'building communities' capacity through empowerment, healing and leadership.'
NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT PROJECT
Building communities' capacity through empowerment and strengthening
cultural, social and emotional wellbeing.
NORTHAM / TOODYAY NEP CONSULTANTS
Tjalaminu Mia: Northam, WA
Tjalaminu is a Menang/Goren and Noongar woman. She is the Managing Director of the Sister Kates Home Kids Healing Centre and Healing Programs and has been working closely with communities in the Wheatbelt and South West in recent times. Tjalaminu was awarded the Community Person of the Year WA NAIDOC Award 2012 and this was in recognition of her tireless work the past 35 years for the human rights of her people. She has held various positions in community controlled organisations, mainstream advocacy organisations and government. She is an accomplished writer and co-author of several oral histories publications, including ‘Speaking from the Heart’ and ‘Heartsick for Country’.
Dezarae Miller: Northam, WA
Dezerae Miller is a Noongar woman from the Balladong people in the Wheatbelt. Her parents are Kimberley Spratt and Sandra Miller (dec). Her family are Miller's, Spratt's, Scott’s and Moody's, which extends right through the Great Southern and Kimberley regions including into the Central Desert, Western Australia.
She has two children aged 7 and 9 years (boy & girl), who are the light of her life and who inspire her to keep working for our people and our younger generations. I have been working in the communities for almost 5 years since raising her children and has developed a passion for helping her people and her community. Her previous employment was working in the government court system sector, by helping to build a bridge for Aboriginal people in my community. She successfully completed a 12 month traineeship in Certificate 2 in Business which she enjoyed.
Dezerae then ventured into a role as an administration/receptionist for an employment agency to support people in obtaining stable employment. She then took up a position with the local community drug and alcohol agency as a trainee AOD counsellor in the Aboriginal program, specifically working with Aboriginal people throughout the Wheatbelt region. She also attained a Certificate 3 in AODJ and was then approached by a coordinator from a NGO to undertake a project around suicide prevention (1Ife Strategy) for a 12 month contract, to consult with the community and regarding what they felt is needed to make their communities strong and resilient around suicide prevention.
Dezerae is a Sister Kate’s Home Kids Aboriginal Corporation Director. She strongly believes in empowering her people towards self governance and community unity.