During 2008, a couple of people associated with the St Kilda City Junior Football Club (both juniors and seniors) formed a plan to assist a small group of Aboriginal football players in relocating from Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory to Melbourne with a view to improving the playing list at the football club as well as providing an opportunity for cultural exchange between the Melbourne and Tennant Creek players.

A pilot program commenced in 2008 where two indigenous students from Tennant Creek High School came to Melbourne to participate in schooling and football program.

In 2009, the program was expanded to involve five indigenous students from Tennant Creek High School. Two students were at year 10 level and three were at year 11 level. The students were chosen because of their endeavour and willingness to challenge themselves in an environment completely different to what they had experienced previously.

Two leading Melbourne schools, St Michael’s Grammar and CBC St Kilda were approached to provide scholarships for the students for their time in Melbourne. Both schools generously agreed to do so.

Apart from the scholarships provided by St Michaels and CBC, the program was privately organized and funded. Family members for some of the students also made visits to Melbourne.

All involved regarded the experience as a great success and there was shown to be a large reservoir of support for the concept of an ongoing cultural exchange both in Melbourne and Tennant Creek.

All parties involved believed that for this program to be successful and continue into the future it needs to be shifted from a private responsibility to an organisational responsibility and hence The Kajji Foundation was created.