A three-day program provided an opportunity for Aboriginal women to connect with one another and their culture in the Hunter during the week.
The We Care NSW (We Care) project, the Sista Circle, was designed collaboratively with Wonnarua (Maitland), Awabakal (Newcastle) and Worimi (Port Stephens) community members to convey culturally-appropriate mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
And, with support from the nib foundation, the Aboriginal-owned not-for-profit also invited its Indigenous participants, as well as staff, to join the development camp.
The Sista Circle, led by Kellie Forrest, followed the organisation’s Yarn Up Connecting Countries programs delivered to Aboriginal youth and men last year.
We Care director and clinical psychologist Todd Heard said both initiatives were a culturally and clinically-integrated response to the mental health issues he’d witnessed in his community.
“In Australia, deaths by suicide represent a leading cause of preventable death for Aboriginal peoples,” he explained.
“First Nations peoples are also twice as likely to die by suicide than non-Indigenous Australians.”
Executive officer Amy Tribe said following the success of the eight Yarn Up Connecting Countries programs in 2022, the nib foundation was eager to fund The Sista Circle in 2023.
“There are great benefits in bringing people together in this way,” she stated.
“As a health company, we are very aware of the importance of good social and emotional wellbeing.
“And, in collaboration with First Nations peoples, we are very happy to support We Care’s work delivering benefits to their communities.”
Since its establishment in 2008, the nib foundation has provided $24.9 million in funding to 191 charitable organisations that help people live healthier lives.
This includes their Aboriginal Health Partnership program, which supports community-led groups looking to deliver strengths-based and culturally-safe initiatives with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Each camp is conducted over three days and includes activities that promote a sense of connection to self, community, culture and country.
The original Yarn Up Connecting Countries program targeted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men aged between 18 and 35.
The venture expanded to Aboriginal youth, from 13 to 18, and now to Aboriginal women, addressing specific recommendations from local community consultation.
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