During the first week of September 2018, North Coast Primary Health Network, Coffs Harbour Gumbaynggirr Youth Community Drug Action Team (CDAT), Ready Mob, Groundworks, Junna Buwwa, AIME and Mission Australia ran a girls cultural camp for local Indigenous youth called Gaamung-gundi Muya ‘Spirit of the Girls’.
The camp ran for four days and was held in Scotts Head, with 32 girls attending from four different schools around Coffs Harbour. The aim of the camp was to teach the girls about culture, build confidence, increase their knowledge on health and wellbeing, and to build connections.
Activities included traditional dancing, women’s yarning circles, health and wellbeing, police talk, culture lessons and surfing.
The camp was a huge success, seeing girls leave the camp with a newfound confidence and sense of self.
The Gumbaynggirr Youth CDAT hope to partner with local services in future to organise future camps.