16 | T H E B A R O SSA MA G
"When you go through
something hard, something
great can come out of it. I feel
like I don’t take anything in my
life for granted, and I can see
the beauty again."
- Andrea McKinley
>> The Kindness Collective: Louise Langford, Andrea McKinley and Penny Sawyer.
Andrea McKinley is testament
to the adage that a little kindness
goes a long way.
The Angaston mum-of-three is the
heart behind the Kindness Collective
Barossa Valley, a group of mums
using their own lived experiences to
help others navigate the sometimes
challenging years of parenthood.
“Collectively we have experienced a
diverse range of parenting challenges
like post-natal depression and anxiety,
relationship issues, post-traumatic
stress disorder and infant loss,”
explains Andrea.
“We also have mums who haven’t been
formally diagnosed, but recognise how
difficult being a mum is, and that
the struggles are real.”
Andrea speaks with searing honesty
about her own experience of post-natal
anxiety when her daughter, Tui was
15-months-old, and again after the
birth of her twin boys, Ribo and Mahè.
Andrea describes the “downward spiral”
she couldn’t explain or rationalise,
which left her feeling confused,
angry and on edge.
“The second time I spiralled quite
quickly, and worse,” says Andrea.
“I lived in this beautiful place, I had
three healthy kids, and I couldn’t
see the beauty of it.”
But hers is also a story of healing and
hope, and a lesson in the practice of
“being kind to yourself.”
“When you go through something hard,
something great can come out of it,”
says the 42-year-old. “I feel like I don’t
take anything in my life for granted,
and I can see the beauty again.
“I wanted to help because I feel like
I have learned so much on this journey
that I can share, before I lose the raw
memory of it.”
Knowing she wasn’t alone in
her experience, Andrea initiated
conversations with trusted friends
and professionals and, in typical
Barossa fashion, found a groundswell
of support from like-minded people.
Under the mentorship of local
psychologist, Jodi Marshall, the not-
for-profit group was launched on
International Women’s Day this year
and soon found its niche.
“We kept coming back to this simple
idea of using our lived experience and
the power of conversation,” says Andrea.
“When you’ve been through something
you can listen and empathise, there’s an
honesty and understanding – it’s just
a different kind of sharing.”
Nine months on, the Kindness
Collective continues to evolve
organically, its nine members discretely
pr
m
M
m
an
co
or
“W
no
su
ar
pr
“W
kn
ot
“