We are thrilled to announce that at our recent Annual General Meeting, Merilyn Webb was awarded the prestigious title of Honorary Life Member of OMEP Australia. This honour, nominated by Liz Mitchell, recognises Merilyn’s outstanding contributions and unwavering commitment to our organisation and the children we serve.
Merilyn is a passionate and dedicated advocate for Early Childhood Education, as is shown by her constant involvement in a variety of employed positions and voluntary roles since graduating as a Kindergarten Teacher in 1959. Her vision is for all children to be healthy, happy, and to have access to high quality early childhood education. “OMEP: Working for the Children of the World” is Merilyn’s commitment and goal. Merilyn was influential in OMEP Australia becoming a separate organisation, rather than a sub-committee, of the Australian Association of Preschool Child Development in 1969.
Merilyn became President of the newly formed OMEP SA Chapter, and an early challenge was to fund the sponsorship of two new Aboriginal Child Care Graduates to attend an Early Childhood Education Conference in Perth the following year. With a fledgling Committee and an empty Chapter bank account, the task was to fund two return air fares, Conference Registration and Accommodation. This prompted the chapter’s first annual film night. The Early Childhood Community responded wonderfully, the biggest audience ever supported the event, and a mining company generously provided the air fares.
Annual film nights and fundraising have enabled the OMEP SA Chapter to each year promote and fund many varied projects supporting children and families in South Australia, South East Asia and the Pacific. These projects, and the associated fundraising, have mostly been led by Merilyn, who has usually also researched the area of need to prioritise. In the early years of OMEP Australia many SA kindergarten staff were OMEP members, and for many years during Children’s Week some South Australian kindergartens supported projects by fundraising with their community and teaching the children and families about ways to build their understanding of sharing and becoming global citizens.
The project in 2007 was raising funds to buy goats for families in Sri Lanka. With the support of kindergartens and the Committee efforts, OMEP SA Chapter raised enough money to purchase 156 goats to support 156 Sri Lankan families to a find a path from hunger and poverty. Other projects included:
- Funding water wells for communities in Cambodia through Oxfam
- Providing library bags for children in the Mimili Aboriginal School to safely carry books home, and
- funds for the children from the school to take the long trip to the coast to see the sea
- Building a water tank and toilet for an early years program in Fiji
- Learn to swim program in Fiji
- Scabies eradication project for a village in PNG in Association with the Anglican Church
- Music project creating posters of primary school children playing musical instruments, plus CDs of Early Childhood Songs sold to raise funds for OMEP projects. (These resources are still available free of charge to Early Childhood Programs)
Merilyn has sent letters to politicians over the years advocating for children and Early Childhood Education. Along with Trevor Feder, the OMEP SA President, Merilyn prepared a submission to the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care in 2023. Merilyn is also an active participant in her local church where she taught in Sunday School for 13 years. Merilyn convened the Pastoral Care and Outreach Committee for 21 years and remains a member. Merilyn has also served on various school committees, parish council and Neighbourhood Watch.
Merilyn’s dedication to OMEP Australia has been nothing short of exemplary. Her tireless efforts and passion for early childhood education have significantly impacted our community, making a lasting difference in the lives of countless children and their families. We are incredibly proud and grateful for Merilyn’s commitment. Her work embodies the values and mission of OMEP Australia, and her achievements inspire us all to strive for excellence in our endeavours.
Please join us in celebrating Merilyn Webb and her remarkable journey with OMEP Australia. We look forward to her continued involvement and the positive influence she will undoubtedly continue to have on our organization and the broader community.
