In the year 2000 Dardi Munwurro Strong Spirit came to light from the hard work from Gunai Director Alan Thorpe and a team of dedicated workers and community.
The organisation gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men the opportunity to heal and recover from the impacts of family violence and colonisation.
In those days most of the work was volunteer and Alan Thorpe and his team would drive all over the state using their own resources to see men in communities, they were desperate for funding support. They had a vision and nothing was going to stop them from making it happen.
Today Dardi Munwurro Strong Spirit has some of their financial support from the State Government of Victoria and have been successful in running programs across new sites in Victoria.
Men’s behavioural change groups are programs that make men accountable for their violence but gives them the cultural and emotional support to address their trauma while working on solutions with their behaviour and mindset towards their partners and children.
From here the organisation has grown and Dardi Munwurro-Strong Spirit runs Ngarra Jarranounith Place, a men’s residential facility, the Youth Journey’s Program and a Women’s Unit for partners and children of men accessing the services.
Gunditjmara Women’s Unit Co-ordinator Stacey Douglas and Family Engagement and Safety Worker Eavan Murphy joined Standing Strong Together to tell us about the Dardi-Munwurro women’s community and their wonderful Flowers Program.
During COVID-19 they have had to change the way they are supporting women and their children but the Women's Unit have been successful in connecting women remotely with online support and keeping in contact via telephone.
In May Dardi Munwurro Strong Spirit held a Regional Gathering online, this was the first time for the women joining an online panel with the men in the community.
Dardi Munwurro Strong Spirit and 3KND are partners in educating the community on Family Violence Prevention. This is an initiative of the State Government of Victoria Prevention of the Cycle of Violence Aboriginal Fund.
1800 435 799
Written and produced by Kirstyn Lindsay