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Hello.

Since commencing as CEO, Ngunga’s focus has been on restructuring and enhancing our service delivery. We currently offer a range of programs, including the Children and Schooling Program (with place-based playgroups and mobile playgroup), the Home Interactive Parenting Program for Youngsters – HIPPY, Connected Beginnings, our Community op Shop, Financial Support Service, and the Language and Cultural Program.

I’m proud to share that we’ve built a strong team of local women at Ngunga, which has opened up extensive professional training opportunities, long-term employment options, and collaborations with other services to provide early childhood programs. The Early Years Partnership has been particularly successful in the community, aligning perfectly with Ngunga’s vision to establish an early year’s daycare service and Family Hub for local Aboriginal children and families. Thanks to our Early Years partners, we’ve secured $8 million to bring these essential services to life. This project is now underway, and we will soon begin community consultations to shape what these services will look like.

We have been placing significant emphasis on delivering a cultural curriculum across our services, focusing on knowledge transfer through our programs, partnerships, and connections with our elders, young mums, and young girls.

Our op Shop continues to thrive, and we’re deeply thankful for the support form the Derby community. Our recent collaboration with The Remote Op Shop project has brought in a new range of items for the Derby Community.

In addition, we’re excited to announce our new partnership with Kimberley Money Management as we roll out our Financial Information and Support Service program.

You may have noticed our increased social media presence. We believe this is a key way for us to communicate our message and keep you informed. We greatly appreciate your support!

I receive positive feedback daily from people who are excited and inspired by the work Ngunga is doing. Recently, a local service provider remarked, “Ngunga is really at the forefront of early years space. It’s really exciting to watch.”  

The Ngunga board meets regularly, and I want to extend my gratitude to our board members for their knowledge and service, as well as our dedicated staff for their unwavering commitment to delivering our Early Years Programs.

Please feel free to reach out to me via email at ceo@ngunga.com.au

Rowena Mouda

NGUNGA GROUP WOMENS CEO

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Ngunga has a new Financial Service which will shortly open its doors to clients.

Ms. Rhonda Ejai is our new Financial Information Support Worker (FISW). We are very excited to have her on board as the person to get this new service up and running.

Rhonda is working hard to learn all about her new job. On 27th August, Rhonda will commence her online training with ICan Learn and will complete 3-days training to secure her Financial Literacy Education modules. Rhonda has also spent time with Ms. Kelly Kitching from Kimberley Money Management going with her on outreach sessions to Pandanus Park and reading lots of information which will enable her to support her clients. 

Ngunga's new service will focus on supporting clients with a range of activities including:

1. Letters of support

2. Access to Ngunga computers to complete applications

3. Referrals to local support agencies including Kimberley Money Management

4. Referrals to local support programs e.g., NILS and HUGS

5. Delivering community education with other service providers

6. Providing flyers and information about local support services

As soon as the service is ready to open its doors and start working with clients, we will let you know through Ngunga's social media platforms.

Watch this space…

EARLY YEARS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Our early years team met for a half day professional learning experience to discuss what we do that sets us apart from other organisations. Of course, we are a First Nation led group that can make our programs accessible to community members, by making them culturally relevant.  Culture, Language and Identity under pin all we do in our early year’s programs.  

Our learning and development centred around the Lalin Season (October to December) in 4th term.  The team first brainstormed the seasonal changes, the animal behaviours and the interaction between the weather, plants, land, sea, water, other animals and humans. From here, we split into groups to discuss everything we know about the Walja (barrumundi).  One group discussed the fresh water (wila) walja, while the other group listed everything, they know about the salt water walja. Then we had all the information we needed to create 2 cultural stories. First, we will concentrate our language efforts on Niykina and Kimberley Kriol and as we recruit more language experts, we can expand into other languages that can be well supported.

Cultural stories are localized and can begin to replace the books children are given, that may not have a lot of meaning for them.  The next part of our learning in the following week was to craft some different sized walja from wool felt. Nikki Fletcher, Time4Craft, is a Steiner teacher and craft expert from Melbourne. She and Vicki have worked together through the Baya Gawiy Buga yani Jarndu yani u Centre’s Language, Culture and Well-being team, in Fitzroy Crossing for years and believe this way of making props for told stories makes learning language and culture very enjoyable for children.

There are many new stories sitting in the life experience of all our team, the families and children we work with, that can be embedded into our cultural curriculum.

HIPPY

The HIPPY team enjoyed the HIPPY Gathering with families and children ages 3 & 4 celebrating families and reconnecting with them. Our Gathering in Derby’s Colac Park was a good time together and full of learning. We’re continuing HIPPY pack delivery with families engaging and connecting them with Ngunga’s Connected Beginning team to get ‘Kindy Ready’.

NOTRE DAME MEDICAL STUDENTS

AT NGUNGA

It was good to have medical students, Jacinta and Elisha, with us. Here’s what they said about their time with Ngunga.

“Thanks so much for having us! My time at Ngunga was lovely and I found it very enriching for my learning. I think I speak for both Elisha and myself when I say we genuinely felt so privileged to be welcomed in by all of you, and have the opportunity to visit and engage with the community. I have personally never had the opportunity to visit remote Aboriginal communities near Derby; and felt so lucky to not only be able to see Mowanjum and Pandanus Park, but to be able to do so with Ngunga - an organisation which has such deep ties to the people in these communities. Thankyou for including us in these activities, and in your engagements with families in these communities. 

I also found it such great learning to hear about the history of Derby from all of your lived experiences. Hearing from you Rowena, as well as Rowey, Angel, Tiahara and others about the coming together of groups in Derby, your families’ experiences of policies and education, as well as your experiences of program implementation was a unique insight that others did not get in their placements. The impact of your programs is so clear, and I saw that when we went into communities. Especially since coming back I have heard several other students recount how they experienced those communities and that they were not able to gain as much information and talk to as many people as we were able to, being with you Ngunga ladies. Thank you for allowing us to be on placement with you last week and this is certainly an experience that Elisha and I won't forget.” – Notre Dame Medical student, Jacinta.

“I could not agree more with Jacinta. I also found that the stories shared by you, and the other ladies we spent time with had the biggest impact on my learning as it allowed us to understand the history, triumphs and challenges of life in the Kimberley for Aboriginal people from a personal perspective. 

Every person we had the pleasure to meet at Ngunga was warm, welcoming, passionate and insightful. This made learning about what they do and (more importantly) why they do it so memorable and heart-warming. The trips out into the communities were valuable learning opportunities for us as medical students, to get an appreciation for the services available and the multiple barriers to accessing healthcare for the people residing there. Being accompanied by Denise, Josephine, Rowey Riley and Tiahara made the trips a lot of fun, but also allowed us to see the importance of relationships and trust in building community engagement.

I would like to thank you and the team again for taking us in and giving us a truly unforgettable week.” Notre Dame Medical student, Elisha.

BUSH MEDICINE SOAP

Rowena and Tiahara made Bush Medicine soap as part of our Language and Cultural Playgroups program. We’re looking forward to making more! The dark red soap is Mardoorr (Kakadu Plum) and the white soap is ‘Bush Soap’. Watch this space!

STAFF TRAINING

First aid training is booked in for term 4 for all staff to participate are looking forward to it!

Rowena Riley and Nelletta Drummond completed there 3a coaching in week 1 of term 3, Wednesday 17th July and Thursday 18th July 2024. Congratulations to Rowena and Nelletta!

Folktale training was completed by a number of Ngunga staff including, Rowena R, Sandra T, Shianna (Uja) Y, Angel H, Nicola H, Tiahara P and Vicki H. This training was introduced to capture a new way of event reporting and program sessions.

KUNUNURRA PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP GATHERING

Ngunga team members, Tiahara, Yelonda, Joedi and Denise, attended the Kununurra Leadership Gathering.

"The purpose was to engage WA ACCO Early Years Leadership teams in professional learning that is relevant to their contexts and existing skills." SNAICC National Voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

A big thank you to SNAICC!!

OP SHOP

We are thrilled to have Ngunga’s Op Shop open to the community to purchase a range of quality items locally. We have partnered with The Remote Op shop project and are incredibly grateful to be receiving a wide range of items for women, men and children.

You are always welcome to come in to grab quality clothing and other items at a bargain.

We’re open:

Monday – Friday

8:30am – 1:30pm

Donations are always welcome!