2022 Impact Report

2022

IMPACT REPORT

WISDOMS AND KNOWLEDGES

Standard English does not acknowledge multiple knowledges or wisdoms, so it is never used in the plural. However, in Indigenous cultures that are diverse, the wisdoms and knowledges can extend across cultures, and are also closely connected to kinship and Country.

Acknowledgement

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognises their continuous connection to Country, Community and cultures. We pay our respects to First Nations peoples, their narrative, traditions and practices, and to Elders both past and present. We acknowledge the long lasting strength and resilience of the peoples that have come before us, and we stand with Elders of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations. We honour the continued connections between Country, stories and peoples. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as they will become our future leaders, Elders and Custodians of Country. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Lands on which our head office is based in Warrane/Sydney.

our Story

The Foundation was established in 2010, having been initially set up in 2003 as the Riverbend Readers’ Challenge, before evolving in 2007 to the Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP), in partnership with the Fred Hollows Foundation.

Our Founder Suzy Wilson, a bookshop owner and former teacher, established ILP and lobbied to gain the support of the Australian book industry.

ambition

To provide remote Indigenous Communities with the literacy resources they want to support their aspirations for Community and Culture.

Our purpose is to invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote Communities to provide the tools and resources they request to shape the direction of their children’s literacy futures. Through collaborative investment in Community and meaningful strategic partnerships, the ILF supports sustainable and positive change in Indigenous literacy through the supply of books and a focus on the publication of First Nations content. We aim to advocate and build awareness among the wider Australian population of the strengths, knowledges and wisdoms held within remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.

purpose values

Our focus is on building and maintaining relationships with remote Communities. Our Foundation’s values are:

DIVERSITY RESPECT TRUST EQUITY

These values underpin how we operate in every aspect of our work.

advocacy

In 2021, the ILF moved away from terms like ‘Closing the Gap’ or sharing NAPLAN results to explain why we work in this space. As a Community-led organisation it was clear we needed to ensure the focus of the ILF was not around deficit and disadvantage, but rather founded in the celebration of the rich and diverse First Nations cultures and knowledges, of which there are many.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities have the wisdoms, knowledges, skills and traditional literacy, beyond a Western literacy framework. ILF supports Communities with the tools and resources they request to lead their own, authentic literacy journeys.

Respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ languages, histories and cultures is at the forefront of how the ILF operates.

“Community-led literacy projects like Winthali and The Monsters of Mckyus demonstrate the strengths, wisdoms and creativeness of Communities. As the ILF continues to engage Communities in conversations around literacy, the diverse aspirations of Communities are clear. Literacy is critical as is the publishing of their stories to celebrate their Land, People and Culture on the world stage.”

BEN BOWEN, ILF CEO

yamandhu marang,

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the entire ILF organisation, Board, Community partners, and key stakeholders and donors who have supported me over the past year. It has been an incredible privilege to be entrusted with leading the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and working side by side with the incredibly talented and passionate team.

2022 saw a transformation of sorts in the ILF, as the team grew, relocated to a new office space, shifted our messaging and got back to live events such as book launches, NAIDOC Week events and Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD). We also worked to cement ILF as an employer of choice through a remote employment plan, by building internal culture, introducing a new training program and establishing a people-first focus.

In 2022, the ILF revamped our Book Supply program, expanding from one run into two runs throughout the year, which saw the delivery of around 120,000 books to 356 Communities. Book Buzz grew to be just shy of 100 Community playgroups and the Community Publishing team published 26 books, including translations of family favourites The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Cranky Bear. This brought the cumulative number of languages we have published to 31.

The ILF attended book launches in Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia for Winthali, on Tiwi in the Northern Territory for Murli la, and on Thursday Island in Queensland for The Monsters of McKyus

This past year also saw the launch of the pilot Busking For Change fundraiser and a return to an in-person event at the Sydney Opera House for ILD.

Having moved away from Close the Gap language, the ILF leadership team worked with key stakeholders to review the Foundation’s impact and set the groundwork for establishing the strategic goals for the next three to five years. As a Community-led organisation, it became apparent that ILF’s impact is far beyond supporting children with access to books. The ILF has assisted in establishing multifaceted pathways that promote reading, literacy, education, stories and languages within remote Communities and will continue to do so for generations to come. The ILF holds a key role in the opportunity to promote two-way learning and help to build future pathways led by Community aspirations.

To continue successfully working with remote Communities to achieve their literacy goals, we have identified a number of key strategic priorities that will direct our work over the next year. In 2023, our priorities are to:

• increase engagement in literacy

• ensure access to culturally safe and significant resources

• celebrate First Nations’ cultures, languages and connections

• enable Community leadership on literacy

• build connection between donors and First Nations Peoples’ aspirations

• grow Community partnerships and stakeholder engagement.

Of course, none of this can happen without the generous support from our sponsors and donors. I thank you for your continued support and your trust in this process. Together, we will work as changemakers to champion Indigenous cultures, languages and stories, and support remote Communities to develop literacy opportunities that are relevant, authentic and long-lasting. Together, led by Elders and Community members, we will continue to support their literacy journeys in the ways they determine.

Mandaang guwu, Ben Bowen

From Dr marnie o’bryan and natalie Ahmat

CO-CHAIRS, ILF

yaamA/hello

The past year has been something of a whirlwind at the ILF, as new staff members find their feet and some familiar faces step up to new roles. I would like to acknowledge outgoing co-Chair, Professor Tony Dreise, whose wisdom and professional acuity are second to none. Although we understood his decision, we were saddened when Tony stepped down from his role with us due to the demands of his position as Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Southern Queensland. In his place, Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs at NITV, long-time Ambassador and champion of the ILF, Natalie Ahmat, has taken on the role of co-Chair. Beloved by everyone at the ILF, Natalie has already made a mark in her new role.

2022 has also seen a change of address, with ILF taking a sub-lease of part of Hachette’s office space in Kent Street, Sydney. Our staff team tells us that working in close physical proximity with other publishers has been a great benefit to the team. It is a daily reminder of the enormous role the wider book and publishing industries have in supporting the ILF. Our thanks to Hachette CEO and ILF Board member, Louise Stark, for facilitating this move.

Numbers tell a big story – 27,000 children impacted directly by the work of the ILF; 120,000 resources delivered to our partner Communities; books published in 31 different First Languages – but numbers only tell part of the story. To see the delight on the face of a child who sees their own drawing reproduced in a ‘real’ book; to hear the laughter of a family who have scanned the QR code on the back of a book, and are now listening together to a story in their own language, is testament to why the work of the ILF matters.

In this year of the Voice, we thank all our supporters for making our work possible. Your contributions, small or large, enable the songs, the stories, the languages and the voices of our First Nations partners to be amplified, and that benefits all Australians.

our B oarD

I would like to acknowledge outgoing co-Chair, Professor Tony Dreise, from whom I took over duties from in 2022. I had worked closely with Tony and the board as an Ambassador for the ILF for many years and it was indeed a privilege to be invited to fill his shoes as co-Chair.

In my day job as a journalist and broadcaster, I am passionate about sharing the stories of First Nations people and places. It’s a passion shared by the ILF, and one of the many reasons I am so honoured to serve as co-Chair.

And what an exciting time it is for the organisation! Over the last few years, I have seen the ILF undertake an extraordinary period of growth and evolution, transforming into a Community-led organisation, which places First Nations families, stories and languages at the heart of everything it does.

The ILF also continues to grow in its presence within the book industry and through its work supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities fulfil their literacy journey through delivery of 120,000 resources and publishing work in over 31 languages –an incredible effort!

I love the work of the ILF and the passion of the entire organisation from staff, Ambassadors, volunteers and Board. A favourite for me is the Community Publishing Projects, which assists with the publishing of books created by Community, many in First Languages. In 2019, I was lucky enough to travel to Milikapiti on Melville Island in the Tiwis, to celebrate the launch of Teeny Weeny Yikiyikini, a picture book written and illustrated by students from Milikapiti School with ILF Ambassador, Gregg Dreise. I would like to thank all our supporters – individuals, corporates and Communities – for their ongoing trust and belief in the work of the ILF. I am very much looking forward to connecting with you in the year ahead, as we embark on the next exciting chapter of the ILF’s story.

Dr Marnie O’Bryan

Dr Marnie O’Bryan Co-Chair, ILF

Natalie Ahmat Co-Chair

Dr Marnie O’Bryan, Co-Chair

Leitha Assan Laura Harris Jacqui Payne Louise Sherwin-Stark

Gavin Williams Alicia Stewart

Natalie Ahmat

Natalie Ahmat Co-Chair, ILF

2022 mileStones

Translated popular stories into 8 Indigenous languages

Supported 90 playgroups with Book Buzz early learning books and resources

Collaborated with Vision Australia and Deaf Australia on books and resources for remote Communities

Supported 404 Communities with 116,866 books

Published

26 books in 13 languages

Published The Very Hungry Caterpillar in six First Nations languages including Murrinhpatha, Karwar, Kriol, Pitjantjatjara, Dhuwaya, and Aboriginal English

First Create Initiative held since 2019 with nine senior students from Tiwi College

our patrons

We are honoured to have two incredible leaders as co-Patrons to the Foundation.

JUNE OSCAR AO

First Nations languages, stories and songs are the foundation of our society and existence. Our languages hold the knowledges of the Country—they help all of life to speak, such as the rivers, mountains and trees, lizards, and birds. Without our languages and stories these non-human beings that are integral to the functioning of life can too easily be ignored and mistaken as silent. First Nations languages describe the earth in all its complexity and brilliance.

The ILF knows this and is finding ways to document our stories and First Languages in contemporary forms, so our children, families and cultures continue to thrive. ILF understands how empowering it is to be able to write, read and hear our stories in both English and our First Languages. It can ensure the intergenerational transference of the oldest stories and knowledges on earth, while laying the pathway for our children to walk successfully between Indigenous and non-Indigenous worlds.

The Foundation supports First Nations Communities all across Australia to self-determine how they can use literacy in their lives. There are hundreds of Community members becoming authors, publishing books in their languages, and teaching our young people to read and hold our stories, ready to share with another generation. It brings me so much joy to be co-Patron of ILF and watch the Foundation, and our young people, grow from strength to strength.

HON.QUENTIN BRYCE AD, CVO

I’m enormously proud to be co-Patron of ILF. It makes my heart sing, the way, year after year, this brilliant organisation achieves more and more to enrich and enhance the most important things in the lives of kids in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities; books, learning, reading, language, education, participation, resources, workshops and programs. Every year the outcomes are measured, and the hard work, creativity, commitment and dedication of all the marvellous people who work for ILF shines.

I love the way ILF explains that literacy is “a navigation skill, it gives kids the ability to navigate the world around them”.

I know the year ahead is going to be great. We must push on with our advocacy among the wider population to strengthen the knowledge and wisdom held within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.

HON. QUENTIN BRYCE AD, CVO

our FounDer

SUZY WILSON

Our ILF 2023 strategy meeting proved to be an exceptional time to think deeply about our work, our goals and programs. These strategy days were invaluable for bringing board and staff together and I was very moved to learn of the exciting publishing projects being developed under the careful eyes of Nicola Robinson, the very encouraging growth of fundraising under David Stewart, the creative marketing campaigns and events under Becc Finney, the careful management of our financial systems under Mike Milnes, and very significantly, the hard work and dedication towards ILF programs by Zoe Cassim and TicTac Moore.

There is much quiet joy to be had in my observations of the way ILF staff work together. They show a dedication to their work, genuine respect for each other in their interactions, a depth of cultural knowledge and wisdom, a thoughtfulness and gentle, often humorous amiability that is a pleasure to be around. In short, they demonstrate the type of qualities we would like to see in all of our leaders. It therefore gives me great pleasure to congratulate and thank our CEO Ben Bowen, for creating the workplace culture that makes all of this possible.

our amBaSsaDorS

It is our great fortune to have Ambassadors who possess remarkable skills, unwavering dedication, and a strong drive to contribute their time and expertise towards promoting the mission of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation across the country. With travel restrictions easing in 2022, we re-established in-person events such as NAIDOC and Indigenous Literacy Day, and many continued to show their support at virtual events, fundraisers, and publishing projects in remote Communities. We thank each and every Ambassador for sharing ILF’s vision and continuing to give their time and talents so generously to share the ILF story.

Lifetime Ambassadors Ambassadors

Justine Clarke Andy Griffiths

Dr Anita Heiss

Alison Lester AM David Malouf Josh Pyke

Natalie Ahmat Kirsten Banks

Debra Dank

Richard Flanagan Kate Grenville Ann James David Lawrence

Dr Jared Thomas Shelley Ware Ursula Yovich Prof Kim Scott

Deborah Cheetham AO

Jessica Mauboy

Gregg Dreise

Where we Work

413 Communities with Book Supply available, 88 Communities with Book Buzz available, 44 Communities with whom we have published books.

2022 role models

Each year we are grateful to the role models that feature on posters inserted in each Book Supply pack, sharing their passion for reading.

Emily Wurramara

Patty Mills

our groWing team

New staff appointments:

The ILF team expanded in 2022 with six new staff members, while also bidding farewell to a valued member. We express immense gratitude to those who have been part of our journey and extend a warm welcome to those who have joined us. As lockdown and travel restrictions eased, team members across the country adopted hybrid working and continued to support remote Communities through various programs. They also contributed to book launches, audio and visual learning resources, online workshops, and translation projects.

In August 2022 Nicola Robinson joined our team as Publishing Manager. Originally from New Zealand, Nicola has spent more than 25 years working in the Australian book industry, with a focus on children’s books. She spent several years commissioning and editing the Yarning Strong Indigenous education series (OUP), joint overall winner of the Educational Publishing Awards Australia 2011.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the dynamic team at ILF, every one of whom I learn from every day. Community-led publishing is enlightening, inspiring and challenging – I am so fortunate to be in this role.”

Volunteers

Becc Finney joined the ILF team in January 2023 as Marketing Manager. Throughout her career, she has honed her skills in a wide range of marketing disciplines, spanning global markets in New York, London, Sydney, and Melbourne. With a background in primary and early years education, Becc brings a unique combination of skills and knowledge to her role at ILF.

“The enthusiasm, drive, and commitment across the entire organisation is truly infectious. I’m beyond excited to be joining the team and have the opportunity to shine a light on the incredible remote First Nations Communities throughout Australia. It’s a huge privilege to be part of an organisation that’s doing such important and meaningful work.”

In October 2022, we welcomed Krista Brydges as our Fundraising Officer/ Coordinator. With an extensive background in advertising and client service, followed by running her own retail business, Krista is well versed in customer engagement. She is excited and motivated to be part of our growing fundraising team.

“Being part of an organisation that is Community-led is important to me. Supporting people to engage with literacy in ways they want and that works for them is profound and long lasting. I believe that the books that are meaningful to your own story, language and environment are the ones that truly open doors.”

We’d like to acknowledge two of our longest standing volunteers, Sonia Palmisano and Janet Hutchinson. Thank you for your contiunous support of the ILF.

Sonia Palmisano has been volunteering with the ILF for over eight years. This makes her one of the longest-serving ILF team members. Among other things, Sonia works with the marketing team with their weekly content creation and attended a Community trip to Katherine for the launch of the Binjari books. Sonia is extremely kind and has put in countless hours volunteering at events, Great Book Swaps, and advocating for the ILF and remote Communities.

“I’ve always been passionate about literacy, perhaps because my dad struggled with reading from a young age. Reading is something I’ve always loved, but I never took my ability to read for granted.”

SONIA PALMISANO

In November 2022 Marj Hutchinson joined the ILF team as our Fundraising Officer. With a strong background in education and training, she is passionate about giving children a greater opportunity to succeed and learn.

“Literacy is the foundation for reading, writing, and becoming lifelong learners. I’m privileged and excited to be part of the ILF journey in supporting remote Communities with access to books and Early Literacy programs.”

Asal Tabaee recently began studying commerce at UNSW. Prior to this, Asal volunteered with the ILF to help with fundraising events. Now, Asal is thrilled to have joined the ILF team as an intern. She is eager to learn about marketing and excited about the opportunities ahead.

“Literature has an intergenerational impact, so it is important for remote Communities to have access to literature in their First Language because it strengthens culture and allows it to be passed down to future generations. Working with ILF and being able to promote these rights to preserve language has been such a privilege.”

Belinda St Flour joined us mid 2022 from a tourism background with roles previously in Operations and Business Development. As our Office Manager, Belinda supports our team and works across all departments.

“Everyday I look forward to seeing the impact of the ILF first hand.”

Changes to Job Titles

• Brad Gambetta was Project Administrator now Data and Operations Manager.

• Zoe Cassim was Programs Manager now Head of Programs (on maternity leave until October 2023).

• Laura Atherden was Donor Engagement Officer now Community Fundraising Manager (on maternity leave from February 2023 - April 2024).

• Tictac Moore was Regional Coordinator now Programs Manager.

• Bella Puruntatameri was Regional Assistant now Regional Coordinator.

• Ella Schofield was Marketing Assistant now Social Media and Communications Coordinator.

• Emma Toomey was Marketing Coordinator now Senior Marketing and Events Lead.

• Lisa Flower was Marketing and Communications Manager now Marketing Consultant.

Janet Hutchinson has volunteered with ILF almost since its inception in 2006. She currently supports the ILF by writing Community blogs for the website and social media, and volunteering at events. Over the years, Janet has done a range of things for ILF, from stuffing envelopes to travelling to the Binjari book launch in 2017 and to the Byron Bay Writers Festival in 2019.

“I was struck from the outset by the dedication, deep commitment, and sustained determination of the ILF to help address literacy in remote First Nations Communities across the country.”

JANET HUTCHINSON

In 2022, we also farewelled a valued member of the team as our Publishing Manager Kathy Mossop retired. Kathy brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role with the ILF and was the backbone of the publishing team for many years. We wish Kathy all the best in her retirement and extend our heartfelt thanks for all she has done with the ILF.

theory of change

The ILF invests in all stakeholders of the Communities, from the youth to parents and guardians, Elders and support services. Through our three key programs Book Supply, Book Buzz and Community Publishing Projects we work at different levels of engagement to ensure Community have access to culturally relevant resources, and are engaged and leading the direction and scope of the programs. With our donors and key stakeholders we ensure our resources are focussed on Community strength and respect, ensuring people have the confidence to take on opportunities, and remain in control of their stories, languages, and children’s futures.

Penguin Random House is thrilled to have had the ILF as our major charitable partner for 15 years now. We support them, both financially and in-kind, to assist their many worthwhile programs designed to provide the framework to share and celebrate stories, books, languages and cultures in remote Indigenous Communities. Being able to read is a vital life skill, and there is nothing better than being able to share the joy of reading and nurturing a love of books in young people. We are incredibly proud to help foster culture, stories, languages and literacy while fundraising to put books into the hands of young people in remote Communities. As ever, our contribution is more than matched by the opportunity for us to learn from the ILF and the success of their programs; by the people we meet along the way and the stories that we are privileged to hear.

JULIE BURLAND, CEO, PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

“The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is the literacy charity partner of choice for many in the book industry. Hachette has been partnering with the ILF for many years and last year welcomed them to share our Kent Street offices in Sydney. It’s been a real pleasure getting to know the brilliant ILF team better over a cup of tea in the kitchen. As a member of the ILF Board over several years, it’s been a pleasure to witness firsthand their increasing impact, particularly under strong First Nations leadership. The organisation is truly Community-led, with programs always evolving, growing and adapting to meet Community needs. Of note to the book industry is the growing selection of books by First Nation creators in Book Supply – encouraging more investment by publishers in First Nations creators; books by Community available for all Australian readers; translated books for Book Buzz to support learning in First Language; supporting the creation of books in Community with editorial, design and production expertise.”

LOUISE STARK, CEO, HACHETTE

“The Sydney Opera House is so proud to have celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day with ILF again this year both onsite and online. The free National Digital Event distributed through our Digital Creative Learning program has allowed us to connect school students with First Nations’ cultures and languages regardless of their location. In 2022, 2720 schools registered, an increase of 820 schools on the previous year. We estimate that 200,000 students were able to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of First Peoples.”

National Digital Event

The National Digital Event was hosted by children from remote Jilkminggan and Milikapiti, in the Northern Territory and ILF Ambassadors Jessica Mauboy and Gregg Dreise. The kids joyfully engaged Jessica and Gregg in song, movement, languages and storytelling. Schools and organisations around the country tuned in to watch the short video on the day.

“Thank you for creating such a wonderful film for our school and community to access. It was easy to access, share the digital event with our community via classroom platforms and gave us prompts to continue the conversation after the film in class.” ANONYMOUS SURVEY RECIPIENT

Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD) is an annual celebration of First Nations peoples’ stories, cultures and languages. For the first time since 2019, ILF celebrated with a National Digital Event distributed by the Sydney Opera House and a Sydney Live Event.

STUART BUCHANAN, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE HEAD OF DIGITAL PROGRAMMING,

Kids from Jilkminggan proudly share their language and culture.

“This was a fantastic way to support our students in developing their understanding of Aboriginal stories and languages. The students often refer back to this event and sing the songs in language.”

Sydney Live Event

The air was electric as mics and audio visuals were tested and ILF Ambassadors rehearsed final moves and grooves before excited students and supporters poured into the concert foyer.

Aunty Deb Innes gave a warm Welcome to Country before ILF Ambassadors

Gregg Dreise and Jessica Mauboy invited the audience to bend and flex to a didgeridoo enhanced rap version of Gawagaay Walar Thinbir Tjina (Head, Shoulders, Knees and Feet). Special guests of the day were two boys from remote Northern Territory, the leading stars of the Digital Event, Derek and Dean!

Joy permeated the high glass ceiling as ILF Ambassadors Justine Clarke and Josh Pyke invited 50 students to the stage to perform Words Make the World Go Around with the chorus in Kriol. Then the room fell silent as co-Patron June Oscar, Uncle Joe Ross and his son Remi, captivated the audience with a reading of Winthali, an ILF published Dreaming story in Bunuba and English.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ILD MAJOR SUPPORTER, LENDLEASE FOR THEIR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION AND IN-KIND SUPPORT AND PROMOTION OF ILD 2022.

“Indigenous Literacy Day shares a very positive and joyful message about the multi-literacy and multilingual talents of First Nations peoples. We see ILD as a wonderful event to shine a light on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in remote Australia, who are writing and illustrating stories and learning to read, and in many cases sing, in First Languages. With these languages being an important part of our shared national identity and something for all Australians to celebrate and embrace.”

ANONYMOUS SURVEY RECIPIENT

ILF Ambassadors Jessica Mauboy and Gregg Dreise with more than 300 school students, sponsors, supporters and volunteers.

BRENDAN DWYER, NATIONAL OPERATIONS MANAGER, LENDLEASE

auStralia poSt

BOOK SUPPLY

In the third year of our partnership, Australia Post is proud to continue the work of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the Book Supply program. Having delivered 116,866 books across 2022, we achieved our goal of delivering 300,000 books for the ILF over the last three years, which has been a source of great pride for our people across Australia Post. Despite challenges posed by the COVID pandemic, we continued to deliver Book Supply packages across our national deliveries network to enable better access to culturally appropriate books.

FUNDRAISING

We raised $28,536.44 for the ILF during 2022 through our Post Offices and online store. Of particular note was our NAIDOC Week Campaign which saw $24,258 raised for the ILF across June and July. In November we collaborated with proud Kamilaroi and Euahlayi, artist and ILF Ambassador Gregg Dreise to design a Festive Bauble featuring artwork from his book, Silly Birds. As at 30 March 2023, 2991 ILF baubles were sold nationally, with $5982 raised for the ILF.

ENGAGING OUR PEOPLE

The Australia Post team love supporting the ILF. This year saw a variety of activities take place across the country, from post offices to parcel facilities, as well as ILF events such as the ILF Melbourne Trivia Night and the Big Book Swap.

LOOKING FORWARD AUSTRALIA POST WILL:

• Expand our celebration and acknowledgement of the United Nations’ Decade of Indigenous Languages, as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan commitments.

• Support three Create Initiatives for students from Yirrkala Community, the Tiwi Islands and Far North Queensland.

• Promote fundraising for the ILF by receiving donations in Post Offices and our online store, and through the sale of a tote bag featuring the artwork of Kathy Arbon and a Christmas decoration.

Celebrating the Decade Of Indigenous Languages with Moli det bigibigi

In February 2022, in celebration of the Decade of Indigenous Languages, we sold the first bilingual book ever made available by Australia Post in more than 400 Post Offices and our Online Shop.

Moli det bigibigi (Molly the pig) was written by Karen Manbullo, a proud Binjari woman, and illustrated by a collective of Binjari women – the Binjari Buk Mob. The book is written bilingually in Kriol and English. The book is aimed at primary school aged children to explore similarities and differences between the two languages.

Post Offices nationally offered free Moli det bigibigi bookmarks featuring a QR code linked to a recorded reading by Karen with an animated version of the Binjari Buk Mob’s illustrations, and a free downloadable Activity Pack.

Teachers and schools accessed Moli det bigibigi Teacher Guides exploring First Nations’ languages from our education hub: www.auspost.com.au/ education.

Our people got involved in various locations across the country, conducting ‘school visits’ by local Posties or Postal Workers, and personally delivering a copy of the book to primary schools and reading to students.

Year 1 and 2 students from Bentley Park in Cairns received a visit from mother and daughter Vikki and Tashiana Sambo, who work locally for Australia Post.

“We’re both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and it’s nice to show the younger generation a book like this in Kriol and English to show them a bit of our culture,” said Tashiana.

“I’m honoured to show this to the younger generation. For us working for Australia Post to have the literacy program and give back to the Indigenous Community is an honour,”

Vikki said.

A bookmark of support for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation

Cairns based staff, Tashiana and Vikki Sambo

ADvocacy AnD Fundraising

MITSUBISHI AUSTRALIA LTD

I had the privilege to attend the launch of Murli la in the remote Tiwi Islands in December 2022 with the Tiwi Island people, Dr Genevieve Campbell, the team from ILF and people who have been supporting the Tiwi Community. It was great to have a first-hand experience of how the ILF engages with remote Communities and how ILF assists remote Communities in keeping culture and language strong. As a long-time ILF supporter, it reinforced our confidence in ILF and their commitment in supporting Indigenous literacy in remote Communities across the country.

KUMI TAKEDA, ASSISTANT MANAGER, OCEANIA STRATEGY

GRACE

Grace recognises its responsibility to contribute to the greater economic and cultural empowerment of First Nations remote Communities. Grace has been partnering with The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) to empower and build the capability for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in remote Australia to develop and pursue their own literacy journeys. In 2022, Grace continued to grow their partnership with the ILF. In September 2022, Grace Group HR Manager, Fiona Palmer, and Group Marketing Manager, Andrew Wilson, were honoured to attend Indigenous Literacy Day held at the Sydney Opera House. The event included a performance by Jessica Mauboy which celebrated and promoted the richness and diversity of First National people’s cultures, languages and stories.

To encourage Grace staff members and visitors to engage with Indigenous literature and children’s stories, Grace set up an ILF Reading Opens Doors Library in their offices in Sydney and Melbourne last year. Since the launch of the library, Grace has seen conversations in the workplace about First Nations peoples’ languages and cultures. Grace is committed to supporting local Community causes across Australia and New Zealand to help fund and support their needs.

ANDREW WILSON, GROUP MARKETING MANAGER

HARRY HARTOG

Over the last 10 years our community of booksellers and customers have worked closely with the ILF to raise funds. Today, as our network of shops grows and our team becomes more and more familiar with connecting the story of the ILF with our customers, we hope in 2023 to raise more than $150,000 from within the Harry Hartog group of bookshops. As a company we are thrilled by the extent of this support, and we look forward to continuing to help the fine work of the ILF moving forward.

ROBERT BERKELOUW, DIRECTOR

GREAT BOOK SWAP 2022

The Great Book Swap returned with gusto in 2022 with 554 registrations from schools, universities, early learning centres, social groups, corporates and individuals who collectively raised an amazing $173,000!

Of the 554 registrations, 441 were school registrations. All schools that registered, hosted and returned donations by the end of June 2022, automatically went into the early bird prize draw – a virtual visit from ILF Lifetime Ambassador and acclaimed author Andy Griffiths.

Haileybury Rendall School in Darwin was the lucky winner and over 300 students zoomed in from their classrooms and watched Andy, larger than life as he regaled his love of creating stories.

According to Deputy Principal Felicity Pearson, “Andy’s insights into the creative process of the Treehouse series had us all laughing out loud, as did the hilarious slides he presented as part of his presentation. I loved looking at the big smiles on our students’ faces as they listened to stories and anecdotes about Andy and Terry in their real-life roles as writers and illustrators. The fun they have in dreaming up the absurd together was inspiring and so very entertaining. I hope as a result, some of our students are now aspiring to be writers and illustrators themselves.”

Andy shared a wonderful story of when he visited a remote Community, and the kids had better stories that he did. “I shared with them the story of how my dog got run over by a car and they said, that’s nothing, we saw a crocodile run over by a truck—and we’ve got photos!”

All funds raised by Great Book Swaps support ILF to gift culturally relevant books to children and families in remote Communities. A heartfelt thank you to all 2022 Great Book Swap hosts and participants.

BUSKING FOR CHANGE

Busking For Change 2022 – a hugely successful pilot!

Learn a song, change the world.

Busking For Change is ILF’s newest fundraiser developed by ILF Ambassador Josh Pyke to engage primary school students in a multi-literacy activity incorporating song, music, movement and language.

Five Sydney schools, Summerhill Primary Public School, Balmain Public School, SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Abbotsleigh and International Grammar School Sydney threw up their hands to participate in the pilot and raised in excess of $16,000!

The fundraising activity starts in the first week of term three and culminates with a performance or “Busking Day” on or around Indigenous Literacy Day, annually on the first Wednesday in September.

According to Jacqueline Biffin, Drama and Music Teacher at Summer Hill Public School their final performance was a joyous occasion. “We had a hall full of beaming students and teachers and executive staff! I think it was really spirit lifting for everyone, and possibly even reminded some adults that group singing is lots of fun!”

Visual Arts Teacher, at Balmain Public School, Felicity Bowman claimed, “The kids realised how fun it is and being part of something bigger yourself. Especially for the kids that are not involved with sports and coming out of Covid there seemed to be a stronger sense of wanting to connect to others. It brought students together, for a joyful and purposeful experience.”

All funds raised by Busking For Change will be allocated to the Community Publishing Projects program, supporting more remote Communities to access, write and publish books in a language they speak at home.

After a successful and joyful pilot program, Busking For Change is rolling out nationally in 2023. For more information visit: buskingforchange.ilf.org.au.

Booksellers know the power of story and the joy that readers derive from seeing themselves and their culture represented in books. The ILF is a model organisation that brings stories to remote Indigenous Communities, giving young people the opportunity to engage with the power of books and reading. BookPeople, the association for Australian booksellers, commends the vital work of the ILF in supporting the fundamental skills of reading and writing. Our members raise money and awareness of the organisation and a bookseller sits on the ILF Board. There is nothing more fundamental to what we do than supporting literacy in Indigenous Australian families and Communities. From its inception the ILF is linked to booksellers, and we are proud to be an ongoing supporter of their activities.

ROBBIE EGAN, CEO, BOOKPEOPLE

As a champion for Australia’s writing, publishing and visual arts sectors, Copyright Agency is proud to support the ILF’s investment in First Nations publishing. Our workplace giving program and fundraising efforts (including Indigenous Literacy Day) allow staff to engage with the ILF’s important work on a regular basis. We believe that giving Indigenous children access to books that reflect their language and culture empowers them to take control of their future and become the storytellers of tomorrow.

ROSANNA ARCIULI - MANAGER, PARTNERSHIPS & STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND RAP OFFICER, COPYRIGHT AGENCY

our programs

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation’s three core programs – Book Supply, Book Buzz and Community Publishing Projects – focuses on providing remote Indigenous Communities with literacy resources they request.

2022 b ook Supply t imeline

B ook supply

The annual Book Supply program timeline

Access to books in remote Communities is challenging, as there are often no libraries or bookstores. ILF’s Book Supply program meets this need by providing new, culturally relevant books to remote Communities across Australia. Schools, Community, health, and women’s centres working in remote Communities, can order books to distribute to children and families.

JANUARY

Finished assembling 2022 packs and sent them to the warehouse to be ready for ordering

FEBRUARY

MARCH

Invitation sent to over 1,900 Community contacts to order from the 2022 first release

•

First orders for 2022 first release received and dispatched

APRIL

MAY

Purchase orders placed with publishers for books for 2022 second release packs

• Books begin arriving at warehouse for assembly into 2022 second release packs

JUNE

Last orders for 2022 first release received and dispatched

• Invitaton sent to Community contacts to order from the 2022 second release

• Publishers invited to submit books to be considered for 2023 packs

•

First orders for 2022 second release received

JULY

First orders for 2022 second release dispatched

• 950 books received as submissions for Book Supply 2023. Over 700 make it to panel review stage

AUGUST

Toddlers (0-4) 40 books per pack

Kids (5-7) 40 books per pack

Book Supply Selection Panel meet to review submissions for 2023 packs. After an intensive review process, a final list of 132 titles is confirmed.

SEPTEMBER

Last orders for 2022 second release received and dispatched

• Purchase orders placed with publishers for books for 2023 packs

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Books begin arriving at warehouse for assembly into 2023 packs

DECEMBER

Big kids (8-12) 45 books per pack

Community 13+ 30 books per pack

Total books gifted

116,866

Total book packs

3,191

Book packs distributed by age group

914 Toddlers packs

914 Kids packs

714 Big Kids packs

649 Community packs

Where packs are distributed

5% South Australia

5% New South Wales

26% Queensland

34% Northern Territory

30% Western Australia

“The books are used every single day. Almost every session with a child and its parents or carers starts with a ‘book share.’”

“Very rarely do families have books at home. This is the best part for ILF; providing a back up of resources. Kids get to choose a selection of books to take home from the remote schools and organisations we work with”

B ook Buzz

Book Buzz supports remote playgroups and collaborates with organisations such as Families as First Teachers (FaFT) in the Northern Territory and KindiLink in Western Australia. The program provides board books, picture books, and touch and feel books, some in English, some in English with Aboriginal Language translations, and others printed in a First Language.

“The Isuzu D-MAX arrived in Tiwi late December on a very wet day. It has been very popular in Mili. It has recently had a service and has had all terrain tyres fitted. It had to be sent to Darwin to get the work done. Isuzu Australia kindly has taken care of the cost of transporting the car to and from Darwin via the barge service. I am looking forward to doing Community visits once the car is back on Tiwi. It is a wonderful car to drive and am very grateful to Isuzu as this vehicle makes it so much more easier for me to get around to Communities on Tiwi.”

ZOE CASSIM, HEAD OF PROGRAMS

TICTAC MOORE, ILF PROGRAM MANAGER

our programs

community publishing

Launching The Monsters of McKyus in the Torres Strait

At the end of 2022, our team travelled to Thursday Island in the Torres Strait to celebrate the Community launch of The Monsters of McKyus, a book written and illustrated by 14 year-old McKyus Levi. McKyus lives in the St Paul’s Community on Moa Island, and has been diagnosed with autism. He has difficulty with communication, reading and writing, but has a great talent for drawing, and is able to express his understanding of different topics through illustration.

The launch was a celebration of the final book, which features stunning illustrations and tells readers all they need to know about different monsters from McKyus’s imagination. Friends and family of McKyus gathered at Gab Titui Cultural Centre to celebrate, check out some new artwork from McKyus and have their copies signed (first telling the author a joke, so as not to lose their earlobes!). The ILF was proud to support and publish The Monsters of McKyus, and gifted copies to the St Paul’s Community to read and enjoy for years to come.

“It was the most rewarding project in my career and I just adore McKyus. What a pleasure it was to meet him in person at last. From the tinkling of the ukulele as we walked in, to the rousing applause at the end, it was all smiles - and a few tears, especially when McKyus’s mum, Ursula, shared a few words. Big thanks to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation for the unique and extremely supportive way they nurture creativity, leverage new young authors and their books and share meaningful stories.”

CATH LEACH. MENTOR AND BOOK DESIGNER

Launching Winthali aboard the Ms Casey Ross

Winthali (Fire) is an adaptation of a Bunuba Dreaming story with a focus on sharing a precious resource - Fire, bringing light into the darkness. In time for NAIDOC week last year, this stunning book was launched in July on the Fitzroy River aboard the Ms Casey Ross, at the place in the book where Brown Falcon dived and split the limestone in order to steal a firestick from Greedy Old Man Crocodile. After a speech from author Joe Willigan Ross, the book was read to the rapt audience in Bunuba and English, and the local Community celebrated with a barbeque on the banks of the Fitzroy River.

“Winthali is a story with a focus on sharing a precious resource – Fire, bringing light into the darkness. It is a story passed down and what began as a family bedtime ritual of recalling and sharing traditional Bunuba stories with our children, has developed into a Bunuba publication by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, for many to enjoy. The story also has a moral entwined about greed and we hope that readers will take away that working together to solve a problem can be successful and everyone has a role to play. Sharing promotes caring and strengthens Community.”

JOE ROSS, AUTHOR OF WINTHALI

First Create Initiative Since 2019

In late October 2022, the ILF held our Create Initiative for the very first time in Darwin and for the first time since 2019. Nine students from Tiwi College travelled over in a ferry from the Tiwi Islands to meet with ILF Ambassadors Shelley Ware and David Lawrence at Charles Darwin University where they participated in a three day workshop. The workshop was mentored by David and Shelley as well as a publisher, editor and designer from Hardie Grant.

The initiative resulted in a beautiful children’s book, titled Tiwi Seasons with Marius. It follows a father and son who visit the Tiwi Islands for 12 months and experience all three of their seasons. The main character, Marius, was named after one of the founders of Tiwi College and the real life Marius was very excited to be featured in the book. The Create Initiative’s aim is to build capacity, confidence and skills with young First Nations peoples in the creation of stories for print.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar translated into six languages!

As part of the our Translation Rights project, in 2022 the ILF published Eric Carle’s classic book The Very Hungry Caterpillar in six Aboriginal languages; Murrinhpatha, Karwar, Kriol, Pitjantjatjara, Dhuwaya, and Aboriginal English. After a number of years collaborating with remote Communities to translate and double check language, we were excited to send these books off to print and receive copies in our warehouse! Copies of the books have been distributed and many Communities are planning their own launches for 2023. With the support of the Wylie Foundation and the Geneva-based Magic Libraries Foundation, a further six translated versions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar are also planned for 2023.

Launching Murli la in the Tiwi Islands

In the remote Tiwi Islands, a 20-strong group of female Elders have been meeting to sing for decades. Known as Ngarukuruwala (We Sing) Women’s Group, the women have known each other all their lives. As young women they composed songs and as Elders and mentors in their Community, they draw on the old ways of Tiwi song traditions to help young Tiwi people connect with their language and cultural identity. Dr Genevieve Campbell, co-founder of Ngarukuruwala, has for over sixteen years been closely involved in helping Tiwi song custodians preserve and maintain traditions of song composition and Tiwi language. In early December, their long awaited book Murli la: Songs and Stories of the Tiwi Islands landed and was ceremoniously launched. Joyful laughter, song and dance flowed at the Patakijiyali Museum, Wurrumiyanga. Local school children, guests and Community members watched, and the women’s pride was immense as was the knowledge that this beautiful, quality book represented a valuable gift to future Tiwi peoples.

thAnk you

Partners, Donors, Volunteers and Supporters

We are very grateful for the trust that has been established over the years with the remote Communities we support and their willingness to engage wholeheartedly with our team. We are honoured and humbled to be able to assist and support their literacy journeys, in ways they wish. To our corporate partners and sponsors, individual donors, Trusts and Foundations, other not-for-profit organisations and volunteers that continue to stand by our side, we could not do this without you. A special mention and heartfelt thank you to long term volunteers Sonia Palmisano, Janet Hutchinson and Kristin Gill.

Thank you

GOLD SUPPORTERS

Abco Products

ACME Foundation

Bain & Company

Constant Reader Bookshop

Envato Foundation

Grace Worldwide (Australia) Pty Ltd

Hachette Australia

Johnston Foundation

MAJOR SUPPORTERS

ABC ACCM College

ARA Group Endowment

Baker Foundation

Better Reading

Blundstone Australia Pty Ltd

Brent & Vicky Emmett Giving Fund

CM & JA Whitehouse Foundation

David & Miriam Sitsky Foundation

Deloitte Australia

Donnelly Garner Foundation

Elizabeth & Barry Davies Charitable Foundation

FWH Foundation

Harry Kestin Foundation

Henson Foundation

Ian and Alison McKenzie Family Foundation

Isuzu UTE Australia Pty Ltd

Jim Hart

John & Myriam Wylie Foundation

Lanluas Consulting

Lendlease Office Portfolio

Libraries Board of South Australia

Magic Libraries Foundation

MFS International Australia Pty Ltd

Omni Executive Pty Ltd

Pantera Press Foundation

PIMCO Australia Pty Ltd

Publish Central

RELX Cares

Spotlight Foundation

Stening Charitable Trust

Susan McKinnon Foundation

Sydney Opera House

The Danks Trust

The Flying Beetroot

The Pinshaw Family Foundation

Mitsubishi Australia Ltd

Pan Macmillan

Penguin Random House

Quinn Femelle Private Ancillary Fund

Rado Foundation

The Tar-Ra Fund

UnLtd

BOOKSTORES

Abbey’s Bookshop

Avid Reader

Berkelouw Bookstores

Gleebooks

Harry Hartog Bookstores

Kinokuniya Sydney

Matilda Bookshop

Potts Point Bookshop

Readings Books

Riverbend Books

AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY

Affirm Press

Allen & Unwin

ALS Library Services

Australian Publishers Association

Australian Society of Authors

Australian Library and Information Association

Batchelor Press

Berbay Books

BLACKBOOKS

BookPeople

Boolarong Press

Budburra Books

Child’s Play

Children’s Book Council of Australia

CSIRO

Fremantle Press

Gestalt Publishing

Hardie Grant

HarperCollins

Larrikin House

Lonely Planet

Magabala Books

NewSouth Books

Scholastic Australia

Simon & Schuster Australia

Spitting Image

UQP

Walker Books Australia

Wild Dog Book

Wiley

community fundraiSing Stories

There is a wealth of inspiring fundraising stories to tell, making it challenging to narrow it down to just four. We are deeply appreciative of the countless organisations and individuals who generously contributed to fundraising efforts in 2022.

Brigidine College St Ives

The Year 12 students at Brigidine College St Ives chose to support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation in 2022. Through a range of fundraising activities and initiatives the students raised $29,485.00 and were delighted to present the cheque to an Indigenous Literacy Foundation representative at their final assembly.

‘As a Year group we are so thankful to the students and staff who have come along this year to help us make a big difference in the lives of others.’

LUCIE CUDA, COLLEGE CAPTAIN

Kinokuniya

Kinokuniya Sydney is an immensely proud supporter of ILF. Throughout December, 2022 they hosted Christmas gift wrapping for a donation to ILF. It was a fantastic opportunity for the ILF to engage the help of over 300 of our wonderful volunteers who wrapped books and discussed the important work that we do with Kinokuniya’s delightful customers.

“It was an absolute pleasure to work with the ILF team during our Christmas gift wrapping fundraising. We are always happy to support their endeavours in Indigenous Literacy.”

EILEEN CHONG, KINOKUNIYA SYDNEY

Oz Lit Teacher

Narissa Leung from Oz Lit Teacher has always believed in the idea that a postcode shouldn’t determine destiny. She’s driven by the belief that every child in Australia deserves access to the highest quality literacy instruction. She created her website and online courses to support primary school teachers to deliver high impact teaching in the reading and writing classroom. Her dream is to empower all students to become passionate readers and writers, so they can one day share their own important stories with the world.

When Narissa founded Oz Lit Teacher she committed to donating 5% of her course sales to the ILF to support the literacy development of children in remote postcodes. Since then, she has donated $30,000 towards the literacy work at the ILF.

Leif Products

Co-founder of Leif, Jonnie Vigar, was introduced to ILF in 2020 when he and the team embarked on a Garden Life bush walk to learn about local natives in the Ku-ring-gai National Park. Since then, LEIF have committed to fundraise for ILF at significant moments throughout the year. With the help of their loyal customer community, LEIF have now donated over $24,000.

“Literacy is one of the most empowering skills a child can learn and must be available to all. It’s been a privilege to fundraise for ILF and support their invaluable work.”

JONNIE VIGAR, LEIF CO-FOUNDER

It’s been such a joy working on projects with the ILF. Murli la: Songs and Stories of the Tiwi Islands, by the Ngarukuruwala Women’s Group in partnership with Dr Genevieve Campbell, is a beautiful book that can be shared by the whole Community and passed down to younger generations. We were also lucky to be part of a Create program with Tiwi College. The opportunity to work with the students was really special. We couldn’t believe it was possible to create a book in three days, but we did it and we’re very proud of the final book.

MELISSA KAYSER PUBLISHING DIRECTOR HARDIE GRANT

Impact Report

THE

ABN: 45 146 631 843

ILF is an independent charity with DGR Status. We raise all our income independently, without government support. In the past twelve years we have raised almost $25 million to support our programs. Using best practice guidelines for charities, the majority of funding received was spent on the delivery of programs. In 2023, our target is $5.7 million.

STATEMENT

For the year ending 31 December 2022

ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATING COSTS 27%

9%

FUNDRAISING COSTS

64% PROGRAM COSTS

COMMUNITY PUBLISHING PROJECTS 28%

BOOK BUZZ

27% BOOK SUPPLY 45%

PHOTOGRAPHY

Wayne Quilliam

Joseph Mayers

Tiffany Parker Community members and, ILF supporters

Thank you for helping us to share our story.

Copyright © Indigenous Literacy Foundation, 2022