COMMUNITY MEMBERS TRAVEL TO KARRAMOMUS TO SHARE A CUPPA AND A CHAT AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS

Sharing cuppas and cultures COMMUNITY MEMBERS TRAVEL TO KARRAMOMUS TO SHARE A CUPPA AND A CHAT AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS Shepparton News 7 Mar 2020 By John Lewis Karramomus CWA president Norma Leslie and Shepparton South Sudanese community member Cicilia Nelson connected over a cuppa when more than 50 migrant community hub members from Shepparton visited Karramomus Hall this week. There’s a sweet, spicy warmth in the air — it could be the Sudanese tea, or the samosas or the lamingtons. But more likely it’s the women’s smiles and children’s laughter at Karramomus Hall. On Wednesday, 51 people from a scattering of countries — including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malaysia and Indonesia — boarded a bus in Shepparton to attend the monthly Karramomus Country Women’s Association lunchtime meeting. It was a gathering of cultures over tables filled with teapots, scones and jam, and biryani. Mothers and children from the community hub of St Georges Rd Primary School and Shepparton English Language Centre mingled with the Karramomus CWA members to share sewing and cooking stories, or just to smile and marvel at the diversity of cultures in the Goulburn Valley. ‘‘It’s a real eye-opener and a great opportunity,’’ Karramomus CWA president Norma Leslie said. ‘‘We only have 10 members, so they outnumber us five to one today, but it’s marvellous. It’s a really good thing for the CWA, we’re hoping a lot more will come out of it.’’ Cicilia Nelson offered her a small cup of syrupy Sudanese tea. ‘‘It’s very sweet and spicy — nothing like our tea. But I don’t dislike it,’’ Mrs Leslie said. Mrs Nelson beamed at her reaction. ‘‘It’s a beautiful afternoon with different people. I love the English tea,’’ Mrs Nelson said. Community hub leader Liz Arcus said for many migrant women it was the first time they had been to a CWA hall in the countryside outside Shepparton. ‘‘Our hub holds classes in sewing, cooking, gardening and English, but this is the first time we have done anything like this,’’ Ms Arcus said. ‘‘These ladies come from different cultures across the world and are learning English as a common language, so today is great — it prompts them to mingle and speak English.’’