Peter’s Selfie with Senior Erna Tjandra
RUNNER UP
This selfie captures my grandma in her home country, Indonesia, reuniting with all her grandchildren together for the first time in years.
Grandma, or Ngguama as I call her, is an absolute battler.
Born during the Japanese occupation in World War 2, she left school in Year 10 to work and support her family.
Ngguama has a keen mind and trained herself to be a killer cook. Through sheer will, sometimes working for 48 hours straight, she was able to start a successful food business.
Wanting her kids and grandkids to live easier lives than her, she made sure all of her kids finished school and was able to put my mum through university in Australia.
When I was born, we had no family in Australia, so Ngguama came all the way to Australia despite having zero English ability.
I am so grateful for her unconditional love and support, spoiling me with delicious food and teaching me how to be a good, hardworking person.
Nowadays, Ngguama is famous in our community for her hospitality and her delicious Indonesian snacks that we sell on the Nightcliff Foreshore every Sunday evening to fundraise for a different charity each year.
Selfie with a Senior sponsored by COTA NT and NT Seniors Card.
