History: Year 2 (July 2001 - June 2002)

Yalu' Mar\githinyaraw

Meeting the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services funding guidelines in July 2001, the Yalu' Mar\githinyaraw project was successful in securing Commonwealth funding for a 2 year period.

Principles established during the first year of working with families and community to promote healthy lifestyles using Yol\u practices as the right pathway to walk for physical, spiritual and emotional health were continued.

• Collaborative service delivery work: The project continued its services delivery work collaboratively with the school, health centre, and women’s groups. Activities included assisting with the breakfast program for school children and collection of bush tucker for the Meals on Wheels Aged Care program.
• Good Boys Program: In September 2001, the Yalu project was approached by the Galiwin'ku Council and Community Police Aid to assist with the implementation of a “Good Boys Program” working with 15 young boys who were identified as petrol sniffers.
  • The Galiwin'ku Council funded the 14 day program which was conducted on the outstation “ “Steven Island”.
  • The project focused on developing self- esteem and life skills
  • The program included establishing a small family garden, general cleaning duties, religion, telling stories about self, and cultural activities such as turtle hunting, and dancing.
• Curriculum development: Stories from “grey hair people” were tape recorded then transcribed and used as part of the Yothu Yindi curriculum for lower primary school students at the local school - Shepherdson College.
• Return to emphasis on research: Responding to requests for assistance to commence a healthy lifestyle research project, Yalu' Mar\githinyaraw extended its activities to provide collaboration with external research organisations including the Menzies School of Health Research, and Northern Territory University.
• Ongoing Planning: a diagrammatic overview of these various projects provides a comprehensive list of activities during this year.
• CRCATH 5th Year Review: In May 2002, as part of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health 5 year review by its major funder, the CRC program in the Commonwealth Department of Education Science and Training. Yalu' Mar\githinyaraw was showcased as a project that demonstrated the capacity for two-way learning and collaboration in research.

Yalu' Mar\githinyaraw researchers gave a presentation and presented the CRCATH management team with a painting by Dj^ti Yunupi\u in appreciation of their support for Yalu' Mar\githinyaraw.

From left to right:

Director, Prof. Tony Barnes;
Project Officer Ms Maria Scarlett;
Mr Dj^ti (Steve) Yunupi\u;
Mrs L^wurrpa Maypilama.
Deputy Director Ms Sally Matthews, and
Deputy Director Ms Terry Dunbar.

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