SUPPORTER SPRING 2019
Young doctors lead the way AnglicareSA’s partnership with Aboriginal organisation Malpa and Communities for Children (CfC) Playford co-funds the Young Doctors project that recently celebrated the graduation of another 108 students.
Designed and run by local Aboriginal Elders and respected community members, and supported by health workers, each Malpa project is driven by Aboriginal culture and adapted to the needs of each unique community. AnglicareSA continues to fund the Malpa project as it spreads to more schools across the metropolitan area. Congratulations to the latest round of graduates.
The Young Doctors project trains Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal school students, aged nine to 11, to be health ambassadors and positive role models within their communities. The 15-week program equips children with knowledge in nutrition, hygiene, environmental health, wellbeing and identity, health literacy and leadership. The ‘Young Doctors’ then spread their learnings to friends, family and the wider community.
“When we walked in my kids were so happy – they had a bed to sleep in and a backyard to play in,” she said. “Having a home provided the stability I needed to explore opportunities for my family – I have some job prospects on the horizon and couldn’t imagine how my life was before.” Evelyne secured long-term housing and went on to study for a Certificate 3 in Health Services and Certificate 3 in Individual Support. She hopes to secure work as a carer at an aged care facility. “Studying and training has given me the confidence to become someone I thought I never could,” she said. “Even my kids tell me things like ‘Mum, I’m so proud of you and what you’re doing.’” More than 75 per cent of Turning Point families have successfully gone on to secure long-term housing for themselves.
Turning lives around
Since 2016, AnglicareSA’s Turning Point program has provided crisis accommodation for families experiencing or fleeing domestic and family violence. The unique program provides safe housing for up to three months to homeless single parents and their young children in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Each year, around 2,500 families seek support from AnglicareSA’s northern homelessness service.
Of these, almost 40 percent are fleeing domestic and family violence. Dealing with homelessness and a broken family, Evelyne came to AnglicareSA in crisis. She and her children were placed in a Turning Point home with support services to help them get their lives back on track. This allowed daily life to continue with greater self-sufficiency, security and normality for Evelyne and her family.
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