27th November 2019^Celebration of 100 Yorga Djenna Bidi Graduates

The Governor and Ms Annus hosted a reception to celebrate 100 Graduates of the Yorga Djenna Bidi Program, and acknowledge the 113 graduates of the Program since it commenced in 2015.

Since its inception, seven cohorts of Aboriginal women have completed the 5 month long leadership program.

The Yorga Djenna Bidi Program is one of five key leadership programs run by the Western Australian Aboriginal Leadership Institute (WAALI).

The Governor acknowledged the Founders of the program in his address, and its success which then enabled the launch of WAALI,

Yorga Djenna Bidi’s genesis sprang from within these walls through the endeavour of my predecessor Hon Kerry Sanderson, Dr Sue Van Leeuwen (who was CEO of Leadership WA at that time), Robyn Smith-Walley, and Rishelle Hume AM.

These women had a shared dream to build a community of strong, skilled Aboriginal women leaders, and even more importantly, they had the tenacity to bring this vision to life.

From the success of Yorga Djenna Bidi, the Western Australian Aboriginal Leadership Institute (WAALI) was officially launched here at the House by Kerry Sanderson in February 2018, and now delivers a wider suite of leadership development programs tailored specifically for the needs of Aboriginal people.

Read the Governor’s speech

WAALI was formed in 2017 with the vision of being a place of leadership learning for Aboriginal people through cultural ways of working.

WAALI’s leadership programs are unique as they are guided by Elders, based in culture and are developed by Aboriginal people, for Aboriginal people and increasingly facilitated by Aboriginal people – particularly graduates of our programs.

The Governor is Patron of WAALI

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