What Is Wpi?
Women’s Power of Inspiration (WPI) is an non-for-profit organisation aimed to reach women from culturally diverse backgrounds, including refugees and immigrants. We aim to foster their economic empowerment in areas where they may face barriers and in order to boost social ties, connecting them within their community.
WPI believes that offering access to services and training at a level that the women are comfortable with will increase their overall chances at success. Supporting women benefits the whole society and these benefits will diffuse to the larger community and accrue in the long term.
WPI targets culturally diverse women who are overcoming or facing chronic anxiety, general mental health, trauma, domestic violence and social isolation. We foster positive connections, increase community engagement and facilitate integration into their local community by collaborating and engaging with professionals in many areas of support needs.
They come to WPI to learn more opportunities and to better understand, utilise and navigate daily skills such as documentation, resume writing, navigating online activities/services and English conversations in a relaxed and comfortable socially safe setting.
- – Classroom setup as a conversation room with smaller groups of women aged between 18
- – Basics of sewing, knitting. Crochet/tricot.
- – Alterations and mending, basket weaving.
- – New skills in digital technology,
- – All women to share ideas and work together with meetings, conversation and planning to work towards our end goals and achieve what we all agreed upon.
What
WPI does?
Use your hands – Accomplish your ambition
- – Encourage the learning of English and build on any existing skills to heighten confidence and improve work opportunities, practice through activities.
- – Emotion Support and other referrals: Participants to be guided to professionals when required.
- – Job search opportunities, assistance, training, interview settings and practice
- – Create networks and support systems.
- – Promote connect, increase community engagements; and facilitate integration into their locals.
WPI’s Therapy in your own hands
WPI’s knitting and Crochet are designed in favour of therapy
This session will be occurring on Fridays from 9 am to 12 pm
- Room is booked for 1 hour
- One Session accommodates 5 people at once.
- Entrance Therapy music:
Playlist for Sound Healing & Music Therapy – Dean Evenson
Therapist volunteer will guide the session while knitting and crochet teacher is conducting her lesson.
WPI is awe-inspiring, right? It allows a bunch of self-proclaimed knitting fanatics, to tell you why knitting is an excellent activity to support your mental health and your long-term wellbeing. By the end of the session; trust us; you’re going to be reaching your dream from manoeuvring a set of needles and ball of yarn.
WPI’s Evidence of Knitting Session’s Benefits
The Mental Health Benefits of Knitting
For many, activities like meditation or yoga have become life-changing habits that help to bring calm both to mind and body in times of stress, anxiety or pain. But did you know that knitting can also help you cope with mental health challenges? At WPI’s Knitting, the home of knitting yarns, patterns, we’re big believers that knitting not only brings you joy; it has physical and mental health benefits too.
Some include:
- Reduced depression and anxiety
- Slowed onset of dementia
- Distraction from chronic pain
- Increased sense of wellbeing
- Reduced loneliness and isolation
In addition to the activity itself, many knitters find benefits in the social nature of knitting.
The repetitive and rhythmic movements of knitting are often equated with meditation. Once you get past the initial hurdle of learning, knitting can be as relaxing as yoga. Knitting and other needle arts have been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, and even help in treating eating disorders
People are happiest when they are completely absorbed in a task, labelling that “in the zone” feeling as “flow.
Knitting Reduces Stress
The rhythmic repetitive movements induce a form of meditation similar to mindfulness – that pleasant state of mind when you’re existing ‘in the moment’, not mulling over the past or fretting about the future. Knitters find they can ‘zone out’ – and escape into the sanctuary of a quiet mind
Knitting is a way to self-manage destructive thoughts and behaviour. Regarding emotional and mental health, it reduces stress, anxiety and depression. This is because these activities, like yoga, promote relaxation, concentration and meditation. Knitters are feeling calmer and less stressed following a knitting session, with improved mood and even improved problem-solving skills.
With textile arts, stress, anxiety, and depression are reduced.
( Daniel Natalo-Lifton :September 30, 2018)
This idea of knitting improving mood is supported by research suggesting that knitting lowers the stress hormone levels in the body. (Kaimal et al., 2016).2 Apr 2020).
What WPI does?
Method -Techniques.
Knitting Helps With Chronic Pain
Chronic pain plagues many people around the world, of all different age groups and backgrounds. Finding a way to alleviate chronic pain can sometimes take people to unexpected solutions and for many knitting has become an integral part of managing pain. Knitting offers both physical relief and social support which significantly helped reduce feelings and effects of chronic pain
Knitting Can Keep Alzheimer’s at Bay
Mental exercises like playing board games, reading and knitting can lower the risk of dementia according to a study by the New England Journal of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic.
Although inconclusive, researchers believe that activities that stimulate the mind can create networks of connections between brain cells.
Psychology and knitting
The purpose of meditation is to quiet the mind so that it can sink down into contemplation of its true nature. You cannot stop your mind by an act of will any more than you can stop the beating of your own heart. Some cultures describe mind as a drunken monkey, reeling from place to place with no rhyme or reason. Like meditation/ knitting calms the monkey down….WPI believes that in the quiet/ repetitive, hypnotic rhythms of creating craft, the inner being may emerge in all its quiet beauty. The very rhythm, of the knitting needles can become as incantatory as a drumbeat.
Knitting as Occupational Therapy
Crochet is a craft that is great for use in occupational therapy settings. It can be used to help develop neuromuscular skills, fine motor.
Within the textile arts knitting has not only been used as an occupational therapy, but also to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while helping us retain cognitive brain function and physical dexterity in old age. One of the most notable uses of knitting is in Occupational Therapy (Marly Bird 12 May 2021).
Knitting Promotes Social Connection
We’ve already mentioned that knitting in a social setting offers great mental health benefits
There is a significant relationship between knitting frequency and feeling calm and happy. More frequent knitters have higher cognitive functioning. Knitting in a group impact significantly on perceived happiness, improved social contact and communication with others
Our Team
Esperance
Cyprian Ntezimana
Secretary
Rose Ishmwe
Treasurer
A little more on
esperance (WPI Founder)
With my excellent communication and management skills from widespread community service and social work experience gained from working with and supporting refugee communities as well as working in the allied health sector. I have gained valuable experience and knowledge which I intend to share with my respected refugees and immigrants women within the South -East Brisbane area.
I have also many women friends within the refugee community and local women tell me about sewing needs on a daily basis.
With passion is sewing; am hoping to share my talents with them as they would like to learn..
I trust recommend Women’s Power of Inspiration” for your reference. By simply doing sewing, weaving, knitting, manoeuvring a set of needles and ball of yarn crochet, English conversation, you will feel super comfortable; and in no doubt to seek support in any area most sought after ; and together, we can incredible build our greatly respected community.
My uniqueness
Trustworthy and reliable individual; great team work; an ethical and work attitude;
Management skills; confidentiality; and an exceptional kind-heartedness;
Qualifications
- Year 2021-2022: Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care
- Year 2010-2011: Diploma in Community Services
- Year 2004 -2004: Certificate III in Aged Care Work
- Year 1986-1988: Bachelor of food Science and Nutrition
- Year 1985- 1986: Training in Haute Couture; professional designing and formal style making.
- Year 1976-1981: Diplome 7: Technique Feminine Pedagogique.
Employment History
- 2018-2019 Patient care in Hospital
- 2012-2017 Case Manager Continuing Settlement Services
- 2009-2012 Case Worker Continuing Settlement Services,
- 2005-2009 Settlement Support workers:
- 2004-2005 Work: Bilingual Community Assistant:
- 2004-2012 Care in Aged Care Facilities (part time)
- 1988-1994 Professional Trainer: Science de L’Enfant, couture, economy domestic. High School Teacher: Science the L’Enfant, Economie Domestique.
- 1982-1986 High School Teacher: Couture, Economie domectique. Science de L’Enfant.
Professional Development
- Trained in Negotiation and Crisis Intervention *Trained in team work effective communication
- Trained in responding to behaviors* Trained in Protective Behaviors
- Training in historic sexual abuse.* Stress Management,
- Safeguarding children and adults training* ASIST trained (suicide first aid)
- Family Violence training* Men & Family Relationship training
- BRITA Futures* Working with refugees and Asylum Seekers
- First Aid and CPR* Hands Hygiene; food handling –Couture sans patron
Contact Details
10-14 Railway Parade Logan Central QLD 4114