In a region with soaring dialysis rates, young aboriginal women are using the ancient practice of bush medicine to comfort patients waiting for kidney transplants. For the women, it's not just a job, but a powerful way to keep their culture alive for generations to come.
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00:00In a kitchen in Mubantwa, Alice Springs, Tamara Stewart is crushing leaves on an ancient rock.
00:09She's making her late nana's favourite bush medicine, Aramanka.
00:12I used to take bush medicine to my nana every day after work.
00:19Then I lost her at the start of this year.
00:23For Tamara, it's both symbolic and therapeutic.
00:26Her nana died of kidney failure before she could convince her to go on dialysis.
00:31Now she hopes to honour her by making bush medicine for others waiting for kidney transplants.
00:38She's always proud of me and she's wanted me to just keep going forward in my life.
00:44Tamara is one of three young Aboriginal women working for Bush Balm, a social enterprise
00:49operating out of local not-for-profit Purple House, which runs 22 dialysis clinics across
00:55remote Australia.
00:57It's all of their first jobs and yeah, we have a lot of fun in here.
01:02The women sell the balm through a local store, as well as wholesalers and an online shop,
01:07with proceeds used to give free balm to dialysis patients.
01:11So it's really grown a lot since we've had this amazing space.
01:15So now we're sending it everywhere, like we send bush medicine to France, to America,
01:21to the UK, interstate everywhere around Australia, and to some really remote locations in the
01:28Top End, and yeah, everywhere.
01:31Tamara feels a sense of pride in continuing her nana's legacy.
01:35I teach the younger generation when they come, and that generation can teach that and just
01:43go on and on and on.
01:45Keeping ancient practices alive for generations to come.
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