More than gardening

Karen
“Somebody told me about the community house with little programs with no pressure. I came down to have a look and it changed my life.”
Just a few years ago, Karen, 59, was trapped in her own home.
She enrolled in a gardening course at East End Community House in Mildura.
“I loved it down here. There was a garden and no one was doing it.”
Karen soon took over co-ordinating the garden and now assists with teaching the gardening program. She has enrolled in Sunraysia TAFE doing a Certificate 3 /4 in Horticulture and is the driving force behind a fledgling social enterprise selling seedlings from the garden in a local shop.
“Coming down here has changed my life. This was my way out. I still panic but I wake up now and have something to do. Before it was wake up and watch TV. I think now I can’t stay home, I have to go and water the plants. It’s not about me anymore. I have a garden to look after.”
Chris Howe, co-ordinator of East End Community House, says, “Karen has turned her life around like you would not believe. She is an inspiration to people around here, particularly the Polynesian community. ”
Karen is a finalist for Outstanding Pre-accredited Learner at the Learn Local Awards.
Karen’s video story
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Learning and making friends
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I just fit in here
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Time for a career shift
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An opportunity for a new career
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I wasn’t super confident
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Helping more at home
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Planning an event
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Learning to be yourself
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From the factory floor
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Finding the right help
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Caring for older people
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Building new skills
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Finding fringe benefits
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Working with children
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Turning your life around
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It’s never too late
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Learning new skills
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Something for yourself
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Learning with friends
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More than gardening
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Re-igniting old ambitions
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Life changing moments
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From sewing to surfing
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Learning in a different way
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Adjusting to change
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Building confidence
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Staying up to date …
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VCAL for young mums
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Education is the promise
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Going somewhere
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An incredible journey
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A different pathway
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From there to here
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Time for reinvention
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Later life learning
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Bridges to learning
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Overcoming barriers