play. He is a lovely man and has such a hauntingly beautiful voice, so performing alongside him was a career highlight for me.” Two years later they were invited back to sing Christmas carols at Governor Powes Parkop’s annual concert in Jack Pidik Park. Each visit Lele takes the opportunity to reconnect with family. “I have uncles on both sides and our cousins who live in the suburbs – and it’s always so great to catch up with them. After my parents left Papua New Guinea, they moved to The Netherlands where I was born, and then to Vanuatu, and I know they always missed their siblings back in PNG so it’s always so special for me to reconnect, particularly as my dad has now passed away. We sit around telling funny stories about Dad until we are crying with laughter.” The visits always include a little down time, so Lele says she and her sisters have explored Gaba Gaba and Tubusereia villages, and enjoyed taking in local markets. “I always enjoy seeing all the beautiful Melanesian faces at the markets selling my favourite island foods. I love feasting on all the fresh produce – the beautiful bananas, taro, sweet potatoes and fresh seafood – and buying keepsakes from amazing local artists.” Lele says her kids have come to learn about Papuan food through her cooking. “I would make my children take leftovers from dinner the night before to school (yum right?!). It ranged from baked taro and baked fish to corned beef and spinach toasties, boiled plantain with fried chicken... and sweet coconut sticky rice my mum used to make.” It’s such cultural differences that Lele says she points out during her educational talks to kids to demonstrate the need to have
“I want Papuan and Melanesian young girls and women to see themselves in me and know they can achieve their dreams on the world stage”
acceptance and tolerance. “Being a mum myself you see kind of where the gap is. Even though my kids are Australian born but because they have coloured skin and they sometimes bring different kinds of food to school they seem a bit different you know? “I think in order for people to learn to really accept each and have love and respect for someone it has to start from your home at a young age.” In her talks Lele also draws on her personal experiences of coming to Australia as a child and finding it hard to fit in. “Imagine back in the 80s living in Canberra, which is like a big country town, I used to experience a lot of racism, a lot
of people didn’t really accept us, but you just become resilient and learn how to be strong in who you are and what your culture is. It was hard living here but eventually you make friends and you grow, and our family settled here. “Although how I came to this country was kind of all over the shop and unstable, I think the really positive thing about life in Australia is that you get to start again, and there are so many services here, simple things like having access to the medical system and the education system. Those are the kinds of things that you can really create a new kind of positive new life for yourself.” Lele recalls the family’s
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