August 25th – Update
Indigenous health retreat volunteer project
This week we are very excited to send two of our staff members back to Elcho Island to support Hope for Health with their first ever Island Health Retreat Program!
Hope for Health is a Yolngu lead initiative based on Elcho Island in North east Arnhem land and Living Valley has had the privilege of partnering with Hope for Health to provide ongoing support for their start up health retreat.
Last year in April a group of Yolngu women from Hope for Health, came to Living valley to experience a healthier way of Living by coupling education with that experience. They learned so much during this time and were able to take their new found information back to their community and use it to empower the Yolngu people to reclaim their traditional diet as a way forward for their health and healing.
Jessica Gaunt, one of our experienced Naturopaths and Michelle Luxford one of our friendly hospitality workers here at living Valley who went to Elcho Island in August 2015 to follow up with the women and provide on going support. The Yolngu women had such fantastic results in this time which was largely due to them returning back to their traditional diet.
Since then Living Valley has been providing ongoing care to Hope for Health and its Yolngu participants.
So this week we will be sending off Jessica and Michelle as support workers for Hope for Health’s Yolngu Island Health Retreat which will involve 30 Yolngu participants going through a two-week detox health program to learn and experience health and wellness in their own environment.
Michelle will be working closely with other volunteers on the program in the kitchen providing nutritious meals, facilitating detox menu’s and offering hands on support wherever is needed.
Jessica will be actively supporting the Yolngu participants through Naturopathic consultations, food and nutrition coaching and on going wellness support. Jessica will also be keeping the Living Valley community up to date on the latest information with regular blog posts.
So stay tuned on this exciting journey in the restoration of hope, health and life with the Yolngu people. Follow us for updates on Facebook and Instagram – @livingvalley and @jess.gaunt
