Year 6 students Josh Kirkaldy and Chelsea Borg with the quilt made to inspire refugees who arrived in Australia recently.
Camera IconYear 6 students Josh Kirkaldy and Chelsea Borg with the quilt made to inspire refugees who arrived in Australia recently. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie        www.communitypix.com.au d447746

Message to warm the heart

Sophie GabrielleEastern Reporter

Painstakingly created by Year 6 students at Inglewood Primary School, the quilts were embroidered with 34 words to inspire the family that receives them.

Indonesian teacher Gail Hollands, or Ibu Gabi as she is referred to in her class, said the students came up with the idea to make the quilts after she read them My Two Blankets by Irena Kobold.

"We are hoping that that a child or parent will be covered by the quilt and it will help them to realise that we care about them," Gail said. "The words are important.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

"They can learn English and trace the words with their fingers because of the stitching; it's very tactile."

Gail said the students had also listened to a presentation by the Red Cross on the difficulties refugees faced and the difference between asylum seekers and refugees.

She said the program used to be government-funded, but since funding was cut, she had to pay for it from her budget.

"The kids absolutely loved it, their eyes are so open," Gail said. "The students were impressed and admired that the refugees had gone through trauma but still persevered.

"One of the students asked a refugee that came to the presentation, " if you had a choice to live here or go back to Syria, where would you go?."

Gail said the man emotionally responded that his mother was back in Syria and if he had the choice, he would have stayed with her.

Year 6 students Chelsea Borg and Josh Kirkaldy said they enjoyed making the quilts.

"It was good to give it to someone who needed it," Chelsea said.