Family Violence Prevention Event
The Family Violence Prevention Event promotes the prevention of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, a product of family and domestic violence, by involving over 250 participants, mostly from the Afghan community, which raises their awareness and provides them with where to find help and further emotional, physical and sexual abuse support.
Elder abuse prevention workshop
Elder abuse prevention workshop is an awareness session that is generally aimed at the wider community but more focused on the Afghan community. It focuses on giving older people and families awareness of what elder abuse is, how to recognise the signs and where people can seek help and information. Awareness of the issue is a very important protective factor for older people in terms of preventing abuse and it makes seeking help quickly, and significantly easier for people especially those who have low English language proficiency in the community. This workshop runs at least once a year, and the participants are between 20 to 40 people. The session is often sought by a guest speaker from a range of backgrounds such as nurses, social workers, aged care staff and many more.
White Ribbon Seminar
The White Ribbon Seminar runs once a year on the occasion of White Ribbon Day. It runs for two hours and it's usually organised in partnership with other organisations, therefore the participants are from the wider community between 40 to 50 people. The seminar is designed to foster an understanding of the root causes of gender-based violence (gender norms and expectations) and to prevent it. This workshop explores the history and work of White Ribbon and introduces approaches to building ally-ship: understanding emotions, healthy masculinities, identifying one’s power and privilege, consent, ways to intervene when violence occurs, and how to be a positive role model to other male-identified youth/adults. Participants are encouraged to share their views, experiences, and insights on gender-based violence, with the goal of promoting positive roles and prevention of gender-based violence.
Breaking Down Stigma Seminar
This workshop runs once a year to provide a better understanding of what stigma means, how it impacts people’s lives, and how we can prevent it. The workshop runs between 2 to 3 hours. The participants are from the Afghan community. This workshop aims to increase the community's skills, knowledge and confidence to challenge and prevent stigma and discrimination in an effective way, in the community.
Mental Health Education Session
Traditionally, the Afghan culture has held the belief that mental health is not a valid concern and instead attributes mental health challenges to spiritual possession. This session aims to increase awareness about mental health, dispel misconceptions within the community, and provide essential knowledge on recognizing the causes, symptoms, and available support options for a wide range of common and less-common mental health issues. Held once a year, this session typically attracts over 30 participants, predominantly from the Afghan community.
Health Literacy Programs
In collaboration with the Victorian Health Department, local councils, and community organizations, Bakhtar Community Organisation has established numerous health literacy programs. These initiatives include virtual COVID-19 information sessions, the translation of materials into native languages, and their dissemination through various communication platforms. By offering these resources, the organization aims to empower the community with accurate and accessible health-related information, ensuring their well-being and safety.
Bakhtar Community Organisation is a non-profit, non-religious and non-political Afghan Australian Organisation in Australia.