Final update from Nauru

The weather has turned up here. We have gone from 40 degree days, working in direct sunlight and high humidity, to cooler (30 ish degrees) with heavy storms every day. Believe it or not, while the days are still warm, it feels much more bearable. The only problem has been moving our cots and bags around our tent to keep them, and ourselves, dry. The other night I had a dripping on my face in the middle of the night - my only option at that time was to turn around and let the drip keep going on my feet.

After four weeks, I have a slight change in function. I have been leading one of our client support teams for most of my stay here. I am currently handing that over to another team leader and simultaneously helping with the finances in the office, as we have not had a bookkeeper with us for a fortnight.

We also continue to have new people deploy from Australia. They are taking on new roles around us and it is reassuring to see the way that things fall into place and continue as you phase out of your former roles.

Quite a few of us finish our deployment this week, including another of the team leaders, our HR rep and our imbedded psychological assistant. As a result we have planned a 'send off' dinner to celebrate what we have been able to do together and to say goodbye to each other... which will be a little odd as we will all be on the same plane to Brisbane!

I will see everyone on Sunday. Please pass on my thanks to those that have helped out in my absence, especially those that have supported Ange specifically.

Nauru 4

It has been a chaotic week, and I've spent most of it supervising the afternoon and night shifts. Today was a rude shock with my first switch back to 'days'. It was also a rude shock weather wise as the monsoon seemed to hit. The rain was torrential for a number of hours, causing havoc for all concerned.

Today highlighted the diversity of the tasks that we might be called upon to do. I've exchanged bed linen for guys, helped in an English class while someone took a break, had a meeting about HR and how we are going to succession plan some of our teams and then finished by providing a report to some government officials.

My team has changed significantly over the past week as some people have headed home. I have two new cultural advisors in my team and I've also picked up some brand new staff that are still in a state of shock about the fact that they are in (hot and wet) Nauru, let alone where they live and work.

Nauru 3

Last week I was on afternoon and evening shift all week, which has messed with any chance of really contacting home well, or catching up on news. We tend to sleep in and then work from midday through to 10:30 pm (roughly). Suits my body clock perfectly, but not good for touching base with home.

There has been a bit of grief in our camp since a lot of the media has been getting back here. Most of what is in the mainstream press is half true, but we are powerless to do anything about it. The men are able to use the internet and they are taking every opportunity to protest the very fact that they are even here. We understand that they will tell whatever story they can to change their circumstances. Unfortunately, we will bear part of the brunt of this.

We are ramping up the care management of the guys this week, which is good. Each shift is now given a list of 20-30 guys to do a well being check on every day. We are now able to identify melancholy, illness and other concerns much more proactively, which will help the 3 social workers we have in our team.

Today was probably the best day that we've had in the processing centre. The day started smoothly with all the functions going well and finished with a game of cricket and volleyball operating in the common spaces. Due to a variety of issues in the centre of late, this had not been possible until today. I was facing a very fast Pakistani player (we were Sri Lanka vs Pakistan - I was voted onto the Sri Lankan team somehow) who scared the life out of me, only to later discover he was the national Pakistani schoolboy champion bowler. He bowled me third ball of his over.

Tonight we had a meal out to farewell around 20 short term staff that are heading home to Australia. Their departure coincides with the announcement by the Eastern Territory about how they are going to structure the operations here for the long term. My position is one that will become a permanent paid position, along with a number of others.

Nauru 2

It's hot here, and very hot (around 30) overnight. I'm sleeping in a tent at the processing centre with a few of the other staff. It's cosy but we have some new fans so hopefully we'll all start to sleep better.

I had a day off on Sunday so I went to church. It was a good morning. the pastor was from the Solomon Islands and the musicians were mostly Fijian. It went for a little over two hours, but you didn't really notice. I then went to a chinese buffet for lunch - $10 all you can eat, which was pretty good. We had a drive around the island, saw some cultural sites and then went for a swim with some local kids.

There is a minor challenge among the team to swim out to the drop off point, where the coral island drops away to the deep sea. Took the challenge, although realised half way back just how far it was, and how hard the swimming was. After that a few of us had fun jumping of the harbour wall.

My client interaction is diminishing rapidly as I'm spending most of my time managing staff. I am now the team leader of a group that are running the client services in the actual ayslum seeker compound. There are three teams: day and night shift, with a rotating two days off. I'm also the salvo rep on all casualty evacuation issues.

Nauru 1

This week I have started the journey to Nauru to join The Salvation Army team that is working with the Asylum Seekers currently held there. I have arrived half way, taking an overnight stop in Nadi before flying on in the morning.

There has been much conjecture and controversy over this government policy. Regardless of polity, there are a group of people being detained on this Island that are in need. They are, by definition, all traumatised. They are struggling with failed expectations about what would happen when they arrived in Australia. They need support, and this is why The Salvation Army, regardless of what our policy or position is or isn't, has become involved.

I am told that from here on in internet will be limited. I will however do what I can to send updates and information as I am able, and as is appropriate. Please pray for our team and for those that are seeking to have their claims for asylum processed.

Doorways

Today we welcomed Pamela Hanney from Territorial Headquarters to Marion. She visited as part of her role in coordinating the Doorways programme across our territory.

Doorways is a Community Support Services based programme that involves interventions and case management aimed at stopping generational, cyclical or entrenched poverty. Typically, at Marion, it allows clients that engage with Emergency Relief but have either complex needs or ongoing needs to be allocated a worker that spends significant time working with them.

We are blessed that or two primary case workers, Julie Davis and Kerryn Morriss are so experienced and bring their faith-based values to their interactions with our visitors. They are shining God's light incredibly and through their care dramatically assisting in the transformation of lives.

Patners In Recovery

The Federal Government has announced an initiative known as "Partners in Recovery". It is aimed at catching those people that experience mental illness before/ as they may otherwise fall through the gaps in service delivery.

Consortiums of service providers, usually led by a group called "Medicare Local" are being formed around Australia to partner with people in their journey, and make sure they access the services that they need.

The Salvation Army, through our vast array of community service programs, has frequent contact with people from many walks of life, including those that suffer mental illness. We are joining consortia where possible, so that we can be part of this partnership in assisting people in the community. Already we are part of the "Central Adelaide and Hills" group, and we are also meeting with the potential players in the southern Adelaide consortium next week.

Greg Varidel, our local Community Services Manager, is going to be at the table with the other service providers. Their task is to see what sort of partnerships will help people in southern Adelaide best. Part of this will be developing a service delivery model that harnesses the opportunities presented by each service.

We want to be part of this because it fits very well within our mission to shine God's light in Adelaide's south. As part of our "Know, Grow, Show & Go" process it will certainly lead to care for people and transformed lives (Show and Knowing God's love).