Lifting adult literacy in Yarrabah, Queensland

After successful campaigns in New South Wales and the Northern Territory, the Literacy for Life Foundation has expanded into Queensland (QLD), launching its first campaign in the coastal town of Yarrabah with the support of the QLD Government.

LFLF is an Aboriginal-run charity that facilitates adult literacy campaigns in indigenous communities across Australia. Multiplex was a founding partner of the Foundation in 2012 and John Flecker and Don Aroney continue to sit on the Board.

The LFLF philosophy is to empower communities to be self-sufficient, with local people recruited and trained to run the campaigns within their own communities.

While LFLF does incredible work to improve adult literacy, with a graduation rate 5 times higher than that of similar programs, it also transforms whole communities. Research indicates that raising adult literacy levels has a knock-on effect, helping to improve community health and housing, lifting school education outcomes and contributing to self-determination.

Construction is also the biggest employer of Aboriginal men in Australia, so we're proud to be facilitating greater access to the employment opportunities that our industry creates.

​Yarrabah Literacy for Life Foundation Coordinator Nadine Cannon says the community is looking forward to participating in the program.

"We can maintain our spiritual values and beliefs while acquiring the necessary skills via the Literacy for Life Foundation Campaign to become independent and to empower ourselves," she said.

The local Yarrabah team have completed their training for the first phase of the campaign, and the first classes began earlier this week. Each student will take part for two hours, three days a week for the next six months.

We look forward to hearing positive updates and seeing the graduation later this year!