'Paternalistic' plan actually working

[Lusankya]

linkety link

another linky

Wash for fuel our idea, say Aborigines
By Edith Bevin in Mulan
10dec04

THE outback Aboriginal community at the centre of the "wash your faces for petrol pumps" exchange stood defiant yesterday, declaring the plan was their idea.

As debate raged in Canberra, where Labor branded the so-called shared responsibility agreement as paternalistic and patronising, elder Rebecca Johns, 31, stood up for the tiny settlement of Mulan.

"It's not blackmail – it was our idea," she told The Advertiser, which flew to Mulan in the Tanami Desert in Western Australia's far north.

"We needed fuel and we have health problems here. It's a win for us. This way we get to tell the Government how we want to spend the money."

The offer to guarantee basic hygiene standards in return for two much-needed petrol pumps was conceived at a community meeting earlier this year to try to find solutions to child health problems.

Mulan has one of the worst rates in the world of the serious eye disease trachoma.

Residents, who have a no-alcohol policy, are at a loss to explain why Mulan's children are afflicted with high rates of illness, skin infection and worms.

The community already has a "wash your face twice a day" program at the local school, where 45 children are enrolled.

"This is about making sure that commitment continues after school is out," said council administrator Mark Sewell.

"There are some really good parents out there but there are some with poor parenting skills. It doesn't work just pulling them aside and telling them that. They need some sort of incentive."

The 160 Aborigines at Mulan live in just 42 houses, and Ms Johns said their health woes were partly due to overcrowding.

"On average most couples have five or six children," she said. "You have two or three families in the one house – so you have a lot of children living in the one house. We keep our children clean, but . . ."

Under the agreement with the Federal Government, the community must ensure children take regular showers and go to school on time. Rubbish must be cleared from homes each day and put in bins.

Ms Johns said she hoped it was the first of many agreements they would enter into with the Federal Government.

The next thing she wants to tackle is housing.

"We need more houses. That would help with health problems too. The Government is not telling us what to do – we are telling them what we want.

"The Government was pouring money away before (but) it wasn't what we needed.

"I don't understand why people are so worried about this. It's a good thing for us."

Store worker Tanya Rolands, 24, has two children. She said they were healthy but she was still worried about their future.

"I've got a six-year-old and a two-year-old. They've never had any problems other than gastro when they were babies," she said.

"(But) we have big eye problems here – we all understand how serious the problems are."

Mulan is 200km from Halls Creek in Western Australia. All of its houses have taps and running bore water.

From the second article:

Before the school added face-washing to the daily routine 18 months ago, four out of five Mulan children aged 10 to 16 were infected with Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium -- the most common cause of preventable blindness in the world.

But when health workers screened the Mulan children last month they were thrilled to find the incidence of trachoma among children under 16 had dropped to a seven-year low of 16 per cent.

I'm pleased to see the government doing something and actually working with the communities to get it done.

[bohemianfey]

Before the school added face-washing to the daily routine 18 months ago, four out of five Mulan children aged 10 to 16 were infected with Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium -- the most common cause of preventable blindness in the world.

But when health workers screened the Mulan children last month they were thrilled to find the incidence of trachoma among children under 16 had dropped to a seven-year low of 16 per cent.

I'm pleased to see the government doing something and actually working with the communities to get it done.[/quote]
That first statement makes me shudder. I'm glad to see that something actually being done about this.

[Xon]

That first statement makes me shudder. I'm glad to see that something actually being done about this.

The majority of Aboriginals in Australia consistantly have worse living standards compared to the bulk of the population.

It causes real problems with their interactions with society at large and really doesnt do their standard of life any favours.

Its good to see something which works being done.

[bohemianfey]

That first statement makes me shudder. I'm glad to see that something actually being done about this.

The majority of Aboriginals in Australia consistantly have worse living standards compared to the bulk of the population.

It causes real problems with their interactions with society at large and really doesnt do their standard of life any favours.

Its good to see something which works being done.

It's the same way for Native Americans and Native Alaskans.

[Lusankya]

That first statement makes me shudder. I'm glad to see that something actually being done about this.

The majority of Aboriginals in Australia consistantly have worse living standards compared to the bulk of the population.

It causes real problems with their interactions with society at large and really doesnt do their standard of life any favours.

Its good to see something which works being done.

And naturally the opposition's complaining about it. Stupid two-party politics.

[Corran Horn]

The governemt still needs to put more Funds towards helping outback communities. Hell Take some funds from the Private Schools. (We dont need it My school is Friggin RICH)

It is good to see Politians thinking of Aborigonal people more. ANd they should keep on helping them.

Polititions have a way of reasoning things. Ever seen Parlement? No well let me tell you they call each other more names than the Australian Cricket team can call an opponent in a test Match series.

[Xon]

The governemt still needs to put more Funds towards helping outback communities. Hell Take some funds from the Private Schools. (We dont need it My school is Friggin RICH)

Cutting the fat from the current welfare mess what is Aboriginal welfare can help. The previous government body which handled Aboriginal affairs was truely hopeless and had lost the public's respect.

Also diverting funding from any primary/high schools which are funded and have the curriculum set by the Government is a bade idea.

Also its the States which control the primary/high schools(with the Federal government setting the board agenda in exchange for funding), not the Federal Government which controls Aboriginal Welfare.

Polititions have a way of reasoning things. Ever seen Parlement? No well let me tell you they call each other more names than the Australian Cricket team can call an opponent in a test Match series.

Its great isnt it?

Could you imagine the USA senate like ours? Bush wouldnt stand a chance in that enviroment.