About the Strategy

The Marulu Strategy

FASD does not only impact an individual’s social and emotional development and their capacity to learn and interact effectively within society, but in a place such as Fitzroy Crossing, built on histories of oral inheritance and extensive family interconnectedness, it threatens their entire cultural and social cohesiveness.

In order for this community to reconstruct itself, all of its children, with and without FASD and their families, must be surrounded with love and be nurtured with sensitivity and responsibility. June Oscar, CEO of Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre, has said a “collaborative circle of community care” must be established.

In responding to specific needs within the Fitzroy Valley, in 2009, the Marulu Strategy Leadership Team, in collaboration with The George Institute for Global Health and Sydney University, agreed that a prevalence study was needed to document the extent and nature of FASD in the Fitzroy Valley.

"Local people are saying that the valley has already lost one generation to alcohol abuse.
Without decisive action now, it stands to lose a second generation."

 The Lililwan Story

Lililwan means 'all the little ones' in Kriol. In 2008 women of the Fitzroy Valley communities attended a Bush Meeting and identified the need to address FASD and related issues. The Lililwan FASD Prevalence Study commenced in 2010 as a partnership between Nindilingarri Cultural Health Services, Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre, The George Institute for Global Health and Sydney University. Parents and carers of 108 children born in 2002 and 2003 took part in the study. The prevalence of FASD was shown to be amongst the highest rates in the world.

The Marulu Unit at Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre in Fitzroy Crossing was set up to respond to the findings of the Lililwan Study and support families living with FASD.

View the Research and Reports page to explore more information about the Lililwan reseach findings.

Marulu Strategy Overview

View the Marulu Strategy Overview as PDF (1.5MB).

View the Marulu Strategy Document as PDF (4.3MB).

View the Marulu Strategy Governance Document  as PDF (1.83MB).

This video was made to raise awareness of FASD in the Fitzroy Valley as we embarked on our learning journey through the Lililwan Research.

We are on a long term journey to learn about FASD, Build evidence and Understandings and share what we have learnt. 

Aboriginal people are warned that some people in this video may have passed away