Changing the future for the Next generation First Nations Children
COVID19 has meant that many of us are in lockdown and many families have seen this as a good opportunity to either connect with new charities or have conversations with charities they know well.
In August, three philanthropists got together to meet one another and have a conversation with an organisation they support, Children’s Ground. Children’s Ground is a well respected For Purpose organisations focusing on prevention and the health and education of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory (NT). They are led by and partner with community Elders and have demonstrated that they can change the health and educational outcomes of the next generation of First Australians living in the NT. They do this by engaging communities in culturally appropriate learning and wellbeing, family health, economic development (employment) and community development.
Facilitated by their Relationship Manager, the three philanthropists, Rosemary, Christine and Melissa, met to discuss their personal interests in Children’s Ground and the advancement of First Australians.
The group was then joined by Jane Vadiveloo, CEO of Children’s Ground and Emily Hill, Director of Partnerships who provided an update on how First Australians in the NT were dealing with COVID19; an update on Felicity Hayes and her efforts to secure tenure and basic services on her land, and lastly how Children’s Ground as an organisation was coping.
Jane mentioned that First Australians in the NT led the response to COVID-19 aware that if COVID19 takes hold of their communities the effects could be catastrophic. Children’s Ground supported the key strategy to return where possible to remote communities and away from overcrowded towns while trying to address issues of adequate food and services. It is fortunate there have been no community transmissions of COVID-19 in the Northern Territory.
The group received an update on Felicity Hayes, an Alice Springs Traditional Owner where her families are forced to live in their community without running water, power and sewage. Children’s Ground has been assisting Felicity’s community by supporting water security and advocacy for long term solutions with Government.
Like most For Purpose Organisations, Children’s Ground has seen a rise in demand for its services. Jane highlighted that they have increased the health promotion aspect of their operations, ensuring that communities have an in-depth understanding of how to prevent the arrival and transmission of COVID19. They continue to provide wrap around early years learning in town and remote outstations. They have had to move their support operations online. They continue to reach more people and have more people wanting their support. To do this however, they will need to make an investment in their operations to meet demand as well as their IT systems to ensure they’re robust and fit for purpose.
If you’d like to find out about Children’s Ground visit https://childrensground.org.au
If you would like to meet charities that you’re passionate about, contact your Relationship Manager.