Jenny Bassett, Lecturer in Nursing and Midwifery, recently embarked on a six-week Jawun secondment with the Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative in Mooroopna.
Jawun, which means ‘to be a friend’ in the Kuku Yalanji language of Cape York, is a not-for-profit organisation that supports innovative change in Indigenous communities. Their secondment program provides opportunities for participants to work with Indigenous-led community organisations.
Jenny applied for the secondment because she has a deep interest in supporting Indigenous communities, in both health and education.
“The Jawun secondment is a great opportunity to immerse myself in Indigenous-led organisations in the Shepparton area, to better understand the important role that Aboriginal organisations play in the community where I work and live.”
“I will spend five weeks working in the medical clinic sharing my nursing and teaching skills, I will also be using some of my time at Rumbalara to develop some simulations for the GP clinic.”
“It is wonderful that La Trobe participates in the Jawun program. It is an opportunity to build a deeper connection between both organisations. It has so much to offer our staff and we have so much to offer the community,” she says.
Established in 2001, Jawun continues to stand with Indigenous communities and leaders to facilitate long-term engagement through partnership between government, the private sector and Indigenous Australia.
Since Jawun was established, more than 3,500 government and corporate employees have lived and worked in Indigenous communities in 12 regions across the country.
