The Water Well Project has helped Greater Dandenong’s diverse community gain the knowledge and confidence to support better health and wellbeing.
Supported by Council’s Medium Grants Program, the project’s Improving Health Literacy for Migrant, Refugee & Asylum Seeking Communities reached 312 participants across 20 sessions between July 2025-June 2026.
With a grant of $9,314 the project provided culturally appropriate health education sessions for migrant, refugee and asylum seeker communities, covering topics such as mental wellbeing, women’s and men’s health, childhood development and navigating the Australian healthcare system.
Sessions were delivered in trusted community settings and supported by volunteer healthcare professionals, interpreters and a long list of local community partners, including South East Community Links, Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre and ASRC.
Participants were provided with practical, easy-to-understand health information in welcoming environments where they could ask questions and discuss health concerns relevant to their everyday lives.
Evaluation of the program showed:
• 98.3% of participants learned something new
• 96.3% felt confident sharing information with family and friends
• 95.5% reported being better able to manage their health and lifestyle
• 95.9% felt more confident seeking help from a doctor or healthcare professional.
One particularly powerful example came from a mental health and wellbeing session delivered for mothers participating in the HIPPY program at Southern Migrant Resource Centre. Women shared personal experiences of settlement, parenting and wellbeing challenges, while learning practical strategies to manage stress and support their families. Following the session, all participants reported learning something new and feeling more confident accessing health information, while 92% said they felt more confident engaging with healthcare services about their health needs.
Find out more about the Medium Grants Program.
