Australia
LEADERS OF TOMORROW- ABORIGINAL YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM
Yirrkala Mission, Gove, Australia
Community Development Project
Yirrkala Mission is located inland from Gove in the Northern Territory and has a large population of indigenous Australians with significant challenges including substance abuse, poor literacy and education and extensive health problems.
This project was developed by a number of young aboriginals originally from Yirrkala who had been given life opportunities through sports and took these opportunities and capitalized on them. Facilities for the programs were provided by the community/government, but LOT was required to outfit the buildings and provide all of the materials and equipment for the operation of the programs.
DBL supported this program for around 12 months.
Project commencement date: Q4. 2010
Project completion date: Q4. 2011
KOKODA YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Melbourne, Australia
Community Development Project
This program has been developed over a number of years, with an objective to take youth who have faced significant challenges including; homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence and lives of crime and turn their lives around.
Working with police and various aid workers, a program been developed that takes these youths and puts them through a rigorous program, concluding with walking the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea. This trail is infamous from WW2 as one of the most famous battlegrounds where the Japanese advance was halted and is particularly significant to Australian history. It is 96 kilometers of torturous mountain trails in extreme heat and humidity.
After the trek is completed, the youth continue to work with mentors to get their lives back on track.
DBL supported the program in 2018 providing funds that enabled young people to participate in the program and provided further funds for infrastructure for the long term.
Project commencement date: Q2. 2018
Project completion date: Q4.2019