AppeaL Donation Form

Healing the future, one child at a time.

Every child, no matter where they come from or who they are, deserves the chance to dream, grow, and thrive. A future filled with opportunity, safety, and belonging should not be a privilege. It should be a right.

At Community First Development we’re proud to support Yawardani Jan-ga, a unique early intervention program that uses Equine Assisted Learning to support the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people aged 6 – 26 years in the Kimberley region.

Founded by First Nations’ woman, Professor Juli Coffin, the program was born from deep frustration to address the critical gap in culturally secure, effective mental health services tailored to Indigenous youth in remote and regional areas.

This is so important because a report by the University of Western Australia (2020) revealed that the suicide rate among Indigenous people in the Kimberley was three times the national average, and twice that of other Indigenous Australians.

Yawardani Jan-ga is more than a program, it’s a culturally grounded response to the urgent need for trauma-informed care and youth empowerment, where horses are co-facilitators in healing.

When you give a gift to Community First Development, the outcomes extend into the future. You are supporting First Nations’ people, communities, and organisations like Yawardani Jan-ga to transform the lives of present and future generations.

We couldn’t do this important work without you!