Meet Jayden, a proud Yamatji man from Geraldton and Indigenous Support Specialist at South Flank, as he reflects on the importance of listening to people’s story to help our own learning and understanding of other cultures.

“For me, life is all about having a positive impact on people, and trying to make change and educate others wherever you can.”

Raised in a single parent household by his mother, a young and respected Geraldton school teacher, Jayden credits her with first firing up his passion for helping others. When she sadly passed away at 34, he was just 14, and his grandparents stepped in to raise him and his siblings.

“Grandma has always been the rock of the family,” he says. “It’s just first nature for her. She always has time for everyone, and I saw that she always made the people around her feel welcome, and made sure that they were looked after.”

Jayden feels it was these events that helped cement his desire to make a difference. It led him to a role mentoring Indigenous students at the Geraldton Clontarf Academy, delivering an independent program aimed at guiding young men to graduate high school and go on to find employment.

“It was all about connecting – we would start by building relationships in Year 7 and 8, and then take that trust and understanding to help them focus on life outcomes, like finishing school. I play the Didgeridoo and we would often take young fellas out and do performances and storytelling through dance, to help with that connection.”

When it comes to creating a safe and respectful workplace, Jayden believes the key is to treat others the way you want to be treated – be kind, show respect and be welcoming. His role at South Flank is to work alongside Indigenous-identifying employees, help them to build productive relationships with their colleagues and line leaders, and assist in promoting a culturally safe working environment.

Jayden is firm that an essential part of this is taking the time to listen and understand the person.

“Everyone around you has a story to tell. If you really want to help someone, you need to listen to their story first, and understand where they come from and what they’ve been through.”

“Learning about other people’s culture helps you get a better understanding of who they are, and by doing that in the workplace you can take what you’ve learnt and pass it on to the people back home.”

This week, across Australia we celebrate NAIDOC Week from 3-10 July and this year’s theme ‘For Our Elders’ recognises the roles Elders have played, and continue to play. It’s an important time to acknowledge the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.