The Issue or Desire
The Bayulu women attended the first action learning circle in October 2006, where they identified their desire to have a bus to carry them to course and activities in Fitzroy Crossing for women, as well as attend funerals and other cultural events.
At this time the community bus was not running, however even when it was, the women didn't necessarily have access to it for their activities.
The Bayulu women attended the first action learning circle in October 2006, where they identified their desire to have a bus to carry them to course and activities in Fitzroy Crossing for women, as well as attend funerals and other cultural events.
At this time the community bus was not running, however even when it was, the women didn't necessarily have access to it for their activities.
Actions Taken
• We called Kimberley Aged Care & Community (KACC), which auspices the Home and Community Care (HAC) programs in communities, to get a sense of the transport issues in the West Kimberley. The Project Manager confirmed that transport is an issue throughout the Kimberley. The organisation has carried out a study and supplied a copy of the document to the FaCSIA Project. The Project Manager has since joined the CCC Learning Circle.
• The Bayulu women were willing to learn to write an application to Lotterywest to get the bus they wanted.
• We approached Karrayili Adult Learning centre about the possibility of teaching the women the skills required to achieve this. They agreed it could be possible, however, identified some potential problems with the women getting a bus. For example; some people may be resentful of a group of women getting a vehicle for their own purposes. The Bayulu women felt this would not be an issue.
• The project coordinators visited the chairperson in the community, who indicated that it was good that the women were doing this for themselves. The women indicated that visiting the chairperson in person was very respectful.
• The project sought advice from the Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre about protocols to follow, resulting in writing to the chairperson outlining the projects involvement with the women. A face-to-face meeting was also arranged, where permission was given for the women to pursue the bus project and also to participate in certificate III in children's services with TAFE. The meeting resulted in setting a commencement date for the submission-writing course, which was the following week. The women nominated to come two mornings per week.
• Recently, the Bayulu women said that more women were involved in the submission writing and more women wanted to come to TAFE. The attendance at Karrayili went from 5 to 10 participants. TAFE registered two extra students from Bayulu community, going from 4 to 6. When the TAFE course is delivered for 1 week each month it overlaps with the submission-writing course. The women have delegated who will attend each course to ensure participation. One of the issues that had been identified by the women, at 2 of the circles, was that they wanted more help from other women in the community. It is apparent that this is beginning to happen.
• The Karrayili lecturer and project coordinators have discussed the possibility of videoing some of the application as it is useful for people receiving it to get a picture of the group applying and their intention. It is also a good way to express the reasons for wanting the bus.
• In a meeting last week (Sept 2007) with the Indigenous Coordinating Committeee (ICC), Vicki Hynam explained the bus project to staff, who were excited about the women learning to write the submission. This apparently has been a difficulty for ICC in being able to provide funding in some cases. ICC said that they have to find someone to write the application on behalf of a community or help write it themselves. We discussed speaking to Derby TAFE about setting up a similar course. Ngunga Women's Group, based in Derby, who are also Circle participants are interested in sending child care staff to learn the skills of submission writing.
• We called Kimberley Aged Care & Community (KACC), which auspices the Home and Community Care (HAC) programs in communities, to get a sense of the transport issues in the West Kimberley. The Project Manager confirmed that transport is an issue throughout the Kimberley. The organisation has carried out a study and supplied a copy of the document to the FaCSIA Project. The Project Manager has since joined the CCC Learning Circle.
• The Bayulu women were willing to learn to write an application to Lotterywest to get the bus they wanted.• We approached Karrayili Adult Learning centre about the possibility of teaching the women the skills required to achieve this. They agreed it could be possible, however, identified some potential problems with the women getting a bus. For example; some people may be resentful of a group of women getting a vehicle for their own purposes. The Bayulu women felt this would not be an issue.
• The project coordinators visited the chairperson in the community, who indicated that it was good that the women were doing this for themselves. The women indicated that visiting the chairperson in person was very respectful.
• The project sought advice from the Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre about protocols to follow, resulting in writing to the chairperson outlining the projects involvement with the women. A face-to-face meeting was also arranged, where permission was given for the women to pursue the bus project and also to participate in certificate III in children's services with TAFE. The meeting resulted in setting a commencement date for the submission-writing course, which was the following week. The women nominated to come two mornings per week.
• Recently, the Bayulu women said that more women were involved in the submission writing and more women wanted to come to TAFE. The attendance at Karrayili went from 5 to 10 participants. TAFE registered two extra students from Bayulu community, going from 4 to 6. When the TAFE course is delivered for 1 week each month it overlaps with the submission-writing course. The women have delegated who will attend each course to ensure participation. One of the issues that had been identified by the women, at 2 of the circles, was that they wanted more help from other women in the community. It is apparent that this is beginning to happen.
• The Karrayili lecturer and project coordinators have discussed the possibility of videoing some of the application as it is useful for people receiving it to get a picture of the group applying and their intention. It is also a good way to express the reasons for wanting the bus.
• In a meeting last week (Sept 2007) with the Indigenous Coordinating Committeee (ICC), Vicki Hynam explained the bus project to staff, who were excited about the women learning to write the submission. This apparently has been a difficulty for ICC in being able to provide funding in some cases. ICC said that they have to find someone to write the application on behalf of a community or help write it themselves. We discussed speaking to Derby TAFE about setting up a similar course. Ngunga Women's Group, based in Derby, who are also Circle participants are interested in sending child care staff to learn the skills of submission writing.
Outcomes
The next steps
- The lecturer at Karrayili has reported that the older women in the group have developed much confidence since starting. Some had never sat at a computer before and were quite afraid. The women seem to be enjoying the experience now. Other skills developed:
- Letter writing to source information pertaining to their funding.
- Writing to organisations to ask for referees
- Gathering quotes
- Computing
- Working in a team
- Planning & problem solving
- Understanding organisational structures
- Writing policies and procedures
- Filling out forms
- Reported by the lecturer also was that not one organisation the women wrote to responded to the request to be a referee for the bus submission.
- It is envisaged that the submission-writing course will take 4 months to complete and then another 3-4 months for a reply from Lotterywest. (Lotterywest will fast track some applications if a strong enough letter of request is written).
- Currently the women at Bayulu have to be picked up by Karrayili and TAFE to attend courses in Fitzroy Crossing.
- Another outcome is Karrayili and Broome TAFE are forming a relationship for the benefit of the students. Vicky Hynam delivers her course to students at the Karrayili campus, where the women are comfortable and contact between the 2 RTOs is mutually beneficial.
The next steps
- Previously, some of the women had completed a driving course offered through Karrayili, and can therefore drive a bus when the time comes. Some women were not able to get their driving license because they couldn't afford the cost of it.
Vicki Hynam (CCC Co-ordinator) will continue to push the idea of videoing some of the application because she believes that the Lotterywest board will have a better understanding of the need and circumstances if the women can speak about their desire to change their lives.The project coordinator is in constant contact with Karrayili for feedback and to offer support they may require.
Who were the people involved?
What needed to be challenged?
What made a difference?
- Morra Worra Worra (fund driving course)
- Karrayili Adult Learning Centre (KALC)
- Kimberley TAFE-Broome
- Bayulu women: Ann Yaloot, Lisa Smith, April Jones, Rebecca Smith, Marilyn Cook, Deanne Yaloot, Marcia Cook, Amanda Smith
- Child, carer & country (CCC) project
What needed to be challenged?
- Assumptions that the acquisition of a vehicle by the women would cause problems in the community. These assumptions included: jealousy from some people who were not involved; men taking control of the vehicle for their use i.e. football or rodeo, how the vehicle would be maintained.
- Women needed confidence to write submission.
- Karrayili teacher had never done a submission before and needed to research/study upon the application.
What made a difference?
- Coordination from project officers in getting the applicants of the submission (Bayulu women) to meet with the staff of Karrayili Aboriginal Adult Learning Centre.
- PO on the ground linked up the meeting by picking up the participants from their respective homes and driving them to Karrayili for meeting.
- PO talked to the chairperson in person about the FACSIA project and the bus application to confirm if the submission was appropriate for the women to pursue. participants said this was a good thing to do-important to speak in person to the chair person.
- Bayulu women had a prior relationship with Karrayili staff. Teacher was willing to give the submission application a go.
Reasons for delays
What did we in the CCC project do?
Timeline of events
October 2006
• First learning circle identified the women's issue.
November 2006
• Vicki Hynam contact with Bayulu women via post. Initial contact at Marniwarntikura, the link to Bayulu, left and communication stopped.
• Sent newsletter to Bayulu Community.
• Contacted Karayili to join learning circle.
March 2007
• Second learning circle was scheduled and women were invited to attend and vehicle issue still relevant. (Wet season nearly over)
• Contacted Karrayili regarding helping the women write the submission.
• Contacted Karayili about submission. Things were a bit busy there due to getting driving licenses.
• Invited to May learning circle in Broome. Unable to attend.
June 2007
• Vicki Hynam went to Fitzroy Crossing in her TAFE role, linked the Bayulu women in with Karayili for a meeting resulting in a plan to commence application through the General Certificate of education program - CGA.
• Women started with 5 students by the end of June and attend classes on Tuesday and Thursday for half day.
July 2007
• A student informed me that there were now 10 students and so when Vicki Hynam's Cert III students attended her block of study each month, others continued with the submission.
Data sources
Kimberley Aged Care & Community
Useful links for finding funding and building skills
- Some delays in writing the submission can be attributed to the wet season where people travel or get cut off from town when rivers come up or weather is extremely hot.
- People attending funerals and the period of “sorry time” before and after can interrupt attendance.
- It seemed evident that nothing commenced until Vicki Hynam arrived in Fitzroy Crossing to physically make the links between the groups and coordinate the commencement of the study and to verify the community approval.
What did we in the CCC project do?
- Asked the women if they would like to learn to write a submission for the bus they wanted to get
- Asked the women if they thought FX TAFE or Karrayili would be able to help. They indicated Karrayili
- Approached Karrayili and asked if they could help the women write the submission
- Offered help and suggested the women make a video of parts of the submission to help Lotterywest get a sense of who was involved
- Ongoing collaboration and maintenance
- Passed the information onto ICC and TAFE in Derby
Timeline of events
October 2006
• First learning circle identified the women's issue.
November 2006
• Vicki Hynam contact with Bayulu women via post. Initial contact at Marniwarntikura, the link to Bayulu, left and communication stopped.
• Sent newsletter to Bayulu Community.
• Contacted Karayili to join learning circle.
March 2007
• Second learning circle was scheduled and women were invited to attend and vehicle issue still relevant. (Wet season nearly over)
• Contacted Karrayili regarding helping the women write the submission.
• Contacted Karayili about submission. Things were a bit busy there due to getting driving licenses.
• Invited to May learning circle in Broome. Unable to attend.
June 2007
• Vicki Hynam went to Fitzroy Crossing in her TAFE role, linked the Bayulu women in with Karayili for a meeting resulting in a plan to commence application through the General Certificate of education program - CGA.
• Women started with 5 students by the end of June and attend classes on Tuesday and Thursday for half day.
July 2007
• A student informed me that there were now 10 students and so when Vicki Hynam's Cert III students attended her block of study each month, others continued with the submission.
Data sources
Kimberley Aged Care & Community
Useful links for finding funding and building skills
Data sources
Kimberley Aged Care & Community
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