ora victimofdomes-

ticviolence,cope?

Theformerprimaryschoolteacher,

motherandkeenseamstressknewthe

impactthatliteracyandsocial skills

canhaveonachild’s

wellbeing.Aftera little

research,shediscov-

eredthatthreemillion

Australianswereliving

below the poverty

linein2017,andover

700,000ofthesewere

children.

“Asa parent,I wasshockedbythat

statisticandhowmanydisadvantaged

childrenliveacrossAustralia,”says

Webb.“ThemoreI learnt,themoreI

wasinspiredtodosomething.”

Herbright ideawas to create

PlayandLearnPacks.Theresultis

carefullycraftedhandmadedollsand

booksforkidsinneedthatpromote

healthybondsinthehomeandbreak

thecycleofdisadvantage.

WhatfollowedwasProjectKIN

(KidsinNeed):aregistered,com-

munity-centredcharitythatnotonly

helpsunderprivilegedkids,butpro-

videssocialpathwaystowomenwho

feelsociallyisolated.

Today,aftertwoyears,ProjectKIN

has more than 600 volunteers who

sew,knitandcrochetmaleandfemale

dollsofeveryskinandhaircolour.

The‘PlayandLearn’packseach

comewitha handmadedoll,thebook

ImagineIfYouHadaFriend, which

also offersadviceto parentsand

carersaboutbondingwithchildren

overreading,andanactivitybook.

Thepacksaregiftedtochildren

from low socioeconomic back-

grounds, andkids experiencing

disadvantage,trauma

andvulnerability.

Butthegooddeeds

don’tstopwith the

children:ProjectKIN

is also inspiring a

movementofchange

in the lives of its

volunteers.

“Our goal is fostering human

connectionsthatcontributetothe

socialandemotionalwellbeingofour

volunteersandthecommunitiesthey

livein,”saysWebb.

Thecharitybringstogethervolun-

teersacrossAustraliawhosharetheir

creations,patterns,tipsandstories

throughtheProjectKIN’sportalor

socialmediagroup,whichinturn

providesvolunteerswithasenseof

connectednessandpurpose.

“Weknowour PlayandLearn

packswon’tsolvetheproblemof

disadvantage,butwebelievethey’re

a powerfulandtangiblepieceof the

‘change’puzzle,”saysWebb.

HANDMADE

DOLLSAND BOOKS

HELPPROMOTE

HEALTHY BONDS

FormoreinformationaboutProject KIN,

go to http://www.projectkin.org

27

Making a Difference