What’s happening this summer?

NPY Women’s Council Tjungu Aged & Disability Service is proud to be Highly Commended in the NT Disability Services & Inclusion Awards 2019 Excellence in Advocacy & Promotion of Human Rights for the Research Report “Walykumunu Nyinaratjaku” To Live a Good Life.

This research project was initiated by NPYWC and asked the question, ‘What makes a good life for Aboriginal people with a disability from the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands?

The most significant finding of this research is that Aṉangu and Yarnangu with a disability want to live in their communities, on the NPY lands, with family. This is more important to them than the quality of care they receive, or the availability of services. It is important despite the difficulties they encounter in accessing basic daily amenities including food, clothing and bedding, which remain a major priority for people living in community.

For those Aṉangu and Yarnangu with a disability who are living in community, a good life also means being included and participating in cultural, family and community activities such as arts and crafts, bush trips, bush medicine, music, television and movies, sport, socialising, spiritual life and shopping.

All interactions between Aṉangu and Yarnangu with disability, their carers, service providers and policy makers should be based on internationally recognised human rights and responsibilities. Regardless of geographic location, all people with disability should be able to obtain culturally appropriate support and the services they need to live a good life.

Read the Walykumunu Nyinaratjaku Report

Find out more about the Tjungu Team

We wish everyone heading back to school in the NPY Lands a good year!

Last week hundreds of young people from the NPY Lands started back at school.

For some, it was a whole new adventure!!

Around 20 students from Pukutja (Ernabella), Amata and Kaltukatjara (Docker River) are travelling to begin boarding school over coming weeks.

NPYWC’s Boarding School Program supports young people in the NPY Lands to access secondary education with the aim of providing diverse educational opportunities and experiences outside a community setting.

In July 2018, NPYWC Youth Service began a pilot project to support young people and their families who were interested in attending school outside their community. So far they have supported 23 young people and have 43 more on the waiting list. The Youth Service has previously supported students as a part of their general activities and this program builds on that work.

Stephanie Burgess from the NPYWC Youth Service Boarding School Program says

there is genuine demand from families to deliver a program that provides an opportunity for young people to have the choice to further their education at a Boarding school.

The program offers people choices around their education. It helps young people and their families think about what kinds of educational experiences they want. It also links families with scholarship providers and schools, and supports the application process.

The students are supported in getting ready for their new experience, learning independent life skills. They may need help with setting up a bank account, accessing Abstudy, money management, clothes shopping and working out travel arrangements.

The program also makes sure the students are well settled in to their new school and have lots of ongoing support from their family and friends.

The Youth Service hopes to be able to offer this program to all NPY communities in the future.

Find out more about the Youth Service

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