1. What is your background (profession/ workplace/ training)?
I’m an O&G registrar based in South Eastern Sydney and am hoping to specialise in O&G. I first found out about the Water Well Project in my final weeks of medical school and have enjoyed being a Water Well volunteer ever since!
2. What inspired you to become a Water Well volunteer?
My experiences through clinical settings and previous volunteer work with communities, both local and abroad, showed me first-hand how important health literacy is in improving and maintaining health and health outcomes. I have also seen how language can be a huge barrier to navigating our health care system as a child of immigrant parents. The Water Well Project has provided great opportunities for me to engage in improving health literacy and access to health in our local community!
3. Please share one of your favourite Water Well sessions or moments.
I love every moment that I’m able to learn about different cultures – from saying hello in different languages to traditional foods and how others connect with their culture/traditions within multicultural Australia!
4. What tips do you have for new volunteers?
Before the session, take some time to prepare. Learn about the content and the group that you have a session with. The Water Well Project has fantastic resources to refer to (Topic Templates and Powerpoint slides for Zoom sessions). On the day, be flexible as each group is different – you may find varying numbers of participants, levels of knowledge and some groups may be quieter than others. I find ice-breakers and providing plenty of opportunities for questions/sharing of experiences helpful for quieter groups.
