ILF Lifetime Ambassador Alison LesterThe story

Children from the Yakanarra Community School

Most of the kids grow up isolated from the world, and in most of these communities only one in five indigenous students meets minimum reading benchmarks in English.

Therefore, Mary Vanbee and Jessie Moora, two local elders and teachers, initiated this project in 2013.

But by the guidance of their school principle Helen Unwin, the children of the Yakanarra Community School become authors even in two languages! 

During more than a year children in the age between 7 and 15 years have been writing, illustrating, collecting ideas.

Elders Jessie Moora and Mary Vanbee translated the books, titled A Yakanarra Day and The Yakanarra Dogs, into their first language — Walmajarri — so the children could read them side-by-side with the English texts. Indigenous Literacy Foundation executive director Karen Williams said it was crucial to boost English proficiency for the children without throwing away their first language skills.

Finally, as a reward the children were invited to present their book in the National Library of Australia, in Canberra. This was an adventurous trip: six hours by car, a flight from Broome to Sydney and from Sydney to the national capital — where they saw Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and snow for the first time.

Image: The Sidney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/

More about the cooperation of the Sydney Opera House’s Digital Creative Learning team here.

The main goal for Helen Unwin was 

“giving them access to choices in the future.”

This was only the beginning. Carmen Torres, who was a trainee at the place by this time, was so enthusiastic about the who process that she brought some books to her home town in Spain.

The children there were impressed by the great richness of the Australian aboriginal culture and loved to discover their language and to get familiar with the creole. English became more than a school discipline, it became a tool for connecting and exchanging. 

"English as a tool for connecting and exchanging."

As Ms Williams said it was vital the students learned about language through subjects they could relate to. And it helps to find their place in the world.

You can read the original article here.

During 2013 also ILF Lifetime Ambassador Alison Lester and musician and teacher Chris Aitken were in the Yakanarra community and developed with the children the Yakanarra Song Book.

ILF Lifetime Ambassador Alison Lester

The ten songs about country and cultural activities were written in Walmajarri mainly by Jessie Wamarla Moora and with other Walmajarri teachers and elders in the 1980s and 1990s to help the kids speak Walmajarri.

Yakamarra Song Book follows the publication of Yakamarra Dogs and Yakamarra Day, and was one of four books (see picture below) launched on Indigenous Literacy Day 2017.

More about the book project in the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence here.

The book

Moora, Jessie Wamarla. & Vanbee, Mary Purnjurr. & Aitken, Chris. & Lester, Alison. & Yakanarra Community School. & Indigenous Literacy Foundation, issuing body.  (2016).  Yakanarra song book : about our place in Walmajarri and English.  Broadway, NSW :  Indigenous Literacy Foundation 

Buy the book here.