1. An Opportunity to provide practical assistance to an aboriginal problem

We had a request from an old friend, Noel Puantulura who lives at Nguiu on the Tiwi Islands, off-shore from Darwin.

You can read a chilling article about the Tiwi Islands inthe Guardian of 24 June 2006, which the newspaper calls the "The Landof the Dead". The Guardian describes the desperate plight of this "collapsing society", which has the highest suicide rate in the world, the highest rate of renal failure of males in the world, 82% unemployment, 80% drug and alcohol dependence, an average lifespan of 45 years, and where 1 in 4 have attempted suicide' See it at the website: www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,1803488,00.html .
We have a photo of the Puntulura family (with a few stragglers) was taken in 1993.

Noel's father started the Tiwi Land Council, his parents were the first couple married Catholic-way on the Tiwi Islands. and he sailed the Mission Lugger between Darwin, Wadeye and Nguiu. Like so many aboriginal communities, Noel cares for his own and many other kids! He is top shelf!
Noel rang pleading for help so his daughter Therese, his granddaughter Josita and now his niece Sebina could get away, and come down to Brisbane for a good catholic education, away from troubles in the community.

Since the photo was taken, Noel's wife has died with kidney disease and his daughter, Josita's mother died tragically and Noel wants his kids to experience something wonderful in their education - so they have a chance in life.

A team of us trying to helping Noel Puantulura: Dave Manning ex-Stuartholme Principal, who as MSC in 1970 taught the first wave of Tiwi schooled at Monivae College, Victoria; Barry Hansen Darwin Accountant who has served outback aboriginal communities for 20 Years, Wendy Hoy who provided the solution to the kidney disease problem, and myself, Phillip Hoy who had as an MSC lived on the Tiwi Islands and worked with the people.
MSC College Downlands, Toowoomba accepted the Tiwi girls with relish, and have been impressed by their zeal - see their journey on: http://tiwi-downlands.blogspot.com/ - a blog created to keep the community back home in the loop! The Tiwi Islands was the first major work of MSC in Australia, and Downlands was the second, so Downlands see it as uniquely fitting to reach out and help Tiwi

Our problem is that the Commonwealth AbStudy payments does not cover fares or clothing, just fees! The father Noel asked that his kids were out of Darwin and far from harm's way. We discover it costs $2000 per student pa for travel, and $600 for uniforms and the wardrobe to survive Toowoomba's weather. St V de P Toowoomba Diocese is covering clothing cost.

We expect there to be five students in 2007 and the travel costs are beyond the Society of St Vincent de Paul of the Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Kenmore.
So we we would invite you to help and seek 100 mentors to give $100 each or maybe 200 who would give $50 each, to cover travel costs over the next twelve months. Your gift would be completly tax deductible gift because St V de P is the custodian of the project.

If you are free to help, go to: https://www.vinnies.org.au/show_appeal.cfm?table=appeals&parentid=0&id=43