Indigenous Communities Receive $10,000
The Lottery Office is proud to announce that it has donated $10,000 to Northern Territory based charity, Red Dust. Our money will continue to help fund ‘health and wellbeing programs delivered in remote Northern Territory communities that enrich lives, improve health and strengthen the future of Indigenous youth and families’.
Back in 2006, John Van Groningen was living in the remote indigenous community of Lajamanu. It was here that he saw the need for an organisation that could devote itself to improving the lives of those around him. ‘Red Dust Role Models’ was born.
Fast forward to 2018 and this charity has evolved into something really special. Now simply called, ‘Red Dust’, they run programs designed to educate, support and develop the lives of indigenous Australians.
Their ‘Healthy Living Program’ focuses on personal development, preventing substance misuse, physical activity, nutrition and hygiene. Delivered through school visits in remote areas, it aims to educate people while they are young. Here they can learn essential skills to last the rest of their lives.
The ‘Strong Young Men and Boys Program’ is designed to specifically focus on male physical and mental health. According to Red Dust,
‘Life expectancy for Aboriginal males in Australia is estimated at 18 years less than non-Aboriginal men on average (59 years for Aboriginal men versus 77 years for non-Aboriginal men)’.
Statistics like this really highlight why organisations like Red Dust are needed and the potential impact they can make.
The ‘Strong Young Women Program’ seeks to break cycles of bad lifestyle choices and specifically concentrates on alcohol use and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
All three programs provide young indigenous Australians with a starting point. From here they can break the cycle of poor health in their communities, while developing respect for themselves and others.
If you are interested in reading more about Red Dust or donating to their cause, please visit the Red Dust website.
The Lottery Office also recently donated to Transformations and is always on the lookout for new charities to back.
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