Harmony Week celebrations inspired Aayana to create a unique way to showcase the cultural diversity of families at the Centre.
Aayana came up with the idea to create a patchwork quilt made up of fabric that symbolises different cultures from around the world.
Each piece of fabric was brought in by children’s families to represent their cultural backgrounds.
“Our materials included silks from Bhutan, a scarf from Sri Lanka, Jaipur from India, a Qi Pao from China, Lavalava’s from Samoan, a shirt covered in Gulal from our Holi celebrations and a quote from t-shirts that were made especially for our Early Learning staff to wear at MercyCare’s Staff and Volunteers Day last year,” Aayana said.
After collecting material from families, Aayana turned to her grandmothers’ sewing talents to transform the fabric into an eclectic patchwork blanket.
“I was so lucky to have help from my two grandmothers, Ramona and Jacqueline. My nana Jacqui lent me the sewing machine and showed me the basics,” she said.
“We all enjoyed spending time together to create something so meaningful.”
Aayana said the project was also an opportunity to repurpose material that would have otherwise ended up landfill, which aligns with the eco-conscious values taught as part of MercyCare’s Eco Warrior program, which encourages and educates children on how to reduce their environmental impact.
“One of the best things I’ve learnt on my Eco Warrior journey so far is how resourceful we can really be, whether this be working with what we have or exploring new talents,” she said.
Aayana was thrilled to be able to bring her idea to life at the centre and said she couldn’t have done it without support from her fellow colleagues and the children’s families.
“Our centre agreed Harmony isn’t just culture, but it’s celebrating and accepting all these differences, social norms and behaviours,” she said.
“The blanket is a perfect representation of what Bassendean is all about.
“We’ll have this blanket displayed by our entrance gate for the community to enjoy.”
Families can continue to contribute to the blanket in their own special way.
“Over time we will encourage parents to write a message on the borders, it can be as simple as “Hello” in their home language,” she said.
“We also hope we can continuously add to our blanket. Whether it be messages or more pins, as our community and society changes over time our blanket needs to evolve with that and our ever-growing community.”
