Donation pushes Bama to new heights
While most people look forward to lavish gifts to mark a milestone birthday, Veronica Freeman could only really think of one thing she truly wanted. She wanted a memorable and meaningful gift and to her, that meant supporting a cause close to her heart – Bama Services.
For her 40th birthday this year, Veronica asked her friends and family to donate to Cape York Partnership’s Bama Services and ended up raising $2000 to support the new cleaning arm of the social enterprise, a venture she had an instrumental role in creating.
“My family and friends knew how proud I was of the business' impact to date and what the access to flexibility in work has meant for those women in the Bama Services cleaning team,” she said.
I've worked with flexibility for about 15 years, so I have lived the challenges but also understand the benefits deeply. I couldn't think of a cause more fitting.
Jawun Secondee Veronica Freeman
Bama Services is a 100% Indigenous-owned social enterprise based in Cairns, specialising in building, landscaping, and now cleaning services for the surrounding regions.
In 2024, Veronica was able to work with Cape York Partnership through Jawun, a non-for-profit organisation that manages secondments from the corporate and public sectors to a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partner organisations.
Veronica joined CYP on a six-week secondment, during which she helped bring to life an initiative to increase Indigenous female employment.
“The life-changing impact that this social enterprise provides is vast,” Veronica said. “From flexibility and confidence to financial independence and security. It’s also helping plug a gap in regions where it’s needed.”
During her placement, Veronica looked into new revenue streams to support Indigenous female employment. She worked with Cape York Partnership to run a Working Women’s Focus Group – supported by a Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation WISE Grant – to understand needs, motivations and willingness to join the workforce. It was clear many had the desire to work, but complex family circumstances and troubled backgrounds had seen them excluded from the workforce. The participants of the focus group expressed a strong interest in cleaning, so a new Bama Services cleaning arm was founded.
Veronica’s work shaped the foundation of what is now a thriving business. It started with cleaning Cape York Partnership offices, then expanded to major contracts, including new-build cleans for QBuild’s modular homes.
Reflecting on her contribution, Veronica said she is proud to see the impact continue to grow.
“We went from imagining a business plan to deploying Bama employees and seeing them receive their first paychecks. That’s something I’ll never forget,” she said.
Secondees bring a wealth of professional expertise, fresh perspectives and diverse skills to their host organisations. Their presence injects new energy and innovative thinking, helping to solve challenges or develop projects that might not have been possible otherwise. While they lend their knowledge, they also impart their skills to the host organisation and build its collective capability, enabling it to continue to thrive long after the secondment ends.
The experience is also transformative for the secondees themselves. Living and working in the community sparks a passion that lasts well beyond the placement, creating deep bonds with people and purpose. Many return home not just with new skills and insights, but a profound sense of responsibility and enthusiasm to continue supporting positive change. This lasting connection is reflected in stories like Veronica’s, who continues to champion initiatives and nurture the relationships she formed.
Bama Services Operations Manager Jonathan Coker said Veronica helped turn an idea into a functioning, thriving business that “continues to create real opportunities for local women.”
Her contribution went far beyond a secondment... she helped shape a sustainable future for others.
Bama Services Operations Manager Jonathan Coker
“The cleaning arm of Bama has opened doors for Indigenous women. It gives them confidence, flexibility and lets them be part of something that supports families and communities.”
Timekka Hunting, who was part of the focus group and has been working with Bama Services since the beginning of the cleaning program, has found the experience both rewarding and educational.
As a young mother, Timekka is pleased that she is still able to work but also get ample time off to care for and grow her family.
“I’ve been enjoying working and it is flexible, being able to choose my hours and days I work so I can still care for my family,” she said.
“A couple of the cleaning girls are also on the Bama maintenance crew and do lawnmowing and other stuff as well.
“I have gotten good skills and Bama provides for us, some of us are able to get our white cards and we also have access to a cleaning program if we want to upskill.”
Ramona Davou, a single mother of four, moved from Bama’s gardening maintenance into cleaning.
"With gardening, it’s always a 6am start and being a single mother, it left me feeling fatigued when I got home," she said.
"But cleaning has helped a lot. With a 9am start it’s a great balance for me and my kids."
Veronica’s continued support through her birthday fundraiser highlights the strong partnerships that drive our success and reinforces our shared belief in the power of meaningful work.
MAKE AN IMPACT
Your support will empower Indigenous Australians in Cape York and beyond to create positive change in their communities. Every donation, large or small, can create a ripple of change that will span generations.