When I first became a mother, I thought I could do it all. With endless parenting resources at my fingertips, I believed I did not need anyone else, that I could raise my children on my own. But I quickly learned how wrong I was.
Becoming a new mother while also being a new migrant to Australia made me face the truth of that African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child.”
No amount of books, blogs, or expert advice could replace what community gives a child: belonging, trust, and the sense that they are part of something bigger. As my children grow, I continue to see how essential a village really is.
Creating a Village Away From Home
For me, the idea of a “village” was complicated. My natural village, parents, siblings, lifelong friends was thousands of miles away. In Australia, I had to build something new, often from scratch. That took effort, energy, and more vulnerability than I expected.
I discovered that a village doesn’t always mean a large circle. Sometimes it is just a few trusted people who step in at the right moment: a neighbor who drops by with soup when your child is unwell, a fellow parent at school who becomes a confidante, a colleague who helps when work and motherhood collide.
I found community in local parent groups and school networks, where a simple chat at pick-up turned into lasting friendships. I leaned into cultural events and community groups that celebrated belonging, even when far from home. Slowly, I built what I call my “micro-villages”, smaller but deeply supportive networks that give my children a sense of stability, identity, and connection.
And most importantly, I kept ties alive with family across the ocean. Video calls, shared traditions, and constant communication meant that although far in distance, my children still felt close to their roots.
Why Children Need a Village
What I’ve learned is this: children thrive not just on the love of parents, but on the encouragement, guidance, and role models of others. A smile from a teacher, praise from a coach, or gentle correction from another trusted adult builds resilience, identity, and trust.
The village gives children:
Belonging: feeling safe and accepted
Influence: knowing they matter and can make a difference
Integration: trusting their needs will be met within the community
Shared connection: bonding through common experience, place, or history
When my children thrive in the company of these villages, whether near or far, I am reminded that the effort to build them is worth everything.
The Parallel at Work
What I have learned about raising children also shows up in the workplace. Just as a child cannot grow in isolation, a workplace vision cannot thrive if it is carried by only a few people.
At home, my children flourish when they feel they belong, when they know their voices matter, and when they see that even small actions connect to something larger. I notice the same in my professional life.
A vision feels alive when people:
experience a genuine sense of belonging to it,
see how their contributions influence its direction,
notice how it is woven into daily work, not just strategy documents, and
feel an emotional connection to its purpose.
Just as I had to be intentional about creating a village for my children in Australia, I have noticed that workplace villages seem to grow in the same way. They don’t happen overnight. They take shape slowly, through everyday acts of trust, encouragement, and shared responsibility.
Gratitude to My Villages
I often think about how lucky I am to have more than one village. For my children, it stretches across oceans and into our everyday life here in Australia. Family who stay connected from afar, friends who step in when I need a hand, neighbors who check in, and colleagues who understand the juggle of working parenthood. Together, they remind me that my children are never truly alone.
At work, I feel a similar sense of connection. The support, encouragement, and shared purpose I experience with colleagues and teammates creates its own kind of village, one that makes the vision we work toward feel real and collective.
Both at home and at work, I am reminded of the same simple truth:
It Takes a Village: At Home and At Work
When I first became a mother, I thought I could do it all. With endless parenting resources at my fingertips, I believed I did not need anyone else, that I could raise my children on my own. But I quickly learned how wrong I was.
Becoming a new mother while also being a new migrant to Australia made me face the truth of that African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child.”
No amount of books, blogs, or expert advice could replace what community gives a child: belonging, trust, and the sense that they are part of something bigger. As my children grow, I continue to see how essential a village really is.
Creating a Village Away From Home
For me, the idea of a “village” was complicated. My natural village, parents, siblings, lifelong friends was thousands of miles away. In Australia, I had to build something new, often from scratch. That took effort, energy, and more vulnerability than I expected.
I discovered that a village doesn’t always mean a large circle. Sometimes it is just a few trusted people who step in at the right moment: a neighbor who drops by with soup when your child is unwell, a fellow parent at school who becomes a confidante, a colleague who helps when work and motherhood collide.
I found community in local parent groups and school networks, where a simple chat at pick-up turned into lasting friendships. I leaned into cultural events and community groups that celebrated belonging, even when far from home. Slowly, I built what I call my “micro-villages”, smaller but deeply supportive networks that give my children a sense of stability, identity, and connection.
And most importantly, I kept ties alive with family across the ocean. Video calls, shared traditions, and constant communication meant that although far in distance, my children still felt close to their roots.
Why Children Need a Village
What I’ve learned is this: children thrive not just on the love of parents, but on the encouragement, guidance, and role models of others. A smile from a teacher, praise from a coach, or gentle correction from another trusted adult builds resilience, identity, and trust.
The village gives children:
Belonging: feeling safe and accepted
Influence: knowing they matter and can make a difference
Integration: trusting their needs will be met within the community
Shared connection: bonding through common experience, place, or history
When my children thrive in the company of these villages, whether near or far, I am reminded that the effort to build them is worth everything.
The Parallel at Work
What I have learned about raising children also shows up in the workplace. Just as a child cannot grow in isolation, a workplace vision cannot thrive if it is carried by only a few people.
At home, my children flourish when they feel they belong, when they know their voices matter, and when they see that even small actions connect to something larger. I notice the same in my professional life.
A vision feels alive when people:
experience a genuine sense of belonging to it,
see how their contributions influence its direction,
notice how it is woven into daily work, not just strategy documents, and
feel an emotional connection to its purpose.
Just as I had to be intentional about creating a village for my children in Australia, I have noticed that workplace villages seem to grow in the same way. They don’t happen overnight. They take shape slowly, through everyday acts of trust, encouragement, and shared responsibility.
Gratitude to My Villages
I often think about how lucky I am to have more than one village. For my children, it stretches across oceans and into our everyday life here in Australia. Family who stay connected from afar, friends who step in when I need a hand, neighbors who check in, and colleagues who understand the juggle of working parenthood. Together, they remind me that my children are never truly alone.
At work, I feel a similar sense of connection. The support, encouragement, and shared purpose I experience with colleagues and teammates creates its own kind of village, one that makes the vision we work toward feel real and collective.
Both at home and at work, I am reminded of the same simple truth:
It takes a village.
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