South East Sydney Advocacy Service (SESA)

"A society where everyone, regardless of background or disability, feels welcome, included and supported"

South East Sydney Advocacy (SESA) Official Launch in Rockdale

SESA is a Disability Advocacy service which began operating this year. The Service is based in Rockdale and is auspiced by MDAA.

SESA was officially launched on 18 November 2010. The launch was a joint venture between Rockdale City Council and SESA. Rockdale City Council’s Community Development workers, Carol Arrowsmith and Debbie Osgood, worked tirelessly to make sure the event was successful.

Our own Committee member Hannen Abdallah co-hosted the event with Rockdale Councillor Lesa de Leau. Other Committee members who attended included Chair Rachel Lazarov, Vice-Chair Milanka Zivanovic and Steve Todorovski.

The day was supported by MDAA workers and consumers. Our Wollongong worker Ann Farrell travelled up from the South Coast to help us celebrate the day. MDAA’s Executive Director, Diana Qian, opened the day by cutting a symbolic purple ribbon.

The audience explored advocacy through playback theatre, courtesy of Out of the Box Theatre company outofthebox@live.com.au. Shop Front Theatre, and a few unplanned impromptu performances from the audience were very entertaining.

SESA advocates, Freda Botica and Sam Chung, appreciated the support from MDAA and Rockdale City Council. Did we achieve our aim of highlighting “What is Advocacy”? Not as much as we had planned, so there will be more next year to ensure people with disability in the area are well informed of the services available to them.

(Written by Sam Chung and Freda Botica, Individual Advocates)

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