Tara Pipicelli fondly recalls her time overseas even though it involved war and extreme living conditions.By Sarah Thompson
IN 1996 Pakenham woman Tara Pipicelli struggled with war and extreme living conditions to fulfil her dream of working overseas.
The then 23yearold Melbourne University Law and Economics graduate secured a position with the National Youth Council in Colombo as part of the Australian Volunteers Abroad Program to teach netball to teenagers from all over Sri Lanka.
Ten years later Tara now resides in Mornington with husband Marc Bressan and their two children Tynan, 2, and Cohan, 8 months, and still fondly recalls her time abroad which took her through Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Maldives.
“I went to Sri Lanka with Australian Volunteers abroad and I was placed in a little village compound where I was teaching netball to 16 to 18yearolds seven days a week.
“I lived in basic facilities, washed in a well because there were no bathrooms, and ate the local food.
“It was a beautiful setting.”
Only 10 days after her arrival the Central Bank of Sri Lanka was bombed, starting a civil war that is still in progress today.
“There was a strong military presence, young men with machine guns and road blocks everywhere you went.
“It was scary but basically you got used to it.”
The war in no way dampened Tara’s trip.
Her role as netball teacher and coach took her and her young team right around Sri Lanka, playing in many competitions in order for her students to ensure future employment.
“All of the major corporations and government agencies have sports teams and it is an avenue for getting a job.
“Students get a job playing the sport they are good at while working at the same time.”
Tara has continued to keep in contact with her students, and travelled back to Sri Lanka with her husband in early 1999 to catch up with them all.
“It was good to go back not a lot had changed.
“The country was still absolutely beautiful.
“Tourism would go crazy over there if there wasn’t a war,” she said.
Tara concedes that whilst the memories of her trip will last a lifetime, it has had little impact on the career and life choices she has made since returning to Australia.
“It hasn’t influenced my career.
“At the moment I’m a mum but when I came back I did training in law for four years then went to Frankston legal aid before going on maternity leave.
“I chose law as an avenue of helping as opposed to an avenue for making money.”
Tara plans to return to her role as a legal aid, and plans for another trip to Sri Lanka may also be on the cards.
“I’d love to go back and take the kids but there are still problems with safety issues.”
For now Tara is content with the memories of her year abroad, and is relishing in her role of wife and mother.
