Oenpelli
In September 2003, the Oenpelli community ( Arnhem Land ) was awarded a Micro Grant and the support and resources at the disposal of the NAPCAN NT Office. The grant funded a facilitator and a project team made up of 5 community elders who were mature-age students at NT's Batchelor College to produce a locally based Prevention Tool that was culturally appropriate for Bininj people (language group of Oenpelli).

At that time data showed that of the 156 children in Oenpelli's community: 19 were of ow average height, 43 were underweight, 20 were malnourished and 6 were aenemic. As a result, child welfare agencies frequently intervened to remove children from their families and the community.

The grant application read "As traditional land owners living in isolation, Bininj people have many issues. We do not want our children removed and want to work in partnership with key people in promoting the protection of children and young mothers Bininj way.. It is a whole of community approach."

In just one year the Oenpelli project's achievements included: producing a t-shirt from a traditional painting on the Creation Mother; developing a series of 12 paintings telling the Creation Mother story; producing posters on child nurturing (in Bininj language); the writing of a book telling the Yingana project story; a induction presentation with the community's first-ever use of MS Powerpoint; the development of a CD-ROM that tells the Creation Mother story; strong, sustained collaborative relationships across the community.

As a result Oenpelli received the Vocational Education and Training Award for Excellence 2005. Their Creation Mother CD-ROM is now on sale and the team will be using the sales from it to fund future projects and child friendly initiatives.

What NAPCAN Says: