Christie Smyth's Contact Details

Christie Smyth's Company Details

Knowledge Water

East Arnhem, N/A, AU • 5 - 9 Employees
Food Processing

Our Yolngu community in East Arnhem Land is facing a very big challenge to survive. There is almost no employment at Mandjawuy and over the past decades the only funds we have come from the government as pay for two part time jobs, welfare or building upkeep. This is not the vision our Nalapal (elders) had as our two cultures came into contact. We do not want to be dependant on changing government policies any longer.The vision of our nalapal was for Yolngu in control of their future and they knew knowledge was the key to this. We can see we need both education and our own businesses to make this vision reality.With the help of some long-term supporters, we have decided to build a business called Arnhem Beverage Company. We plan to package the pure water from the natural spring on our land and sell it across Arnhem Land and around Australia. This Knowledge Water will give the people of our region a healthier alternative to sugary drinks and it will give people in the rest of Australia a taste of our culture. Knowledge Water will also create real, long-term jobs and make our community self-sufficient without relying on welfare. And eventually, we plan to use our profits to train Yolngu people as teachers which is the key to keeping our culture alive for generations to come.We used some crowd funding money to employ local Yolngu to clear and level the site then erect fencing so we will be ready to begin major construction when the dry season arrives. It was exciting to take the first steps on our country towards economic self-sufficiency for our families and community. We are really happy that so many good people have come aboard on this shared journey into the unseen world. We hope you enjoy following this story of our journey and if you want to get involved please don't hesitate to get in touch.