Cardinal makes outback visit

CARITAS Internationalis president Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga stood in solidarity with Australia’s first people recently when he visited Purple House, a unique medical service operating in Alice Springs and surrounding remote communities.
Cardinal Rodriguez, who was in Australia from August 14-25, and Caritas Australia chief executive officer Jack de Groot met with dialysis patients and visited the Purple House renal facility, nutritional program and traditional bush medicine program – run by the Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation (WDNWPT).
Caritas Australia funds the WDNWPT’s Wellbeing Project which builds upon the dialysis services by offering meaningful employment and income for dialysis patients through the production and sale of bush balms.
The program contributes to the retention of traditional knowledge ensuring it will be passed on to the younger generations who learn all stages of the business, from the harvesting, production, marketing and sale of bush balms.
Participants also learn business management skills.
Bush balms are made from plants and used for a range of ailments including pain and headaches.
“This work provides cultural and healing benefits to patients who greatly value their link to traditional medicine,” Mr de Groot said.
“The cardinal was fascinated by this and many aspects of Purple House.
“This program will help ensure invaluable cultural traditions are not lost. Trainees actually learn cultural knowledge and skills from their Elders who are also the patients.
“They learn production, marketing, distribution and sales of a product they produce together with their Elders. They are supported to engage with mainstream culture and develop confidence.”
Cardinal Rodriguez also took a tour of the Purple Bus – an integral service where a colourful bus travels to remote communities across Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The Purple Bus allows patients access to renal care and medical treatment from a nurse in their own communities.
Purple House and the Purple Bus are part of a holistic program to address not only physical health conditions for indigenous people but also psycho-social support.
They employ and train staff and volunteers from their own communities.
Cardinal Rodriguez, Mr de Groot and Bishop Eugene Hurley of Darwin also met with Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council co-ordinator Andrea Mason. Caritas Australia has supported the work of the council since 1995.
NPY empowers many women and addresses debilitating community issues including family and community violence, high rates of male imprisonment, prison rehabilitation services and the impact of changes in government legislation.
While in Australia, Cardinal Rodriguez launched Caritas’ Walk as One campaign.