Birrang support worker Ronnie Bowman is giving Aboriginal children and families in Orange the tools for success

Support worker Ronnie Bowman has been helping Orange children and teenagers for the past two years through the Birrang Enterprise Development Comany, which runs a range of programs including driving lessons.

Mr Bowman also helps families through Birrang's Building Stronger Aboriginal Parents Program.

The team's work is built around earlier intervention and is run by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people. They offer a range of programs for parents and their families that put children at the centre so they have the best outcomes in life.

"I love the balance I am able to achieve between my support work and coordinating the Building Strong Aboriginals Parents program," he said.

"I love empowering people with the skills and knowledge to make real achievements in their lives and making a difference to parents and their families.

"Seeing our participants putting what they learn into practice and then making a difference to our community is most rewarding for everyone."

Mr Bowman grew up as the eldest of 13 children in Bathurst and is putting that experience to use helping others.

"I've always wanted to point my brothers and sisters in the right direction," Mr Bowman said.

"I think my own personal experience as well just drawing on that and getting out there and helping our community.

"Originally I'm from Bathurst and a lot of my family is also from Quambone."

Prior to joining Birrang, Mr Bowman worked in primary and high school education for 12 years.

"I mainly did more history and geography, Aboriginal studies for high school, primary goes across all," he said.

He also worked as a learning support officer and Aboriginal education officer.

"It was very similar to this, we helped kids with building up their identity, finding out about their culture and embracing that somewhat so they were able to get that sense of belonging, somewhere safe that they were appreciated, they were being acknowledged for who they are and that gives them tools to be successful," he said.

He described growing up in such a large family to be hectic at times.

"There was me and my younger brother growing up and then there was a 10-year gap between him and the next one, so he and I got a lot more one on one, more so than the others," Mr Bowman said.

"I think it's given me the skills; it's given me knowledge and the ability to be able to stand up and help others, especially with taking care of their needs and their wants as well."

Mr Bowman said the service mostly helps Indigenous children and families, but it is open to families of all backgrounds.

"The majority of our participants are Indigenous," he said.

His own background as a Wiradjuri man, having been born and raised in Bathurst, with connections to Wailwan due to having family from Quambone, also helps him connect with the children and families who are part of the program.

"It gives that trust, it gives that cultural connection as well where we've had similar experiences, we're able to talk about that, we're able to support one another with that," he said.

"Understanding and respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child-rearing practices strengthens culture and helps to foster a strong sense of belonging for children and families.

"Children have a special place within family and community. The earlier on we are able to provide opportunities for our children and families to establish this connection to community and sense of belonging, we will see more positive social, educational, economical and overall health and well-being for all of our futures.

"Not everything can be authoritive, all the parenting styles that are explained in books I've learnt all that through education and stuff as well but then I see the cultural side of it, we all have an understanding of the cultural side of it and child rearing, our ways of doing things, so we're able to embrace that and build upon that.

"That will give them a good sense of who they are and how they belong in their families as well and making them feel confident as they get older."

This week is Children's Week, a national celebration that recognises the talents, skills, achievements and rights of children. It celebrates the right of children to enjoy childhood and this year's theme is 'all children have the right to an adequate standard of living that supports their wellbeing and development'. This includes access to housing, food, and clothes.

Mr Bowman planned several events for the week including educational sessions as well as arts and crafts.

"We also have a food program, we're starting a bit of a food exchange this week, so we've asked everybody to have a bit of a pantry clean out at home and whatever people don't want we're going to bring it all in and then we are going to do a bit of a food swap," Mr Bowman said.

"Any left-over food there, we're looking at doing some cooking so we can teach what to do with it or we're going to be donating it so it can go to Foodcare or somewhere that will put it to good use."

The program also includes craft days, kids and family activities, social catch ups, family fun days, sharing useful hints and advice, family cooking, hints for bills and budgeting and meeting handy local services.

"I think we've got a good group of mums who are great at supporting one another and having each other's backs," Mr Bowman said.

"Our main goal is to provide our participants with these opportunities to learn and to lead their own families within the community and to become independent and self-determined with what they do."

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