Bringing community herbalism to those in need

Imagine a future where natural healthcare is affordable to all. Kerrie Oakes is a PhD student researcher at the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine and a passionate leader dedicated to transforming lives through community-managed herbalism. With your support, she can continue her vital research  on how vulnerable communities can be better supported through community-led herbal clinics and cooperative health initiatives. 

Kerrie Oakes

Kerrie’s voluntary work has already made a positive difference. She helped to establish the Southeast Queensland chapter of the international Herbalists Without Borders network, providing herbal medicine support to homeless services, refugees, and disaster-affected individuals. She has also established the Somerset Health Hub Community Cooperative; a community organisation focused on collaboratively improving community health. 

Kerrie’s leadership has inspired others to step up and serve, creating a ripple effect of kindness and resilience. Whether it’s organising herbal product-making sessions, collecting donations, or mobilising herbalists to respond to emergencies, her work has been essential in making these initiatives possible. 

“Working with community is hard work and can be challenging...but it's also fun, rewarding, and exciting! There is little else I would prefer to be doing - unless it is sitting under a tree, watching the seasons change.” 

Community-supported herbalism and cooperative models of healthcare

Now, you have the opportunity to support Kerrie in taking her research to the next level. As part of her PhD at the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine at Southern Cross University, Kerrie is exploring models of community herbalism, and how they can be integrated into broader healthcare systems. By learning from global models of community herbal care, she will bring back invaluable knowledge to Australia — knowledge that can assist in delivering integrated, holistic healthcare which is responsive to the needs of local communities.  

With your help, Kerrie plans to visit community-managed herbal clinics worldwide, observe and interview stakeholders within these organisations, and gain insights that will shape sustainable, community models of herbal healthcare. Her project will provide much needed insights into various models of community herbalism, benefiting future generations of herbalists and the community. 

Your donation makes all this possible. You’re not just supporting Kerrie’s research, you’re investing in stronger, healthier communities.  

Join us in making this vision a reality. Donate today to support Kerrie’s research and the communities she serves.

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