With 2023 officially behind us, the Watarrka Foundation would like to take a moment to reflect on the year past and to extend our gratitude to all our subscribers, donors, partners and broader community for your continued support.
In 2023, the Watarrka Foundation facilitated projects which made real, tangible differences to the lives of communities in the Watarrka Region. The roll-out of satellite internet for the outstations of the region through the Starlink project brought connectivity to Watarrka, and the return of the much-anticipated Sports & Storytelling Festival brought joy and a passion for education to students from remote schools at Papunya and Areyonga.
In early 2023, the Moorabbin Rotary Club's generous support helped us install a Starlink satellite internet system at the Lilla outstation, and provided the funds to cover one years worth of subscription to the service. The Starlink internet system enables children living at Lilla to access online education by School of the Air, and provides the community access to online medical support, tertiary educational opportunities and employment opportunities.
The Starlink project is currently being expanded to the Wanmarra and Ulpanyali outstations. We believe that this is an essential project which has the capacity to transform the day-to-day lives of Watarrka's population, and is especially beneficial for the region's youth and their education. You can read more about the Starlink project here.
Last October, we headed out to Lilla to host the 2023 Lilla Sports & Storytelling Festival. It was the 8th iteration of the annual festival, the first since the start of the Covid pandemic, and it was a resounding success! With help from Dentons, Remote Tours NT, Poetry in Action, NT AFL, the Have a Ball Foundation, Kings Canyon Resort, local rangers, Traditional Owners and 14 volunteers who came from all over Australia, we hosted three activity-packed days with the children from Papunya and Areyonga which emphasised that 'it's cool to go to school!'
Raising school attendance rates for students in the Watarrka Region is a key goal of the Watarrka Foundation and is the primary focus of the annual Sports & Storytelling Festival. Closing the Indigenous School Attendance Gap is essential to improving the life outcomes for Aboriginal people and reducing the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. You can read more about the 2023 Lilla Sports & Storytelling festival and how it worked to raise school attendance rates here and here.
The Watarrka Foundation is calling out for donations to help support the ongoing administrative costs of the organisation. Contrary to common belief, the most effective and ethical non-for-profit organisations tend to have higher overhead costs. This is because efficient admin, quality accounting and good fundraising cost money. It's all the "boring" stuff that keeps non-for-profit organisations afloat and ensures their longevity.
This new year, consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Watarrka Foundation so we can continue to facilitate projects which support Aboriginal young people and communities in the Watarrka Region ethically and efficiently for years to come! Click here to make a donation.
To support the Foundation and our projects within the Northern Territory, make a donation at www.givenow.com.au/watarrkafoundation
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