Australia Post visited pupils at Port Augusta West Primary School to present Moli of Bigibigi, a bilingual story in English and Kriol written by Binjari woman Karen Manbulloo.
The story, which translates to Molly the Pigwas read to welcoming second-grade students as part of Australia Post’s ongoing partnership with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to introduce young students to Kriol, Australia’s most widely spoken indigenous language.
Naomi Eisen, a local post office worker, volunteered to visit the school and read to children, and she said it was extremely important to connect with the community to highlight the value of Indigenous stories.
“We’ve been doing stuff with the ILF for a while now, but I don’t think it’s super well-known,” she said.
“So when things like this happen, it creates more awareness in the community, which is good.
“The kids also seemed to enjoy the story.”
Ms Eisen said she was a bit nervous before reading to the children, but they were well behaved and attentive.
LISTENING: Students at Port Augusta West Elementary School pay close attention to the reading of Molly the Pig.
Australia Post community manager Nicky Tracey said literacy was one of the organization’s top priorities.
“These tours posted to schools in March help spread awareness of the wonderful work of the ILF and encourage Australians of all ages to engage with Indigenous language and culture,” she said.
“Books help us understand the world around us, and sharing stories from Indigenous authors in schools provides an accessible way to build cross-cultural understanding in young children, contributing to a more inclusive and diverse society.
“We know that literacy makes a huge difference in people’s lives and can open up a world of possibility, so it’s incredibly gratifying to think that our efforts to raise awareness of the work of the ILF will benefit the wider community. .”
Ms Tracey said the partnership with ILF helps deliver books to remote communities and since 2020 has seen over 190,000 books delivered to over 325 communities in Australia.
She said she hopes school visits will help inspire a love of reading and storytelling in students, while strengthening bonds within communities.
