I’ve found these last few months of mothering hard. Mostly because I’ve had to be more than a Mum, and a wife, a daughter and a Bonnie’s family worker – I’ve also had to be a teacher.    In this last year, mothers everywhere…

  I grew up in Zimbabwe and there is no place like Bonnie’s over there.  I still remember my Mum telling me about a time she wrote to a famous Zimbabwean magazine column asking for help because of how my Dad was treating her. She…

  The Taliban are back. As I sit in my living room, the TV blaring, my pregnant belly kicking, I can’t believe I am seeing my parent’s nightmares become a reality, again. I might never be able to go back to Afghanistan- back to my…

  There’s a lot of things to miss right now – friends, family, travelling outside my LGA, travelling outside my state… travelling anywhere.  But what I’m really missing at the moment is food. And not just food itself (I’m definitely not starving), but rather the experience…

  “Do people speak up when they hear or see violence? Or do they just turn a blind eye and pretend it’s not their business?”  After working in DV for so long, I still ask myself these questions. Despite all the new TV shows, podcasts…

  Working with women for women was a big change from one of my previous careers where I worked as an Administrative Assistant to the Financial Controller of an International Property & Investment company. While that job was a good experience, working on the frontline…

  As a case worker, supporting women with children who are fleeing domestic violence comes with many emotions. Walking alongside a family and being part of their journey and witnessing small wins along the way is what keeps me going. Whenever I get asked what…

Recently a family who were moving to Queensland arrived at our doors to donate some of their kids toys and baby goods. During the visit, the father said he was a barber and he would be happy to donate haircuts to the children. A family…

 I once read a quote by Vincent Van Gogh that said, “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” Being a Child and Youth (CYW) worker means no two days are the same. On the surface, what…

Marryanne’s Mission to Find Out What’s Missing   In light of the latest devastating murders of two women, we need to ask ourselves, what can we do so that women don’t fall through the gaps in services and care? What changes can we make so…

  As a caseworker working with women experiencing Domestic Violence, I’ve learnt that there is no no one perfect road to safety. Sometimes it is direct and other times it’s a learning experience with various stops along the way.  Recently I was working with a…

  I come from a background in medical science and a laboratory so quiet you can hear a pin drop, so moving to Bonnie’s was quite different to what I had become accustomed to. The office here has a constant buzz of activity with women…

  Just two days ago, I walked alongside tens of thousands of Australians who protested in the streets of our capital cities and towns against gender based violence.  #March4Justice was sparked by the bravery of Brittany Higgins coming forward with the truth about her experience…

International Women’s Day (IDW) was never on my radar until I started at Bonnies. In my previous profession, as a teacher, we didn’t really celebrate or particularly talk about it. I regret that now, and see how important the celebration of this day can be…

  I realise I’ve been telling everyone about a new series called Morning Wars. It’s an American drama about abuse of power and sexual assault in the workplace. It’s set on a TV morning talk show in the wake of the #MeToo movement and it’s…