Moriarty Foundation, Indi Kindi
Recognised for delivering Aboriginal community-led early childhood education that integrates culture, health and wellbeing, while creating local Aboriginal empl
About this finalist
- Year: 2026
- Level: Finalist
- Award category: Human Rights Medal
About the 2026 nomination
Delivered by Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation, Moriarty Foundation, Indi Kindi is an innovative early childhood education program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (0–5 years), delivered in the remote Northern Territory communities Borroloola, Robinson River, Tennant Creek and Mungkarta.
Indi Kindi is grounded in the belief that every child has a universal human right to access safe, culturally rich education.
Indi Kindi embeds the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples across 4 core areas:
Self-determination and cultural rights: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have control over early learning. Through its proprietary Walking Learning® curriculum, children learn on Country in ‘classrooms without walls’, preserving local languages, cultural identity and traditional knowledge.
Educational equity: Indi Kindi guarantees universal access by replacing rigid physical infrastructure with a mobile, fee-free service that provides door-to-door transport and real-time simplified enrolment.
Right to health and wellbeing: Indi Kindi provides nutritious meals, clean water, hygiene practices, and culturally adapted developmental screenings.
Workforce and economic security: In regions with around 50% unemployment, Indi Kindi employs 100% local Aboriginal women and offers tertiary qualification pathways for early years education. It has an average educator tenure of over 5 years - more than double the sector average - building long-term community capacity and economic resilience.
Indi Kindi’s unique approach delivers transformative outcomes.
About the Human Rights Awards
The Australian Human Rights Awards is an inspirational showcase of the best in all of us. The Awards honour and celebrate diverse human rights heroes and significant achievements in protecting and promoting human rights in Australia.