APY Lands Fostership Program

Beach Energy Camp returns to AAMI 

The second Beach Energy Aboriginal Youth Leadership and Governance Program was held at West Lakes in February.

The camp saw 30 students travel down from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara (APY) Lands to participate in activities including sports, mentoring, leisure and education sessions.

The students will each be assigned a mentor, who will continue to support them in completing their high school education and help them seek out opportunities after they have completed Year 12.

Aimed at year 10-12 students, the program will assist graduates in developing important leadership and governance skills that will allow them to take on leadership roles within their own communities.

Program Manager and dual-Crows premiership player, Andrew McLeod, works closely with all of the participants. McLeod is hopeful the four-day camp will give the kids the confidence and drive to finish school and pursue all opportunities thereafter.

“The Beach Energy Aboriginal Youth Leadership and Governance Program will create a healthy and secure environment where young people can develop, be nurtured, learn and grow as individuals in a program that is unrivalled in Australia,” he said.

Two participants of the first camp who will attend again this year are Kupa Henry-Whiskey, 16, and Mathew Henry-Whiskey, 15.

The brothers, who were standouts at the 2012 camp, will now receive a sponsorship package from Crows partner Westminster School. Both boys will be provided with outstanding learning resources and opportunities while boarding at Westminster for the next three years – something McLeod is extremely proud of.

“These two guys are fantastic young people,” he said.

“They are committed to their studies and committed to put in 100 per cent in all exercises. Westminster has given them a fantastic opportunity.”

Westminster School Principal Steve Bousfield said: “Westminster is proud of its long history working with indigenous students to provide a range of opportunities that create pathways towards employment and higher education.

“Like the AFC, we are determined to ‘make a difference’ as a supporting partner in this indigenous program by providing valuable learning and life skills to young indigenous people in the APY Lands.”

Beach Energy and the Australian Federal Government are joint-major partners of the program. Beach’s Chief Operating Officer Neil Gibbins has high hopes for the second camp.

“Teachers and elders both agreed that the first Beach Energy Aboriginal Youth Leadership Program camp was very successful in bringing out the best in the young people who participated and we expect this camp to be every bit as successful,” he said.

“Beach is proud to support the AFC and Andrew McLeod in delivering a program which has proven to be a motivating mix of sport, learning and fun, building character, encouraging hard work and establishing a firm foundation for the transition of the young people involved into adulthood.”

APY Lands School & Community Visits, September 2012

The end of September was nearing and that meant it was time for another Adelaide Football Club trip to the APY Lands. The travelling party had increased its numbers after a successful trip the previous year with some fresh faces including Crows players Nick Joyce, Sam Martyn and Cameron Ellis-Yolmen and the AFC Community Development team. We were all very keen to get up and experience what the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands had to offer this time around.

The trip started with a 9:00am report at Adelaide Airport on Monday and from there it was a two-hour flight to Alice Springs. This was the last time we would see a plane for four days and over 2,000kms. Our journey had begun.

The AFC party met up with the team from the SANFL and were guided by Alec Henry, the SANFL representative up in the APY Lands the 220kms from Alice Springs to Marla.

We arrived at the Marla Travellers Rest, which is what we called home for the first night and set off for our first community visit at Alec’s home town of Indulkana, the closest of the APY communities. The kids were all ready for our arrival late in the day and were already kicking the footies around waiting for us to join in. After a quick kick and a catch we went inside the rec hall for our main purpose of the trip, which was to have a chat to the kids about maintaining a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle and also the Players spoke about the game of AFL rules. The club presented certificates to the school that did the Premier’s Reading and Premier’s Be Active Challenge. As soon as this was done the kids received a Crows and My Eye Health Care footy and it was straight back out to the yard to give them a go. This wrapped up day 1 and it was back to Marla for a meal and a well earned rest.

Day two started off nice and early, we departed Marla and headed straight for Mimili. We arrived to much of the same, kids running around all excited and kicking the footy around. The guys joined in for another kick and a catch and then went inside for the same presentation about and healthy eating and lifestyles. Once again, as soon as our last word was spoken it was straight back outside to kick the footballs around some more.

After Mimili we set off for Fregon for more of the same. We started off with our presentation then went out the back to the oval and had a huge kick and a catch of the footies. To finish off with everyone went back in to the hall and presented the medals and certificates for the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Also Players Martyn and Ellis-Yolmen visited Kenmore Park where they visited a fruit property and small school for a kick and catch session.

Then it was onto Ernabella for another presentation to the school where Claude the Crow did a dance and then a kick and catch session then it was the long drive to Curtain Springs to stay the night which took around 3hours through the back tracks.

Day three came around and it was going to be our toughest yet. Starting at Curtain Springs we had to make the 700km trek to Pipalyatjara through three other communities with a school visit at each. Our first visit for the day was to Amata, where we started off at the school which was packed to the brim with students, teachers and family. We also then had Bungala cook a Barbecue for the community. Then it was a drive to Nyapari oval for a community visit was we took time out to visit the art centre and onto Murputja school for a visit. 

We began with a healthy eating game with Claude and finished off with the medal and certificate presentation to those who completed the Premier’s Reading/Be Active challenges.

Ellis-Yolmen, Joyce and Martyn were also presented with a dot painting from a local elder for their visit which will be given to the clubs museum. Then it was a visit to Pipalyatjara where we did a presentation to the Premiers of the Far West Football league. Mark Jackman had the whole team around at the Youth centre where Players of the winning Pipalyatjara team were presented with the Premiership cup and called out amongst the community.

Then it was dinner and bed at Jacko’s house ready for the trip early in the morning to (Uluru) Ayers Rock. It was a three hour drive through some of the harshest road conditions. We were pleased to have reached our destination, have some lunch, a swim and some relaxation time to take in the beautiful views of the Olgas and Ayers rock. Friday it was back to Adelaide after travelling long distances throughout the APY Lands. The Adelaide Football club would like to thank the SANFL for coordinating the trip.