In Northwest Queensland on Kalkadoon Country, in the town of Mount Isa, the team at Mithangkaya Nguli (‘To Always Stand Up for Something’ in Kalkatungu language) – Young People Ahead (MNYPA) is leading strong children and youth programs with community voices at the centre.
The corporation was founded on a collective desire to make a space for Aboriginal people facing challenges, particularly children and young people at risk. Its founding Elders envisioned a platform that would empower children and young people, help them grow, and build a strong sense of community.
MNYPA’s doing this through strong cultural identity and governance incorporating community voices from every generation, with young voices shining through at its centre.
Young people who use the corporation's services on a cultural bush trip
Young people at the front
MNYPA’s integrated governance structure places children and young people at the front sets the corporation apart.
The founding Elders firmly believe decisions affecting young people should be made in consultation with them. Young people who take part in consultation also feed into the organisation’s structure.
‘I've come full circle,’ says MNYPA’s General Manager, Alvin Hava. ‘I used to be a little kid supported by the corporation back in the day. I was living at the youth shelter 2 years of my teenage life. I was supported and mentored by Elders back in those days, to get back on the straight and narrow.’
This experience gives Alvin a special connection with the young people the corporation serves, and he is involved in growing the organisation. He co-facilitates the Youth Advisory Group for the corporation, alongside Elders on the Advisory Group and Board Directors.
‘We need to provide for and educate the next generation to take up those opportunities of being on the Board,’ Alvin says.
‘We consider the youth advisory group a nursery for our young ones who aspire to have more of that leadership and governance role in our community.’
The Youth Advisory Group has 8 young members representing various backgrounds and interests. They’re aged between 12 and 25 years, and act as strong advocates and mentors the corporation works with in community.
Each Youth Advisory Group member is mentored by the General Manager, other Senior Management staff as well as Elders on the Elders Advisory Group, along with Board Directors, through tailored youth leadership activities and programs throughout the year.
‘The Corporation value their perspectives and take their feedback seriously,’ says Alvin.
‘They get a sense of ownership and responsibility. They become future leaders who are passionate about making a difference.’
The Elders Advisory Group also has 10 Elders from Kalkadoon heritage, as well as those other Elders from neighbouring Traditional Nations.
The Elders Advisory Group is vital to the corporation as it guides decision making and acts as cultural authority to the corporation board, the staff and – most importantly – the young people.
MNYPA's directors, Elders and Youth Advisory Group members
Programs for brighter futures
Through bringing the community together to establish their aspirations, and work out what’s needed to reach them, MNYPA has increased its services over time – and honed them.
The corporation began as The Mount Isa Youth Shelter (MIYS) in the early 1980s. It was the only crisis youth service. Today, the corporation is one of the largest community-controlled organisations in Mount Isa. It supports children and young people and their families with a dedicated workforce of more than 25 experienced workers.
The Mount Isa Youth Shelter (Kunparra ‘The Shield’ in Kalkatungu language) provides housing support to young people (16 to 25 years old) who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The service provides 6 beds for young males and 4 beds to young females and assists them towards independent living or family reconciliation where appropriate.
Any person who might show up at the corporation is welcomed with open hearts and no one is turned away (no wrong door policy). Staff will go out of their way to find services to assist individuals in need.
A corporation employee and a young female resident undertake a cooking life skills activity
A bridge between generations
Alvin says involving the community in ideas that affect their lives is key to the corporation’s success.
‘One thing MNYPA is well-known for is that the corporation employs staff who love the work they do in community,’ says Alvin.
‘We don't work in silos. We work as a collaborative because we can't do this ourselves.
‘We unite with others in our community to make sure the people in community are supported to maintain their health and wellbeing and thrive.
‘We've got Elders who support our young people to be educated around their identity as an individual, know who they are, what mob they belong to and connect them with their family and kin and strengthening their cultural knowledge.’
Combining efforts for whole community impact
MNYPA’s support for the region’s children and young people creates significant ripples in the community. As young people grow in confidence and capability, they begin to positively participate in local initiatives. They are supported by the corporation to spearhead in various community projects, events and activities.
The Elders in community are continually inspired by young people’s determination and enthusiasm. The work the corporation provides closes gaps between different age groups and fosters cooperation and mutual understanding and, most importantly, respect for self and others.
‘A lot of people dismiss it when they drive or walk past children and young people in most need,’ says Alvin.
‘The corporation works with the community’s so called ‘hardest kids’ – those individuals always in and out of youth detention, those in contact with the justice system, those disengaging from school and so on and so forth. Most people don’t see the hard work behind the scene, or how the corporation assists with keeping children and community safe and families thriving against adversity.
‘But for us working in the corporation, we don't just walk or drive past children, young people and those families in need. We stop, we listen, we sit down with them, and we walk alongside them, and we support them to achieve greatness.’