Are you okay ? it’s not a hard word to ask someone , is it . Have you ever taken the time to smile at someone or stop and say hello and how are you going? And actually took the time to listen to the person?

A lot has happened since India and I am only just updating everyone with what I have been doing this year. After I got back from India in December 2010, I hosted a number of presentations at my work (Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health (MICRRH) to share my experience of India and what I learned and what it means to be an action partner and the steps I am going to take in created change.
I also got to attend the 1st North West Youth Summit and a youth group session at my church where I got to speak to young people about agents for change.
Back in January with motivation and energy the Australian Action Partners organised a teleconference and mapped out areas we are passionate about and put in place steps forward. The group is still in contact and working in many areas that are creating social changes for our communities.
In May I helped to organised a Close the Gap lunch in March which focused on attracting more indigenous people into health careers, from that idea I had conversations with another Action Partner Kaleesa Morris and she gave me some ideas of getting some local video recordings of what close the gap means to people in our local community and how we can go about achieving this. So far I have been successful in doing 1 utube clip and it is now available on my organisations website and includes a blogg spot where people can comment please check it out: http://micrrh-dialog.blogspot.com/2011/04/close-gap-where-are-we.html
Along with the MICRRH team & JCU Townsville we worked on rolling out the Indigenous Health Careers RoadShow in July. The Nursing Lecturer, and Student Support as well as Nursing students and I facilitated the sessions. We had the opportunity to visit the three local High Schools in Mount Isa to talk to students about University studies and career options. We also got to do a roadtrip out to Cloncurry and present to those students about tertiary studies.
In June, the Advisory Team and I just completed the 2nd Annual Report to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the city of Mount Isa to record how we are reducing injuries and increasing community safety. I also got to do a story on why I became interested in working in health with the James Cook University and recently featured in the Discover magazine: http://www-public.jcu.edu.au/news/discover/index.htm

In June I attended a 1x week placement with The Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) which is a national program established to provide health care workers with an opportunity to develop skills in the palliative approach by participating in workshops or undertaking a workforce placement with a specialist palliative care service…all I can say about that experience that it’s been life changing. Whilst in Brisbane, I got the chance to make the trip up to see Action Partner Bianca Bond on the Sunshine Coast, it was wonderful to catch up and spend time planning for the future and the vision we want to see for our communities and working in unity to achieve these dreams.
In the first week of July I helped with our local Naidoc week and hosting the opening ceremony and flag raising on the Sunday the 3rd. I also was asked to guest speaker at the Mount Isa Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker day. I am changing positions within the university and will be working within research on various health and safety projects, so excited and nervous at the same time. I have just completed my 1st semester of Bachelor of Applied Sciences and I am currently implementing a research evaluation project on the medical student placement program as part of the studies. I now have only a 2 week block to complete my studies in October and hope to graduate in Feb 2012.
I am also working for social justice and representing my family on a major native title case so that we are accepted as people of the area of where I am from…as you can tell it’s taken a massive toll on me, but I feel it’s something that I have to do.
In the next week I get to be involved in helping to run out first UNIPrep course for people in Mount Isa , this is exciting because it gives people who are interested in applying for uni to gain more knowledge and information needed to make informed decisions. I have also been invited to guest speak at a Regional Indigenous Women’s Forum about leadership , my journey and experiences as well as making safe choices- decision making and communication . I feel privileged to be involved in community events like these.
It’s not too long before our next Australian Action Partners teleconference; I am looking forward to hearing everyone and working on some project proposals for the next part of the OIYP journey.
It’s only three more months to the year and there is plenty more things planned for me, I am excited and grateful to be in the position where my opportunities are plenty and dreams are a possibility. Nothing makes me happier the be in the position to be able to help people and to bring positive social change about for my community.
Thanks much love and respect xoxox