Laynhapuy Homelands Aboriginal Corporation – Laynha Youth Program Services

The Laynha Youth Program aims to support young Yolŋu in their homelands to develop to their full potential; with a strong sense of self, an understanding of the dominant culture, and the capacity to confidently navigate both the Indigenous and the non-Indigenous worlds.

Who are we?

We are a small dedicated team, consisting of Yolŋu Youth Workers, with support from Mentor/s and a Manager.  We are on the ground in homelands most of the time, with local staff member/s in each location to facilitate the delivery of the program for young people aged 12-18 years.

Where we work

The Program takes place in the homelands of Dhalinybuy, Wandawuy, Gangan and Yilpara, where local Yolŋu Trainee Youth Workers are employed to run activities in their communities.

What we do

The Laynha Youth Program is focused on the three key areas of:

• WELLBEING (physical health, mental health, social-emotional wellbeing, alcohol/other drugs education, building healthy relationships)
• LIFESKILLS (money matters, Ŋäpaki law and the justice system, education/training/employment, engaging with broader society and the world, money matters)
• PERSONAL–DEVELOPMENT (self-awareness, identity, responsibility, talents and potentials, dreams and aspirations, building resilience, conflict resolution)

How do we achieve this?

The Laynha Youth Program is guided by the needs and direction of each homeland, determined through consultation and regular engagement with key elders and the community.  These conversations form the basis of youth action plans, which ultimately guide our work with young people in each of the four homelands.

Stakeholder engagement and collaboration is essential for enabling our programs’ achievements in each of our key focus areas.  Working together with a broad array of service providers across the region enables us to facilitate the delivery of their services to young people in the homelands.

Our work in homelands includes:

• Daily after-school and holiday activities
• Workshops and information sessions with topic experts, in line with key focus areas
• Inter-homelands events and competitions
• Exposure trips – engaging with the world
• Wellbeing camps – Yolŋu and Ŋäpaki world, gender-specific content

Our Locations