Activities 2008/09
Fitzroy Crossing
The Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek communities in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, as recently highlighted in the Australian media, are where alcohol has been a root cause in the breakdown of the social fabric in the community. Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek are among the communities worst effected by alcohol, drugs and abuse in Australia.
The Australian Children's Trust has established a “Men in Sheds” type project, where men can go to do positive things with their lives – woodwork, carving, leatherwork, metalwork. It is a place that can integrate the services of government higher education facilities; a place where the Fortescue Metals Group sponsored Vocation Training & Education (“VTEC”) can tie in, offering opportunities for real jobs, in all sectors but particularly in the mining industry. The Shed can also host counselling specifically for men and encourage male-to-male positive relationships.
Halls Creek
The Australian Children's Trust is funding the Halls Creek School Nutrition Programme, a programme to improve student response and learning, based on the provision of a healthy meal, tied in with teaching parents the value of such meals.
A Nutrition Program Co-ordinator is involved in education, food preparation and coordination of community nutrition programs.
Students are provided with breakfast, morning tea and lunch, and are involved in the design of the menu, food preparation and learning about how this can be done at home. They are also educated through this program in how healthy food can improve their quality of life and learning outcomes. Parents and community members are involved in food preparation and education activities learning about healthy foods and budgeting, and school classes use this information to look at financial management and home skills.
Behaviour, academic and social outcomes are monitored closely to measure the level of impact the program has.
Short term outcomes are that students will have an improved quality of life and have a predisposition to learning at school due to having their nutritional needs meet.
Long term outcomes will be that students and the wider community will develop the skills necessary to provide a balanced nutritious diet and manage their food budget. Also there will be an improved level of health and quality of life for students and their families with impact on future generations.
The focus for this program is education for life, giving these students skills that they can take away now and in the future to have a positive effect on their families and the community.
With the recent introduction of restrictions on the sale of take-away alcohol in Halls Creek similar to those in Fitzroy Crossing, there is now an opportunity for significant and lasting positive change in Halls Creek. The ACT will implement additional programs in Halls Creek aimed at building stronger families, providing opportunities for children to develop their full potential and overcoming the existing dysfunction in the lives of so many people living there, all in response to requests from the community.
Self-sustaining remote communities
Many remote communities have appalling nutrition and health. To aid and assist nutrition, health and education, the ACT is actively pursing opportunities for sustainable permaculture in remote communities. In many ways, these serious nutritional defects can be alleviated or resolved with those communities growing their own vegetable gardens, orchards and other forms of permaculture. These will operate through both school and community gardens with the aim of creating both employment and industry.
The success of this program will be dependent on each community being completely involved with the design and planning stages so that engagement and ownership occurs. Ongoing delivery of training and support is essential to ensure maintenence and development of the projects.
Cyrenian House Saranna Women & Children’s Program
For a number of years Cyrenian House has been providing the only residential treatment service for women affected by alcohol and/or other drugs with dependant children in their care. The re-unification between mother and child has become an increasingly important part of women’s rehabilitation - importantly, they recognise their ongoing role as parents, providing necessary parenting education and role modelling.
The primary aim of Saranna is family preservation where serious family dysfunction associated with alcohol or other drug abuse has precipitated the separation of the parents (or risk of separation) from the child.
Saranna aims to prevent the pattern of family dysfunction by providing therapeutic services to women and simultaneously providing care for children that preserves and enhances parental role.
Visit the Cyrenian House website at www.cyrenianhouse.com
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