Sport programming takes off in Balgo
The remote Aboriginal Community of Balgo, 280 kms south of Halls Creek, within the Tjurabalan region is seeing incredible rates of community participation in sport programming following a recent partnership commitment between Garnduwa and the Wirrimanu Aboriginal Corporation. The partnership has seen Garnduwa commit funding for 30 hours a week dedicated to sport programming. Iolanthe Fitzgerald, the Project Manager of the Balgo Youth Engagement Strategy, spoke to us about the impact sport is having in Balgo Community.
Iolanthe represents RPM Project Management, which was engaged by Wirrimanu Aboriginal Corporation to develop and implement the Balgo Youth Engagement Strategy. Upon the successful completion of the pilot, the program has secured further support and is looking ahead, with long-term capacity building in its sights. In January of this year, Garnduwa renewed its commitment to support the Wirrimanu Aboriginal Corporation to run sports programs and carnivals.
Iolanthe Fitzgerald is the Project Manager of the Balgo Youth Engagement Strategy.
The Balgo Youth Engagement Strategy
The strategy is essentially about building the capacity of the community and local workers to be able to run the youth hub and the youth strategy themselves. It’s big, there are 80 kids here. We run a food program seven days a week, so that’s 80-plus meals a night. We run sports every day, movie nights, pool every day as well as comprehensive school holiday programming.
The program is really about building that capacity. Balgo used to have teams for everything, they travelled to compete and other teams would come here to play as well. That stuff just hasn’t happened for a while, so it’s about building that space up again with the kids
How has the community reacted to the increased sport programming? Has there been an enthusiastic response?
Absolutely. Footy and basketball, are the two biggest ones, and the sports where we are playing official matches. All the kids are getting involved. Each evening we are seeing anywhere from five to ten, five versus five matches. Parents and workers are coming down and everyone is rallying around it.
We don’t have infinite funding. To be able to cover 30 hours a week of the time with the support of Garnduwa to employ the sports workers is a huge benefit.
How does sport fit into the holistic engagement strategy?
The program runs seven days a week and over the holidays we have a mix of activities that we do. That includes bush trips, arts programs, health-focused activities, as well as girls’ programs that run separately.
We run the footy games, then the evening meal and then basketball afterwards, and it’s a fantastic routine, they love it, and all the kids get into it.
We have seen a less instances of youth crime in the past 5 weeks and that is solidly due to that routine being in play.
Are you seeing a unique impact of sport programming?
Sport is brilliant for camaraderie. A big focus of ours this year is on connection versus disconnection, which is based around mateship and anti-bullying, promoting less teasing, and speaking kindly to each other.
Just looking out for each other and sport forces that beautifully.
Consistent and equitable engagement
One month of participation data reveals that the Wirrimanu team is engaging not only a large number of community members but also that both young men and women are being engaged.
Throughout January engagement was below 40 participants on only 7 occasions.
Capacity Building
A fundamental principle underpinning both the Balgo Youth Engagement Strategy, and Garnduwa’s strategic ambitions is individual and collective capacity building. The Balgo Youth Strategy now employes four dedicated youth sports workers, all of whom are local residents of Balgo community.
This capacity building will support the sustainable transfer of management and coordination of the youth strategy into the hands of local community organisers.
Left to Right: Berta Hector, Jessiniah Gill, Alex Hector, Roberta Hector.
We are thrilled to be supporting Wirrimanu’s engagement strategy and eagerly await further developments and stories of capacity building and community activation in Balgo.