Sisterhood Project funds first aid for Parents at Aboriginal Cooperative

The Sisterhood Project is supporting First Nations parents and carers in Shepparton Victoria by funding child first aid courses through Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative.

The Sisterhood Project is a registered charity, started by two sisters Grace and Skye Larson, that funds first aid education for parents and carers that can’t otherwise afford it or access it.

Skye Larson, co-founder of The Sisterhood Project, said that this is the second pilot program for the charity following a grant from the National Australia Bank.

“Thanks to the NAB we have been able to set up these two pilot programs. Our first program began in early August, helping teen mothers learn child first aid and how to identify serious respiratory illnesses in infants and children,” Skye said. 

“This time we will be supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to learn these vital life-saving skills,” Skye said.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, children from rural and remote areas are three times more likely to die from preventable accidents and injuries and that number is even higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Respiratory illness, such as Asthma, is also 5% more prevalent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The Sisterhood Project is not only funding the courses, but also working with specialist education providers to tailor them to make them easier to digest and take part in.

“For Rumbalara we are providing shorter format, culturally sensitive courses and using non-technical language. For other groups we will also offer courses in another language or translators,” Skye said.