Cotton on foundation Field report 2019

• 10,952 immunisations were given to children across the 3 health centres.
• 4,222 antenatal care checks were performed, as well as 779 ultrasounds.
• 820 births were supervised.
• 3,437 mosquito nets were distributed. Of these, 3,192 were distributed to students in our supported schools as part of a special response to an increase of malaria cases at our health centres. 197 were given to new mothers, and the remainder were given to children who visited our health centres.
• Between the health centres and outreach clinics, 3,682 HIV tests were performed.
• 9,318 health checks for students were given. These routine checks include height and weight measurement, oral and dental care, nutrition checks, health assessments and illness management, as well as general hygiene checks.
• 38 health talks were given, including about personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene and pad distribution, teenage pregnancy, relationships, sexual health, first aid, malaria and mosquito net use.
• There were 30,860 health care visits at our health centres. This number includes both adults and children.

• 21,736 meals were provided a day. This adds up to 4,576,728 meals provided in 2019!
• 1,365 people participated and graduated from our Nutrition Mission program, providing training, follow up and mentorship surrounding the importance of quality food and nutrition.
• We introduced our School Nutrition Days, an abridged version of the full Nutrition Mission program, to all 20 supported schools in Uganda.

• 4 new large-scale tanks were installed with capacity to hold an additional 800,000 litres of clean drinking water, bringing the total tally of our water tank capacity in Uganda to over 4 million litres!
• 957 female students were provided with reusable sanitary pads from Afripads. These students also received support and information about menstrual health.

• Construction began at three outreach schools; Bunjakko, Kyaterekera and Ntebbe Za Ddungu. When complete, the schools will feature 10 brand new classrooms, biogas toilets and kitchens, teacher accommodation, rainwater tanks and new playgrounds.

• Through the Cotton On Foundation Sponsorship Program, available to employees of the Cotton On Group, a total of 2,301 children were sponsored in 2019.

• In 2019, 10,475 students were enrolled in our supported schools in Uganda.
• In total, 513 students graduated from primary school.

• 146 scholarship students are now supported for university/vocational studies, with 97 new higher education scholarships awarded in 2019! Over the years, 198 supported students have graduated from vocational or university studies (60 from uni and 138 from vocational studies).

• Southern Uganda Inspirational Teachers' Society (SUITS) was launched in March. Since launch, 220 teachers working in Cotton On Foundation schools have become members, giving them access to professional and financial literacy training.
• Various training sessions were delivered to supported teachers over 2019, including sessions on early grade reading, practical science, school family initiatives, financial literacy training and leadership training.
• Capacity-building of School Management Committees representing 14 supported primary schools in Uganda began in June. Almost 150 members are learning about their roles and responsibilities, financial literacy, leadership and effective communication.

• All supported schools are participating in the six-step Good Schools program, helping educators and students explore what makes a healthy, vibrant and positive school, before guiding them through a process to create their vision. Teachers have been reporting positive changes in their teaching styles and student engagement in the classroom.

• Nutrition Mission KwaMashu had 263 participants in 2019 across 12 workshops.

• Between Ethekwini Primary School and Dr JL Dube High School, 95 girls were provided with reusable sanitary pads. Our partner in providing these sanitary pads is South Africa based organisation Dignity Dreams.

• Our first supported school in South Africa, Ethekwini Primary School was completed in 2019, providing 1,280 students with an innovative and inspiring place to learn and grow.
• Originally established in 1979, Dr JL Dube has outgrown its current facilities, and is in serious need of an update. With the support of our customers, we can't wait to see the school transformed!

• 1,150 students were enrolled in our supported schools in South Africa in 2019.
• Ethekwini's first cohort of Grade 7 students graduated from primary school - a total of 66 students.

• The 100 Words program, an initiative of the Department of Education was introduced. As part of the program, 15 minutes are set aside each morning to learn 10 new words; a combination of English and isiZulu. The aim of the program is to improve word recognition through reading, comprehension and the use of the words in sentences.

• We continued our partnership with the Khanyisa Inanda Community Programme, an education partner focused on teacher development. 32 educators from Ethekwini Primary School participated in various workshops and seminars throughout the year.

• In 2019, we were able to distribute 475 meals a day. That's a total of 94,140 for the year!

• 250 female students were provided with reusable sanitary pads.

• 828 students were provided with student kits (12 notebooks, six pens and six pencils), as well as a student textbook.

• 828 students were enrolled in our supported schools in Thailand.
• 48 students graduated from primary school.
• 75 students graduated from senior school.

• 36 students received scholarships to go on to higher education.

• We distributed our first e-Readers in Thailand! 42 e-Readers in total were provided to Hsa Thoo Lei Learning Centre.

• In May, we supported the delivery of literacy training to 51 teachers. Across three days, teachers were trained in creative teaching methods that promote participatory learning.
• In October, 17 teachers were trained in using e-Readers, with 42 devices donated to Hsa Thoo Lei Learning Centre.

A rich partnership with Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation and Yirrkala School sees us support their Learning on Country (LoC) Galtha workshops.

The highlight of the LoC program is the Galtha Rom Program, a Yolŋu led education model. The program caters to Secondary students, and focuses on the connection to the land, strengthening of people's identity and cultural empowerment, all undertaken 'on country'. Whilst the Galtha is 'on country', the learning is preloaded by classroom activities and also further developed by students back in traditional classrooms.

It's such a profound, beautiful way of learning and under the mantle of Learning on Country, every attendee is a student.

In May, the LoC workshop was held at Garanhan (also known as Macassan beach), and the topics included climate change and marine debris. The highlight of the 3-day workshop was the night-time release of a rehabilitated marine turtle.

The students incorporated their learning into their classwork, following the LoC workshop with the production of a climate change advocacy t-shirt.

"I chose climate change as the inspiration for my business enterprise project. I am passionate about this project because I want to take care of the environment for our younger generations so they can fish and hunt like my ancestors did.” - Senior Secondary Student Kenisha Winuŋuj.

The second LoC workshop took place in September at Nuwal, a registered sacred site near Yirrkala and was based on the cultural significance of ŋathu (Cycad palm). After two days of cultural preparation, the group was taken into a sacred site along a bush track.

Bringing together rangers, teachers, elders and students in such a sacred place, was a special learning experience. The ancestral song-line from cultural site joins two clans from the east and the west and people sing this at bunggul (an important cultural ceremony that includes dance and song).

Mulka means to hold something without spoiling it. Mulka also means a sacred but public ceremony.

Hip-Hop Workshops

Designed to give young people the opportunity to improve their skills while highlighting a strong sense of culture, the Mulka Project decided to run three hip-hop workshops in 2019.

Two of these focused on engaging teenage boys, and the other saw Mulka Project join forces with The Stars Foundation and QueenMode member Elena Wangurra.

All three workshops resulted in online single releases, and very popular video clips.

Watch North East Coasting

Watch Linyguna

Song-writing & Production Workshop

Professional singer, songwriter and musician Yirrmal Marika and Mulka Project's Sound Engineer Arian Pearson, joined forces to lead a songwriting and music production workshop for Year 7 and Year 8 students from Yirrkala School.

Using their first language of Yolŋu Matha and their second language, English, the class wrote the lyrics for their song and composed a catchy melody to go along with it.

Afterwards, they learnt production techniques in the Mulka recording studio and performed, recorded and produced their composition which they were all very proud of! We think it's pretty awesome too!

Listen to One People by Yirrkala School and Yirrmal

Homeland Schools Production Workshop

The Mulka Project held workshops in music video clip production for students from Laynhapuy Homeland Schools in conjunction with their Youth Program to provide town exposure to students from the remote Homelands of Dhalinybuy, Waṉḏawuy, Gäṉgaṉ and Yilpara.

What a dynamic group of 30 students! The group split into two workshops, with half learning about songwriting and music production, and the others about film making and sound recording.

Both workshops produced video clips, complete with original music composed and produced by the students. All involved also demonstrated excellent teamwork skills, and left with a greater understanding of film and sound production as well as a copy of their amazing work!

Watch Climb Up

Watch Homelands Mana Song

'Raki' (Threads) Creative Workshop

Grade 3 students from the Malwiya Class at Yirrkala School took part in a week-long 'Raki' (Threads) workshop that culminated in a beautiful performance at the Mulka Project, where they experienced playing, sharing stories and creating with thread.

Using the raw materials of wool to 'draw' shapes and pom poms with; streamers to create webs to move through; and straps to make swing and climbing aids to balance upon resulted in some really open, free play sessions to spark the children's imaginations.

It was a follow-up to the creative, play workshop that took place in 2018, with the incredibly talented Cat Sewell and Nancy Sposato from The Ball Room.

From all accounts, it was a truly memorable week with families from the community coming together to celebrate the end of the workshop with the students. What an inspirational workshop!

Senior Cultural Advisor Djalinda Yunupiŋu and Andrea Kingston work closely with Yirrkala School Senior students and their families, to support strengthening their connection to the school and the teachers. The Wellbeing Program is working with young people and their completion of Year 12 and post-schooling pathways mentoring for all Yirrkala School students.

"Djalinda and I love reconnecting with each other and with the young people at Yirrkala each term. They know us and we are connected through Gurruṯu, the foundation of the Yolŋu world. Families see us and call out, 'we heard you two were here!' It's like no time has passed.

It is critical that we take the time to slow down and listen. We're welcomed, connected, trusted; families openly share their challenges, disappointments and celebrations.

Witnessing the re-engagement of young people with learning and school is the highlight of our work. Sometimes they ask us for our mobile numbers and to our surprise, Gaminyarr who had not been in school for a few months called recently, “where are you? I'm here in class waiting for you to come and help me with my work. It is the seemingly small things that remind us, we are making a difference to the lives of young people.” – Andrea & Djalinda

Our latest partnership in the Northern Territory has seen an exciting re-launch of Yirrkala Homeland Schools' Secondary Homelands Education Program (SHEP).

A Homeland community are the Yolŋu's ancestral lands, and most of these are usually very remote. So you might drive up to four hours down a red, gravel road or if you're a teacher you'll fly in on a light aircraft.

Living in a Homeland community empowers Yolŋu people to uphold their strong connection to the land and culture. The challenge is ensuring that young people have access to a quality secondary education, without having to leave their families and homes to travel long distances to larger townships or centres for boarding. That's where SHEP comes in!

Geared at Year 10-12 students, and also Vocational Education Training (VET) courses, the SHEP Program ensures young people are provided with a quality education in their Homeland communities.

"Education is the most important thing in the world, to help our community and people. Through SHEP, I will be able to get my Year 12 Certificate in the Homelands without having to leave my family and community” says 16 year old Gurrumuru Homeland Student, Gapaya Munuŋgurr.

The Djarrakpi Galtha Rom (Learning On Country) which took place in Term 4 at Djarrakpi Homelands near blue mud bay, which is the 'birth-place of the clans'. The Ngalapal (Traditional Owners, custodians and elders) adopted the theme of the Journey of the Guwak and history of the Homeland, which provided a very rich and memorable learning and cultural experience.

Another special element of this Galtha Rom was the joint support, with students from over 10 Homelands (remote communities) and Yirrkala School coming together with the Yirralka Rangers and Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation.

The Yirrkala Homelands students gathered at SHEP in Garrthalala the following week to record and write about their experiences, capping off a fantastic year!