Nearly 1 in 2 adults in remote Indigenous communities like Galwinku struggle with Chronic Disease. But an
awesome encounter with good nutrition has inspired group of Indigenous ladies all suffering from health issues themselves. Now they have a solution.
Help these super motivated ladies travel from their remote Indigenous home and attend a specially selected Health Retreat to experience wellness and learn from experts. Their dream is to take the experience and learning about
nurturing wellness back to their community to work towards creating a local retreat and health coaching solution for the many sick people in their community.
Dianne Biritjalawuy (right) with Kama Trudgen, the pair that started it all.
How did this hope for health start? Let me introduce Dianne Biritjalawuy - Yolngu community leader & world-changer!!
Dianne has recently made the difficult journey back from the brink of serious health issues. In response to an acute health scare, that left Dianne wheelchair bound with unstable ischemic heart disease and uncontrolled diabetes, I offered to cook
for her, so that she could experience healing through wholesome food.
This experience was incredible!
Dianne went from being unable to walk short distances, without feeling extremely breathless, to experiencing a new level of energy and vitality. She rapidly lost weight, her blood sugar levels normalized, and she was able to walk up hills
with ease. Empowered to understand she could transform her own health, she was hungry for more information and tools to continue this new way of living. She was supported with education, cooking lessons and help to access healthy food options not usually available
in her remote community.
Her recovery was so profound that other community members saw it as evidence that nutrition was powerful and effective. This has caused a chain reaction where other community members are now actively seeking out support to see this same
turnaround in their own health.
With Dianne, a group of Yolngu ladies from Elcho Island, all suffering from chronic diseases, are now on a quest to improve their own health and turn their community around. Together we have found that Yolngu who are not taking
control of their health do not have:
*** The chance to"experience” what wellness feels like as a result of good nutrition.
*** Access to information about nutrition, communicated in a language and framework that makes sense for them.
*** Existing skills to make healthy food choices, including understanding food labels, or how to cook modern foods.
*** Access to a variety of nutritious whole foods.
This is why a healing retreat is required, to build knowledge and skills alongside ACTUAL experiences of feeling well as a result of living well. When you have no energy, vitality and strength,
it's incredibly difficult to take on new information about nutrition and lifestyle. It's also challenging to adopt significant changes if you haven't yet had an experience of their value.
A core group of 9 women want to travel to an established Health Retreat for intensive training. They know they need to start with their own health, in order to be catalysts for healing in their community. They want to create a space in
Arnhem Land where a health retreat can be run for the whole community, incorporating Yolngu traditional knowledge with the best that modern nutrition has to offer.
Please help these women get to Living Valley Springs Health Retreat and bring Hope to this community to overcome its current health crisis.
Challenges
The biggest Challenge for these ladies will be to integrate the new knowledge into their everyday lives once they return to Elcho Island. This will involve overcoming many systemic barriers to health for this community, such as improving
access to health foods. The local Doctor is behind us, as well as the local grocery store. The vision for their local Health Retreat includes a role for local Health Coaches who have themselves been empowered in their health, who will provide much needed support
to future participants. These brave ladies are pioneers for their community, making the path easier for others to follow.
Thanks for backing this!
Much love, Kama, Dianne and this inspiring group of Yolngu women
Who is Supporting this Work
Why Warriors Pty Ltd
Thats us. We moved to Elcho Island 5 years ago to start the Arnhem Human Enterprise Development (AHED) Project.
Before starting community development work I trained as a medical doctor. I have volunteered my time during this exciting process. My husband Tim (Anthropologist) and I, will accompany the participants to the retreat (as volunteers, only needing airfares
covered). In particular we'll be facilitating daily education sessions with the participants and Living Valley Springs expert staff, to ensure all information is translated into language and communicated in culturally relevant frameworks.
Find out more about what we do in Galiwin'ku see
ahed.whywarriors.com.au
Follow us on facebook or Twitter - search for "whywarriors"
Our Generation Media
Our Generation media are passionate advocates for Indigenous issues, supporting this venture to empower true health in Arnhem Land.
www.ourgeneration.org.au/
Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corp. (ALPA)
ALPA owns small super markets across Arnhem land and support many other Indignenous communities to run their own local stores.
www.alpa.asn.au
Ngalkanbuy Health Clinic and Miwatj Health
The local clinic in Galiwin'ku provides essential medical treatment and emergency medicine services. The local Doctor is keen to support the medical management of our core group and participants in future local programs.
See Miwatj Health at Galiwin'ku.
