28/07/2010
The Benevolent Society’s Stronger Women, Stronger Communities Indigenous Leadership program is achieving great results, by equipping Aboriginal women in the Macarthur area with the confidence and skills to achieve their own goals, and share their learnings with the community.
“Before they graduated from the program, these women already were leaders in some way in their community, although they may not have recognized it themselves. The program aims to help them realize and build on their leadership skills and potential,” said the program coordinator Alana Moffett, Aboriginal Community Worker with The Benevolent Society.
The program, now in it’s second year, runs over a four-month period. During this time, the participants meet weekly to take part in workshops and explore a range of skills, techniques and ideas relating to leadership.
Graduate of the 2009 group, Loretta said it gave her the opportunity to brush up on skills like effective communication, public speaking and presentation skills, and setting and achieving goals. She was inspired by the guest speakers who shared their own stories and experiences with the program participants.
“They told us all about their past, how they started out at the bottom and built their way up. Hearing these women’s stories and all about the opportunities that are out there inspired us all. It opened our eyes and got us to think a bit different,” Loretta said.
Since completing the 2009 program, each of the nine graduates have continued to grow and achieve. Some women have gone on to enrol in tertiary and postgraduate studies, or gain full time employment in new jobs.
Two graduates have taken positions with the local Land Council, and several of the graduates have been involved in setting up a Campbelltown chapter of Koori Toastmasters, to further develop their own public speaking skills and share their learnings with others in the community.
“The women all came such a long way over just a few months; they’ve really put themselves out there and achieved some great results. I’m so proud of them all,” said Alana.
Since graduating last year, Loretta has gone on to gain TAFE qualifications in Community Welfare and get a job in the sector.
“I was in a domestic violence situation for quite a while, but doing these programs has helped me turn things around. It kind of helped me build on that and make my life better.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect, going into the leadership program. But looking back on how I was at the beginning I would never have been able to do the things I’m doing now back then. I wouldn’t even go out and socialize, things were pretty horrible for me then. And now I’m working!”
Loretta enjoys working in the Community Welfare sector, and says it is important to her to be able to help other women and their families in her community.
Another graduate, Breeanna Caldwell says the program has whet her appetite to work with the local Aboriginal community, as well as further develop her own leadership skills.
“It was a starter for me, and now I want to expand my skills. I’ve applied to the FaHCSIA youth leadership program, and will find out whether I’ve been accepted into it soon,” she said.
“I’m now in a new job, working with the Aboriginal community here, at an Intake and Referral Service. It’s good because I get to see and work with potential leaders in the community, and share the skills I learnt in the Macarthur Indigenous Women’s Leadership program.”
As part of the program, the participants work together to develop a resource for the community. The graduates of the 2009 program developed a set of Spirit Strength cards called Bangawarra, which in the D’harawal language, means “to achieve strength”.
“The cards are designed to be used in a therapeutic context, as a tool to help women get talking, to find or describe concepts and ideas, and think about their own strengths,” said Alana. “They are a resource not just for Aboriginal women, but for everyone.”
The artwork on the cards was designed and created by the women in the program, using a combination of multimedia, collage and paint. Each image embodies the participants’ own strengths, and their desire to make a positive contribution to other women in their community.
“We put a lot of thought into them. Each card represents something – there’s a story behind each card, from someone in the group,” said Loretta, who designed the cards titled Leader, Loving, Teacher, and Healer.
“We just hoped they might get printed and be distributed to counsellors so that other Aboriginal women could use them, for guidance in their own lives,” she said.
On July 28th the women will reunite to launch this beautiful new resource, and reflect on their journey since graduating from the Macarthur Indigenous Women’s Leadership Program.
The card packs will be distributed for free to community organizations that work with women.
They will be joined at the launch event by the participants of this years program, who are currently in the process of developing their own community resource.
The Macarthur Indigenous Women’s Leadership Program is funded by FaHCSIA, and delivered at The Benevolent Society’s Centre for Women’s Health in Campbelltown. For more information about the program, or about the Bangawarra Spirit Strength Cards, please phone the Centre, on 02) 4633 3777.
Media enquiries to Erin Schrieber, ph 0410 003 934 or 02) 9339 9325