Program receives a lift

Aircrew from No. 32 Squadron and participants from this year’s Aboroginal Cultural Exchange Program. Photo by SGT Jack Daniel

THE Air Force has helped brighten the future of 25 indigenous youth from the Mutitjulu community near Alice Springs with their recent involvement in the Aboriginal Cultural Exchange Program.

The exchange program offers an exciting opportunity for indigenous youth to experience a unique exchange of cultural environment and lifestyle.

The concept is for an exchange of culture for young people from the Mutitjulu community, near Alice Springs, to go to Melbourne and vice-versa.

Strategies address crime prevention, vocational education, regional development and cultural exchange in an attempt to offer alternatives to unemployment, anti-social and criminal behaviour.

Air Force involvement came as a result of its successful participation in last year’s program. This year, No. 32 Squadron from RAAF Base East Sale provided two HS-748 aircraft and aircrew for the journey from Alice Springs to Melbourne and return.

The 25 young Aboriginal women and their eight adult supervisors undertook the program from August 11-25.

This program is the initiative of Sergeant Mark Gilham, of Victoria Police, and George Shorrock, the Youth, Sport and Recreation Officer for the Mutitjulu Community.

“To say the project has been a success would be a gross understatement. The looks on the faces of these young (Aboriginal) people from the desert visiting places in the big city was something I will remember for the rest of my life,” Mr Shorrock said.

“The young people on the program talked incessantly about wanting to go to college, or wanting to join the Air Force, or wanting to be a policeman,” he said.

“The program has exposed young indigenous and non-indigenous people to a whole new world. The indigenous youth have seen hope and opportunity in the city and the non-indigenous youth have seen avenues to assist in ‘the bush’.”

SGT Mark Gilham said that without Air Force assistance the Cultural Exchange Program wouldn’t happen because of large administration and operating costs involved.

“This program serves to provide highly valuable experiences for the youth involved,” he said.

“If the program can help just one young person find a meaningful purpose to his or her life, and guide them towards fulfilling that purpose, then the program must be a winner.”

For further information contact the organisers SGT Mark Gilham on 0418 576 658 or George Shorrock on 08 8956 2034.

• CPL Mark Eaton and
  SQNLDR Kate Wiley

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