Gemma Sisia grew up on a sheep and cattle property in northern New South Wales, as one of eight children. After finishing school, she went to Africa to teach... that was 22 years ago and she's never looked back! Gemma met her husband on safari (that's a cracking story) and had four children. You'll hear about the incredible cultural differences and how she was treated after having her babies over there. Amongst it all, Gemma had a dream to build a school that would support some of Africa's poorest children. In 2002, she established the School of St Jude in Tanzania which provides free, high-quality education to thousands of children. She is a true humanitarian and what she's done is remarkable.  And it all started with just a couple of acres. This is her story. 

Motherland is very proud to launch the Motherland Village Scholarship fund which will enable 20 rural mums who are experiencing financial hardship, to access our mother's group program free of charge over the next 12 months. We're very grateful to have the support of Thankful4Farmers for this project.  Applications are open now at motherlandaustralia.com.au/scholarship

We're now taking enrolments for our October 0-3 years program! 

 https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

181: Humanitarian Gemma Sisia left rural Australia for a life in Africa

Hosted by Stephanie Trethewey. Motherland shares real, raw, and unbelievable stories of motherhood told by women on the land. Each week, a rural mum from somewhere in Australia shares her motherhood journey. You'll hear stories of true grit, resilience, grief, and pure joy. Motherhood is the most life changing and transformative journey a woman can go through, and it's not always easy. No matter where you live or what you do, we're in this together and you're not alone.

Kids & Family

Parenting

Today's episode is special for two reasons, firstly, it's our last episode of our Autumn season, proudly sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions. Secondly, you're about to hear Emily Mealey's story, and she's a Senior Account Manager in Insurance at Nutrien, and a mum of two. She's based in Dubbo,  and met her husband at the tender age of 18 after having a minor car prang! Financially as a young family, things were tough, really tough, but Emily and her husband made it work. A few years later Emily found herself in a very dark place, and very stressed, and today she talks openly about that time and how she got through it. A warning, this episode touches on mental health including suicidal thoughts, so if you or anyone you know needs help please contact Lifeline immediately on 13 11 14.

Whether you're starting your career, are already established in agriculture or are looking for a change, Nutrien may be a great place for you to work and explore opportunities across a broad range of career paths wherever you're based in rural Australia. Check out their careers page at  www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/careers

Physiotas offers high-quality Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology, Myotherapy, Remedial Massage and Clinical Exercise Services. Their health practitioners are available across six clinics throughout North Western Tasmania with telehealth services also available to rural and remote clients. Head to physiotas.com.au https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

224: Why Emily Mealey is so grateful her mum insisted she went to the doctor

Chris Bath has been a much loved and respected journalist since the late 80's and many of us, including myself, grew up watching her on our TV screens. She's interviewed Presidents, Prime Ministers and popstars, and pushed herself way outside her comfort zone when she carved up the dance floor on Dancing with the Stars! Chris met her husband Jim Wilson at work. The news anchor fell in love with the sports anchor, it's like something out of a movie, and very funny! In 2015, Chris resigned from Channel 7 where she'd worked for 20 years, and before she knew it, she'd fallen head over heels for another industry... farming. She's got one grown up son, and now lives full time on a farm in the Lower Hunter in NSW...she's an accidental beekeeper with an incredible love for the land. How she ended up here is quite the tale, and you're going to love her! This is her story. 

Nutrien is proud to be going further for Australian farmers by continuing to create meaningful partnerships and invest in the communities that are the backbone of Australian agriculture. They invested more than $2.8 million in our communities in 2023 alone.  Learn more about Nutrien’s commitment to our communities HERE 

Embrace the power of Ello Botanical’s special range of facial oils and say goodbye to winter skin woes. Enter the code MOTHERLAND20 for an exclusive discount.  Shop online HERE.

 https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

223: Veteran journalist Chris Bath swapped life on TV for time in the tractor

Tara Parchert lives in the Lockyer Valley in Queensland, and runs a vegetable operation with her husband. She's busy raising two little girls, but has given  birth to four. Tara fell pregnant with identical twin girls. After some pregnancy complications, she delivered them at just 26 weeks.  Everything seemed to be going okay until 5 weeks later, when one twin got an infection... she didn't make it. Tara and her husband Had to grieve one child, while support the other one who was still fighting in NICU. In her second pregnancy, a heartbreaking 20 week scan left Tara and her husband with an unimaginable decision to make. She lost another baby girl. This episode is a really tough one, it covers the loss of a child, pregnancy termination and miscarriage. We've listed some support services below. While these conversations are never easy and Tara has never shared her story like this, she's doing so in the hopes it will help others, reduce some stigma, while also honouring all four of her children. 

Red Nose Grief and Loss  24/7 Support Line 1300 308 307
birthline.org.au/counselling/ 24 hour counselling line 1300 655 156

Nutrien Ag Solutions is recognised as a leading rural employer, where rural mums and their families in regional and rural Australia, can grow their careers, across a diverse range of roles and specialities. Whether you’re starting your career, are already established in agriculture or looking for a change, Nutrien may be a great place for you. To find out more, head to Nutrien’s careers site here. 

 https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

222: The unimaginable pain Tara Parchert has been through... twice.

Rebecca Gilchrist is a clinical psychologist who has a passion for supporting rural women; and she's pretty well placed to do that give she's also a rural mum and a farmer based on a 6th generation sheep and cattle station. Bec had her first baby on a plane; yep, on a plane, mid air when she was just 33 weeks pregnant. It was a very traumatic experience for her, although at the time, no one else knew that. In our chat, you'll hear about how her professional training has helped her, particularly with the crippling anxiety she felt returning to the farm with a premmie baby, and the psychoeducation tools that can help all of us. We also chat about navigating the different seasons of motherhood, well after the baby years, including dealing with overwhelm. This is her story.

This episode touches on birth trauma; if you need support, head to https://birthtrauma.org.au/

Nutrien Ag Solutions is proud to be partnering with CareFlight to deliver FREE Emergency Trauma Training to 180 locations across rural and regional Australia. This vital training provides you with the skills and confidence to deliver life-saving assistance in a trauma situation. Contact your local branch manager or click HERE for more details. 

 https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

221: Clinical psychologist Rebecca Gilchrist gave birth on a plane

Ella Palmer is a nurse, and a mum of three who lives on a cropping and sheep farm in South Australia. Her motherhood journey has been heavily impacted by what happened to her when she was just 10 years old. After weeks of ongoing sickness and a misdiagnosis, Ella was in the fight of her life after her dad checked on her in the middle of the night to find her nearly unconscious. Unbeknownst to everyone, her appendix had ruptured three days earlier. Little Ella was in the fight of her life, with a widespread infection that resulted in her losing a fallopian tube, and left scarring all over her reproductive organs. Ella's story has a very happy ending, but it's been really tough. She's experienced miracle pregnancies, hours of travel for IVF, as well as PTSD from her job, and postnatal depression. This is her story. 

This episode discusses mental health including PTSD and postnatal depression. If you need support, contact PANDA on 1300 726 306 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Nutrien Ag Solution has an incredible Graduate Program, designed for top talent who seek a performance-based culture built solidly on integrity, safety, inclusion, and results across regional and rural Australia. So whatever your career interest - and no matter how old your kids are- Nutrien has you sorted with a multitude of opportunities including flexible and remote work arrangements. Applications for 2025 are now open  at www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/careers  

 https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

181: Humanitarian Gemma Sisia left rural Australia for a life in Africa

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