My stolen childhood, and a life to rebuild | Sheila Humphries | TEDxPerth

TEDx Talks
1 Jun 201814:51
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis powerful narrative recounts the speaker's traumatic childhood in Australian orphanages, detailing the harsh labor, inadequate care, and emotional abuse they endured. Despite the challenges, the speaker eventually finds education and forgiveness, ultimately working to help children in the same system.

Takeaways
  • 🏑 The speaker was placed in an orphanage at the age of four by her mother for education, but was removed at eight when her mother realized they weren't receiving proper education.
  • πŸš” Upon leaving the orphanage, the speaker and her sister were arrested by the Western Australian police, despite never having committed a crime.
  • πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦ The speaker's only memories of being with her parents were for three months of her life, and her mother passed away two years after they were removed from the orphanage.
  • 🏭 The orphanage was a harsh environment where children were forced to do laundry and other laborious tasks for the mission and monastery.
  • πŸ€• The speaker's sister suffered a severe injury in a laundry machine, but was not taken to a doctor and was left to heal in the sun.
  • πŸ‘— The children lived in poor conditions, wearing the same clothes for weeks and suffering from various physical ailments like chilblains and abscesses without medical care.
  • 🍽️ The food provided in the orphanage was inadequate, often consisting of scraps of meat and maggot-infested porridge, with no vegetables.
  • πŸ“š Education was limited, with the speaker only attending school until the age of 13, after which she was sent to work in the laundry.
  • πŸ‘Ά The speaker had her first child in 1960, but faced discrimination and threats of having her twins taken away due to her Aboriginal background.
  • πŸ“š Later in life, the speaker pursued education, obtaining a residential child care certificate to help children, despite the challenges she faced.
  • πŸ’” The speaker's mother had been through numerous institutions and had multiple names, highlighting the systemic issues faced by Aboriginal people in institutions.
Q & A
  • At what age was the narrator placed in the orphanage?

    -The narrator was placed in the orphanage when she was four years old.

  • Why was the narrator removed from the orphanage at the age of eight?

    -The narrator and her older sister were removed from the orphanage because their mother realized they were not receiving an education.

  • What was the immediate consequence of the narrator and her sister leaving the orphanage?

    -As soon as they left the orphanage, there was a state alert for the West Australian police to find and arrest them.

  • How did the narrator describe the treatment they received at the orphanage?

    -The narrator described the treatment at the orphanage as harsh and inhumane, with physical labor being a significant part of their daily life.

  • What kind of work did the children at the orphanage do?

    -The children at the orphanage did laundry for the Old Mission, which included washing, ironing, sewing, and returning the laundry to its original place.

  • What was the narrator's experience with the laundry machine?

    -The narrator's sister had a terrible accident with the laundry machine where her arm was caught and severely injured, but she was not taken to a doctor and was left to heal in the sun.

  • How did the narrator describe the living conditions at the orphanage?

    -The living conditions at the orphanage were poor, with inadequate clothing, infrequent bathing, and untreated medical issues such as chilblains, stone bruises, and abscesses.

  • What was the narrator's experience with food at the orphanage?

    -The food at the orphanage was of poor quality, often consisting of scrap meat and maggot-infested porridge, with no vegetables or proper nutrition.

  • How did the narrator's mother's death affect her?

    -The narrator's mother's death was delivered to her in a harsh manner by the Reverend Mother, which deeply affected her and was something she never forgave.

  • What was the narrator's motivation for working in child care after her experiences?

    -The narrator's motivation for working in child care was to help one child make it in this world, despite the hardships she faced in her own childhood.

  • How did the narrator's husband support her in dealing with her past?

    -The narrator's husband supported her by encouraging her to write down her experiences and by taking her to visit her mother's grave.

Outlines
00:00
🏑 Childhood in Orphanage

The speaker recounts their childhood in an orphanage, starting at the age of four. They describe the harsh conditions, including manual labor in the laundry for the Old Mission, and the lack of proper education. The story highlights the emotional trauma of being arrested and the physical abuse they and their sister suffered, such as severe burns from a laundry machine. The speaker also mentions the inadequate clothing and medical care, emphasizing the inhumane treatment despite being in a Christian institution.

05:02
πŸ€• Health and Hygiene Challenges

This paragraph delves into the health and hygiene issues faced by the children in the orphanage. The speaker describes the painful treatment of foot infections with razor blades, the lack of medical care for serious conditions like abscesses, and the poor living conditions that included bathing in the same water as multiple other children. The food situation is also highlighted, with the children receiving low-quality meat and maggot-infested porridge. The narrative underscores the neglect and suffering experienced by the children, despite being in an institution meant to provide care and education.

10:05
πŸ“š Pursuit of Education and Healing

The final paragraph focuses on the speaker's later life, particularly their pursuit of education and their healing journey. After being removed from the orphanage by their mother, the speaker describes the trauma of losing their mother and the emotional impact of their upbringing. They recount their struggle with mental health and the transformative moment when they visited their mother's grave. The speaker also shares their educational achievements and their decision to work in child care, motivated by a desire to help others and make a difference in the lives of children.

Mindmap
Keywords
πŸ’‘orphanage
An orphanage is an institution dedicated to the care and education of children without parents. In the video, the narrator's mother placed her and her sister in an orphanage at a young age, which led to a harsh and abusive environment rather than the promised education and care.
πŸ’‘education
Education refers to the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially in a school or university. The narrator mentions being placed in the orphanage for education but ultimately being removed by her mother because they were not receiving proper education, highlighting the institution's failure to provide basic learning.
πŸ’‘abuse
Abuse in this context refers to the mistreatment and cruel treatment the children faced in the orphanage. Examples from the script include physical labor, inadequate medical care, and harsh punishments, illustrating the severe and inhumane conditions endured by the children.
πŸ’‘racism
Racism is discrimination or prejudice against people based on their race or ethnicity. The narrator suggests that the color of their skin was a reason they were placed in the orphanage and neglected, reflecting the racial discrimination they experienced.
πŸ’‘laundry work
Laundry work refers to the task of washing, drying, and ironing clothes and linens. In the video, the children, including the narrator, were forced to do extensive laundry work for the monastery, often under dangerous conditions, such as the incident where the narrator's sister was injured by a laundry machine.
πŸ’‘malnutrition
Malnutrition is the lack of proper nutrition caused by not having enough to eat or not eating enough healthy foods. The script describes the poor quality of food given to the children, such as scrap meat and contaminated porridge, leading to malnutrition and further health issues.
πŸ’‘child labor
Child labor refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives them of their childhood and is harmful to their physical and mental development. The video details the intense labor the children were subjected to in the orphanage, which included laundry work and cleaning, typically reserved for adults.
πŸ’‘emotional trauma
Emotional trauma is the psychological injury that results from experiencing distressing events. The narrator's recounting of her childhood experiences, including the loss of her mother and the severe treatment in the orphanage, indicates deep emotional trauma that impacted her well-being and life.
πŸ’‘forgiveness
Forgiveness is the process of letting go of resentment or vengeance towards someone who has wronged you. The narrator describes how meeting and marrying her husband taught her about forgiveness, helping her cope with her past trauma and improve her emotional health.
πŸ’‘resilience
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. Despite the harsh conditions and emotional suffering, the narrator demonstrates resilience by eventually furthering her education, raising her own children, and working to help other children, showing her strength and determination to overcome her past.
Highlights

The speaker was placed in an orphanage at the age of four for education.

At age eight, the speaker and her sister were removed from the orphanage due to lack of education.

West Australian police were alerted to arrest the children, despite them never committing a crime.

The speaker's mother passed away two years after they were removed from the orphanage.

The children were forced to do laundry for the Old Mission and the monastery.

The speaker's sister suffered a severe burn in a laundry machine and was not taken to a doctor.

Education was limited, and children were put to work in the laundry after turning 13.

One girl stayed in the orphanage for 44 years with no place to go.

The children suffered from chilblains, stone bruises, and abscesses without medical treatment.

The speaker describes the inadequate clothing and harsh living conditions in the orphanage.

The children were poorly fed, often with maggot-infested meat and no vegetables.

The speaker recounts the brutal punishments, including kneeling on bricks and being hit with sticks.

The speaker's mother was taken away, and there was an attempt to take her twins.

The speaker's mother had nine different names due to being placed in multiple institutions.

The speaker eventually married a man who taught her a different way of living and forgiveness.

In 1994, the speaker began to confront her past by visiting her mother's grave.

The speaker wrote down her childhood experiences as a form of healing.

The speaker pursued education later in life and obtained a residential child care certificate.

The speaker worked for Community Services to help children, despite the challenges she faced.

Transcripts
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