"People on dialysis need to get back out there to their communities for cultural reasons, to be there with the family, to be there with the other relations and make themselves happy. All the renal patients should have this chance to go out and have a visit". 

• Smithy Zimran Tjampitjinpa  

The Jimmy Little Foundation has had an ongoing association with the The Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation from 2002.

Initially, the JLF helped with extra funding for a Return to Country program run by Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation from their headquaters at The Purple House in Alice Springs NT.

The program gave patients and carers a chance to make short visits home to their remote communities between dialysis session, and provided a sense of hope for the future.

More than 100 people, their carers and families from more than 30 remote communities in Central Australia had the chance to return home regularly.

The Foundation has also helped patients who were dialysing in Darwin to return to East Arnhem Land for important ceremonies like the Garma Festival in Yolgnu country.

This was one of our first initiatives to work with communities to address diabetes and kidney disease. This service is still operating through the WDNWPT and JLF has expanded its activities to develop the Thumbs Up! Schools Program, Thumbs Up! Healthy Food Stamps and has now secured funding from Medicines Australia to build and fit out a mobile renal dialysis unit that will be run by the Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation.