COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PROGRAM

Transcription

1 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PROGRAM Improving Wellness in Launceston s ageing Bhutanese Community Community Connections Monthly Excursion Day 22 November 2016 Participants: Amber Singh Kalikotey Goma Devi Kalikotey Lila Ram Basnet Pokchi Maya Chhetri Krishna Prashad Chhetri Lok Nath Subedi Tek Maya Subedi Ganga Ram Acharya Uma Devi Acharya Gopal Rai Nirmala Kuikel Hari Lal Kuikel Prem Bahadur Rai Rabbi Maya Rai Mangali Rai Sancha Man Rai Ganga Bahadur Subba Staff Bikash Acharya Rup Koirala Malati Chhetri Susan Aykut Itinerary Visit To CCT s new 8 Broadland Drive, Launceston Visit to Shearing Shed at Western Junction Visit to the National Rose Garden, Woolmers Estate, Longford Goma Kalikotey smelling the roses at the National Rose Garden, Woolmers Estate, Longford By popular demand, on 22 November, participants of Community Care Tasmania s Bhutanese Community Connections program repeated visits to two places they had visited on the pilot excursion for the program in November This included a visit to a shearing shed at Western Junction, and a return visit to the National Rose Garden at Woolmers Estate. One new site visit was added to the itinerary and that was a visit to the new Community Care TASMANIA (CCT) office at 8 Broadland Drive. A COMMUNITY CARE TASMANIA INITIATIVE Supported by Tasmanian Community Fund & Dept of Health and Human Services Gambling Support Program

2 A t C C T, 8 B r o a d l a n d D r i v e, L a u n c e s t o n Tek Maya Subedi, CCT Case Manager Karen Crisp, Lok Nath Subedi, CCT Roster Coordinator Rachel Pearce & CCT General manager Wendy Mitchell Lok Nath Subedi Only a few Community Connections participants are clients of CCT, so most of the group had not been to the new CCT premises. Nor had some participants who are clients of CCT had an opportunity to see where we are located. The group arrived at morning tea time and were greeted by many of CCT s staff who had downed tools and were informally meeting in the downstairs staff area. This impromptu occasion gave both CCT staff and group members alike a chance to meet before the group set off for shearing shed at Western Junction and the National Rose Garden at Woolmers Estate near Longford. Community Connections group meeting some of the CCT team 8 Broadland Drive, Launceston Page 2

3 S Ta h esam r ianngi asnh ecdo,mw meusnt ietryn Fu J unndc tvi i osni t Local farmer Andrew McKenzie welcomed the Community Connections group to see him shearing for the second year in a row. As many of the Bhutanese have farming backgrounds, an opportunity to visit a farm and a shearing shed in operation is a highlight. A number of this year s group visited last year and felt right at home being in the shed again this year. Andrew met the group outside to discuss the ewes and lambs in the yards, before taking them inside to show them him his shearing prowess. Group members who had experience shearing sheep in Bhutan had only ever used shears to cut wool. Even those who had visited before were intrigued with the mechanised shearing system used here. Once the sheep was shorn, he showed the group how to throw a fleece and skirt it. Many of the women present were experienced spinners when living in Bhutan, and all remarked how clean Andrew s wool was compared to the wool they remember spinning in Bhutan. Old friends: Lok Nath Subedi with Andrew McKenzie, Western Junction Page 3

4 Shearing Shed, Western Junction Support Worker Malati Chhetri with local farmer Andrew McKenzie & Lok Nath Subedi Nirmala Kuikel watching local farmer Andrew McKenzie shearing a merino ewe Local farmer Andrew McKenzie with the Community Connections group at the shearing shed, Western Junction Page 4

5 National Rose Garden, Woolmers Estate, Longford L-R: Krishna Prashad Chhetri, Prem Bahadur Rai, Uma Devi Acharya, Nirmala Kuikel, Hari Lal Kuikel, Malati Chhetri, Goma Devi Kalikotey, Amber Singh Kalikotey, Lok Nath Subedi, Sancha Man Rai, Tek Maya Subedi, Lila Ram Basnet The visit to the National Rose Garden at Woolmers Estate was eagerly anticipated by group members who had been there last year. It didn t disappoint. The sun was shining and many of the 5000 roses, showcasing the nearly 500 varieties on display, were in bloom. Despite a late start to the season, a profusion of colour greeted the eye at every turn, and beautiful fragrances filled the air. The 72 Westerland climbing roses planted along the arches of the 80 metre Rose Arbor, were particularly spectacular. Pauline, one of four volunteers who maintain the garden, picked and presented roses and sweet Williams to group members while wishing them a pleasant visit to the state. She was fascinated to learn that the group were local residents and not travellers as she had thought; she was completely unaware that Launceston had a Bhutanese community. Following the groups ramble among the roses, a shared communal lunch was enjoyed in the parkland in front of Woolmers historic barn. Other tourists at Woolmers were invited to join the party. To their great delight they discovered one of them had visited Bhutan and they enjoyed hearing of his adventures in their former homeland. Before leaving Woolmers, group members inspected some of the displays of old farming equipment and the car collection found in the historic outbuildings dotted around the homestead complex. Page 5

6 Tasmanian Fund N a t i o n a l Community Rose Garde n, WVisit oolmers Estate, Longford Prem Bahadur Rai & Lok Nath Subedi smelling the roses Sancha Man Rai & Amber Singh Kalikotey smelling the roses Page 6 Nirmala Kuikel with National Rose Garden volunteer Pauline

7 National Rose Garden, Woolmers Estate, Longford Rup Koirala, Ganga Acharya & Gopal Rai Pokchi Maya Chhetri & Mangali Rai Malati Chhetri & Lok Nath Subedi Page 7