#81 A new start

A young woman from Sudan ( a country in NorthEast Africa) came the studio when she was pregnant to be photographed by Anne for her new book. Some of the young African women who come to the studio find life in Australia very different to start with, which is normal for people moving to a new country.

Unfortunately, the father of her baby is not living in Sydney; he is working in Darwin which is about a four-hour flight from Sydney. She had no family here in Sydney, but an Aunt in Adelaide, which again is a plane ride away, so she had no family support at all.

When we first met her she seemed quite dejected.

After her visit we very concerned about her, so we spoke to one of the African ladies at the Department of Community Services who can provide support, to contact her.

Recently the young woman came back to the studio with her new baby and it was as if she was a new person! Apart from the baby being the most beautiful little bundle of joy, she was happy and relaxed and obviously loving being a mother, she was positively glowing. She also now has a group of friends, and as it has turned out, encouraged many of her new friends and her acquaintances to contact Anne.

We decided that she needed a little help, and to thank her for all of her help (which is still ongoing) Anne decided to send her a little package of Anne Geddes clothing and books. When she received the package she phoned us and was in tears, overjoyed at receiving a present. She had already tried all of the clothes on her son, who is still tiny, so some of what we sent would be too large, but she has assured us that he is growing at a great rate of knots and will soon fit into them.

How lovely it is to be able to keep in contact and watch the babies grow, and what is even more lovely, to see people happy.