About Me

chandu bickford

Chandu would like to acknowledge the Darug and Gundungurra people as the traditional owners and custodians of the land. She pays her respects to the elders past, present and emerging. 

About Me

chandu bickford

Chandu would like to acknowledge the Darug and Gundungurra people as the traditional owners and custodians of the land. She pays her respects to the elders past, present and emerging. 

Starting Out

I was born and raised in the beautiful Blue Mountains World Heritage National Park, outside of Sydney, Australia. I studied nursing and in my seven years of practice learned the value of asking good questions, helping people through challenging times and how important it is to have a courageous mindset if you want to live a healthy and rewarding life.

In my spare time I wrote poetry and dragged an easel out to rugged cliff tops where I painted landscapes in oils. My creative work and heart have always been inspired by the vast wilderness around me.

In my early twenties, I felt challenged by life’s bigger questions

Who am I?

Why am I here?

And what am I doing with my life?

Un-settled and unable to find answers in my home or heart, I set out on a seven-month journey overseas. I didn’t return to live in Australia for twelve years.

Journeys & Learning

I began tapping into and using my intuition as a guide. My journey took me to some of the most difficult & remote places on the planet.
 
From the high-altitude plateaus of Tibet and Nepal, and the open, wildlife-filled savannahs of Africa, to the deserts & holy rivers of India & the remote mountains ranges in New Zealand & China, I travelled, seeking out teachers & opportunities to learn about life & myself. I immersed myself deeply and learned a great deal about culture and communication, diversity, change & divinity. I studied & became an ardent practitioner of meditation.
 
Without easy access to art supplies, writing became my constant companion in my ever-changing & often challenging world.

New Eyes, New Beginnings

Eventually I settled in a remote & traditional East African village. I lived in a mud hut, without electricity, telephone or transport for many years. Water was carried from a village tap half a kilometre away & crops of corn & beans were sown, grown & harvested by hand.

It was here, living intimately with the seasons, & in isolation, watching the struggles of the local village women, that I discovered & began to understand the importance of business as a means of survival & self-empowerment.

The indigenous women of the region had a daily challenge to educate, feed, clothe and house their children. Money for simple lifesaving medications for malaria was hard to earn.

To support income generating opportunities I created a fledgling international fair-trade enterprise. This provided pathways for the local women to continue their fast-disappearing traditional tribal arts & crafts while also helping them earn the much-needed income to support their families.

To compliment my grass roots enterprise work in Africa, I also established myself as a Cultural Educator in Australia – creating a range of lively and interactive cultural workshops and performances for the Early Childhood Sector and Primary and High Schools. Through storytelling, speaking, performance & education, I explored the challenging subjects of culture, diversity, inclusivity & prejudice through fun & creative programs for children and young adults.

As these workshops and performances grew in popularity, I began working in collaboration with local councils, NGO’s and community groups who wished to deepen their knowledge and skills in communication, culture and diversity.

My love of business & communication led me onto further studies in business and leadership and I began a life that straddled Africa and Australia – two continents & two unique worlds of business, nature, art, communication and change.

Starting Out

 

I was born and raised in the beautiful Blue Mountains World Heritage National Park, outside of Sydney, Australia. I studied nursing and in my seven years of practice learned the value of asking good questions, helping people through challenging times and how important it is to have a courageous mindset if you want to live a healthy and rewarding life.

In my spare time I wrote poetry and dragged an easel out to rugged cliff tops where I painted landscapes in oils. My creative work and heart have always been inspired by the vast wilderness around me.

In my early twenties, I felt challenged by life’s bigger questions

Who am I?

Why am I here?

And what am I doing with my life?

Un-settled and unable to find answers in my home or heart, I set out on a seven-month journey overseas. I didn’t return to live in Australia for twelve years.

Journeys & Learning

 
I began tapping into and using my intuition as a guide. My journey took me to some of the most difficult & remote places on the planet.
 
From the high-altitude plateaus of Tibet and Nepal, and the open, wildlife-filled savannahs of Africa, to the deserts & holy rivers of India & the remote mountains ranges in New Zealand & China, I travelled, seeking out teachers & opportunities to learn about life & myself. I immersed myself deeply and learned a great deal about culture and communication, diversity, change & divinity. I studied & became an ardent practitioner of meditation.
 
Without easy access to art supplies, writing became my constant companion in my ever-changing & often challenging world.

New Eyes, New Beginnings

Eventually I settled in a remote & traditional East African village. I lived in a mud hut, without electricity, telephone or transport for many years. Water was carried from a village tap half a kilometre away & crops of corn & beans were sown, grown & harvested by hand.

It was here, living intimately with the seasons, & in isolation, watching the struggles of the local village women, that I discovered & began to understand the importance of business as a means of survival & self-empowerment.

The indigenous women of the region had a daily challenge to educate, feed, clothe and house their children. Money for simple lifesaving medications for malaria was hard to earn.

To support income generating opportunities I created a fledgling international fair-trade enterprise. This provided pathways for the local women to continue their fast-disappearing traditional tribal arts & crafts while also helping them earn the much-needed income to support their families.

 

To compliment my grass roots enterprise work in Africa, I also established myself as a Cultural Educator in Australia – creating a range of lively and interactive cultural workshops and performances for the Early Childhood Sector and Primary and High Schools. Through storytelling, speaking, performance & education, I explored the challenging subjects of culture, diversity, inclusivity & prejudice through fun & creative programs for children and young adults.

As these workshops and performances grew in popularity, I began working in collaboration with local councils, NGO’s and community groups who wished to deepen their knowledge and skills in communication, culture and diversity.

My love of business & communication led me onto further studies in business and leadership and I began a life that straddled Africa and Australia – two continents & two unique worlds of business, nature, art, communication and change.

Now

I now live in Australia full time and have settled back into the rugged and beautiful bush of my childhood Blue Mountains home. I continue to draw on my diverse life experiences to deepen my ongoing studies & work with individuals & groups as they navigate the new territory & times of change, risk & transition.
 
I bring vibrancy, opportunities for pause, reflection and poise to individuals, groups, communities and organisations through my writing, poetry, public speaking and storytelling.
 
I continue to dedicate my time to creating and delivering inspiring educational programs for business groups and love my mentoring work, where I support both personal and professional development in people who seek support and sanity as they move through times of transition.
 
I am a mother, a writer and creative practitioner.
 
I am an active advocate for women and disenfranchised groups and in recent years have created programs for corporates, the disability sector, schools and the long-term unemployed.
 
I tailor my services to suit individuals and groups who dare to want to do things differently. And for those who long for more clarity, courage and sustainable and fulfilling change in their lives.

Now

I now live in Australia full time and have settled back into the rugged and beautiful bush of my childhood Blue Mountains home. I continue to draw on my diverse life experiences to deepen my ongoing studies & work with individuals & groups as they navigate the new territory & times of change, risk & transition.
 
I bring vibrancy, opportunities for pause, reflection and poise to individuals, groups, communities and organisations through my writing, poetry, public speaking and storytelling.
 
I continue to dedicate my time to creating and delivering inspiring educational programs for business groups and love my mentoring work, where I support both personal and professional development in people who seek support and sanity as they move through times of transition.
 
I am a mother, a writer and creative practitioner.
 
I am an active advocate for women and disenfranchised groups and in recent years have created programs for corporates, the disability sector, schools and the long-term unemployed.
 
I tailor my services to suit individuals and groups who dare to want to do things differently. And for those who long for more clarity, courage and sustainable and fulfilling change in their lives.
Would you love support to make a change today?

We can’t always change our environment.
But we can change how we look at things.

Sometimes it’s not the place or situation that needs to change.
It’s us.

And this is something we can take charge of.
Our attitude.
Our perception.
Our perceived possibilities.
Our sense of hope.

 

Would you like to make a change today