HOW WE HELPED
Aboriginal Services
This year 3049 of our clients identified as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage.
We continued to deliver culturally appropriate services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups this year, as well as partnered and engaged with numerous communities and organisations in our regions to meet identified needs.
One of our new programs is Sista 2 Sista. Interrelate partners with Ghinni Ghinni Youth and Culture Aboriginal Corporation to deliver the program, which supports young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women between 13-25 years of age who have come to the attention of community elders, police, Juvenile Justice, government or non-government agencies in the Taree and Kempsey areas. These young women are at risk of domestic violence, crime, disengagement from education, substance abuse or poor parenting practices. Sista 2 Sista uses art therapy as a base to deliver culturally appropriate and holistic education programs that incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, traditions and customs.
Through Sista 2 Sista, women are empowered to work on processing traumatic experiences through art, while having greater access to vital services such as counselling and family support. The sessions are led by community elders and invited guest speakers from community service organisations. During the art sessions each week, topics such as wellness, parenting, anger management and drugs and alcohol are discussed. Women are also encouraged to develop skills through exhibiting and selling their artwork.
The outcomes of Sista 2 Sista include the broader community objectives of lowering the rates of child protection notifications, reducing domestic violence incidents and mental health referrals.
To celebrate the official launch of Connect, a Family Mental Health Support Service in Coonamble in Central West NSW, Interrelate, in collaboration with Milan Dhiiyaan( local Wailwaan Artists) developed Yulawana Dhawuga, a cultural program to help support Coonamble’ s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families to connect with culture.
Yulawana Dhawuga( Dancing on Country) is a six-week program where local Aboriginal children and their families are given the opportunity to gather together to learn more about local Wailwaan and Gamilaraay culture, through dance and stories.
The program ran from 15 January – 15 February 2016 and culminated in a community Corroboree, held on the banks of Eurimie Creek, where participants were given the opportunity to perform and feel proud of their cultural identity.
Program facilitators were local Wailwaan or Gamilaraay people, or had relevant cultural knowledge, and had been nominated by Wailwaan and Gamilaraay people who are part of the Native Title claim on the lands of Coonamble and surrounds. In developing this program, consultation took place with local community Elders, the Community Working Party Chairperson and the Coonamble Aboriginal Land Council Chairperson who all supported the program. Interrelate and local cultural custodians believe that the benefits of cultural development through programs like this can be far reaching and can include increased wellbeing, resilience and community cohesion for Aboriginal people.
A total of 67 people participated in the program, which included volunteer support from the community. Feedback indicates that participants experienced a deeper connection to country, culture and the community, which increased levels of wellbeing, identity and kinship. Comments received have indicated how much the community support the program and would like it to continue.
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