Waltja’s ‘Ngurra Ninti - Clever for Housing' Living Skills project is a community development and training project coordinated by Waltja in partnership with four Western Desert communities; Kintore, Mt Liebig, Papunya and Ikuntji in 2007-2009.

The project was most recently funded by Territory Housing until June 2009 to develop and deliver needs based on-the-ground training and support in living skills and healthy housing. Housing is an important issue for families living in remote communities and we aim to continue to provide this project into the future, especially as Shires and Territory Housing prioritise the support and training of people to be safe and healthy in their homes. 

Aims of the Ngurra Ninti project

• Strong and positive focus on housing issues in each community with Council, Indigenous Housing Officers, community services and families all aware of issues, aware of options and more confident to address issues as they arise.
• Provide a research report on issues and needs related to housing on the Western Desert communities.
• Help people to improve living conditions that impact on health
• Support key Anangu Ngurra Ninti workers on each community to be confident community facilitators and trainers
• Practical training for community residents in reporting maintenance problems, and in basic repairs and maintenance

Principles for Waltja’s management of the Ngurra Ninti project

• Partnership between Waltja and the four communities, through collaboration with community agencies, employment of community participants, and public events on communities
• Combining a ‘whole of community’ approach through public events with a ‘family approach’ of working quietly with families and supporting them to make positive changes in their houses.
• Strengthening community capacity to address own housing issues, by helping people link in with agencies that provide housing support, such as the Shire, NT Environmental Health and living skills trainers
• Employment of community workers to do community facilitation work
• Respect for Western Desert Aboriginal family structure and housing/lifestyle choices

Research Phase

Research and development for the Ngurra Ninti project was completed in two stages. Direct consultation was carried out by Ngurra Ninti field workers with families who were requesting training at the communities of Kintore, Papunya, Mt Liebig and Ikuntji about their housing needs. Community members were interviewed informally and through a questionairre developed by Terry Marshall and Evelyn Jugadai from Ikuntji, and refined by Ngurra Ninti workers Isobel Nampitjinpa and Punata Stockman.

The interviews and development of community based training events was supported by the publication The National Indigenous Housing Guide produced by the Australian Government, specifically the 9 Healthy Living Practices, as detailed below.

• Washing People
• Washing Clothes and Bedding
• Removing Waste Safely
• Improving Nutrition
• Reducing crowding and the risk of spreading infectious diseases;
• Reducing negative contact between people and animals, insects and vermin;
• Reducing Dust
• Controlling the temperature of the living environment
• Reducing trauma/increasing safety

Training Events

Waltja has worked towards supporting communities to meet identified training needs and to access funding for training as well as supporting the training and skill recognition of all Aboriginal people involved in this project.Wherever possible and appropriate to community needs, this training has been accredited (one or more units of a recognised VET qualification). Ngurra Ninti workers, paid community members who worked on the project, have been accredited against Cert II Community Services where possible. 

General overview of training

Here are some photos of some of the training events that took place through this project

Tree Planting

Shelf Making

Kintore Healthy House

In 2009 we worked in conjunction with Waltja’s Mangarri Palya Community Cooking project to run cooking events and training in food preparation, nutrition and hygiene. 

Resources (in draft)

For more information

Contact: Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi
Ph: 08 8953 4488
Email:  publications@waltja .org.au