How 2021 Pilbara and Kimberley Girl winners want to use platform to create change

The 2021 Kimberley and Pilbara Girl programs came to an exciting crescendo on Friday evening, as the next generation of young female Indigenous leaders were celebrated. Spirits were high as finalists from across the Kimberley and Pilbara took the the stage full of confidence as they modelled fashionable fits, answered questions, and shared their hopes and dreams for the future. Goolarri Media put on an incredible show to accompany the program, including live music, dance performances, reflective videos of the girls’ journeys, and striking lighting displays. As the evening came to a close, 22-year-old Kahlia Rogers was crowned the 2021 Kimberley Girl, with Nevarny Dann and Kacey Umbagai runners-up. Ms Rogers is from Wangkatjungka remote community and loves playing sports, fishing, hanging out with her family, and being on country. The young woman said she would like to become a positive role model for her community. “In future I would like to be a positive voice for our younger generation and show them we can be leaders,” she said. “Everything is possible if you put your mind to it, take the risk. “You never know how many doors it may open for you.” Samantha Hawkins, 22, was crowned 2021 Pilbara Girl, with Tori Jacobs and Pansy Derschow runners up. Ms Hawkins is a Badimaya Yamatji woman from Newman who loves reading, writing and all things creative, and holds a diploma in community development. “I would like to work with various communities to write children’s stories and young adult fiction which gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and children the representation they deserve and that is currently lacking in our society,” she said. Ms Hawkins said she would use the Pilbara Girl platform and her newfound skills to help others. “I would like to use the leaderships skills I have gained to work with and inspire the disengaged youth within my community,” she said. “I would love to work with the youth to ignite passion and opportunities for these kids to develop, and to be a voice for mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and encourage ways for the community to look after themselves and each other. “There is nothing greater than a strong Blak woman,” she said. In the week leading up to the final, the Kimberley and Pilbara finalists came together at Goolarri Media’s Gimme Club for their final workshops. The workshops held throughout the program focus on social and emotional wellbeing, setting goals for success, work-readiness, and developing leadership skills. During the final week, several organisations came in to teach the girls important life lessons about smoking, alcohol and drug awareness, lateral violence, anger management, suicide prevention, social media presentation, and managing personal finances. The girls also undertook a pre-program with North Regional TAFE, which gave them the chance to start their Certificate II in Leadership. Tallulah Bieundurry, the 2020 Kimberley Girl, was at the workshops to share her experience and support the girls on their journey. Ms Bieundurry said the program provided continuous support for the girls. “You need help finding a job, you need help applying for some study or whatever it is, you ring up and they are on to it,” she said. Ms Bieundurry entered Kimberley Girl 2020 after COVID-19 prevented her from carrying out her role in community outreach. “I was struggling to find my purpose and was dealing with a little bit of social anxiety, too,” she said. “I learned so much from just participating. “Probably the biggest thing was feeling like what I had to say was worthwhile and people wanted to listen.” Working as a Kimberley Community Legal Services community outreach and education officer, Ms Bieundurry said lateral violence and vicarious trauma were common issues. “Everywhere you turn there is a new problem, and especially in the legal sector we see really horrific things, especially Aboriginal women perpetrating violence against other Aboriginal women,” she said. “That is why this program is so important, to show girls there is a different pathway to take. “We should be uplifting and encouraging each other.” Ms Bieundurry said the participants were changed women by the end of the program. “I know it is such a short period of time but over that couple of days it really does make a difference,” she said. The girls undertook a final interview which touched on their personal lives and issues such as racism, suicide and bullying. Ms Bieundurry said it was upsetting to see the number of girls who had experienced these systemic issues. “Every single girl who came out of that room was covered in tears, red eyes, puffy eyes and I was thinking they are not talking about a bad day, they are talking about real trauma, people dying tragically,” she said. “Every single Aboriginal person who walked into that room had something really serious happen to them.” For the first time, Dr Julie Owen adopted the role of post-program support officer to provide ongoing assistance to the girls after the finals. Lifeline 13 11 14