By Yvette Campitelli-Slee
Draped in red, white, and blue, the Indian Daughters of the West are championing their health this premiership season.
Developed by the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation (WBCF), Daughters of the West aims to address barriers to healthcare access and understanding for women from multicultural communities.
WBCF is the not-for-profit arm of the Western Bulldogs AFL club, and designs outreach services to meet the West’s diverse health needs. They engage more than 20,000 participants from Melbourne, and all the way to the South Australian border.
‘Sport is a bridge to belonging. It’s a warm embrace and a place for inclusion and that drives us in every program we deliver. We know the power of sport to do good,’ says WBCF General Manager Louise Perry.
But beyond the footy field, the foundation is tackling serious health discrepancies.
‘[In multicultural communities] there are higher rates of dementia, stroke, heart disease… and lower participation rates in breast, cervical, and bowel cancer screening,’ says WBCF Multicultural Health Programs Coordinator Nina Pombuena.
‘There’s a health literacy gap that comes with navigating a complex health system you’re not used to, and it’s our role to recognise that gap and give the resources and education in language to show what’s accessible in Australia.’
For the last 10 weeks, the Indian Daughters of the West have run sessions in Gujarati and Hindi on topics such as nutrition, exercise, and mental wellbeing to women in Wyndham.
‘We create a culturally tailored program that’s run in language by a community leader, and it creates a safe space for women to talk about health,’ says Pombuena.
Key health issues affecting this community have also been identified.
Before the program, only two of the 50 members had ever had a breast cancer screening, and now in partnership with Breast Screen Victoria, 40 appointments have been coordinated.
‘We recognised the gap and organised a group booking, transport, and an interpreter through Breast Screen Victoria, so they could get this breast screen,’ says Pombuena.
The Indian cohort of Daughters of the West launched this year, but there have been several adaptations of this initiative, including a Vietnamese Daughters of the West and an African Sons of the West.
‘We’ve been running the Indian Sons of the West for three years now and they have loved it so much that they wanted the women in their lives to be part of this program,’ says Pombuena.
The 2021 Census reports that 17.3 per cent of Wyndham’s residents have Indian ancestry, compared to just 4.3 per cent of Victoria’s total population, and locals say more targeted services are required for this diaspora.
Sumitra Patel advocated for the launch of the Indian Daughters of the West at Tarneit’s Penrose Community Centre and is now a recurring member.
‘I requested that they push through to bring the Indian Daughters of the West program here because of the interest and because I enjoyed being involved,’ says Patel.
‘Being in language makes a huge difference and there’s a better understanding… It has been very helpful.’
Program advice and content is also designed to be culturally relevant to participants.
During the ‘Let’s Talk Food’ session, Central Gippsland Health Dietitian Lavanya Bachwal, described how dhal is a good food source for lentils and vegetables, explained the nutritional difference between wholemeal and processed chapatti, and used traditional Indian cutlery to show serving sizes.
‘The customisation of information relevant to the community we’re helping is so important because then when they’re going to set up their plate, they’ll be like “Okay, I saw this cutlery and that is the portion size I need to take,”’ says Bachwal.
‘I could’ve shown an Australian bowl but that wouldn’t have as much impact as when I showed the standard steel plate which is common Indian practice.’
This cultural relevance and grassroots approach can create tangible change for women in Wyndham.
‘People have started incorporating exercises at home and changing their lifestyle based on the learning here. We have started understanding footy as well,’ says Sumitra Patel.
And for those thinking of getting involved, Patel has this message: ‘Participation would initiate looking after your own health. There would be education on a variety of topics that could benefit you on a broader level and I would recommend joining in.’
For more information on the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation’s Daughters and Sons of the West programs, visit www.westernbulldogs.com.au/foundation.
*Yvette Campitelli-Slee is a journalism intern from RMIT
