At an awards ceremony in Western Sydney on Saturday night, co-sponsored by annecto, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community congratulated two local men for their long standing commitment and dedication to improving the lives of others.
Uncle Michael “Widdy” Welsh was awarded the annecto 2016 Agency Award for his work as the Treasurer of the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) and his support for his fellow Kinchela Boys Home brothers, among his other volunteer commitments.
A survivor of the Stolen Generations, Uncle Michael is a proud Wailwan man from Coonamble in NSW. A passionate advocate for ending intergenerational trauma, Uncle Michael works tirelessly to ensure supports are also available for children and grandchildren of the Stolen Generations. “The pain must stop with us. We need the resources to restore our family structures” is something Uncle Michael often says, and for him, represents the way forward. An intelligent and outstanding leader, Uncle Michael is a valuable member of annecto’s Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group.
Stephan Jaeggi was awarded the NAIDOC Person of the Year Award, sponsored by annecto, for his personal commitment and service to his community. Stephan works diligently to promote Aboriginal culture to the broader community and advance the community in general. A tireless fundraiser, Stephan has raised funds to help members of the community to cover urgent medical bills, including his own son, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Estelle Fyffe, annecto’s CEO, Paulette Whitton, annecto’s Aboriginal Liaison Officer and Ross Joyce annecto Board Member, were honoured to present the two awards at the gala dinner dance in Western Sydney, on Saturday 16 July, 2016.
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