L to R: Lynell Richards, Valerie Dick, David Jack and Leara Aiden.
It has certainly been a long time since I’ve been to the “Place of Many Waters” (Kowanyama) and I needed to find my feet again. I did that literally and let me tell you, it was proper hot up there! A mental note for our next visit – Eddie is to hire a car.
My initial visit to Kowanyama was to re-establish connections, promote and organise our free ICAN Consumer and Financial ‘Yarnin’ Money Training to occur on the 22nd October 2014. My role at ICAN (NQ Indigenous Consumer/Financial Literacy Taskforce Program) is to assist in organising the logistics, etc to conduct the Training in Kowanyama, Lockhart River, NPA and Wujal Wujal.
The training is aimed at service providers in the community, providing an opportunity to share information about the relevant government and non-government agencies that can assist in addressing financial and consumer issues raised by individuals or families.
The ICAN ‘Yarnin’ Money Training consists of 4 topic areas;
1. Introduction to financial counselling and consumer education.
2. Identifying a client problem.
3. Referring clients with financial/consumer cases.
4. Supporting the clients.
During the couple days spent in Kowanyama, I had the opportunity to meet and yarn with a wide range of community organisations and departments delivering essential services on the ground as well as the residents of the Kowanyama community.
Another part of my visit on behalf of ICAN was to acknowledge and pay tribute to the Kowanyama Post Office Staff for their administrative assistance, support, time and effort with our Kowanyama clients in collaboratively addressing financial and consumer issues. ICAN Financial Counsellors have only previously had phone contact with Kowanyama Post Office staff and now they can put faces to the names. Thanks again to the Kowanyama Post Office Staff.
I’m looking forward to seeing Kowanyama again in October 2014 to deliver the Training. Will yarn to you about that visit next time.