Dhurany
WELCOME
Welcome to another edition of Dhurany meaning “news” in Wiradjuri language. There has been a lot of action around the community since the last edition with a noticeable increase in the number of doctors registering for the Indigenous Health Initiative. 18 Practices have registered out of a possible 20. This means that there are more doctors that can assist with appropriate health checks, management of complex problems and provide closing the health gap scripts for medications.
This focus on health has also lead to an increase in Aboriginal employment opportunities. There are discussions underway looking at providing Aboriginal health worker training locally, saving many trips to Melbourne or Sydney or even northern NSW for AHW education. This is seen as an important development given that from July 2012 all clinical Aboriginal Health Workers must be registered with the Federal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia.
The community has also built on an extensive creative streak, with over 60 Aboriginal people taking part in the movie “The Sapphires” due to be released next year. Together with these budding actors there has been television adverts made featuring local people. The adverts have been run interstate and at national conferences.
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JAMES FALLON HIGH – BUSH TUKKA MOB
The Bush Tukka Cafe is a marvellous opportunity for Indigenous students to learn work skills and become more confident in employment, by learning all about café products and traditional bush tucker.
The cafe opened at James Fallon in 2009. Indigenous students work in the cafe taking orders from teachers, visitors and students. They process cappuccinos, lattes, flat white coffees, frappes and milkshakes.
Students develop work related skills such as point of sale operation including balancing the register, effective communication techniques as well as working as part of a team and applying safety in the work place.
Students make and market their own food products with an Indigenous twist.
A real favourite with customers is Aniseed Myrtle Fetta.
The Bush Tukka students also cater for small groups their Lemon Myrtle scones with Davidson Plum Jam are popular. Wattleseed Brownies are an all time favourite with guests, and the students also make gluten free products. All Bush Tukka products celebrate the fusion of native and contemporary ingredients.
This Christmas, Bush Tukka will be marketing their Indigenous Christmas cakes. Students have made wattle, gum leaves and gum nuts all from sugar paste to decorate the cakes.
Contact Jenny Saunders at James Fallon on 6025 1688.
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FILLING A RESOURCE GAP
Sexual health resources specifically for young, rural Aboriginal people in a community like ours are difficult to find.
Although we have great health services in the area, there is a gap in the information available that can help young people feel confident and at ease in using services, or even realize that they need to. A collaborative community project in Albury Wodonga is helping to fill that gap.
Since March 2011, 18 Albury Wodonga agencies, community groups and schools have worked with a team from the Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health (CERSH), University of Melbourne, to plan and develop a local project to build relationships, raise awareness of local sexual health issues and services and develop resources for sexual health workers and young Aboriginal people.
A community working party meets regularly to plan and develop the project.
This included running two forums around sexual health and respectful relationships at the Lake Hume Resort, on August 16th and 17th. The project has continued to work with three groups of young people engaged through the August forum, running regular workshops in drama, hip-hop dance and film-making. These workshops involve local leaders and sexual health workers, three different schools, and about 20 young Aboriginal participants.
They are all developing skills in their chosen medium, making You-tube clips on sexual health and healthy relationship themes. In addition, the entire project process is being filmed with the aim of producing a resource for organizations wishing to work with communities in this way. Film and resource clips will be available in early 2012.
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HEALING THROUGH ART
The Blue Healers – Healing through Art Aboriginal women’s group is going from strength to strength.
The group meets weekly on a Monday at 12 noon until 3pm and alternates their meeting venue between the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service and the Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation. Lunch and transport provided.
This year the group became actively involved in producing some spectacular art works that have been sold with monies going back to the group to develop the program. The group is auspiced by Anglicare with support by Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation, Albury City Council, Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service and the GP Network.
It is a relaxed group that encourages open discussion which on occasions is just damned funny!
The group will begin again in February, so come along and join in. It really is good for the soul. Recently the group held a successful exhibition at Creators Gallery with the help of Murray Arts and sold out all of their art pieces. For further information contact Tia Day at Anglicare on (03) 5721 9088.
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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Catherine’s sister came home from work one day, telling Catherine about a project that was in development.
Catherine, hearing about Wilson Transformer Company’s Aboriginal Youth Development Program asked for her name to be put down when it eventuated. Catherine had developed an interest in engineering since leaving school in Year 8, and was employed building industrial sheds for 5 to 6 years but lacked any qualifications.
Her goal was to learn the theory behind the work that she had been doing. Catherine’s aim was to achieve a job in Wodonga to be closer to her family and support for her twin boys aged five. Catherine was selected as suitable for the program and commenced as a trainee in July this year. Within two weeks of the program commencing Catherine had completed 3 modules of the Certificate II in Engineering and Fabrication.
With Catherine doing so well in the “hands on” and theory components of the training discussions were held between the trainers and Wilson Transformer Company with Catherine being offered part-time work on August 22 this year. Catherine is continuing the traineeship and works three days one week and two days the following week in the welding section at Wilson Transformer Company in Wodonga.
As of Tuesday November 16, Catherine and one other trainee from the program have been offered apprenticeships at Wilson Transformer Company commencing early in 2012.
If you are interested in participating in this program contact Ollie Patten on 0488 633 072
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CULTURAL PROTOCOLS
Welcome to Country: A ‘Welcome to Country’ is where an Aboriginal custodian welcomes people to their land at the beginning of a meeting, event or ceremony. An appropriate person such as a recognised Elder within the local area needs to conduct this welcome or may ask a respected person to support them in doing a welcome. Welcome to Country enables Traditional Custodians to give their blessing for the event.
It is an important mark of respect for Aboriginal people.
Local Aboriginal organisations may be contacted to recommend an appropriate Elder to conduct a Welcome to Country Acknowledgement of Country An ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ is where other people acknowledge and show respect for the traditional custodians of the land on which an event is taking place.
This can be done by anyone, it is sign of respect. The Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Community Working Party encourages the Acknowledgement of Country at events including conferences, seminars, workshops and formal meetings and gatherings.
Example 1: ‘I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today (you may want to add the nation Wiradjuri / Dhudhuroa).
I would also like to pay my respects to Elders both past, present and any Elders here today.”
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CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP IN THE HUME REGION
In 2009 a Hume Region Closing the Health Gap Steering Committee was established with representatives from primary health care and Aboriginal community organisations.
These projects were identified by the steering committee:
The Client journey project aims to improve the client journey between the hospital and primary care services across the Hume Region. So far, the client journey project has developed a model and a resource kit to assist with achieving the above goal. Currently there are three health services in the Hume Region trialling the model and resource kit; they are Seymour Health (Lower Hume), Northeast Health Wangaratta (Central Hume) and Goulburn Valley Health (Goulburn Valley).
The cultural competency project aims to increase the cultural competence of the service system.
The cultural competency project is now in the final stages of developing a cultural competency framework (incorporating organisational standards) for the Hume Region.
The Lower Hume Project aims to identify health and wellbeing needs, gaps, and issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the Lower Hume; and implement relevant community initiatives in response to the identified needs, gaps and issues.
The Lower Hume Project has received permission to utilise a residential property located on Seymour Health hospital campus.
Goranwarrabul House is a place that is dedicated to improving health and wellbeing needs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
Goranwarrabul House aims to offer various health and wellbeing workshops, training, information sessions and groups to educate and improve health issues, barriers and outcomes for the Lower Hume Communities.
The Central Hume Project aims to build an understanding of the health needs and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities living in that catchment; and implement relevant community initiatives in response to the identified health needs and priorities.
Central Hume has a number of positive initiatives under way including: hospital information sessions in Mansfield, and free health checks and Zumba classes in Wangaratta.
The Young Women’s Pregnancy Journey Project aims to improve services and programs to address the health and wellbeing of young Aboriginal women living in the Hume Region.
Phase one of the project has just been completed. It focussed on researching the pregnancy journey and health needs of young women in Hume Region.
Phase two of the project is about to begin and a project officer will be employed to implement 5 key strategies over the next three years to improve the pregnancy journey for young women in Hume Region.
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SUPPORT DHURANY
If you would like to support the next Dhurany community feature by placing an advert, please contact one of the Albury Wodonga NewsWeekly advertising consultants on (02) 6022 5800 or alternatively e-mail advertising@awnw.com.au
