News and views from our community
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Meet Solomon Sisay – acclaimed Ethio-Jazz musician and friend of Baptcare
If you wandered into one of the NGV Friday Nights events this past August in Melbourne, you might have caught Solomon Sisay, world-class Ethio-jazz musician and one of the talented artists behind the sell-out album Sitota (meaning ‘gift’ in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia).Sitota, written by Solomon and fellow Ethiopian artist, Nhatty Man, was conceived as a tribute to Ethio-Jazz melodies, incorporating both original compositions and covers of popular hits. For those unfamiliar with Ethio-Jazz, the genre is described as a blending of traditional Ethiopian music with jazz, funk, soul and Latin. If you’ve watched the 2005 Hollywood movie, Broken Flowers, you’ll have experienced the unique rhythms of Ethio-Jazz featured on the soundtrack.The story of Ethio-Jazz has been expressed in The Economist as ‘a tale of back-and-forth migration and the alchemical fusion of ideas. The dramatic saga involves political upheaval, accidental epiphanies, a series of dogged and inspired individuals …’.It’s a description that seems apt for Solomon Sisay himself. This talented international artist, now performing to great acclaim across music festivals both in Australia and overseas, was formerly a resident of Baptcare Sanctuary – a transitional accommodation rooming house in Melbourne for people seeking asylum.“Baptcare had so many support services to help me – I had to start planning so I could move out and stand on my own two feet.”What is Baptcare Sanctuary?Sanctuary's support services are provided to help empower homeless people seeking asylum to live an independent life in the Australian community. Referrals are made from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the Red Cross, Adult Multicultural Education Services and Life Without Barriers. A key focus of the service is to increase residents’ capacity to secure and maintain independent housing in the community. Solomon Sisay is certainly kicking goals in this regard.“When I moved into Sanctuary, I knew I had a limited amount of time there – a couple of years at most – and I had to plan to get back on my feet,” says Solomon. “Baptcare helped me so much. Sometimes, I would think about home and what has happened. Those times, I would feel unhappy. But, Baptcare had so many support services to help me – I had to start planning so I could move out and stand on my own two feet.”A young boy finds a love of musicGrowing up as a young boy in Ethiopia, Solomon was encouraged to engage in after school activities. There were the normal choices of sports and games, however, young Solomon was attracted to music. He started with the trumpet. “But I didn’t really like it that much,” he laughs. “I was drawn to the saxophone. The teachers looked at my fingers,” he explains, twiddling his digits in mid-air. “Yes, they said – they look good – you can play saxophone”.“Music is my life. I just feel so happy and at peace when I perform."Solomon didn’t know it at the time, but that decision launched a life-long love of music and a highly acclaimed career as a professional musician. He was already a well-known saxophonist in Ethiopia when approached by Axumite Band, one of the country’s most popular groups, to play with them. Solomon has gone on to international acclaim, touring Europe, the Middle East, Japan and New Zealand. This saxophone maestro has performed to adoring crowds at WOMADelaide, Port Fairy Folk Festival and MONA FOMA, just to name a few.‘Music is my life,” says Solomon. “I just feel so happy and at peace when I perform. It doesn’t matter if I have a headache, or whatever. I just start playing – there’s no need for Panadol or a Nurofen! Music fixes everything.”Strong roots in the communityFinding his feet in the community means more than performing as a successful musician. Solomon and his wife, Meseret, also run the highly reviewed Yetenbi Ethiopian restaurant in Barkly Street, Footscray. ‘She’s the cook – I’m the taster! And a good eater!” laughs Solomon. “Everyone knows my wife is a great cook. My friends come to my house to eat and say – wow! You need to open a place and serve this food. Get a restaurant!”For about two years now, they’ve been working hard refining key traditional Ethiopian dishes, served up six days a week at Yetenbi. On Friday and Saturday nights, you can also catch Solomon performing Ethio-Jazz tunes while you dine – including pieces from Sitota.From the upbeat ‘Yawatashal Woy’, through the sultry intrigue of ‘Tiztaye’ and ‘Bati’ and then finding more quiet, contemplative moments in ‘Lemelalesibet’, Solomon’s debut album seems reflective of his own journey from Ethiopia to Australia. One can only imagine the stoicism required to cope with the transition from famed musician to refugee – and the drive needed to rebuild his life in Australia, some 11,000 km away from the home he has always known.When asked about that ‘special something’ inside of him which enables him to survive and thrive despite the darker moments he’s endured, Solomon is clear. “I just always try to be happy,” he explains. “I knew I was in a good place at Sanctuary – people at Baptcare worked hard to support us with good mental health, the church supported us to get back on our feet,” he says. “Even when I think about what is happening at home, I remind myself to be happy now.”Achieving fullness of lifeLooking ahead to what’s next, Solomon is hopeful of producing a follow up album to Sitota and perhaps finding a better work-life balance, now that he has two little boys to bring up. “One is three years and nine months and the other is two years and nine months,” Solomon proudly explains. “But it’s hard running a business and finding enough time to be with them.”It’s a common theme driving Australians working to provide for their families, both materially and emotionally. One can’t help but reflect on young Solomon growing up in Ethiopia, experimenting with music and finding a life-long joy. Will his boys follow in dad’s footsteps? Or perhaps become great cooks like their mum? No doubt, they will find their own path, secure in a loving family who are working hard to achieve fullness of life. That is their ‘sitotota’ or gift to the next generation of Sisays.A brief background on Ethiopia’s refugee crisisThe UNHCR describes Ethiopia’s Tigray refugee crisis as ‘a full-scale humanitarian and protection crisis’. It estimates that there are currently more than 2.6 million internally displaced people and more than 97,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in the Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions of Northern Ethiopia. The current crisis evolved after armed conflict broke out between the federal government and regional forces in 2020, forcing millions of people to flee their homes. Reports of widespread human rights violations, including sexual violence, speak to the peril and trauma experienced by those who have fled the country and are now seeking asylum.Conflict was occurring in Ethiopia for decades before this latest turmoil. Many Ethiopians have known only war and disruption. The country is also experiencing its worst drought in 40 years, compounding the struggle to find fresh water and food in a country already experiencing the oppression of armed conflict.It is against this backdrop of trauma and hostility that Solomon’s journey to reclaim his independence as a successful musician is even more remarkable.If you’d like to catch Solomon performing live with his band, check out their upcoming dates on Facebook.If you would like to make a contribution to Baptcare services, such as Sanctuary, which provide critical support to people seeking asylum, please click here.
- 28 Sep 2022
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Meet Family Services practitioner, Allan, our faces of Baptcare #22
The world of caring is complex. It is important and delicate work that requires layers of sensitive support. Baptcare is blessed to have support workers such as Allan in our community. How long have you been a Family Services Practitioner with Baptcare?I have been working in this role for two years and four months after coming out of retirement. What does the job involve? I work part time providing assistance and support to Baptcare Kinship Carers. What do you like about the job?I enjoy the people contact, working with Kinship Carers and making a positive difference in their lives. Also, the team I work in and the support I obtain from management is rewarding. Prior to taking on this role I worked for nearly 30 years in the disability field then retired, travelled overseas with my wife and then COVID struck so there wasn’t the same freedom to make future travel plans.I found that I was getting bored and missing the people contact, so I came back to work. Do you have a favourite work memory?I have many memories. A more recent one is observing the reaction and happiness of a young boy when I delivered a basketball system to him at his grandparent’s home and the email he sent thanking me and Baptcare. If you could sit next to 2 people at a dinner party, who would they be, and why?Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. I have been a Beatles fan ever since I can remember. What did you want to be when you grew up?Follow my fathers’ footsteps and be a train driver. Describe your ideal day.My ideal day is when I can make a positive impact and create great outcomes in a carer and child’s life. Do you have a favourite saying/motto in life?Don’t sweat the small stuff.
- 16 Sep 2022
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Meet Hannah, one of our wonderful Foster Carers
Meet Hannah!High school teacher Hannah is a foster carer living in Melbourne’s west with her new puppy, George and kitten, Opi. Hannah has been fostering with Baptcare for about a year, including a long-term placement with a teenage girl and some respite work too. We chatted with Hannah about her fostering journey with Baptcare.What was the foster care recruitment process like for you at the beginning?When I made that first phone call to talk with Baptcare about the idea of fostering I was nervous and excited. I had been thinking about it for a long time so when I did ring I felt like I was finally doing it - at last! I knew the process could take around nine months as I’d done the research beforehand. But it was good to talk through the process step by step and understand fully what was involved.What drew you to foster caring? When I was young, I volunteered at a camp that turned out to be for kids in care. They were at the camp on respite. I met a couple of brothers who had been through 60 placements and it resonated with me. Talking with those boys planted the seed at a young age of me wanting to do foster caring.Did you always want to do foster caring for teenagers?I had decided I wanted to care for teenagers as I teach in a high school. I like getting to know them and as a result, I’ve had some wonderful conversations with them. It’s really wonderful being able to affect a young person’s life positively. Plus, with teenagers, the sleeping-in thing is a big plus for me! What do you like about fostering? I like to involve them in everyday life and just doing the ordinary things together. In one of my placements, we went hiking together and it was really nice and we took some lovely photos. That’s a memory she will always have. In one placement we went away for Christmas together with my family. It was her first camping trip and it was good to see her experiencing that.What’s it like being a foster carer?I thought working full-time and being on my own would make things harder to work around, but Baptcare have been very supportive. It helps being part of a team - that was important to me, especially in the first months. Having someone to talk things through and someone to reassure me really helped. I’ve made some really great memories fostering like the camping trip I just mentioned. It’s memories like these that make fostering special. Giving a young person a positive memory and experience - something they can keep for the rest of their lives that’s what makes everything worthwhile. What reactions have you had to being a foster carer?In general family and friends have been great and very positive about fostering. Often people don’t really know what fostering involves, so they are really curious and then supportive.What experience have you had with the birth family?Actually, it’s been really positive having the birth family involved. It made everyone relax a little - especially the young person I’m looking after, as they are a lot more comfortable knowing that I am happy for them to have contact with their birth family. In some cases, the extended family have been a real help.What did you think of the training you were given by Baptcare?I think the training would be good for all teachers to do, especially the module on trauma and how the brain works. What was the process like for you, profiled as ‘a single young female’? It made me happy to dispel that myth that you need to be a couple to do foster caring. It’s good to have a lot of different perspectives, cultures and genders involved in fostering. It helps give the kids the ability to see things from another viewpoint. It helps open up the world for them. Is foster caring what you expected?Probably when I was younger I had more of a fairy tale image in my head. But as I’ve got older and done more research, foster caring is actually what I was expecting. I have a lot of friends who have been foster carers, so I kind of had an idea of what it was like. I didn’t have many illusions. I went in with my eyes open. Researching fostering helped a lot too.People think fostering would be too hard because you will get attached to your foster children. But it’s fine. You just do the best you can. One thing I didn’t realise is that sometimes you can stay in touch with the children. Another thing that I wasn’t expecting is that there would be so much support available as a foster carer. Working full-time, I thought it would be a lot harder, but everyone has been really supportive. When they hear it’s fostering, they just want to help.What are the qualities you need to have as a carer? What do you think is most important?To not take things personally, to be adaptable, flexible and most of all caring. Even if you don’t have a lot of experience with children, it’s better to be trauma-informed - that’s what’s important.Is teamwork an important part of being a carer?Definitely. For me, it was a positive thing to be involved with the birth family.What’s the best part of caring for you?It makes you feel like you are contributing to the community and giving a kid an opportunity. It makes you realise there are other types of lives in the world.If you could tell a new carer anything, what would that be?Do your research and be patient.It’s not all about you.Kids are going through stuff that you don’t know about.It’s ok to start again the next day.What’s the hardest part about caring?It’s a pretty emotional journey. It’s hard - but it’s rewarding.I know this is really important to you - do you think you are making a difference?You might not make a difference while they are with you or straight away, but that’s ok.In the hard slog of their life, you might have made it a little bit easier for them and that’s what I’m aiming for.
- 13 Sep 2022
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Meet Foster Carer Andie, part of Baptcare’s wonderful Foster Care community
There’s a saying that angels understand our prayers even when we can’t find the words to say them.This is certainly the case with baby-whisperer Andie*, one of Baptcare’s wonderful family of foster carers.Andie, 45, has cared for over 25 children in her 10 years as a foster carer but it’s the babies to whom she is most drawn. “I just tune into them,” she says. “I can still remember the way I felt when I was little and didn’t have the words or any power to express myself. I like to try and love them all up and make their life a bit more fluffy and nice around the edges.”Andie, mother of two grown boys, was drawn to foster caring because she missed having little children in her home. “I love encouraging the little ones and watching them blossom,” she says. “My job as a carer is to love them and then let them go back to their families. It can be a very hard job and yet it’s also so fulfilling,” Andie says. “It’s such a lovely feeling to know you’ve helped but sometimes, I’m not going to lie, it’s like ripping part of your heart out. It’s definitely bittersweet.”Andie doesn’t think she’s doing anything special in her role as a carer.“I am the lucky one being able to care for these precious children,” she comments. “I feel so privileged to be able to care for them. Every one of these children has left a special place in my heart.”*Image and other details changed to protect privacy
- 09 Sep 2022
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Meet Wilma Ackland from Baptcare’s Affordable Housing community
A few years ago, 85-year-old Great-grandmother, Wilma Ackland, was at cross-roads in her life. Recently widowed, Wilma needed to decide what to do with her life.She had been living in Baptcare’s Coasthaven aged care community in Norlane for over three years since her husband had become unwell. “Things got to a stage where my husband became very sick and couldn’t live at home anymore, so we moved into Coasthaven together for extra support. He wanted me to stay by his side and I wanted to be with him too. Coasthaven was so good to us and I’ve made some lifelong friends there who I still see today. But when my husband died, I realised that I wanted to live independently again.”Wilma said that during her time at Coasthaven, she used to walk around the surrounding streets of Norlane with various residents and friends.“One day, I saw a man moving out of one of the surrounding apartments (BAH apartments) and thought, I like the look of those, and so I applied to be a BAH resident.”Wilma’s experience with BAH was positive. “The whole process was so easy – I was in the apartment one week after I applied!” said Wilma. “Helen (Helen Thompson-Boyd, Baptcare Affordable Housing Tenancy Worker) was so helpful, and it probably helped that Baptcare already knew about me from Coasthaven”.“I just love living alone and being independent,” said Wilma. “And I just love my apartment. It’s new and fresh with a great outdoor area. It’s also easy to keep clean and I just really like it.”Coasthaven staff and residents are also thrilled that Wilma is still living in the area. “Wilma is a dear friend of Coasthaven,” said Lifestyle Co-ordinator, Nora Wee. “She is like family to us. Wilma has boundless energy and does everything out of the goodness of her heart.”As well as visiting residents at Coasthaven for regular chats, Wilma runs a knitting group at Coasthaven. For the recent Daffodil Day, she knitted daffodil brooches for the Coasthaven community. And then there’s Wilma’s extra-curricular activities, like skydiving! Wilma is a recent TV star, featured on Channel 7 news for skydiving at the age of 85!“I’m very busy,” said Wilma. “I crochet, knit and belong to the Baptist Church at Cloverdale. I’m a proud Christian and really feel like the Lord is looking down on me and helping me in life.”
- 31 Aug 2022
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Baptcare Affordable Housing’s new PassivHaus project in Sunshine, Melbourne
Secure, appropriate and affordable housing is a basic human right.Homes Victoria and Baptcare with Creation Homes, have collaborated on a new affordable housing project in Sunshine, Melbourne, using a resident-centred approach.‘PassivHaus’ is an innovative design standard with the intent to dramatically minimise a building’s energy requirement whilst taking advantage of natural factors for heating and cooling to achieve thermal comfort.Watch the video to learn more about this ground-breaking project and find out more information about Baptcare Affordable Housing.
- 10 Aug 2022
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Faces of Baptcare #20: Meet Shobini Balraj, a Baptcare IHC Physiotherapist
We work alongside our customers primarily in a rehabilitative manner, equipping them with the strategies and exercises that will keep them moving, strong and most importantly safe in the home.From a lead physio perspective, I also juggle the administrative side of all physiotherapy-related inquiries or escalations, while providing support to my team of physiotherapists and allied health assistants. I do enjoy the mix of clinical and non-clinical related work as it keeps things interesting for me.What did you want to ‘be’ when you grew up? Did you always want to be a physiotherapist?I initially had aspirations to work in healthcare and become an immunologist to help people with new discoveries. But in my final year of undergraduate studies I realised that, as much as I enjoyed the role, I couldn't see myself working in a laboratory 24/7 as I enjoyed being around people too much! So I transitioned into the Doctor of Physiotherapy as I felt that physiotherapists made a direct impact and difference in improving one's life and fit my bubbly character.Let’s jump to the best bit…do you have any anecdotes about a great work experience you’ve had with a customer?The one that truly stands out for me is a customer who I service out west, who has several chronic illnesses which limit his walking endurance. He informed me that his long-term goal would be to get to the corner of his street (which was a good kilometre away from his home), which he never dreamt he'd be able to do. We put in a lot of work in improving his strength and focused on each walk getting one house further than the last walk; and before we knew it while in the middle of the lockdowns last year, he managed to get beyond that point. He was over the moon as he never thought he'd be able to walk that far. So I do believe in setting small goals and conquering them one at a time, and before you know it the customer has hit their biggest goal.What are the benefits of being an In Home Care physiotherapist? I would say the benefit is having the supportive team dynamic. We work collaboratively with other disciplines (such as OT, podiatry, diversional therapy) to ensure our customers get a holistic approach to their care. I would also say that the job is so varied - no two customers are the same in how you would provide care for them, so you can get very creative in how you approach your sessions with each customer. Additionally, being customer-facing is always nice, particularly during the pandemic, as the customers appreciate and look forward to their time with you, and it works both ways!On this, the eve of Aged Care Employee Day, can we ask why you like working with older people?I have always found this work rewarding, especially when we are able to assist them in making a lot of changes to improve their wellbeing. Also, they have so much insight and interesting stories from their past, and it really makes for fascinating conversations while working with them. They in turn have shaped my opinion on life as wellDo you have a motto in life?I truly believe in ‘don't settle or get comfortable’, as the moment you do, you'll essentially move backwards. I'm all for growth and becoming the best version of myself.Who would you like to sit next to at a dinner party? And why?I would love to sit down with Greta Thunberg, and have an in-depth conversation with her about climate change. It truly is in our own hands, and every small step towards preserving our world counts! It's amazing that someone as young as her has such a passionate opinion about it and is advocating for changes for our future generations.
- 05 Aug 2022
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The countdown to Aged Care Employee Day is on! A reflection on the power of care (and a hot cup of tea)
Bron Morris, part of our Brookview community, recently experienced a surprising act of kindness that made her reflect on the wonderful power of a circle of care.Heck yeah, we’ll celebrate Aged Care Employee Day! We’re In, hashtag and all! We’ll celebrate every moment of support our carers have given, whether hidden or witnessed. Every act of gentleness, every deed done in the name of dignity. We’ll celebrate as an act of resistance, in defiance of the ageism that turns a blind eye to lives beautifully lived and the stories only sacred wrinkles can tell. We’ll sing the praises of our care staff who spend their working hours pushing through fatigue and sore backs, then go home and continue to care for their families.I’ll celebrate this day because even I forget how profoundly moving it is to be seen, really seen. Sometimes when we’re in a ‘caring role’ (be it with family, friends or work), it seems like we’re covered in a cloak of invisibility. No one sees what we’re doing because it’s just ‘expected’. That’s what parents do for their children, and what children do for their ageing parents. And that’s what aged care workers do for their residents and clients.So there was this moment, this day, when I was sitting with one of our aged care residents, and was a hair’s breadth away from losing the plot. I was under the weather, recovering from a cold, feeling tired and miserable. And our resident was experiencing such anxiety, confusion and distress that afternoon that she needed the constant comfort of someone’s company. (Back in the day she was a strong independent woman, but dementia had really done a number on her and robbed her of the resilience she once had.)Whenever we left her side, she would call out in such anguish that it was distressing for the residents seated around her and extremely demanding on our already-stretched care staff. So I took one for the team and sat with her to calm her. But that day it was so, so hard to stay present to her rambling, confused conversation and her neediness. My eyes began to glaze over.“You look like you need this,” said Chrissy, one of our beautiful catering staff, handing me a strong cuppa with a wink. I could’ve kissed her. Was my desperation so obvious?That moment. Chrissy, and the warmth of her voice, and that small act of mercy in a teacup. I know it sounds like an exaggeration, but suddenly I felt like I wasn’t alone. My misery and self-pity took a back seat, and I felt a shot of new energy even before the caffeine had hit.That moment – of unexpected kindness. Thank you, Chrissy, for reminding me how potent a small, thoughtful gesture of care can be. Thank you for seeing me and being present to me while I tried so desperately to be present for another. You probably thought your offer of a cuppa was just another caring moment that would go unnoticed, but I’m here to tell you that it was the ray of sunshine that saved me on an otherwise very dreary day.I celebrate you my friend, and celebrate every caring soul we work together with…on Aged Care Employee Day and every other day too.Bron Morris is Spiritual Care Coordinator at Baptcare Brookview Residential Aged Care community.
- 02 Aug 2022
