Program Reports

Rural Education Program (REP) was established in 2002, as a program of Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, by private donors as a short-term response to their concerns about the effect of drought on children living in rural and remote areas of Australia. The six Founding Donors have personally donated and attracted other donors to FRRR through REP for almost ten years now, to a variety of organisations to improve the opportunities for children in the bush. Some of the program’s achievements are summarised within this document.

Therese Sevil has two kids, but from Monday to Friday her family expands to seven, when five other children from properties around Bollon, seven hours west of Brisbane, come and stay with her at the Bollon District Children’s Residence. They live too far from town (population about 300) to travel daily to primary school so they stay in town at the residence to be near school mid-week. The residence is their second home. "We have weekly fees and we rely heavily on funding from the Department of Education but any upgrades and maintenance comes from grants," says Therese, who also lives on a property, but works as the residence house mother. "I did seven years of (teaching) distance education and it’s very lonely trying to teach your own children, and I wanted my kids to socialise so we stay here during the week." With FRRR/REP funds, the residence bought a new dryer, computer, frypan, microwave oven and a freezer. "Having the dryer means I can launder the kids’ bedding quickly during wet weather," Therese says.