PO Box 514
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Australia
Last week, the ABV Team headed to Broome to bring together our second cohort of Mentors and Martu community members for our Martu Business mentoring program. Seeing the mentors and the Fitzroy Valley community members visioning, innovating, planning and gaining momentum was exciting for our team.
"Once again, we were blown away by the talent, determination, and beautiful business ideas amongst the Martu community members," said Anna Durward, Senior Program Manager.
We thank our mentors, Liz, Martin, and Ross, for joining Anna, Oscar Mussons and Garth James Preece in Broome for this impactful and insightful trip.
We also extend our gratitude to Newmont Australia (previously Newcrest) for the ongoing partnership, which enables us to continue to walk alongside Martu community members on a pathway to economic self-determination through business.
Anna Durward and Natascha Wernick from Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) and Daniel Tincknell from Newcrest Mining had an enriching trip last week, building relationships with Martu community members and Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation in the Fitzroy Crossing area. Marra Worra Worra is the largest First Nations resource agency in Kimberly. Over its 41-year history, Marra Worra Worra has assisted First Nations people in returning to their country to live in independent communities.
It was exciting for the ABV team to engage with communities like Wangkatjunka and Yunggora and see so much talent and eagerness for entrepreneurship. Several new community members are joining the mentoring program to build businesses, which is a positive step towards supporting their communities and families, fostering long-term economic self-determination.
The team had the privilege of hearing many stories about the significance of Martuwarra Fitzroy, the Martu and other language groups' culture, knowledge, and sovereignty.
Pictured: Anna Durward, ABV Senior Program Manager; Sharon Bienundurry, Martu woman and member of the Marra Worra Worra board; Natascha Wernick, ABV Program Facilitator Community Development.
Pictured: Patrick Green, Bunuba man and director, Marra Worra Worra with Nat and Anna.
A crucial aspect of our Martu Business Development Program involves implementing a mentoring initiative that aligns with community cultural values and business ambitions.
Last week, our dedicated Volunteer Mentors, Sue McCosker, Pascal Labouze, and Chris Maddock, travelled to Newcrest Telfer mine, in remote Western Australia with Anna Durward our Senior Program Manager, to personally engage with the Martu community members, marking the commencement of our mentoring program. We extend heartfelt gratitude to our mentors for their invaluable contributions.
The program commenced with success, and both the mentors and Martu community members expressed their gratitude to start on this 8-month collaborative journey together. The potential within Martu businesses is immense, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to support the Martu community in achieving economic self-determination.
We thank our partner, Newcrest Mining, for supporting our Martu Business Development Program.
Expanding on our successful partnership in Lihir, Papua New Guinea, alongside Newcrest, we are thrilled to unveil a fresh collaboration as part of our First Nation Business Development Program in Western Australia.
Together, Newcrest Mining and ABV are dedicated to empowering the Martu community by enhancing businesses and nurturing entrepreneurial spirit.
Our approach remains firmly rooted in community leadership, with Senior Program Manager Anna Durward actively immersing herself alongside Telfer’s Social Performance team in Martu community. Anna has begun forging connections and gaining valuable insights into the evolving business requirements of the Martu Community.
Concurrently, we are actively exploring long-term strategies for ABV to provide continuous support for the Martu Community's ongoing business development initiatives.
