A group of multicultural women is working to improve health outcomes in Shepparton. They are called Wise Well Women and have a group of multicultural health educators. The University of Melbourne has released a report on the program and its impacts. Wise Well Women says more ongoing funding is needed to continue its work.
Shakilla Naveed knows educating one woman about health has the power to change an entire community. But when she arrived in Shepparton more than four years ago, she saw language and cultural barriers keeping many in her Afghan community from seeking healthcare.
The issue became most stark during the COVID-19 pandemic, as members struggled to understand health messaging or access vaccines and testing.
So, when an opportunity came up to become a community health educator, Ms Naveed jumped at the chance.
“Many people need help,” she said.
“But now they have the opportunity to learn.”
Community health educators presenting at a Wise Well Women session.(Supplied: Wise Well Women)
Empowerment best way to deliver health messages
Ms Naveed is part of Wise Well Women, a group of 12 culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) female community health educators.
Formed in 2020, the group enlisted the University of Melbourne’s Culturally Inclusive Rural Healthcare Team to evaluate the program and train members.
Research assistant Habiba Ibrahimi said trainees increased in confidence and ability to deliver heath messages to their communities.(ABC News Shepparton: Courtney Howe)
More than a year on, the university has released its evaluation of the program and it has been described by research assistant Habiba Ibrahimi as a success.
“Empowering people to speak to their own communities is the best way that we can deliver important health messages,” she said.
“As a multicultural woman myself, I’ve seen the importance of this program.”
When it came to key issues in their communities, Wise Well Women members said women’s health, family violence and chronic illness were at the top of the list.
The group was also helping women navigate public services such as Legal Aid and Centrelink.
Ms Ibrahimi said the group prevented many CALD community members from falling tVIC REG Women educate about COVID vaccinations * BHhrough the cracks during the pandemic.
“The trainees have been able to go into their own communities and deliver information around vaccinations,” she said
Calls for ongoing funding to ensure continuity
Wise Well Women co-convenor Chris Nunn hoped the positive evaluation of the program would lead to ongoing operational funding.
“At the moment we’ve been going from small grant to small grant, and that’s rather tiring,” she said.
“So it would be good if we could convince organisations to support us, whether that’s philanthropic organisations or government.
“One of the things we’re also keen to do is actually get a good governance model and talk to agencies about them actually paying for work we do for them.”
Ms Ibrahimi said the main aim was for the program to continue.
“We can get so much more out of this program,” she said.
“We’ve seen the outcome, we’ve seen the result.
“This is not just beneficial for the multicultural community but for the entire Shepparton community.”
