Meet Jawun Secondee, Christine Lancaster
Christine Lancaster, executive assistant in the University’s Department of Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital, recently undertook a ‘virtual’ six-week secondment through Jawun to the Yadu Health Aboriginal Corporation. Based in Ceduna on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, Christine was able to support Yadu’s community outreach program, using her skills and background in marketing and events in a health setting.
“I was placed with Yadu to work on a new website and launch event following rebranding that saw the organisation’s name change from Ceduna Koonibba Aboriginal Health Service Aboriginal Corporation – quite a mouthful – to Yadu Health.
“In one of the local languages, Yadu means ‘deadly’ (in the best sense of the word), as in wicked! They also developed a fabulous new logo to be incorporated into the materials I was developing.
“Yadu provides clinical health services and community health programs to Ceduna and its surrounding communities including GPs, visiting specialists, residential and community based aged care, maternal and child health services, a sobering up unit, gambling support and many others.
“We managed to get the website up and running in just six weeks and it’s now a place where the community can find information about the services offered and make appointments.
“Fortunately for Yadu, the University does events very well, and since March the events team has done an awesome job helping staff move its events online, which is exactly what Yadu told me they wanted. In my six week timeframe it wasn’t possible to plan and run an event, but I was able to create resources to help them kick off and run their own events program. Even as life begins to return to some sort of normality, Yadu has decided to still run some of their launch virtually, to allow people who may not have been able to join to still participate – including me!
“While a virtual secondment didn’t allow for the immersive experience, an onsite Jawun placement might have provided, Yadu was still able to get the assistance they needed for a couple of very important projects. It also gave me a focus in lockdown I would otherwise have missed, and allowed me to make new friends in Ceduna. There are definite plans for me to visit in person after my new friend Patrick’s invitations to sail on an oyster boat, fish off the pier and go four-wheel driving on the Goog’s track.
“I certainly feel connected to Yadu and really want to continue to work with them and contribute as much as I can – even from Melbourne.”