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Keeping busy during school holidays in Ngukurr

15 September 2020
Community Ngukurr
Children and Schooling
Several youth stand on a roadway over which flows a river. At left are rocks in the stream and in the background is a dirt road, trees and blue sky.

The school kids of Ngukurr are spending their school holidays engaged in quality activities thanks to YMD Aboriginal Corporation.

The youth of Ngukurr in the Northern Territory grabbed an opportunity to keep active during the recent school holidays thanks to the Yugul Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation (YMDAC).

With support of Stronger Communities for Children (SCfC) and service providers in the community, YMDAC arranged a program of activities that attracted a high number of youth and received positive feedback from the community.

Activities included fishing, swimming, bushwalking, hunting, identifying and collecting bush foods and medicines. The youth also collected materials to make digeridoos, clapsticks, spears, nulla nullas and pandanus for weaving.

They cooked damper and received messages on alcohol and other drugs, healthy living and culture.

Paul Amarant is the Project Manager for the Youth and Families Stronger Communities Program of YMDAC.

‘Swimming, fishing and travelling to Roper Bar Crossing were the most rewarding and satisfying activities,’ Paul said.

‘Community kids are naturally active and love bush life. Fishing was great with some good catches. Searching for mussels and prawns kept the kids amused and swimming.’

This was important because improving fitness and health was a main purpose of the program.

Organisers and local Elders worked with the program participants to increase their cultural skills and knowledge, improve behaviours and attitudes, and teach participants to respect each other.

Paul said there was great enthusiasm for the program amongst the youth.

‘There were always around 15 to 20 plus children ready each day from around 8am despite telling them to wait until around 10am,’ he said.

There was an even mix of boys and girls between the ages of seven and 14.

The local police identified an important outcome from the program. Compared to the same period last year, crime was significantly lower. There were zero property offences in this recent school holiday period, compared to 16 last year.

‘This indicates the program is achieving one key aim of diverting young people away from anti-social behaviour and criminal activity,’ Paul said.

By the end of the holiday period, the participants were showing increased respect for each other.

Paul is hopeful the program will continue.

‘It is what the kids want, and we will continue to work with them to provide food, entertainment, cultural knowledge and healthy lifestyle choices,’ he said.

Find out more

Yugul Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation is the primary community organisation for the 7 clans of South East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

Stronger Communities for Children is a community driven, place-based initiative that works with 10 Northern Territory communities to identify and implement local, integrated services and activities that create a safe and positive environment for children and families. Funded under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy’s Children and Schooling Program, the Australian Government has committed $46.8 million from 2013 to 2020 across the 10 SCfC sites.