Thursdays are a special day for our Pormpuraaw clients and teams. They are our Cultural Wellbeing days.
Our teams run a men’s group and a women’s group, taking community members out on Country to reconnect with cultural practices and have a yarn about their wellbeing.
The sessions have been a wonderful success!
Check out three of their latest Cultural Wellbeing outings…
Spear Making at Chillagoe Pocket
Our Pormpuraaw Men’s Group held a Cultural Wellbeing session in the stunning landscape of the Chillagoe Pocket.
They invited a local Elder to join them and decided to make spears and yarn about their wellbeing.
As well as yarning, being out on Country enriches their mental and physical health.
Fishing at the Beach
For their first Women’s Cultural Wellbeing program, the RISE team took the ladies to the beach to go fishing.
They had conversations about strengths held amongst the ladies while they fished, made fire and cooked damper.
There were plenty of salmon caught on the day which were cooked on the fire or taken home for families.
Our team were excited to deliver their first wellbeing session and we’re super proud of their efforts!
Collecting Ochre at Breakfast Creek
For this session, the RISE crew combined with the men’s group to collect ochre to make traditional paint for dancers.
They travelled out to Breakfast Creek where the ochre is found and sought permission to access this Country.
Collecting ochre is Men’s Business and they were accompanied by Elder Bruce Shortjoe. He told them story of why and how the Ochre is collected and distributed by Men only.
This means he’s able to pass on the traditional generational knowledge to the other men on the trip and in the community.
As usual in beautiful Pormpuraaw, there were also barramundi to be caught and eaten on the trip.
This was a fulfilling day for the men that attended and a great way for them to bond and reconnect with country.
Culture and Wellbeing at the Forefront
RISE Ventures is committed to contributing to culturally strong, self-determined communities.
Although much of our work is centered around employment, training and microenterprise development, we know that strong cultural connection and being mentally and physically well are essential in achieving positive outcomes across an individual’s life.
This is why we invest in these Cultural Wellbeing sessions and give our staff agency to develop the sessions in a community-led way.
The initiative to start Cultural Wellbeing sessions was encouraged by Bounce during our Job Coach and Train the Trainer certifications.
All of the RISE Ventures teams are part of the RISE-Up Bounce Program which is coaching, leadership and wellbeing training, tailored to employment services.
We’re proud of our teams for creating these sessions for their community and can’t wait to see what activities they do next!
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