Culturally informed

mentoring & prevention programs for youth

our mission

Empowering Through Connection

Namu Collective is dedicated to empowering vulnerable youth by fostering cultural connection and building resilience through mentorship, vocational training, and community collaboration. We ensure youth thrive in a supportive village ecosystem while reducing crime and strengthening bonds to family and society.

why we’re needed

Vulnerable young people are at significant risk.
We need culturally informed mentors with lived experience to help guide them and empower them.

Acknowledgement of country

We want to acknowledge the Traditional Lands of the Gurambilbarra Wulgurukuba People of Townsville, the Traditional Custodians, and pay our deepest respects to the Elders past, present and the emerging leaders of our communities. WE also acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the surrounding districts to the Northern, Southern, and Western regions, along with the waters off the coast of Townsville, and extend our deep respect to the Torres Strait Island community members whose cultures and contributions continue to enrich our community. WE acknowledge all the Australian South Sea Island people who share this Country's rich history.

we are namu

about our founder

I am a proud Torres Strait Islander and First Nations leader, cultural strategist, and board director, with more than three decades of experience working across community, government, health, housing, justice, and organisational governance. As Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Namu Collective, I lead a culturally grounded consultancy that supports organisations to work ethically, accountably, and respectfully with First Nations peoples and communities.

My leadership is shaped by cultural responsibility, relational governance, and outcomes that benefit the community. Through Namu Collective and NAMU Consultancy, I deliver cultural advisory, governance strengthening, and service delivery models that honour cultural authority while meeting compliance, risk, and operational requirements. This work draws on extensive experience supporting boards, executives, and frontline teams to embed culturally safe and informed practice.

As the previous Board of Directors and Chair of Yumba-Meta Pty Ltd, I have also held senior leadership roles, including Assistant Director (EL1) within the First Nations Partnership Division and the ACT Government, as well as Head of Business Development & Cultural Lead at Miya Services. These roles have strengthened my expertise in policy implementation, stakeholder engagement, and government systems, particularly where First Nations priorities intersect with institutional frameworks.

Earlier in my career, I held key cultural leadership roles across local government, health, justice, and child and family services, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Liaison Officer, Cultural Advisor, Indigenous Health Project Officer, and ATSICAC Chairperson within the hospital and health system. This breadth of experience ensures my work remains community-informed, practical, and grounded in lived reality.

Across all roles, I am committed to ethical leadership, strong governance, mentoring emerging leaders, and culturally informed decision-making. My work is guided by integrity, accountability, and a deep respect for culture as both knowledge and authority — ensuring organisations do not simply engage with culture, but are accountable to it.

Our Team

Genus Passi Jnr

Operations Manager
Xaiver Passi

Cultural Advisor
Advisor

General Advisor

watch & LISTEN TO our work

namu collective in the community

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OuR SERVICES & programs

Staying on Track

An initiative lead by Youth Justice in Queensland, Staying on Track is about providing 6-months of intensive one on one mentoring support to a Young Person exiting detention. The program continues to work with the Young Person for another 6 months to provide them and their families ongoing support.
VYBE - VISION FOR YOUTH BECOMING EMPOWERED

COMING SOON: Most youth services operate from 9 AM to 5 PM, leaving a critical 16-hour gap when vulnerable youth are most at risk. VYBE operates from 5 PM to 9 AM specifically to address this service gap. Through activities, mentorship, and crisis support, VYBE will not only keep young people off the streets but also help them build resilience, purpose, and stability. www.vybe4youth.com
REEL CONNECTIONS

COMING SOON: Reel Connections, an Indigenous-led program that empowers at-risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth through weekly fishing trips from Townsville. Over 10 weeks, 10-15 youth (up to 360 per year) learn fishing, boating, navigation, and cultural knowledge, fostering resilience and justice diversion

COMING SOON

VYBE

YOUth need support when traditional services are closed

Filling the Night Gap

Most youth services operate from 9 AM to 5 PM, leaving a critical 16-hour gap when vulnerable youth are most at risk. VYBE operates from 5 PM to 9 AM specifically to address this service gap.

more than just shelter

Through activities, mentorship, and crisis support, VYBE will not only keep young people off the streets but also help them build resilience, purpose, and stability.

long-term solutions

Beyond providing a safe space at night, VYBE's mission is to help youth re-engage with their families, education, and support networks, creating lasting change and reducing crime and homelessness.