Everyone has a voice. But it’s being able to rise above the noise of self doubt and finding the courage to use it that can often make the difference.
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For Lillian Bell and Denise Merritt finding their voice has been one of the most difficult tasks they have undertaken over the last few decades.
The two Yass-born Aboriginal elders have never set foot outside their native Ngunnawal land.
Yet, both women put aside their fear of speaking in public and leaving what was safe and familiar in the Yass Valley to, instead, jump on a plane to Perth to learn skills in dealing with people, public speaking, and facilitating community programs.
This was all in an attempt to bridge the gap in the local Indigenous community and show the youth of the Yass Valley that anyone can achieve anything if they try.
Last week, both Auntie Lillian and Auntie Denise completed their Indigenous Leadership Certificate 2 at the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre in Canberra.
“We were overwhelmed to begin with,” Auntie Lillian said. “We were in the airport ready to go to Perth and wanted to turn around and go home.
“But we stayed and got through the first lesson. Soon enough we didn’t want to go home at all.”
When both women had to return to Perth some weeks later they couldn’t be more excited to take the trip back across the country, arriving at the airport some five hours before the plane was due to depart.
Auntie Lillian’s last form of education was when she completed Year 10, way back when she was 15, and for Auntie Denise it was Year 9 when she was 14.
“We were really quiet to start off with, but this soon changed as we got more confident,” Auntie Denise said.
“Each day someone new had to run the class, make the rules and tell everyone what we were doing for the day. It was a little scary but it was also exciting.
“We got lots of praise from the other students and Auntie Lillian was told she was the most polite leader out of the class.”
Both Aunties are board members of the local Onerwal community and wanted to extend their knowledge of effective community engagement.
“Leaders negotiate with the community, we needed to learn skills to hopefully lead our community in achieving positive outcomes in heritage and culture, and help with youth education,” Auntie Lillian said.
“During the course we formed good friendships and met a wide range of people. Our networking scope expanded. We learnt that everyone had something to bring to the class, which gave us confidence in speaking aloud. It’s this that we want to apply back here, to bring the community back together.
“We want to break down any barriers in the community and create open communication within it.”
Brad Bell from the Onerwal Local Aboriginal Land Council first approached both aunties with the offer of study.
“At first they were hesitant, but they put that aside because they knew what they could do for their community,” he said. “We’re so proud of how they overcame their initial fears and how much they’ve grown. It’s not easy to go back and get educated after more than 30 years away from a classroom.”
Having finished their course, the two women are keen to do more and are already enrolled to upgrade to the Aboriginal Leadership Certificate 4. This will send them to places like Cairns and Darwin, places they are eager to see.
“For me, I’m proud that I’ve been able to participate and take what I have learnt to the community,” Aunt Lillian said. “I’ve been able to show my kids and grandkids that it doesn’t matter who you are, or how old you are, if you’re willing to give it a go, you can achieve anything.”
