The Bhutanese Healthy Walking group (walk organisers Ambika & Indira Dulal) awarded for promoting and encouraging cultural diversity and participation. With 9,910 registered walks with the Heart Foundation, they are the ‘go to’ CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) community group (nationally).
About the Bhutanese Healthy Walking group
Commenced in April 2013, The Bhutanese Healthy Walking group which celebrated 10 years of walking in 2023 has brought great kudos (recognition and pride) to both their own community and the City of Salisbury. They have been known as the ‘go to’ CALD community group (Nationally) for promoting and encouraging cultural diversity and participation by the Heart Foundation and other organisations.
The Bhutanese Healthy Walking Group in Salisbury is a vibrant, colourful group that walk, sing & dance on their group walks on a Friday & Sunday morning.
(from 2014) Originally from Bhutan, the participants of the group arrived in Australia under the humanitarian program of Australian Government. Having spent nearly two decades as refugees, their resettlement journey began some five years ago. This group do not merely walk, they rejoice singing their traditional songs as well as singing about their new home. The walking reminds them of their happy life in Bhutan as cattle herders and working on their own farmland. While walking, the participants often talk about their past life as famers in their home country and the walking helps them to reflect on how they have overcome many cultural barriers.
The walkers are very pleased with the Heart Foundation program in which they found a platform where they can come together, meet their friends and families and share their post settlement stories while walking.
They continually support Walking events (Salisbury Xmas Parade & recently the Salisbury ‘Step into Spring’ event) and promotion of Walking (regularly called upon by the Heart Foundation and others to feature in publications.)
Find out more in the City of Salisbury’s Senior magazine (page 3).
