Our Story
Guula Buuyal means "Body Strong"
The name was gifted in the Gunggandji language by Dr Darryl Murgha, a respected Gunggandji Elder, Traditional Owner, and cultural heritage specialist from the Cairns and Yarrabah region of Far North Queensland.
Guula Buuyal Kidneys grew out of the Healthy Kidneys program at Sophus — a nutrition and lifestyle program built with dietitians to help people keep their kidneys strong. We knew those ideas could help more of our families if the resource spoke our way: in plain words, with food, family, and Country at the centre, and built on the knowledge community already holds.
So we made a standalone version, designed from the ground up for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
Made with community
Guula Buuyal Kidneys was co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dietitians, Aboriginal Health Workers, and community members living with kidney disease — so the advice fits real life, real kitchens, and real Country.
It was built by Sophus Healthy with Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services Aboriginal Corporation (Yarrabah) and The University of Queensland, and funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia. Gurriny Yealamucka means "Good Healing Water" in the Gunggandji language — and that spirit of healing, led by community, runs through this work.
What guides us
We work from strength. We start with what families and communities already know and do well, and add useful information about kidney health on top. You make the choices that work for you and your mob, at your own pace — and we walk alongside you.
For more information about the project or to get involved, you can contact us here.