Kelly Faldon is a Taungurung woman who lives and works on Wurrundjeri land. Her links with Aboriginal communities around Victoria are strong, her knowledge of community is comprehensive, and she is a respected member of her community.
This year Djirra is celebrating our 20th anniversary. For 20 years, Djirra has been delivering culturally safe, specialist family violence services and programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing family violence, predominantly women and their children. We advocate for system-wide change to improve access to justice and eliminate systemic violence and we fight every day to change racist attitudes and discriminatory behaviours.
Djirra’s journey has not been smooth sailing over the past 20 years, but our focus has remained the same - the strength, courage and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Kelly has been an active member of many Aboriginal organisation boards over her working life, including Djirra, the Aborigines Advancement League, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, South-eastern Indigenous Media Association and Songlines Aboriginal Music Corporation.
Kelly is the Community Engagement Manager at Djirra. This strategic role is responsible for Aboriginal community-facing projects, workshops and activities within the family violence early intervention and prevention space.
Djirra is a place where culture is shared and celebrated, and where practical support is available to all Aboriginal women and particularly to Aboriginal people who are currently experiencing family violence or have in the past.
As most of our contact is with women, the work we do is predominantly designed by and for Aboriginal women.
We are an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation governed by an Aboriginal Board of Directors who are elected by our members.
Our journey started in 2002 when we were established as the Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention & Legal Service (FVPLS Victoria). Since then we have grown, expanded our services, and evolved as an organisation, and now we are Djirra.
Djirra is the Woiwurrung word for the reed used by Wurundjeri women for basket weaving. Traditionally, when women gathered to weave, important talks took place and problems were solved. Djirra symbolises Aboriginal women today, still coming together to share stories, support each other and find solutions.
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