Our first partnership is with the RAW Garden. This beautiful initiative by Mariam Issa involves her and her family opening up their garden for public engagement. The garden is based in permaculture principles and there is a fabulous outdoor kitchen area where people gather and share ideas around food and culture.
R -L Mariam and Dee (credit: Jackie Kerin)
Mariam invited us to bring storytelling into the garden and many of our
members and friends have helped draw this vision into focus with a
storytelling event on the first Sunday of the month.Heartfelt thanks to Cadu Cinelli (Brazil), Jackie Kerin, Suzanne Sandow, Kim Billington, Niki Na Meadhra, Roslyn Quin, Clare Coburn, Kate Lawrence, Teena Hartnett, Sue Charters (Canada), Astrid Mendez (Chile), Durgah Devi Palanisamy and David Demant who have contributed time and stories.
We enjoyed our final gathering for 2016 with storyteller Dee (Durgah Devi Palanisamy).
Photo:Tatiana Scott
Dee cooked up a great pot of curry, Mariam provided the rice and others were invited to bring a plate to share. 
Photo:Tatiana Scott
As well as hearing the story behind the meaning of Diwali, we celebrated Dee's move to Australia with her family, twelve months ago.
Photo:Tatiana Scott
RAW Garden Storytelling is now well established and will continue throughout 2017 with Dee holding the space for people come and share tales or listen. Thank you Dee for joining Storytelling Australia Vic, embracing this event and nurturing the storytelling community in this part of Melbourne. Through you, our relationships with tellers throughout Asia is strengthened. And thank you to Mariam who came to us and suggested a partnership and for bringing us closer to Somalian storytelling traditions and culture. How blessed are we!
(By the way, these happy chooks live under a mulberry tree that is currently dripping with fruit.)
Photo: Jackie Kerin
