Margaret attributes award to association

To Mrs Hampel, these projects are part of who she is, but to the SACWA, it is what makes her the worthy recipient of a Australia Day Women Hold Up Half the Sky Award commendation.

The award recognises women who have made an outstanding community contribution during the present year, or given outstanding service during a number of years – in Mrs Hampel’s case, her 60 years of being there for her community.

“I’m quite honoured to receive the award, but I also believe it is an award for the association,” she said.

“Without the support of the association, I would not have been able to do what I have accomplished.”

Mrs Hampel was instrumental in achieving government financial support for farmers who were suffering with rural poverty.

With the SACWA backing her, Mrs Hampel and a group of dedicated ladies presented a paper to parliament about rural poverty, and how it impacted families, which was then turned into an inquiry, and went Australia-wide.

Today, if farming families have a downturn in their income or go through a disaster, they are able to obtain financial government support.

She was also part of a team which distributed $1.2 million to farming families doing it tough during the droughts from 2005-2008.

She was part of a group that created 55 quilted rugs for people living in the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands - which stemmed from making quilts for those impacted by domestic violence – and was instrumental in leading the SACWA into computerised accounting.

Mrs Hampel was also part of the Women of the World delegation, where she worked with women across the South Pacific discussing what support they could offer each other.

“When you move to a new area, it’s good to talk to other women, because they’ve been through all the hassles of surviving in a small rural community,” she said.