Cairns Regional Community Development & Employment ATSI Corporation (The MaraWay)
PROJECT NAME |
Empowering youth futures: a community co-designed initiative for Cairns and Western Tablelands |
GRANTEE |
Cairns Regional Community Development & Employment ATSI Corporation (The MaraWay) |
GRANT AMOUNT |
$50,000 |
YEAR/S OF FUNDING |
2025 |
Creating a farm-based residential program to divert and transition vulnerable youth into work opportunities.
As owners of Bilwon Farm near Mareeba, the Cairns Regional Community Development & Employment ATSI Corporation (operating as The MaraWay) saw an opportunity to put their property to good use to support their local community. Their challenge was to determine how their existing asset could be transformed into a sustainable enterprise and impactful education and work hub for local youth and the wider community.
The MaraWay is a self-funded Indigenous social enterprise dedicated to changing lives and strengthening communities. Bilwon Farm is intended to fill a critical gap in opportunities for vulnerable youth in Far North Queensland by providing a live-in, on-country diversionary program.
With JVT’s grant, the MaraWay will complete a structured co-design process, a feasibility study, model and business case for Bilwon Farm to become a self-sustainable regional farming enterprise and supportive environment for vulnerable youth.
The MaraWay co-design project aims to change lives and strengthen communities by establishing a sustainable program tailored to engage and empower young people through capability building, training, and employment. Deep and broad community insights will be used to ensure the Farm meets the needs of locals now and into the future.
The project aims to create an environment that strengthens individual and community connections, fosters cultural identity, and provides a clear path toward future growth opportunities.
The MaraWay aligns with our mission and goals and meets our criteria for support.
Partnerships and collaboration
The MaraWay are engaging the community and bringing people together to plan their project. Young people will connect with businesses and businesses will learn more about the complex lives and backgrounds of vulnerable youth.
The co-design process will bring together a unique mix of stakeholders including community leaders and Elders, health and training professionals, youth justice, and farmers. The MaraWay also has strong engagement with and support from the Mareeba Shire Council, who are committed to helping develop the strategic plan and identify local stakeholders to assist the initiative.
Social impact designers, First Nations engagement specialists, and business development expertise will also be involved.
The MaraWay has established partnerships with Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and local youth-focused entities, enabling them to provide tailored, accredited training for young people.
Harm prevention and early intervention to bring better outcomes
The MaraWay prioritises early intervention and prevention, tackling systemic disadvantage through education, mental health, and employment initiatives.
The design process will identify further early intervention points for troubled youth and offer a transformative option for local courts. Bilwon Farm will be a circuit-breaker, helping youth re-engage with education or work, teaching income management, and fostering self-worth, enabling them to ultimately give back to their communities.
Ideas that are community-led, driven or informed
The MaraWay has deep-rooted community connections. The initiative will be designed with the involvement of young people fostering strong collaboration between those impacted by the issue and those working to resolve it.
Projects that have deep or multiple impacts and outlast our involvement
Bilwon Farm aims to become a community asset and education and work hub for local youth. The long-term vision is to establish a self-sustaining social enterprise model that generates income through farming activities, allowing reinvestment in programs that deliver meaningful social outcomes.
Partnerships with local businesses will provide ongoing work placements and job pathways for graduates, building industry support. Experiences being investigated include campouts with Indigenous mentors, beekeeping and honey production, animal husbandry, native food cultivation, fishing, bush survival, a café enterprise, and mechanical work.
Government and philanthropic funding will also be sought based on successful outcomes and impact. Additional finance has already been granted through Federal Government’s Youth Empowerment Program, which will support approximately three staff positions and initial program delivery.
This project will produce community ‘skin-in-the-game’; a supportive network of community, business, family, and youth leaders, who will work together to ensure the success of the Farm. Strong community engagement and advocacy will foster local buy-in and ongoing support, positioning Bilwon Farm as a vital resource for youth empowerment and regional development.
The MaraWay is a self-funded, Social Enterprise, Indigenous corporation based in Cairns and regional Biboohra (near Mareeba), dedicated to changing lives and strengthening communities. They empower people facing tough times by helping them help themselves, offering access to vocational training and practical support without barriers—no appointments, forms, or judgments.
They provide a welcoming space where people can access resources like housing support, financial mentoring, and study funding, alongside job-ready training in fields like aged care and early childhood education. The MaraWay focus on the needs of the community, creating sustainable, impactful support that fosters resilience, independence, and a sense of shared community.