Students going ‘bananas’ over horticulture

Five Indigenous women return to the Tiwi Islands with new skills acquired from their VET course at Charles Darwin University.

The students completed a Certificate II in Horticulture with study/practical placements at Casuarina campus and on Bathurst Island.

Sophia Tipuamantumirri said their new-found knowledge and skills would benefit their local community.

“We have already started working on a vegetable patch with basil, sweet potato and passionfruit at the women’s centre in Wurrumiyanga,” she said.

“We have learned how to grow our own food and look after the land.”

The women’s centre where the vegetable garden is situated will enjoy the fruits of their labour with mangos and bananas also harvested.

“We planted the fruit trees and have learned how to look after them and collect the fruit,” Sophia said.

Horticulture Lecturer Robyn Wing said they learned about propagation, irrigation, pruning and how to use basic hand tools.

“They have learned new life skills, mixed and lived with other students and become more confident with their week-long placements in Darwin,” Ms Wing said.

“They have really grown with this experience and this will help their community be more sustainable in their practices.”