The 100-hour internship saw Ms Ng support Yogazeit’s Mindful Movement Education Project with the Ngaanyatjarra Lands School, comprising of eight campuses spread across some 240,000 square kilometres of the Western Desert of Western Australia.
The population of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands includes the first wave of people who came out of the Western Desert in the 1930s and the last wave in the 1960s. The Yarnangu people of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands experience a far greater incidence of both physical and mental health problems than the general population of Australia.
Yogazeit’s Mindful Movement Education Project is Australia’s first culturally relevant and community-led yoga and mindfulness education project, the result of a strong collaboration between Aboriginal elders, school staff and the Yogazeit team over the past year.
Ms Ng filmed, edited and produced a suite of videos for Yogazeit that tell stories to raise awareness of the Mindful Movement project and promote the importance of using collaborative and culturally relevant approaches to support young Aboriginal people in remote communities.
“I have realised that my media and videography skills can be used for a more meaningful, good and charitable cause, rather than just the usual corporate business, professional work purposes,” said Ms Ng.
Yogazeit Executive Director and intern supervisor Regina Cruickshank was extremely impressed by Ms Ng’s “unique ways of storytelling by using her media and audio-visual skills. Rachel has created some amazing videos capturing the project, interviewing Executive school staff and bringing all the relevant information together”.
“Her videos explain the importance of cross-cultural activities and two-way learning for remote communities. With her editing skills and the ability for Yogazeit to share the story on how and why we’re making an impact, she has helped to dramatically increase awareness,” said Mrs Cruickshank.
The internship experience also allowed Ms Ng to gain insights into working with Aboriginal people and their communities, inspiring her to continue to use her skills to contribute towards positive change.
“Engaging in this internship has helped me gain a greater understanding of the Aboriginal community.
“This internship has encouraged me to pursue more opportunities within Yogazeit, where I can continue using my media skills to shine a light on communities in need.”
Rachel’s videos can be viewed on Yogazeit’s social media platforms.