Josie Ford
Josie at her graduation ceremony.
My name is Josephine Ford. I’m a Ballardong Whadjuk Wilmen Ueud woman, a mother, grandmother, domestic violence survivor, one of Curtin’s first Moorditj Yorga (Strong Woman) Scholarship graduates and now the Director of Aboriginal Health Strategy for the Southern Metropolitan Health Service. A role which will allow me to support my people more in the health stream.
Thanks to the donors who gave so generously to the Moorditj Yorga Scholarship Program, I was given a life-changing opportunity to attend Curtin and gain the skills I needed for a career in mental health. I will now spend the rest of my life showing my gratitude to these donors by improving the lives of our mob.
Born in Merredin in 1969, my life wasn’t easy.
My father was an alcoholic and was physically violent to my dear mum – growing up in that environment it was normalised. When I was just 21, I lost mum to breast cancer and my family’s world fell apart. She was our everything and she was my best friend.
Ten years ago, I hit rock bottom.
As a young woman, I ended up in a relationship with someone just like my father and became the victim of domestic violence. His addiction turned to drugs, and he spent years in and out of jail. Not long after the birth of our fourth baby, the father of my children died in custody, and I turned heavily to drugs. With my world spinning out of control I saw drugs as a way to numb the pain. But it didn’t –it destroyed me.
Unable to care for my children after losing my home and stable accommodation for my kids, my family took them in. During that time, every day was a struggle. Some days I didn’t even know what day or month it was. Life was a blur. One night, after a medical incident I spent several weeks in hospital.
This was a big turning point in my life. For the first time in a long time, I was free of drugs. It was then that I made the decision to stay clean. I spent the next four months in a rehabilitation facility and the rest is history.
After getting myself clean and turning my life around, in 2020 I was blessed with a second chance. I was offered a Moorditj Yorga Scholarship for mature-aged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women at Curtin, which is funded exclusively by the collective generosity of donors.
Through the Bachelor of Applied Science, I learnt about community development and management. Thanks to the strong commitment I had to my education, I am proud to say I never missed an assignment and was awarded mostly distinctions.
Despite the stress that came with working and studying full time, I always remained focused on finishing my degree. At the back of mind, I reminded myself that someone was helping me achieve my dreams and I never wanted to take that for granted. To know that my support was guaranteed, took a lot of stress off my shoulders.
I have now been in recovery for 10 years. I spent six years working in Aboriginal mental health and the past two years focused on community health. I’ve contributed more to society in recent years than I could ever have imagined.
As the sole income earner in my family, I also share the care of my beautiful granddaughter. On weekends you will find me on the netball courts in Kwinana coaching her netball team.
As busy as life gets, I always stop to think about the strangers who helped change my life with the unforgettable gift of a scholarship. Thanks to their generous and selfless contribution they not only gave me hope, they gave my children and granddaughter a future and are empowering my people.
The other day my older brother told me how proud he was of me. That still warms my heart.
To date, the Moorditj Yorga Scholarship Program has awarded 28 scholarships, and there are 19 more yorgas just like me waiting to be accepted. I am proud to be among the first four to have graduated from the program and I hope to continue to inspire my donors, family and other yorgas.
Supporting the Moorditj Yorga Scholarship Program is so much more than the gift of money.
It’s about seeing the potential in women like me and giving us the chance to have a life that is useful to ourselves and to others.
Respectfully, may I please ask you to consider supporting women like me? I will also be making a gift here to help pave the way for more yorgas to come, with the unforgettable gift of a scholarship.
Josie
2020 Moorditj Yorga Scholarship recipient
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