Proud graduates were rewarded for their efforts recently.
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Twelve members of the Djuwin Mudjingaalabaraga Men's Group completed a Certificate 1V in Business (Governance)
A special morning tea was held on Monday, December 18 at Nowra Showground to congratulate the graduates and provide them with their certificates.
The program began in early September and ran for 12 weeks. It was run in collaboration with Australian Red Cross and Illawarra ITeC.
Steven Taylor, board member of the Djuwin Mudjingaalabaraga Men's Group and Aboriginal community support worker with Grand Pacific Health said graduates picked up many valuable skills along the way.
“They learnt all about how an organisation is run, the roles, legal requirements, how a board works and the responsibilities of board members,” he said.
“It now equips them to be board members and set up an organisation.”
The program also helped members learn how to oversee financial management, manage a board meeting and maintain and protect cultural values in the organisation.
Mr Taylor said the course proved to be an “eye-opener” for many.
“We had a really positive response from participants and there was a lot of people that didn’t finish so it’s certainly a real achievement for the graduates,” he said.
The program was a first for the Djuwin Mudjingaalabaraga Men's Group and saw participants meet every fortnight. It was taught by ITeC trainer Rhonda McGuire and was open to all members of the public, not just the men’s group members. Shoalhaven City Council supported the initiative and deputy mayor Patricia White was on hand to congratulate the graduates at Monday’s ceremony.
Djuwin Mudjingaalabaraga Men's Group secretary Chairperson David Carpenter said the group is “unique”.
“It’s a local movement and it’s a support group for men, but not just Indigenous men, it’s for anyone,” he said.
“We have regular guest speakers who talk on a wide range of topics. It is drug and alcohol free and we have talks on both those subjects as well as domestic related issues, legal issues, and living a healthy lifestyle.
“It is also a place where the community can raise issues.”
The Djuwin Mudjingaalbaraga Men’s Group meets every second Friday between 10am and noon upstairs at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre and Regional Gallery in Berry Street, Nowra.
The currently have 54 members on the book and around 12 or 13 members attend each meeting.
The group previously operated as Gather for a Yarn.
For more information about the Djuwin Mudjingaalabaraga Men's Group contact David Carpenter on 0431 525 030 or djuwinmensgroup@gmail.com or secretary Jason Sharp on 0428 641 770.
Illawarra ITeC will also have a range of courses underway in 2018. Enrollments are being taken now.
For more information on courses available head to illawarraitec.com.au/
