Mingaletta is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands Corporation, run by volunteers on the Central Coast, NSW. The project Brothers Together was awarded a Social Justice Small Grant to address the needs of young Aboriginal men, aged 18 to 25 years, in the community. The program focused on healing, suicide prevention, employment, health and wellbeing. The Developing Leaders program was designed to support the men in a culturally appropriate way, assisting them in developing leadership skills.
A number of workshops were held over 15 weeks. Weekly meetings with Elders and a men’s group helped plan the workshops. The workshops covered many issues, including health care, mental health care, dealing with trauma, employment skills, interview skills, communication skills and more. The workshops involved Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal service providers within the local area. Up to 30 young men participated in the program. The workshops also addressed any issues that were concerning the local community.
The program taught the young men about their Aboriginal heritage. They visited Aboriginal cultural sites and they were encouraged to share their culture, history and Aboriginal heritage and as leaders, pass this important information on within their own community and with future generations.
During the program, the young men established their own yarning circle, which will continue into the future. The program was a success and Mingaletta is keen to offer more programs for the community.
