Welcome back to our Walkabout for Change competition winners

Our two Walkabout for Change competition winners, Lynne Duthie and Alisha Nelson, have returned after completing the Indigenous Community Volunteer’s Walkabout for change.

Alisha and Lynne were the winners of our online competition which invited people aged 18-25 to submit a poster, audio clip or video showing us what Closing the Gap means to them and their community and the prize was a spot on the Indigenous Community Volunteers Walkabout for Change.

The Walkabout for Change is eight day trek along the Larapinta Trail, an unforgettable experience trekking through beautiful countryside and learning about Indigenous culture.

Alisha submitted a video titled ‘Bridgie Gap’ and Lynne submitted a creative writing piece called ‘Our Gap.’

The girls went into the trek excited about seeing and experiencing beautiful countryside, meeting new people, and being part of something that would inspire them to educate others about Closing the Gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

We chatted to our two enthusiastic trekkers about their (interests, careers and what they know about Closing the Gap) highlights from the trek.

Lynne Duthie: ‘Our Gap’

Occupation/study: Third year Occupational Therapy degree at Curtin University in WA

In my spare time I: love to put my running shoes on and see where my legs take me! I am also a very keen bike rider. I love visiting remote communities in WA on volunteering trips. I get a buzz out of meeting new people and experiencing red dirt and blue skies!

I contribute to Closing the Gap by:  Having conversations with the kids in remote communities I have visited, talking to them about their hopes and dreams for the future and sharing stories from our different ‘worlds’ is all about Closing the Gap.

 I believe we can educate other young people about Closing the Gap by: facilitating activities that foster health, empowerment, self-esteem, kindness and respect. Getting kids talking about it and getting families involved to help reinforce the values behind the Closing the Gap initiative.

Your Walkabout for Change experience: Our walkabout journey has been a trek across magnificent and rugged, harsh but beautiful country; it has been a time for chance meetings and deep connections and it has been an emotional ride of discovery.

I think everyone on the trek learnt something about themselves, the country and Indigenous issues.

I am proud to have represented Indigenous Community Volunteers as I truly believe in their positive approach to dealing with such issues and working with communities from the ground up.

 The Highlight of the Walkabout for change was: Our visit to the Titjikala community.

Lynne:  I was lucky enough to share my Closing the Gap story around the campfire one night which brought on a few tears and I hope that having had such an amazing experience I can continue to spread the word about Closing the Gap amongst my family, friends and peers. It’s something I am truly passionate about.

Alisha Nelson: ‘Bridgie Gap’

Occupation/study: Fashion designer and co-founder of clothing company, Deadly Divas, founded in 2011.

Alisha is passionate about: the fashion industry and celebrating the beauty and grace of our culture. Fashion is a powerful vehicle that helps us to celebrate our people, culture and history. We aim to capture this in the clothing we design.  We have a powerful story that continues to unfold each day and fashion is another way for us to share that story.

I got my inspirations for my Bridgie Gap video from: wanting to share what Closing the Gap meant to me in a way that stood out and took people by surprise Although it is my own story and Closing the Gap is a serious issue, I thought that by communicating through this video it would help engage a wider audience.

I believe we can educate other young people about Closing the Gap by: Telling people not to give up! We all have a part to play!

My positive experiences in Closing the Gap have included: Seeing my family members graduate from TAFE and university, embark on their own careers and the opportunity to be part of the Walkabout for Change competition!