Historical Building renovated at Rawa Community School, Punmu Campus

After three decades of providing education to kids on Martu’ country, Rawa community school in Punmu has celebrated the renovation and re-opening of their first school building. The building opening was celebrated on Friday, November 18 2022, with elders, children, babies and adults gathering at the new site. The day included storytelling, song writing, dance performances, painting, weaving, basketball, damper

making, roo tail cooking and live entertainment from the Wild Dingo Band.  

For many of the young men in community, this was their first experience dancing on Country. Led by the elders they brought to life the open dreaming of Jilla Kujarra and the story of Martu on Rottnest Island representing how Martu returned to country and the formation of Lake Dora, where Punmu community thrives today.

Punmu school principal Sarah Mortimer said the celebration was designed to bring past and present teachers together to connect the timeline of history. All the work that was put into setting up the school was remarkable,” she said. “We are celebrating the way the school is now. It was more than I could even imagine".

In making the renovation of this historical school building possible, Special Recognition goes to:

• The directors of the school: Lawrence, Desrae, Raylene, Johnny, Debra, Kuru, CJ, McLean, Milton. For their commitment to the project, committing to a long term partnership with Mirna, for their ongoing monitoring and involvement of each stage of the project.

  
  

• All the community members for their support of the project, and their involvement in design through to construction

  
  

• The directors who went to Perth in 2019 to meet with donors including Mutual Trust and AISWA who, as a result, funded the project : Milton, Kuru, Johnny

• To Mirna for making peoples’ dream a reality, for managing this project, seeking and receiving the funding, the endless paperwork required in reporting to donors, building permits, approvals, tenders, this list goes on… For seeing how special this building is and the need to preserve it. For ensuring he always works for Martu people and puts their ideas in front.

  
  

• To Kipin for being an advisor for Mirna, helping him learn how to work in Martu communities and with people here.

  
  

• To the construction workers: Ashwyn, Lloyd , Jakavich, Gethyn, Terry, Migo, Gabby, Alphonse, Kieron, Gian, and the Yalgorup construction company workers.

  
  

• To all the people who went to the recent Mutual trust meeting and voted ‘yes’ to the final funding request.

  
  

• All the staff that work at the school for clearing the building in preparation for construction, working without the building for months, their respect for the community and each other during the construction period and for setting up the building again in the last few weeks to get it ready for tonight.