Hi Impact100 WA

Thanks for checking in. It has been a busy and crazy time and we are facing such uncertainty, but we are trying to look for silver linings!

A brief summary which might interest your Committee and Donors:

We took a fairly early decision to suspend visits into remote communities to reduce the risk of transmission to such vulnerable communities. This means we are not able to deliver the Thriving Communities Program in the usual hands on way in most communities. We can still operate as normal in South Hedland and in two communities where the EON Project Manager lives in community- Ngukurr in NT and Yiyili in WA.

In communities we cannot physically access, the benefits of employing Indigenous community assistants in communities is paying off. We have set up better technology/digital communications with them and these casual and part time workers are working hard to keep the program going as much as possible in their communities. They have really stepped up to their responsibilities with up to 10 phone calls a day to Project Managers for advice/confirmation.

Our Project Managers are working with the community assistants from afar to give advice and mentoring and being very innovative to help keep important aspects of the program going.

The Project Managers have also quickly developed new teaching materials and other tools for the schools to make it easier for them to make the most of the program.

We are really proud of how positive and adaptive our staff are being- they are pulling together, being resilient and we are seeing such a positive culture within the organisation.

Funders have been advised of the ways we have responded to the situation and have supported our actions. It has been heart-warming to receive so many positive messages and most seem willing to be adaptable.

That said, it is a difficult and uncertain time and the Board feels a heavy responsibility to the over 30 staff employed by EON and to the thousands of community members in our partner communities to work out a practical, financially viable way forward. It is requiring a lot of attention and constant adaptation. And we wish we had a crystal ball!

Below is a photo of one of our Community Assistants, Donald from Ngukurr in the NT, harvesting edible water lilies which turn out to be really good for you!

It is great to also see Impact100 WA being so adaptable.

Kind regards

Katrina Burton, Co-Founder, Board Member.

EON Foundation 

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://eon.org.au/