We want to extend a huge thank you to the Yarralumla Uniting Church for their unwavering support of CFK! Their recent contribution and ongoing assistance have been instrumental in our ability to thrive for the past 12 years. We are immensely grateful for your dedicated support and eagerly anticipate your continued partnership in our mission to aid the women and children of Kiriwina. Thank you for making a difference! 🙌
Image: Ralph Lawton and friends Saturday 29th July 2017 at Yarralumla Uniting Church Arts and Crafts Show
We are thrilled that P&O/Carnival Cruises to Kiriwina will be delivering our donations directly to our representatives on the island. We also request that any passengers who bring items to donate to the people on the island do so through our charity’s official channels.
To ensure fair distribution throughout the island, our team will be collecting donations at Kiabola Beach under a Caring for Kiriwina banner when the ship docks at Kiriwina. Let’s make a difference together!
A Special thanks to Pharmacist Jodi and her team at Pharmacy Select Balgowlah for discounting pharmacy goods and to this month’s packers, Belinda, Annabel, Jodi, Vanessa and Tara, for their generous contribution.
Kiriwina Secondary School organised an event to raise funds, showcasing the incredibly rich Kiriwina culture through student performances. However, we faced challenges with sharing the female part of the dance on Facebook as the platform threatened to take down our page due to overzealous censorship. Despite this obstacle, we attempted to re-record the students’ outstanding performance as we were determined to share this magic moment. However, we apologise for the poor recording quality. Thank you so much, John Bosco Togumagoma, for sharing this video :).
If you would like to donate to the Kiriwina Secondary School or any of our other projects, please click the button below:
For over 50 years, Reverend Dr. Ralph Lawton and his wife, Margaret Lawton, dedicated themselves to creating a comprehensive dictionary for the people of Kiriwina. Ralph’s research into the dictionary led to him being awarded his PhD in July 2013 from the Australian National University for Kiriwina lexicography, making him the oldest recipient of a PhD at the time at 85 years old. Margaret passed away in December 2014, just one month before their 58th anniversary, which was a devastating blow for Ralph and the family.
Despite this, Ralph went on to complete a first draft of the Kiriwina Dictionary. However, failing eyesight and health issues prevented him from finalising it for publication. Some dedicated supporters formatted his work, and a draft printed copy of the dictionary, bound in two volumes, was gifted to him on his 93rd birthday.
Ralph’s resilience and positive attitude in the face of his failing health, blindness, and the challenges of COVID restrictions, was a testament to the measure of the man. He died on the 21st April 2021 aged 93 one month and 14 days. His love for Kiriwina and its people remained strong. His engagement with Caring for Kiriwina’s activities and the continued work of the charity provided him with strength and comfort, becoming a part of his legacy.
This remarkable work stands as a testament to their unwavering dedication, enriching the lives of the Kiriwinan people and preserving their language and culture for generations to come. Free access to the Kiriwina Dictionary is available through the button link below:
It was wonderful to catch up with these incredible women. Jacqui recently returned from an assignment supporting Midwifery in rural remote locations, including Ceduna, South Australia, after spending time in Katherine in the NT. What an inspiration! We’re thrilled to be able to catch up and start discussing plans for the future. Stay tuned for more updates – we’ll keep you posted!
