Healing Spaces has positive outcomes

Promoting social understanding has been one of the positive outcomes of ongoing programs for the South West Noongar community.

Healing Spaces — a partnership between South West Aboriginal Medical Service and Oxfam — aims to improve the social and emotional well being of Aboriginals in the region.

Different groups taking part in the project participate in a variety of learning activities and community work.

A workshop was held last week to assess the impact Healing Spaces had on the participants and the wider community.

Social Impacts consultant Theo Nabben — who ran the workshop — said the major impact was the increased awareness from the wider population about the Noongar community.

“Healing Spaces really has opened doors for social understanding and inclusion,” he said.

“It’s good for the people in the broader community to hear about the Noongar from the Noongar.”

One of the groups participating in the Healing Spaces project is the Maamun Danjoo Koorliny Waankininy Men’s Group.

SWAMS family support worker and Men’s Group member Noel Wallam said the support of the wider community was one of the main benefits and primary aims of the program.

“What the workshop showed us is what we expected,” he said.

“We’re seeing our aim of getting people thinking along the same lines as us being achieved.”

Another group in the Bunbury area is the Kwobidak Yorgas — an Aboriginal youth group — which has offered activities and learning courses in areas like photography and modelling.

Mr Nabben said he would continue to assess the progress of the Healing Spaces project.