Maruma-li Giwirr program helping Gunnedah's Aboriginal men

A new program was launched this week with the Min Min Aboriginal Corporation that is designed to strengthen ties to culture and community while focusing on health among Gunnedah’s aboriginal men.

The corporation received a $100,000 grant from the state’s Community and Place Grants Program that Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said is delivering tangible local benefit and impact to Aboriginal communities against Closing the Gap targets, while also recognising that Aboriginal communities have the solutions to issues in their community.

“This is a terrific and unique program that will put important funding in the hands of Aboriginal groups who best know how to bring about improvements and opportunities for their community,” Mr Franklin said.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said the program is about ensuring local elders are given the opportunity to guide the next generation, supporting them through workshops in men’s health, anger management, dealing with stress, budgeting and money management, addiction and other topics.

Min Min Aboriginal Corporation Chair Mitchum Neave said the program would bring local men together.

“The main objective of the program is to bring all the men together in the community to check on their wellbeing and their health, and also to get them back on country on scarred sites,” Mr Neave said.

“Some of the people here have never seen those sites so I’d like to take them back out on country because cultural practice and healing is always done out on country.”

Maruma-li Giwirr was launched this week to support Aboriginal men in Gunnedah in their health and wellbeing.