January 22, 2015
by Marcus Priaulx
Kathleen Hopkins believes helping children at school is one reason she is still alive today.
Kathleen was fighting cancer and had been unemployed all of her life when she entered Cherbourg State School as a Barambah Parental and Community Engagement (PaCE) mentor.
This enabled her to receive shopping vouchers in return for voluntary work she did to help children learn in the classrooms.
Kathleen was given a roster of hours she nominated to work and a designated class.
She received an induction into the school’s protocols and Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) training to help her cope with children’s behaviours.
Kathleen has not looked back.
She is now employed as a Cherbourg State School student attendance officer and gives extra time for free to work with the children in the classrooms.
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Kathleen credits Barambah PaCE for helping her overcome many of life’s difficulties, including her cancer, by creating the mentoring role for the community.
She said the vouchers had also taught her how to budget.
“It showed me how to save and spend money,” Kathleen said.
“I never had that growing up, and it taught me how to survive.
“With the work I could spend it on food and then the next week I could spend it on what I wanted.
“When I was working for PaCE I bought two TVs; one for me and one for my grandson.
“I bought a lot of things because of PaCE. I bought things like iPads for myself and for my grandchildren in Brisbane – I’d never been able to do that before.”
The mentoring also gave Kathleen a feeling of joy and self-worth.
“I love it!” she said of the previous role and the new one she’s been employed in.
“It gives me responsibility.
“I’d like to see a lot of young people in this job because their nieces and nephews are going to school. We’ve got Murri children everywhere . . . Murgon, Wondai, Moffatdale . . .”
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Kathleen said the Triple P Positive Parenting Program training she received through Barambah PaCE gave her skills to make children compliant and “slowed me down”.
“Sometimes we’d get impatient with the children and want to give up but it taught me how to handle children,” Kathleen said.
She said working with Barambah PaCE also improved her health.
“It meant I didn’t dwell on my sickness or let it get me down,” Kathleen said.
“PaCE and this job helped me a lot; kept me busy.
“That’s a great thing in life; to stay busy because you can will yourself back to health if you don’t dwell on your sickness.
“PaCE has changed me and made me the working person I am today.
“I never thought I’d ever, ever work.
“I’m 56 years of age and in that time I never thought I’d get up and motivate myself.
“That’s what PaCE did. The work and the children made me stronger and who I am today.”
NOTE: Barambah PaCE is now looking for private sponsors in an effort to revive the school mentoring program. Anyone who is interested should phone (07) 4168-2330 or 0447-400-232.
