Tiwi Regional Coordinator celebrates first year with ILF

Tictac, bottom left, in Sydney during the Create Initiative workshop, 2018.

Tictac Moore is ILF’s Regional Coordinator, based in the Tiwi Islands. She is a vibrant, hardworking and talented member of the Program Team and gives her 100% to support the Tiwi Communities with ILF’s literacy programs. 

In this blog, Tictac reflects on the last 12 months.

Awungana Mamanta

January 2022 marked one year since I joined the ILF team, and what a year it has been. 

My relationship with ILF started way back in 2013, when ILF visited Tiwi College on their Ambassador trip. 

The ILF runs a program called the Create Initiative, where young students from Tiwi College travel to Sydney or Melbourne to write and publish a book in a week, with the help of our Ambassadors.

Before working with the ILF, myself and classroom teacher Bronny Burger headed to Sydney with 9 of our students for the first Create Initiative writing workshop.

By the end of the week the girls had written Bangs to Jurrukuk, the story of a bullied, lost little owl and his journey to the Tiwi Islands. 

That trip sparked my love for the ILF. 

In 2019, the most recent Create trip saw the Tiwi College senior girls publish the third book in their Japarrika series.

ILF Ambassador Natalie Ahmat [back left], Tiwi College students, Ambassadors Shelley Ware and David Lawerance [back right], Tictac Moore [front left] with Bella Puruntatemeri during Create in 2018.

One of my proudest moments of my first year was having Bella join the ILF team as a part time Regional Assistant. 

Seven Create books later, and here I am working for the ILF as a Regional Coordinator based on the Tiwi Islands. 

I have been very privileged to work with staff and students from schools and Families as First Teachers (FaFTs) across the Tiwi islands and see the amazing work they do. 

I also enjoyed being able to contribute to Indigenous Literacy Day in 2021 and spent a few days watching all the videos that had been submitted. I helped produce Swimming at Nine Mile and Shopping in the Bush and a short video about our Book Launch.  

I love seeing and reading about the amazing things other Communities are doing and books they are producing. 

Keep it up you mob.

Tictac and Bella (in yellow jumper) with students and teacher Ashlee from Tiwi College, 2019.

• Posted 24 February, 2022