Yirrkala’s big clean
Yirrkala tenants are rolling up their sleeves to take part in East Arnhem Real Estate’s (EARE) new Intensive Cleaning drive, which is offering local families the chance to work alongside their cleaning teams to freshen up their homes.
Running from April through June, the drive is part of EARE’s expanded Living Strong Program and is designed to improve living conditions for families.
In Yirrkala, the initiative began with consultation between EARE, local families, and community stakeholders, where they identified five families who voluntarily accepted the support. Each household included seven or more family members who were able to assist with cleaning on the day.
One family showed great showed excitement in the lead up and actively engaged throughout the planning process; and when the time came, they were up working with the team at 8am.
The collaboration highlights the impact of community partnership and shared effort. The success of the drive would not have been possible without the generous support of local stakeholders like Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation, who provided funding for the cleaning equipment, offered lawn mowing and laundry services and arranged a delicious BBQ lunch for the team, among other valuable supports; and East Arnhem Regional Council, who worked behind the scenes to help with logistics like managing hard rubbish, delivering aged care laundry services and improving safety in the area.
During the month of May, several other communities also benefited from the program, including Milingimbi, Gapuwiyak, Ramingining and Galiwinku.
