PROJECT UPDATE

DEC 2 0 1 8 | I S S U E 0 9

The ninth issue of the SCfC Project Update showcases key activities in SCfC communities, their impact, and the experiences of people involved. Ninti One wishes to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waters on which SCfC is implemented, and pay respect to Elder's both past and present for their resilience they have maintained to keep our culture strong and the guidance they offer future generations. This respect is extended to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may be reading this project update. 2018 has been another busy year for SCfC as it moves into the next phase of program implementation, a period of consolidation, reflection and looking forward. There was great participation at the two Knowledge Sharing Seminars in April (Ltyentye Apurte/Alice Springs) and September (Darwin). Representation by SCfC Local Community Board Members at the NT Together 4 Kids event in Darwin presented a collective voice to government and service providers. The next Knowledge Sharing Seminar will be held in Alice Springs, 26-27 March 2019.

Wadeye: Galiwin'ku Cultural Exchange, We Al-li Trauma and Healing Workshop , 2 - 3.Utopia Homelands: Finalist, Reconciliation Australia's National Indigenous Governance Awards, 4.Ngukurr: Community Engagement Study, 5.Santa Teresa: A deadly school program, 6-7.Lajamanu: Channels of Hope for Gender, 8.Gunbalanya: The Enemy Within, 9.Ntaria: Tjuwanpa Kids Club, 10-11.Maningrida: AFL Coordinator, 12.Galiwin'ku: The Dhatam, 14.

WHAT TO READ IN THIS

ISSUE:

From September 6th - 10th, four women from the Stronger Communities for Children committee,Kardu Lurruth Ngala Purringime, visited Galiwin'ku (Elcho Island). This visit provided an opportunity to see what sort of SCfC activities they run. This included a Baby Hub, FAFT, Hope for Health (a cooking and exercise program), and more! We met their SCfC committee, Yolngu Wanganhamirri Mitj', who explained to us their vision for their community and how SCfC activities will help achieve it.

WADEYE- Kardu Lurruth Ngala Purringime- Palngun Wurnangat Association

We were also very privileged to be able to attend their women's camp run by the Galiwin'ku Women's Space, where we went hunting, made jewellery, cooked food and spent a lot of time talking about how cultural practice differs between our two communities. Galiwin'ku still has a lot of traditional ceremony, including a healing ceremony that we were lucky enough to take part in. The people of Galiwin'ku were incredibly welcoming and we hope to one day have them visit our community to continue sharing knowledge and learning about each other's culture.

SCfC and cultural knowledge sharing visit

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After seeing Judy Atkinson from We Al-Li, a trauma-informed healing and training program, present at the Jabiru Knowledge Sharing Seminar last year, SCfC Wadeye knew that this knowledge and practice should be shared in our community. We Al-Li came out on October 24-25 to facilitate a two-day workshop on trauma and healing for local Wadeye women. By drawing on local stories and strengths, women were able to identify the root causes of trauma and how it has been perpetuated over time. They were then led to explore paths of healing, support and connection for themselves and their families, particularly for future generations.

Trauma and healing workshop with We Al-li

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It was an absolute privilege to have Antonia Burke and her mother Therese Burke out here to facilitate the training, who also have a special family connection to Thamarrurr land. They conducted the workshop with love and care, creating such a connection that there were hugs all round at the end of the workshop. Women are still giving feedback about the workshop, saying that this new knowledge and perspective has helped them to think about difficult situations in a different way and to take a new, more thoughtful approach in finding solutions. Thank you We Al-Li, Antonia and Therese, we are so grateful for your contribution to the Wadeye community.

Check out the SCfC Wadeye Facebook

page for regular updates and their

monthly newsletter Ya Kardu!

The Apmer akely-akely project is one of three finalists in the Reconciliation Australia’s National Indigenous Governance awards.  This honour was awarded because of the community input and control the project demonstrated. CAYLUS facilitated this in many ways, including by ensuring there was always adequate translation and time for discussion in language at each meeting and consultation. The judges visited in October and representatives of the Apmer akely-akely committee will be attending the award ceremony in Melbourne later this month. It would be a great honour to win but even being a finalist was exciting for the community.

- Arlparra School Board Apmer akely-akley- Central Australian Youth Link Up Service

UTOPIA HOMELANDS

Reconciliation Australia Indigenous Governance Awards

The family engagement and literature project

Another project that has been running since the beginning is the family engagement and literature project, which produces books in local language through partnership between the school and community.  This reflected the communities desire for making the school more relevant to the community through the systematic incorporation of culture into the curriculum. When CAYLUS did the initial consultations with the community to develop the SCfC plan we found that usually the only book people had at home was a local language hymn book.  The production of the kids books have changed this, and now children climb into adults laps with one of these books and ask to be read to. Kwerl-warl aylpem, angka mwerr innga akalty-anthetyek ampernemek, alakenh ileyel. Mwerr ampernem aylpayntetyek, innga akaltyirretyek. Kwerl mwerr mpwaretyek rernem akaltyirretyek angka inngek, ikwer-rnemek, apmer-arenyek, rernem-anem akaltyel mpwarayntetyek, warrkirrayntetyek.

Arlparra High School Students Karishma and Belisha Long sell Indigenous Governance Award judge Adrian Brahim bush balm, made at school, using ingredients identified by elders and collected during educational bush trips funded by the Apmer akely-akely CAYLUS Utopia Project. For more info check out Reconciliation Australia:

The cover of one of the books developed with the community. This is one of the simplest books designed to facilitate parents, who have not had much formal education, reading to their children. The aerial view is of local country.

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The information is already proving useful as an evidence based approach to communicating with service providers and government agencies about community perspectives.

The importance of the study is to give confidence to the SPWBK in the allocation of funds towards priorities as determined by the broader community. The information will set the foundation for the Community Plan. An unexpected outcome has been the building in confidence by residents interviewed in the work of the Stronger Communities Program and the SPWBK. As the findings from the interviews come together the SPWBK and Yugul Mangi Dev. are eager to be able to share the information with the community and service providers. The information is already proving useful as an evidence based approach to communicating with service providers and government agencies about community perspectives. It is anticipated that when the findings have been collated into a report it will have greater capacity to influence service providers and government agencies on the needs, desires and expectations of Ngukurr residents.

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NGUKURR - Strongbala Pipul Wanbala Boi Komiti (SPWBK)- Yugal Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation (Yugal Mangi Dev.)

The Stronger Communities Program in Ngukurr officially transitioned to Yugal Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation (Yugal Mangi Dev.) as the new Facilitating Partner on 16 April 2018. The Community Engagement Study is the first activity the Strongbala Pipul Wanbala Bois Komiti (SPWBK) chose under this new partnership. The aim of the Study is to engage the broader community and to understand its priorities in terms of strengthening the community for children and families. The planning, design, conducting the interviews, interpretation of ideas and themes, as well as the findings are very much driven by the SPWBK. Six local researchers have been employed to conduct the study. The interviews are nearing completion, we have so far interviewed 110 Ngukurr residents. The study has taken much longer than anticipated with young men between the ages of 18 to 24 years proving to be the hardest group to engage.

Community Engagement Study

Local Researcher Ian Gumbula interviewing an Elder Local Reasearcher Mercy Gumbula interviewing residents

LTYENTYE APURTE- Local Advisory Committee- Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation

On August 6th, 2018 the Ltyentye Apurte community hosted the very wonderfully talented singer songwriter, Shellie Morris. Over a two-week period, Shellie worked alongside the Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School running several music lessons with individual classes co-writing their own songs. From the tiny-tots to the senior students, each classroom spent quality time with Shellie writing a song together in which they had autonomy over what they wished to sing about. Local musician Donovan Mulladad assisted Shellie throughout the workshops, which Shellie was very happy about! “He’s a deadly musician and great with the kids. I’m thrilled to be working with him” she said.

School program - a celebration of music, creativity, confidence and voice!

Collaboratively, the classes worked on a school song, which now plays over the loud speaker announcing the start and the end of the day. The song celebrates the local Arrernte language and the love and connection Ltyentye Apurte people have to their land and the importance of attending school and gaining an education. Outside of school hours Shellie took the opportunity to work with the Eastern Arrernte Band, a local group of young aspiring musicians who have been supported through the SCfC Music Industry Rangers Program. In those sessions, she worked on how to harmonise the bands voices. Once again, she was blown away with how quickly the young men picked up on their news skills.

Collaboratively, the classes worked on a school song, which now plays over the loud speaker announcing the start and the end of the day.

Check out the videos here!

Ltyentye Apurte CEC - School Program

Respect, Caring and Strong school song

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During Shellie’s stay Ltyentye Apurte held a Tidy Towns event run by MacDonnell Regional Council announcing the opening of the local community garden. Special guests Costa the Garden Gnome, Dirt Girl and visitors from Keep Australia Beautiful all attended the event with a live broadcast from CAAMA Radio, market stalls from stakeholders in the community, a jumping castle and a big community BushWok cooking competition. For even more entertainment, local bands played, and Shellie Morris joined in. This gave the younger students a chance to perform the new school song in front of the whole community! The other performance outcome was at the end of Shellie’s stay which was at the school assembly. Each class performed the song their class had written and together they all sung the new school song, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces and the Principal to tears.  All in all, the two-week program taught people how to work together creatively, how to be strong and use a loud voice with confidence, and engaged young people in a fun and interactive school-based program, having young and old humming along to the new songs written by the youth of Ltyentye Apurte.

[T]he two-week program taught people how to work together creatively, how to be strong and use a loud voice with confidence, and engaged young people in a fun and interactive school-based program

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News Update: Ltyentye Apurte were the WINNERS of the following Tidy Town Awards - Congratulations!

Territory Tidy TownBest Medium CommunityCommunity Participation

Territory Tidy Town SchoolTerritory Tidy Town Citizen

Commended for: Litter Management and Resource Recorvery

It was good to encourage more and more what Channels of Hope for gender is all about, it makes me think and try to focus on that one, it was really good. Being a leader, we have to be there and if I am helping out with Channels of Hope I need to be there to understand more about Channels of Hope. - Nalita Patrick

Lajamanu faith community meet to discuss keys aspect of the COHG program during a ‘bush camp’ or study weekend, July 27-29 /18  The Lajamanu faith community held their first Channels of Hope for Gender (COHG) Bush Camp in July 2017. It was a great success, involving planning, sharing and teaching. This year, the second Bush Camp involved 12 members of the faith community engaging in COHG studies. However, this time they had the added bonus of the use of their own locally developed ‘Workbook’, constructed from the fruits of the previous year’s hard work and adapted from the global COHG model.  The work book encompasses 12 months of in-depth discussions, clarification and trialing of content to ensure it is culturally appropriate, contextually relevant and accessible to all members of the community. It contains guidance to support participants through the program and includes biblical and cultural teachings, reflections, artwork and ideas for progressing positive change around reducing violence and improving family relationships.  The workbooks also provide local faith leaders with a resource to share the program’s teachings and processes with their congregations, communities and other collaborators.

LAJAMANU- Jaru Jinta- Life Without Barriers

Channels of Hope for Gender - World Vision

Nalita has been a key person throughout the CoHG program from the start.

PAW Media

ABC

Congregational/Community Hope Action Teams (CHATs) identified and orgnanised family violence awareness raising activities in the community. More than 100 Lajamanu community members participated in an International Women’s Day march which was filed by the ABC and Channel 4. Conversation about gender-based violence (GBV) are occurring amongst church leaders, their congregations and the broader community. COHG has supported church leaders so they are better equipped to have tough conversations about GBV in an empowering manner. Local contextualisation of the COHG project model has involved incorporating traditional value systems of law and culture and blended them in a positive way with their Christian faith, creating a pathway for all three to mix and be respected.

Other key activities in 2018 under the COHG project in Lajamanu include:

Check out the news stories on the Internaitonal Women's Day march: - 8 -

Adjmarllarl Aboriginal Corporation, West Arnhem Council, and Rise were thrilled to be a part of bringing Joe Williams to Gunbalanya.Joe Williams is a proud Wiradjuri, 1st Nations Aboriginal man born in Cowra, raised in Wagga NSW, Australia. Although Joe forged a successful professional sporting career in national rugby league and boxing, he battled the majority of his life with suicidal ideation and bipolar disorder. After a suicide attempt in 2012, Joe felt his purpose was to help people who struggle with mental illness. Why we wanted Joe to visit Gunbalanya. Joe’s story highlights many issues which negatively impact Aboriginal people. Through his Enemy Within program, Joe shares his personal story and strategies for dealing with these issues are.  Joe gave 11 talks to over 450 people in the two days he was in Gunbalanya including students from school, the football team, clinic staff and the community. His talks were tailored to each audience but all communicated the common themes of caring for yourself and each other, respect for yourself and each other, strong values, pride and connection to country.

Check out regular SCfC activities!

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When talking with school children Joe shared his experiences of when he was young: his parents insistence to continue higher education while negotiating his football contract, the challenges of living away from family and country, living with a mental illness and the importance of looking after your mental health and supporting your family and mates. The concept of suicide was new to many of the students and Joe spoke about it in a very gentle manner and focused on the need to reach out to family and friends for help and who are ‘safe’ people in their community to talk to. A follow up visit next year will aim to further develop the student’s resilience. His talk with the clinical staff clearly described his thoughts and feelings of being bi polar and the voices he lives with every day. His is a compelling story which is so well articulated, it provides clinical staff with a rare insight to the experience of living with a chronic mental illness. Joe gave several talks to groups of men highlighting self-care, respect and pride in being a good father, choosing to be clean and sober and living by your values. He openly shares some of the poor choices he has made but through his determination and aspirations, now strives to make positive choices. Overall, Joe’s visit was successful in normalising mental health, making to topic of mental illness and suicide OK to talk about, encouraging help seeking behaviour, living by strong values and being an Aboriginal role model.

GUNBALANYA- Karrimud Rowk Board- Adjumarllal Aboriginal Corporation

The Enemy Within – spreading the message of hope, respect, compassion and connection to country

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Since the early days of the SCfC Leaders Group in 2014, members would talk about their worries for a group of children who were always at risk or getting into trouble once they left school in the afternoons.  Although there was an after school program, these children rarely attended.  This same group were also regularly in trouble at school. In 2016 we began to understand why this was happening.  At that time, SCfC supported a series of Brain Story workshops targeting Ntaria services staff that worked with children. Working alongside the Australian Childhood Foundation we began learning about how the brain worked, and how children’s brains and behaviours were affected by violence, neglect and abuse.

As community members and service providers began to understand why some children showed difficult behaviours, they decided to invest in the Kids Club.  Kids Club is a fun place to be after school but it is play that is delivered through a trauma lens.  It uses play to help develop five critical skills that children who may have experienced trauma struggle with – listening, following directions, teamwork, expressing feelings, and being able to calm down. The Kids Club runs three afternoons per week. Children aged 8–12 are targeted, with referrals coming from teachers. There is no obligation to attend but often we hear complaints from other children that they want to come along to Kids Club too.  Activities like art, sand play, breathing exercises and relaxation help children self –sooth and calm down. Lining up for a funky haircut is a way children learn to deal with frustration and turn–taking. Sports encourages teamwork. At the start of each Kids Club day, children use drawings and images to reflect on how they are feeling, with their art used to encourage them to express their emotions. Data from the project suggests that when children attend Kids Club regularly, the project staff, teachers and family members are seeing positive changes in behaviours.

NTARIA- Western Aranda Leaders Group- Tjuwanpa Outstations Resource Centre

Tjuwanpa Kids Club

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Sand play is calming but

also fun when you have to

find a hidden object.

A critical part of this project, however, is the development of the skills and capacities of the small team of six Western Aranda staff who run Kids Club. They are learning about the brain story and how to recognise behaviours associated with trauma.  They are also learning what activities are best for different behaviours, how to pace activities during Kids Club, and how to monitor and record what is happening for each child and the group. Special training such as the Rock and Water program is also being made available to the team. Running this group is Kungha, a strong Western Aranda woman and member of the SCfC Leaders Group. Kungha initially worked alongside the Australian Childhood Foundation to deliver the Brain Story workshops and provide therapeutic support for children. With this knowledge she is now running Kids Club and training the team. [I]n having a project leader who is

Western Aranda, SCfC is supporting a way of speaking about and approaching child trauma that comes from Western Aranda ways of looking at the world.

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Using fire to talk about feelings

Having a Western Aranda team brings particular strengths to the project.  Each staff person has a recognised skin or kin relationship that facilitates respectful communication patterns.   Children and staff understand each other as the Western Aranda language is used. Training of local team members means they are in high demand by other services who recognise the skills and knowledge the team are developing.  And in having a project leader who is Western Aranda, SCfC is supporting a way of speaking about and approaching child trauma that comes from Western Aranda ways of looking at the world.

MANINGRIDA- SCfC Maningrida Reference Group- Malabam Health Board Aboriginal Corporation

AFL Coordinator - bringing people together

In August 2018 Damian Tuck started as the AFL Coordinator for Stronger Communities for Children in Maningrida. Damian came from an extensive background in the public sector, however football has always been a big part of his life. After coaching the Under 18’s at state level and doing recruitment for St. Kilda in New South Wales he took on the challenge of heading remote and making a difference.  He arrived in Maningrida at the time when the students were all going on their yearly camp. This was a great opportunity to get to know students in a fun and casual environment, so Damian joined them down at the beach for a week of camping. It became apparent that relationships had built quickly, as the following week students were calling out his name around the school and asking to play footy.

One of the big changes made to this activity was the daily work space. Previously there was no real office for the AFL Coordinator which made the daily interactions with students quite difficult. After discussions with Maningrida College, an office space was established and students go see him on a daily basis to find out when they’re playing footy next. Damian delivers football themed programs for students at school such as skill development, fitness and mentoring. Initially designed to engage students and get them attending and staying at school, it is now moving towards setting up a junior competition in Maningrida for boys and girls and this is progressing well with many attending informal training sessions. Furthermore he identifies students to attend the Michael Long Learning and Leadership Centre (MLLLC) in Darwin for a one-week residential program, assists in establishing community and local ownership and governance of the Men’s competition, and provides coaching and umpire training courses for juniors and seniors.

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The AFL program will expand even further in 2019 with involvement in the Sports Academy at school, collaborating with the dietitian from the SCfC Nutrition Program to target youth through sports nutrition and by establishing a program which focusses on mentoring at-risk students. Culture has not been forgotten in all the sporting activities and games have been set up between different communities as well as taking teams to various festivals to play. This has been very successful and other communities are now setting up games and inviting Maningrida to come play a game at their home ground. The AFL program is supported by the Dept. of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the local Coordinator is supported by SCfC. Damian works well with other organisations in the community such as West Arnhem Sport and Recreation and GREATS Youth Services.  He is a real team player and is always eager to be involved in our activities or any other activity in the community and help out.

Future expansion of the AFL program will see collaboration with the dietitian from the SCfC Nutrition Program to target youth through sports nutrition and by establishing a program focusing on mentoring at-risk students.

Students lining up for some AFL skills development.

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YWM in collaboration with Yalu and Australian Red Cross has developed a document and online resource that explains its locally driven model for SCfC - The Dhatam. Dhatam, which means water lily in Yolŋu Matha, is one of many stories of cultural significance for the people in Galiwin’ku, Elcho Island and of particular importance to the members of YWM who each have a clan relationship to this story. The Dhatam documents the formation of YWM, the partnership between YWM, Yalu and Red Cross as it began to work together to implement SCfC from 2014, and the development of a way of working that has been refined since an initial meeting in 2012.  This process has also been informed by learnings of what has or hasn’t worked for Yolŋu people in Galiwin’ku as well as what promotes the building of strengths and capacity of Yolŋu people to support their community.   The work and learnings are presented through the five elements of the Dhatam:

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GALIWIN'KU- Yolŋu Wanganhamirr Mitj (YWM)- Yalu Marŋithinyaraw Indigenous Corporation (Yalu)- Australian Red Cross

The Dhatam

the roots: the foundations of YWM and its model that guide a way working together the stems: the growth of YWM since it began implementing SCfC and how it has strengthened its governance model: the roles, responsibilities, and rules to guide members. the leaves: the SCfC activities and collaboration that grew as a result of YWM’s foundations and direction in implementing SCfC. The learnings from Yolŋu facilitated activities and the partnership with Yalu and Red Cross.

Check out the website where you will find: the Dhatam, Case Studies and resources, along with information about the YWM members and contact details. It is a great achievement and a wonderful resource for anyone interested in what a collaborative, place-based, local decision-making model looks like. We extend our sincere thanks to YWM, Yalu and Red Cross for sharing this resource with SCfC stakeholders.

the flowers, seeds and new Dhatam: The flowers represent the achievements resulting from collaborative efforts. The seeds represent the valued outcomes that support growth and development of the model. the Billabong: the environment where the Dhatam grows, and what is needed to support ongoing growth of the Dhatam.

Click on the link to access YWM's The Dhatam

STAY IN CONTACT

Stronger Communities for Children is implemented in 10 sites throughout the NT. It is a community development program funded through the Commonwealth Government, and run on the ground by locally based Facilitating Partners and SCfC Decision Making Groups. Ninti One would like to express its appreciation for the hard work and collaboration of all Facilitating Partner organisations, and their contribution to this Project Update. Ninti One is the lead organisation in the Quality Service Support Panel (QSSP), and works collaboratively with all SCfC sites to ensure SCfC remains a strong and supported program. We invite you to pass this update onto colleagues and friends who might also be interested in this project. We always value feedback – contact details are below, so please stay in touch or contact us for further information. Megan Saltmarsh Project Manager - Quality Service Support Panelmegan.saltmarsh@nintione.com.au Jacqui WrightProject Officer - Quality Service Support Paneljacqui.wright@nintione.com.au

Check out regular SCfC activities!

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Utopia Reconciliation Australia Indigenous Governance Awards: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/indigenous-governance-awards-finalists-announced/ https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fr57n9rke12ifi7/AAACMiPG0TbRMuCD8YgR5Drna/Category%20B%20videos?dl=0&subfolder_nav_tracking=1 Santa Teresa:Eco Week School Program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuBeXgtL8goLtyentye Apurte CEC Song: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HKzperPAju1lPdFz2Z0F_O6rClNb2oDT/view?usp=drivesdkTidy Town 2018 Awards:https://www.macdonnell.nt.gov.au/about/news/2018/santa-teresa-shines-as-the-territory-tidy-town

Lajamanu International Women's Day MarchPAW Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqq5cjJYITUABC: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/nt-community-lajamanu-holds-womens-march-for-first-time/vp-BBK2E6V SCfC Wadeye Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scfcwadeye/ Galiwin'ku: YWM Dhatam resourceshttps://yolnguwanganhamirrmitj.com.au/

Links to further news, resources and social media found in this Project Update: