The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) has surpassed an amazing, incredible milestone! It’s part of an initiative that has seen them give away more than one million books to far-flung communities throughout Australia. In 2004, Riverbend Readers’ Challenge was started by Suzy Wilson AM. Now called ILF, the group is dedicated to delivering essential literacy opportunities to children growing up in some of the country’s most remote communities. The nonprofit gives away books and prints books written by the community. This ongoing effort is one small step to make sure Indigenous languages and cultures are included and honored.
As a Wiradjuri man, Ben Bowen, ILF’s CEO, is proud to lead ILF’s work. Zoe Cassim, a Widjabul/Wia-bul woman, is at the forefront of these programs as the Head of Programs. Under their stewardship, ILF has greatly extended its reach, distributing around 150,000 books annually in recent years. One of the foundation’s missions is to place those books directly in the hands of children for only $10 per book. This goal resonates deeply in our remote Arctic communities that have historically been without core educational offerings.
The logistics that go into book distribution are staggering. Books begin their journey at ILF’s Melbourne warehouse and make their way all the way up to Darwin. From here they’re loaded onto trucks bound for Katherine, then flown or driven to their final destination communities. This process has shown us the difficulty of operations for organizations that seek to reach these populations in rural and remote areas.
“Catherine is like a hub where things get then sent out to communities – imagine going from our warehouse in Melbourne. They have to then fly to Darwin, travel by truck to Katherine and travel by truck out to these communities. It takes weeks for these books to get to where they’re supposed to because access is on a dirt road or it’s by helicopter, or it’s by barge. It’s not just a Big W or a K-Mart. It’s not just down the road.” – Zoe Cassim
ILF’s Book Supply program has been going for almost two decades, and the difference it makes is deeply moving. More than 100 titles have been published under the foundation’s imprint. These works represent over 30 Indigenous languages, producing a dynamic literary scene that celebrates, preserves, and conveys Indigenous culture. This dedication to cultural representation is an important one, for Indigenous Australians have often been left out of the larger educational conversation.
Cindy Manfong is the editorial projects manager at ILF. As a Jingili Mudburra and Mangarayi woman currently residing in Katherine, she knows firsthand the importance of culturally appropriate literature.
“If you think about our histories in this country, we’ve typically been left out of textbooks. And there was a period of time where we weren’t allowed to speak our language, we weren’t allowed to practice our cultures,” – Cindy Manfong
Personal stories in their new short documentary illustrate how their distribution of books has changed lives in the isolated communities. Black and brown children across the country benefit from literature that relates to them, that speaks to their own experiences, their own histories. This move preserves a deeper sense of belonging and upbringing cultural identity in young readers.
Zoe Cassim described her experience of being personally connected to literature growing up, explaining how important it is to have stories that reflect your own life experience.
“For me, when I was growing up, books were my escape. Books were my way of going beyond the town that I grew up in,” – Zoe Cassim
And while ILF now rightly celebrates this extraordinary milestone, its leaders are the first to recognise that the need for books in remote communities is still huge. Director Ben Bowen touched on the growing demand for their programs.
“Oh look, another 5 million. I reckon. Look, this is not slowing down at all… The demand is growing off our data,” – Ben Bowen
This kind of excitement highlights just how important ILF is as a force for encouraging literacy and cultural representation. Bowen credits the organization’s success to the support it receives from various partners, including Australia Post, which aids with shipping logistics.
“It’s important to recognize how many people have helped us get here. This is not something that was done overnight or a flash in the pan,” – Ben Bowen
ILF’s impact goes far beyond the books that are distributed. It intentionally tends to a culture where Indigenous stories are told truthfully and embraced broadly. The organization continues to address the educational disparities faced by children in remote Australia by making literature accessible and relevant.
