KUKU FAMILY

Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads): Being the first at anything is always hard and challenging. The Kuku family were the first Sudanese refugee family to call Maitland home. The women of the family, however, have relished this challenge. Christina, Veronica, Jomoko and their sister, Margaret, have been deeply influential in the creation of a positive cultural environment within the Maitland region. The family have overcome many of the initial challenges they faced, with language barriers, cultural differences and educational opportunities. It is great to see them sharing their knowledge with other people in our community. The family overcame those challenges by getting involved. As anyone does when they move to a new community, they engaged with our local institutions. They got involved in cultural engagement and sharing at TAFE, they engaged with businesses and they initiated small community celebrations for Refugee Week. They started really small, but they have blossomed. They were central to the cultural sharing experience that went on to become the Maitland Riverlights Festival. Their involvement started way back in 2012 and they have continued that involvement over the intervening years. I thank them for their contribution.