Edenhope Cultural Fusion event delivers ‘overt display of acceptance and community’
More than 200 people attended Grampians Health Edenhope’s Cultural Fusion event, to celebrate diversity.
The event attracted residents of all ages, from kindergarten and school students, through to senior citizens.
An array of multicultural artwork, by students, was on display – including African beads, embellished cultural portraits, Filipino Sarimanok birds and Aboriginal flags.
Grampians Health executives travelled from Ballarat, Geelong and Horsham to participate in the day.
“Our hope, for Cultural Fusion, was to build connections and support for staff members who have come from across the globe to live and work in Edenhope,” Chief People Officer Claire Woods said.
“Those hopes were exceeded, with an overt display of acceptance and community in Edenhope. This is a special town and it was heartwarming to hear from our Edenhope team members, who feel embraced and supported by the community.”
The ‘Small Town, Big Stories’ panel featured six residents, who shared their experiences of migrating to Australia from Dubai, India, the Philippines and South Africa.
Born in India, but raised in Dubai, Enrolled Nurse Nausheen Hashmi spent seven years in London and three years in Melbourne before moving to Edenhope.
“For me, home isn’t a location, it’s a feeling,” she said.
“It’s where my children laugh, where I can cook my mother’s biryani recipe, where I feel spiritually connected and emotionally safe.
“My children’s life in Edenhope is quieter; they have more access to nature, forests, lakes, and farms and they’ve learned to find joy in the simple things.”
When asked, Nausheen said she was proud to represent her faith in Edenhope.
“I’m showing people through my actions, through kindness and through everyday conversations what Islam truly is – peaceful, compassionate and deeply human. I know that for many people in Edenhope, Islam may be unfamiliar, and I understand that. I hope today, you don’t just see me as a Muslim; I’m a daughter, a friend, a neighbour, I cook, I laugh, I go shopping and I worry about the future, just like anyone else.”
Nurse unit managers Christian and Lady Anne Vidal described the heartbreaking decision to leave their four-month-old son in the Philippines to pursue career opportunities in Australia.
Nurse Unit Manager Jessah Ozon shared details of her love story with husband Rezah; the pair was separated for four years, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Christian and Lady Anne, along with Jessah and Rezah, initially planned to leave Edenhope as soon as visa requirements were fulfilled.
Years on, the two couples have fallen in love with the town and bought houses and businesses in the district; they have no intention of leaving.
West Wimmera Shire Council chief executive David Bezuidenhout, who was an 11th generation farmer in South Africa, explained why it was necessary to sell his land and two law firms, to seek safety in Australia.
He described how serving as an army officer in Angola, during a civil war, brought perspective about what mattered most in life.
David made the decision to embrace Australia, make new memories and forge a new identity for his family.
And 14-year-old Garvit Jayee was open about how differences in his culture and faith made it hard to fit in, in Edenhope.
By being true to himself, and embracing new things (like AFL football), Garvit is building friendships and starting to feel more settled.
The panel was followed by a Filipino banquet lunch, live music from ‘The Filos’ band and traditional dancers from the Wimmera Filipino-Australia Club.
St Malachy’s primary school students, who spent weeks practicing, performed the traditional Filipino ‘Tinikling’ dance.
