Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin share a vision – to create a brighter future for young Indigenous children.
That vision is coming to fruition as the Goodes-O’Loughlin (GO) Foundation gains momentum.
The GO Foundation which, in conjunction with the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF), offers a pathway for Indigenous students to receive a quality education and, in turn, a better quality of life.
The Swans greats believe there is nothing more important for Indigenous youths than a sound education. Learning opens doors to a “healthy, happy and productive life” of which the benefits are immeasurable.
It’s through scholarships the GO Foundation aims to change the lives of children who could not otherwise get access to such top-level schooling.
“The overall aim is to hopefully foster some CEO’s and people who could one day run big organisations,” O’Loughlin said.
“We want to get young Indigenous boys and girls into schools and keep them there, because we think education is key.”
Goodes and O’Loughlin were horrified after reading a stat from the 2006 Census which stated only 19 percent of Indigenous Australians had completed schooling to Year 12 or equivalent.
The GO Foundation, which mainly participated in community programs and seminars after its creation in 2006, was recently refined to focus solely on education through essential financial aid.
“We have a great partner in the AIEF which offer some of the best scholarships specifically for boarding schools,” O’Loughlin added.
“What sets us apart is we offer scholarships to day schools, so the students can go to school then go home. We saw a void which we could help fill and we’re really proud of that.
“Footy has been unbelievable to both Adam and myself and we’ve had great opportunities to do other things. For us to go back to our communities and help in different ways has been really important.”
The GO Foundation is the official match-day community partner for the Swans and Carlton Indigenous Round clash at the SCG on Friday night.
For more information or to help Goodes and O’Loughlin with their vision, please visit www.go-foundation.org
