MAKE A DIFFERENCE : Warrior Woman Foundation
by Lorna Gordon
Making the transition to becoming an adult isn ’ t an easy one ; you have to navigate school , find a job , leave home , manage your money and learn to look after yourself . These things can be challenging even with a family who helps out , so imagine trying to do this when you are a young woman who might be coming out of the foster care system or are lacking family or community support to make this transition successfully .
Jessica Brown realised there was a gap that many young women were falling through so started the Warrior Woman Foundation in 2020 to provide support and education for these young women to help them become successful and independent individuals . One of the ways she is helping them is through the Young Warrior Woman Program .
The young women who take part in the program are between 17 and 25 years old and may have experienced difficulties with mental health , have been impacted by domestic abuse or be living in foster or state care . They could be an immigrant to Australia , living with a disability , part of the LGBTQIA + community , or young women who simply need additional help .
Local facilitator for the Warrior Woman Foundation , Sarah Lambert , took time out of her busy schedule to explain what this program was and why it was so important to get behind .
“ The young women take part in a six-month mentoring program in the form of workshops and meetings . These are designed to help increase their confidence , help them consider their next steps in study or employment , become financially literate so they can manage their money and know how to develop healthy relationships with friends and partners ,” Sarah said .
“ They each get matched with a mentor , who is usually an older woman with life experience who is willing to step up and give the younger woman support , advice and encouragement with personal catch ups as well as help them with the workshops .”
Every effort is made to give the young women the assistance they need to complete the program . For those who don ’ t have a laptop or device suitable for the online sections of the course , the Foundation has computers to loan , so that lack of technology isn ’ t a barrier . When they are matched with a mentor , the Foundation takes time to understand what the young woman needs to ensure they find a mentor who is the right fit and can
Sarah Lambert ( bottom right ), the facilitator for the Warrior Woman Foundation , is joined by some of the mentors for the Young Warrior Woman Program .
help them achieve their hopes .
The Warrior Women Foundation are always looking for new mentors to help in the program , they want women over 25 years old from all backgrounds who are willing to provide support , guidance and share their life experiences with the younger women . They have to be open to training and be available for the duration of the six month program .
Sarah told me that quite often the older women learn from the younger ones they are mentoring , and this helps to build a strong relationship between them .
If you think you could be a mentor in this amazing program or know of a young woman who would benefit from being part of it , please contact Warrior Woman Foundation on 1300 860 818 or go to their website at www . warriorwoman . org . au .
8 ISSUE 94 // APRIL 2023 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT