‘I'm just trying to create something educational that our children can relate to’
It was a discrimination incident that prompted Lillie Elsie Jordan to finally create Are We There Yet? - a children’s activity book - to do her bit to help combat the stigma that Romany Gypsies and Travellers all so often face.
"So, when I had the initial idea, it was back in the summer,” Lillie tells the Travellers’ Times.
“There was an incident with discrimination - I don't want to go into the details to protect the victims privacy - and I would definitely say that this gave me the push to finally go ahead and publish Are We There Yet? because I was like, no, this needs to stop.”
Are We There Yet? – which is now for sale through Amazon - was named after the constant refrain that many mums and dads hear when on a journey with their children – and in Lillie’s case it often when the family set off during the Travelling season and where on their way to visit fairs and other events.
Watch: Lillie’s promotional video of Are We There Yet?
Lillie explains that Are We There Yet? Is full of educational activities that Gypsy and Traveller children can relate to and that they recognise from their own culture – and it is already attracting some good feedback.
“One of the teachers from my daughter’s school sat down with one of the students that live on my site, and she never, ever could get a conversation out of this little girl about anything,” says Lillie.
“And the little girl started to get really into the activities, and it created sort of a bond between that teacher and the student.”
Lillie also sent the book to a few Gypsy and Traveller social media influencers – including Heidi Clee, a Tik Tok influencer who is a Traveller and married to a Gypsy man.
“I sent Heidi a book and she showed it to her youngest boy and straight away he was interested in the maths questions, because they are not like - ‘how many apples does Joey have’ - instead it's, 'I went to work today, and I had this many jobs for this much money.’
“Heidi actually messaged me, and she said, “both my children proper loved them, they are so good, my husband brought them down to show he's dad as well, he couldn't get over them, literally everyone one form the oldest to the youngest has loved them"
Watch: Heidi Clee reviews Are We There Yet?
“It's done quite well, really, so far,” says Lillie, adding that the feedback so far is that this book must be in available in schools – because there is so little out there for Gypsy and Traveller children.
“I'm just trying to create something educational that our children can relate to – especially the boys - to keep them keen and to keep them interested, because, bless them, I've got male relatives and they can't read nor write, and that needs to change.”
Watch: gypsykingpashy reviews Are We There Yet?
TT News
(Photographs courtesy of Lille Elsie Jordan)
Are We There Yet is available to buy on Amazon: Are We There Yet?: Amazon.co.uk: Jordan, Lillie Elsie: 9798311260749: Books
