Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet KellyWe had worked up a rough time table of when the speakers wouldpresent, but that went out of the window and the event took on a moreinformal process. Workers presented to small groups and staff broughtcommunity and workers together depending upon the area of interest.The food was prolific (but healthy) and it lasted the whole day and more(Aboriginal health management assisted with additional cateringbudget).2.00 The minister arrived and everyone helped to take chairs out intothe garden where Auntie Josie gave a traditional Kaurna welcome. Inretrospect it would have been nice to have a welcome at the beginningof the day.3.00 The day continued beyond the launch, children arrived from schooland enjoyed the food and joined in with the arts and crafts activities thatwere still going.We gathered as many ideas form the community for future programmesand services, we managed to get quite a few written responses andthere was definitely community interest in having another day, howeverwe felt monthly would be a bit of an ask.If we had to do it again… more time to plan, less food, plenty of artsand crafts, more massage, and a week off to recover.In addition to the formal Aboriginal Outreach Health Service evaluation, I hadopportunities to seek additional evaluation from co-researchers andstakeholders during research interviews and discussions following the event.The Aboriginal women from Collaboration Area One said that the day wasvery positive and they felt like an accepted part of the Aboriginal OutreachHealth Service, valued and included for the day (WFG D4). For a day theAboriginal Outreach Health Service felt like a community space and theatmosphere was buzzing rather than subdued and clinical. However, they sawthis as a one off event where-as they were seeking ongoing programs. Duringweekly Nunga Lunches, other Aboriginal community women spoke about howmuch they had enjoyed getting together on the Women’s Health Day, and how243