Supporting First Nations youth leadership through Buldau Yioohgen

The Lyone Foundation donated $24,850 in FY19 to support Buldau Yioohgen, a newly launched youth leadership academy facilitated by Anglicare Victoria and The Long Walk. The program brought young First Nations peoples together with Elders, community organisations and industry partners to explore their education, employment and leadership goals.

Launched in 2018, Buldau Yioohgen, meaning “Big Dreams”, offered experiences that helped participants see new possibilities for their futures. Its Southern Experience introduced young people to community, cultural and sporting organisations in Melbourne. The Northern Experience focused on cultural connection, leadership workshops and networking.

Those connections could open doors. In 2019, Anglicare Victoria shared the story of Jake, a young Yorta Yorta and Wurundjeri man whose experience at the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival in Darwin sparked an interest in Tennis Australia. He later became the organisation’s first Indigenous intern, completing a weekly work placement across teams including human resources, public relations and media.

The Foundation’s funding helped support the delivery of the academy and the people and activities behind these opportunities. Through Buldau Yioohgen, young people could learn from Elders, meet leaders in different fields and build confidence in the paths they wanted to pursue.