Projects since 1992

2008-2009

Perinatal Support Group Program for Sudanese Women - This program was funded by the State Perinatal Mental Health Unit (DOH). Sudanese women who are pregnant or have children under 3 years of age meet weekly for an 8 week program to learn new life skills, share existing skills and have fun.

Healthy Active Bicultural Ambassadors Training Program - This program was funded by the Department of Health and Ageing (Commonwealth). It comprised two components: the production of a Health Active Resource Manual and the development and implentation of the Healty Active Bicultural Ambassadors Training program from which a pool of CaLD frontline workers emerged to promote physical activity and good nutrition to their communities.

Visiting Sisters – This program focused on helping migrant and refugee women develop their talents in order to find employment or to establish their own business. The program was funded by Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA).

Kala-Vez Project - This project was funded by the Office of Multicultural Intersts. The project provided senior CaLD women the opportunity to socialize and share the love of their culture through creating traditional art and craft pieces together.

Parenting from the Heart – This was a three year program funded by the Department for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. The core values of this program are strengthening both effective parenting and relationship skills.

"Moving Upstream" NGO Capacity Development Project - This project projcet was funded by the Department of Health and Ageing to enable Ishar to advance the service delivery and improve the sustainability of the agency.

Disability and Access: 'Responding to the Needs of a Diverse Community' Project - This project by the Independent Living Centre to enable ishar to improve access and inclusion of its service delivery in response to the special needs of clients with a disibility from CaLD backgrounds.

Wonder Woman Going Back to 'P' Work - This project was funded by the Department of Education and Training. The project provides women from Middle East, Africa and Asia with a pathway to regain their self-confidence to pursue either short-term or long-term accredited training in their areas of interest.

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2007-2008

Perinatal Support Group Program for Sudanese Women - This program was funded by the State Perinatal Mental Health Unit (DOH). Sudanese women who are pregnant or have children under 3 years of age meet weekly for an 8 week program to learn new life skills, share existing skills and have fun.

Lets be Active - This project was funded by Department of Sport and Recreation. This program offeres CaLD women the opportunity to increase their level of participation in physical activity.

Visiting Sisters – This program was funded by Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA).

Parenting from the Heart – This program was funded by the Department for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy.

Special Project for Carers – This project was funded by the Family Leadership and Initiative Grant through Carers WA. Four Carers from Thailand, Iran, Ireland and Australia volunteered to share their life experiences through a film capturing their stories.

Family Violence Project - Responding to the Experiences of Women from the former USSR – This project was funded by the Department for Communities. Its aim was to raise awareness about family violence. A series of seminars and workshops were developed in response to consultation with members of the Russian communityand covered topics such as self-defence, self-care, employment and training and the Australian Legal and Social Systems.

Wonder Woman Going Back to 'P' Work - This project was funded by the Department of Education and Training. The project provides women from Middle East, Africa and Asia with a pathway to regain their self-confidence to pursue either short-term or long-term accredited training in their areas of interest.

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2006 – 2007

Women of Diversity; Community Leadership Program – This program was funded by the Office for Women’s Policy under the Western Australian Grants for Women Program 2006. The program aimed to recognise and legitimise CaLD women’s skills, develop self–worth and provide additional skills and information to women who were working in a voluntary capacity within their communities.

Visiting Sisters – This program was funded by Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA).

Parenting from the Heart – This program was funded by the Department for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy.

Ran Away USA – In April 2007, The Ran Away troupe presented a number of workshops and performed at the ‘Women as Intercultural Leaders: Collaboration at Cross Roads’ conference as guests of the Centre for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL) at Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA. The project received funding from the Global Fund for Women, San Francisco USA; Centre for Women’s Intercultural Leadership, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; and WA Community Arts Network.

Staying Active and Healthy – This project was funded by the Injury Control Council of Western Australia

Getting Connected – This youth project was funded by the Office of Multicultural Interests. The project targeted 'at risk' young CaLD women helping unwrap their potential and empower them to take charge of their own lives and develop links with their community to achiever their life goals.

Special Project for Carers – This project was funded by the Family Leadership and Initiative Grant through Carers WA. It aimed at providing carers from CaLD communities an opportunity to gain and expand knowledge in order to improve their caring role and bring the family leadership to a different level. It also aims to help carers to develop self confidence and to empower them to manage their caring role more independently.

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2005 – 2006

Visiting Sisters – This program focused on helping migrant and refugee women develop their talents in order to find employment or to establish their own business. The program was funded by Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA).

Parenting from the Heart – This was a three year program funded by the Department for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. The core values of this program are strengthening both effective parenting and relationship skills.

Perinatal Mental Health Project – This six month project specifically worked with the Sudanese community and was funded by Office of Mental Health through the State Perinatal Mental Health Strategy. This was a ten week pilot project engaging with Sudanese women who were recent mothers. The women met each week for information, social and emotional support.

Rubi Vesh Couture – This program brought together communities from Iran, Sudan, Macedonia, Russia, India and South America in a fashion show attended by 450 community members.

‘Broadening the Horizon’ Conference – Ishar joined hands with Western Australia Transcultural Mental Health Centre to host this conference in November 2006. The conference brought together mental health professionals, consumers and carers to explore alternative models for restoring mental health.

Healthier Lifestyle Choices for CaLD Women –This program was funded by Healthway. The aim of the program was for women to explore ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle in relation to eating habits and physical activity. A multilingual poster was produced to be used as a health promotion tool.

The West African Women’s Group – funded by the Office of Women’s Policy

Walk the Track – A four month project funded by WOW Physical Activity promotion Grant Scheme, North Metro Health Service East Metropolitan Health Unit. CaLD women met regularly as a walking group to increase their fitness level in preparation for a 6km walk of the Bibbulmum Track. For many of the women, this was their first experience of being in the bush.

‘Indigenous Women’s Reflections and Visions on Wellbeing’ – This was a Women on Wellness (WOW) week activity conducted at Ishar and funded by Department of Community Development as an initiative of North Metropolitan Health Service.

Carers Support Information Sheet – This project was initiated by Ishar and funded by Carers WA and Disability Service Commission Family Leadership and Initiative Grants. The project aimed at addressing specific needs of people from CaLD backgrounds who care for members of their families and communities.

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2004 – 2005

Short Break for Carers – This was funded by Carers WA.

Pave the Way Program – Funded by the Department of Training

The West African Women’s Group – funded by the Office of Women’s Policy

Life of a Refugee (Ran Away) – Funded by the Community Arts Network

Book Project – A book in which 10 refugee women tell their story. The project was funded by the Office of Multicultural Interests

Bilingual Workers Training Program – Funded by the City of Melville

Work for the Dole Project – Funded by Mercy Care

Parenting from the Heart – This was a three year program funded by the Department for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. The core values of this program are strengthening both effective parenting and relationship skills.

Growing Up in Two Cultures – This was a Youth Grant funded by the Office of Youth Affairs and was conducted as a school holiday program. The aim was to increase the number of young refugee and CaLD women trained to be peer leaders within their own peer groups and the community. To achieve this, a fun–filled informative and action-packed program was created using theatre, sports and youth educators.

Healthier Lifestyle Choice program – Funded by Healthway. The program was delivered to Carers on a weekly basis and included topics such as emotional eating, taking care of self, nutrition and also included exercise classes facilitated by Ishar’s physiotherapist.

The Life Experience Counts program – This was funded by the Department of Education and Training and gave Carers the opportunity to participate in individual counseling sessions and to explore career options with a career counsellor.

Ishar in partnership with Carers WA organized a symposium for Carers in October 2004. The theme was ‘We must be the change we want to see’. The symposium was made possible through funding from the Department for Community Development, the Office of Multicultural Interests, and the Office for Women’s Policy.

Short Break for Carers – Funding was received from Carers WA and Australian Red Cross. During the break carers were treated to pamper sessions which included body massages, aroma therapy and guided imagery.

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2003 – 2004

Self Nurturing through Natural Therapies – This program introduced participants to new therapies which could assist in self–care.

Decorate a Bra for Breast Awareness – This was a project funded by Cancer Council of WA. It involved five women who all had breast cancer coming together and describing their personal experiences through the medium of art.

Exercise for the Body, Mind and Soul – This program explored different exercise modalities over an eight–week program.

Physical Activity and Life Skills for CaLD Women Experiencing Pregnancy and Childbirth in Australia – This program was funded by East Metropolitan Public Health Unit WOW physical activity grant scheme. The program engaged with antenatal women and introduced them to new information about physical activity around pregnancy, child birth and post birth. It was conducted over ten weeks.

Stress Relief Program for Carers – This was conducted over a period of six weeks and included reflexology, music, art therapy, aroma therapy, dancing, gardening tips, cooking and meditation.

Estate Planning Forum for Carers – This was conducted in conjunction with ARAFMI and Carers WA.

The ‘Self Nurturing’ Program for Carers – This was funded by Disability Service Commission and Carers WA. The program was a combination of talks and activities and addressed topics on anger management, forgiveness and budgeting. Activities induced laughter yoga, beading, painting and other crafts.

Short Break for Carers – This was funded by Carers WA. During the break carers were treated to pamper sessions and enjoyed fun filled activities.

Growing Up in Two Cultures – This was a Youth Grant funded by the Office of Youth Affairs.

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2002 – 2003

Challenge Your Arthritis – A six–week project conducted during August – September 2002. The program was developed by Arthritis Foundation of WA

Understanding Asthma and its Management – The project was funded by the Asthma Foundation of Western Australia. It was conducted at Ishar from January 30, 2003 to April 10, 2003.

Use of Medicines Project – This project was funded by the National Prescribing Service (NPS) Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) Community Grant Scheme. The project commenced in March 2003 and was completed in May 2003.

Lifting the Lid on Bowel Health – healthy bowel project. This six week project was developed by the Cancer Foundation of WA and was conducted at Ishar from May – June 2003.

Perceptions of Peace – A calendar project funded by Save the Children’s Fund and conducted at Ishar in 2003. The project aimed to bring together youth from refugee communities, to express their perception of world peace through drawing and painting.

Negative Effects of Stereotyping on CaLD Carers – A videotaped discussion presented by Ishar and funded by the Office of Women’s Policy.

Jobs, Education and Training (JET) Program – This program was promoted from Ishar to migrant and refugee communities. The aim of this program was to assist migrant and refugee communities in understanding the support available from JET and encouraging them to access the program.

The Story of AUSTRALIA – This project was funded by Save the Children. The project aimed to involve children and women from CaLD backgrounds to create a resource that would benefit the wider community by providing an insight into the folklore of CaLD communities and understanding how we are all united in diversity.

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2001 – 2002

Young Women Diversity and Leadership Project – This projected commenced in June 2001 and was completed in November 2001. It was funded by the Department of Health, International Year of Volunteers, ‘promoting spirit in the community’. The aim of the project was to increase the number of young women working with youth as volunteers in the health sector of the community.

Asthma Awareness Project – This project was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and was part of the Asthma Community Grants for 2001. The project involved education sessions for women from CaLD backgrounds who were parents of children with asthma and/or who had asthma themselves.

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea – Ishar received funding to host a morning tea on 23rd May 2002 to raise awareness about bowel cancer.

Winning the Race Project – This was funded by Jesse Street Trust. The aim of the project was ‘to recognise, challenge and work towards eliminating racism and to promote harmony in the community.’

Jobs, Education and Training (JET) Program – This program was promoted from Ishar to migrant and refugee communities. The aim of this program was to assist migrant and refugee communities in understanding the support available from JET and encouraging them to access the program.

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2000 – 2001

Community Youth Safe Sex Project –This project combined sexual health education sessions with mural making sessions. The aim of the program was to reduce the incidence in personal and social impact of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) in ‘at risk’ young women of CaLD backgrounds. The end result was the creation of an inspiring mural. The project was funded by Communicable Diseases Unit, Sexual Health Program, Health Department WA.

Education Program for Community Workers from Islamic Backgrounds on Depression and Post Natal Depression – This project was funded by Healthway and was developed in conjunction with Curtin University. Bilingual workers of Islamic background attended a fifteen–week intensive course on depression, post natal depression.

Music and Heritage Program – The main aim of this project was to promote harmony. The program was funded by the Office of Multicultural Interests and involved the production of a Multicultural CD.

International Year of Volunteers – This project involved the training of young women from CaLD backgrounds to be volunteers in the health industry. From it, a ‘Volunteers Kit’ was produced in conjunction with the Catherine McCauley Centre, Mirrabooka. The project was funded by Family and Community Services and Health Department of WA.

Introduction to Child Care – An eight–week course was conducted in partnership with Ethnic Child Care Resource Unit and Family and Children’s Services. This course was for Bilingual Workers and covered topics on health, safety and behaviour management of children from different cultures placed in Child Care.

JET Program – This program was funded by Commonwealth Family and Community Services and aimed at migrant and refugee communities who were given information about the benefits of participating in the program.

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1999 – 2000

Multicultural Tapestry – This project was funded by the Office of Citizenship and Multicultural Interests. The aim of the project was to bring together women from different cultural backgrounds and religious faiths in order to produce what Ishar believes is a spectacular piece of art. The project honoured the uniqueness of Australians and their diverse backgrounds. From this project, a quilt and booklet were produced.

Promoting Adolescent Sexual Health (PASH) – This program involved a nine week peer education program for adolescent women from CaLD backgrounds aged 13–17 years. The program was funded by Healthway through Family Planning WA.

Community Youth Safe Sex Project – The project was funded by Communicable Diseases Control Branch of the Department of Health. This project combined sexual health education sessions with mural making sessions. The aim of the program was to reduce the incidence in personal and social impact of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) in ‘at risk’ young women of CaLD backgrounds. The end result was the creation of an inspiring mural. The project was presented at a Transcultural Mental Health Conference in Sydney in 2001.

Muslim Women’s Exercise Program – This innovative program was run by a Community Physiotherapist from the EPPHU and coordinated by Ishar. The program was in response to a need expressed by Muslim women and attendance grew over the months due to women being referred because of health problems, social isolation and lack of physical activities.

Midlife Matters Program – This program approached women’s issues in a holistic view. Issues such as hormonal changes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hormone therapy, sexuality and emotional health and well being were discussed.

Women with Disabilities Health Program – This was a ten-week program conducted at Rocky Bay Inc and Ishar. The program covered basic anatomy and physiology, hormonal changes, cancer prevention and early detection, sexuality, pregnancy, childbirth and relationships. Women who attended the program were clients of Rocky Bay and had varying degrees of disability.

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1998 – 1999

The Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Project – This project involved conducting culturally appropriate community education programs for women from Somali, Ethiopian, and Malaysian backgrounds looking ant the medical, psychological, legal and emotional effects of FGM. A consultancy project was also sub-contracted to Ishar by Multicultural Access Unit for training of bilingual workers on FGM to do community education. This project was funded by Health Department of WA (Multicultural Access Unit).

Eating for Life – This program explored issues related to diet and exercise.

Midlife Matters Program – This program looked at women’s issues such as osteoporosis, HRT, natural therapies, cardiovascular disease, and emotional health and well being.

Spreading the Word Cancer Education Training for Bilingual Community Educators – Bilingual Community Educators received training and worked within their own community spreading the word about cancer prevention. This project was sub-contracted to Ishar by Women’s Health Works, Joondalup.

My Body, My Health (Cervical Screening Project) – The objective of this project was to raise awareness of the importance of Cervical Cancer among CaLD women and specifically targeted older women of all nationalities.

Health and Leisure Youth Holiday Program – This program involved young people from different cultural and religious backgrounds who in addition to enjoying camp activities were provided with talks on diet and nutrition, body image and self-esteem.

Lifetime Links Project – This project aimed at promoting and supporting inter–generational links between young and old through art. Seniors from Aboriginal backgrounds were able to pass their knowledge and experiences to school age children from CaLD backgrounds.

Unity of Faith – This project aimed at bringing together people from different religious backgrounds to promote a more harmonious society.

Multicultural Dolls Project – This project culminated in a Dolls exhibition at the Mirrabooka Library. Aboriginal, Malaya, Egyptian and Jordanian women participated in the program.

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1997 – 1998

Female Genital Mutilation Project – This project was run collaboratively with the community and the Multicultural Access Unit. It contributed towards FGM becoming recognised as an important women’s health issue by mainstream health providers and practitioners in WA. The project was funded by Health Department of WA (Multicultural Access Unit)

Youth Holiday Program – This program was aimed at providing health and leisure activities to promote the general well being of young girls from CaLD backgrounds. It was funded by Family and Children’s Services and Office of Youth Affairs.

Community Cultural Development Program (Kaleidoscope) – This project aimed at discussing health issues and celebrating the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures using Ishar’s services. The project was funded by City of Wanneroo.

Cervical Screening Program – This project was funded by the Department of Health WA (Cancer Prevention Unit) and was aimed at raising awareness of the importance of Cervical Cancer Screening in prevention of Cancer

Community Arts Program – Healthy Women and Arts Project – This project was funded by Community Arts Network and was aimed at discussing health issues and celebrating the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures using Ishar’s services.

Young Women’s Holiday Camp – This project was funded by Lotteries Commission (Gordon Reid Foundation). The project aimed at providing health and leisure activities to develop a core team of young team leaders to assist in conducting future programs.

Community Relations –This project was funded by Office of Multicultural Interests and aimed at promoting a harmonious society.

Lifetime Links – This project was funded by Office of Seniors Interests and was aimed at promoting and supporting intergenerational links.

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1995 –1996

Cervical Screening Project – This project, with special funding from the Health Department targeted women from CaLD backgrounds and aimed to increase Pap smear rates.

Ishar Column ‘Body Language’ – This column was published every two weeks in the Eastern Suburbs Reporter. A wide variety of subjects were covered and included grieving, parenting, domestic violence, healthy eating, communication and women’s screening.

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1993 – 1994

Language of Childbirth Classes – Ishar was funded to provide two Language of Childbirth classes. Women from CaLD backgrounds learnt the particular language skills needed for a happy and successful stay in hospital before and after the birth of their children.

Sun Fun – Ishar run a school holiday fun program for teenagers during the summer school holidays. Each day of the program started with a short health information session, followed by an excursion.

Social Advantage Grant & Community Based Literacy Program – English classes were provided for women from CaLD backgrounds, many of whom experienced extreme isolation due to a lack of proficiency in the English language.

Health Ways Migrant Survival Kit & Outreach Project – This project was funded by Health Ways and through it 600 kits were produced. Health outreach workshops were also conducted and topics were designed in response to the stated needs of participants.

‘Body Language’ – This news column was published every two weeks in the Eastern Suburbs Reporter. Topics covered included Pap smears, menopause, osteoporosis, pelvic health and healthy eating.

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1992 – 1993

A Better Life For Our Children – This was a project of the Mirrabooka Multicultural Women’s Health Centre. The aim of the project was to produce a booklet that told stories by women from CaLD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) backgrounds on bringing up children while adjusting to a new world, in which the rules and customs are not always made clear.

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