Funding for elders’ yarns

Before Yamaji elders Ollie George and Clarrie Cameron died late last year, Radio MAMA recorded their memories of life in earlier times.

“There were great leaders and great inspirational people and had a passion to keep language alive, and also to share their stories with the wider community,” manager Barry Anderson said.

He said Radio MAMA was now gearing up to collect more stories from older Yamaji people.

“They’re not necessarily traditional stories but they’ll be about what life used to be like,” Mr Anderson said.

“As people remember the areas, it’s important that those stories are captured and preserved.”

Mr Anderson said they also hoped to conduct oral history activities within schools, and to capture elders’ stories on video to be deposited in the State Library system for future generations.

Interested people are welcome to contact Radio MAMA through the station’s Facebook page or phone 9964 6262.

The organisation has received a $9500 community grant from Australia Post to gather stories from throughout the Gascoyne and Murchison.

From the same funding program, Midwest Multicultural Association for Festival of Lights received $2000 for its The Festival of Lights — “Bubbly” Workshops.

An Australia Post spokeswoman described this as an education project aimed at engaging local students from low socio-economic backgrounds in education through a local community festival.

She said the project taught modules in science, mathematics and creative arts, seeking to overcome education barriers that are linked to limited financial circumstances.

Teach Learn Grow, an organisation that aims to provide children in the remote Mid West with the one-on-one educational support they need to thrive, received a $10,000 grant for its rural tutoring program.