NPY Youth have Adelaide University in sight

NPYWC Youth Service supported 11 young people from Irruntju, Amata and Pukatja to attend and experience Adelaide University. For some, this was their first time in an aeroplane and a capital city.

The Youth Service acknowledges the value and potential of further education and employment pathways for remote Aboriginal youth and aims to make this an ongoing opportunity.

NPYWC’s Youth Program currently conducts a boarding school program targeting students aged 12- 16 to enrol, participate and complete education in boarding schools. The program provides education and information about secondary school options and support students practical travel needs as well as emotional support during their time at school.

In partnership with the University of Adelaide, the youth were able to see what a University is, what it is like to study there and what learning options you can undertake. The Wirltu Yarlu Aboriginal Education Unit at the University introduced the youth to the different faculties and presented lessons in science, physics, engineering and the arts, encouraging everyone to get involved.

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Proudly Anangu directed by women’s law, authority & culture, NPYWC takes guidance from Directors during regular meetings to direct NPYWC’s programs and operation. Governance training is undertaken by all board members and many governance terms are translated into Pitjantjatjara to give the Directors full understanding of their responsibilities.

We are excited to announce Yanyu Bandicha from Pukatja as Chairperson and Kunmanara Smith from Imanpa as Deputy Chair.

We welcome Dorothy Richards, Yangi Yangi Fox and Maureen Baker as new Directors.

The Directors are elected for a two year term.

Read the Director Biographies

Tjungu

Looking after Children with Disabilities in the NPY Lands

Remote carers of children with a disability raised a number of issues that impacted on their ability to give children the best possible support and quality of life in NPYWC’s Tjungu Service’s new research “Looking after Children with Disabilities from the NPY Lands” .

The research found that many carers had to focus on providing basic needs such as where the next meal was coming from, before being able to consider greater therapy requirements of children.

A major finding was the number of children who had to leave the Lands because of the lack of support services- it was too hard for family carers, who often were frail or chronically ill themselves to support children as they grew.

Some families had been obliged to surrender their parental rights in order to get appropriate help for their children.

Families grieved for their children, who had in turn, lost family, language and culture. People asked for support to find out where the children were, and to visit them. ‘I just want to cuddle my son’, said one man.

Distance to services and the need for greater cultural awareness and relationship building from service providers were also among key findings.

The research was funded by the Australian Research Council and was a collaboration between NPYWC, Sydney University, Poche NT and the Centre for Remote Health NT.

Read the “Looking after Children with Disabilities in the NPY Lands” research