Indigenous Literacy Foundation
Posted on Feb 28, 2017
Kristin Gill an experienced educator and publisher was an appropriate person to tell the club about another of those effective but low profile non profit organisations which act to make a difference to the underprivileged in Australia. The title of Indigenous Literacy Foundation sums it up. The Foundation gifts new books and literacy resources to indigenous kids and families in remote communities.
Its stated goal is “To level the playing field so that all Australian children have the same opportunities to develop a lifelong love of reading”.
Kristin explained that in remote areas indigenous children first learn their native language (verbally only) and ultimately only become exposed to English as second or third language when first at school. Reading material is foreign and rare for them and so without proactive external intervention illiteracy will persist in their communities.
The foundation has been established for several years, budgets about $1M pa, travels widely through Australia and for example plans to distribute 65,000 books to 230 remote areas in 2017. 
The map right highlights these places.
The map right highlights these places.All books are new, and carefully selected to be relevant, have an indigenous link and tailored to the community in question. Thus randomly collected old books are not favored, and hence the ongoing help from many generous publishers.
Kirstin told of a policy, and examples whereby a story told by a given community is written up and published. Photos of children from that community posing with the book were wonderful.