Thirteen winners have been named in this year’s Heywire Trailblazer competition – an annual contest revealing young people who are doing inspiring and important work in their regional home towns.
This week the group of young winners are headed to Canberra to share their stories and their ideas with politicians and community leaders as part of the Trailblazers summit.
Darwin woman Menah McKenzie is one of those young winners who will travel to the nations capital.
Ms McKenzie is being recognised for her work in co-creating Mayala-bol – a social enterprise focused on holistic social and emotional wellbeing for First Nations women and youth.
Ms McKenzie says she was inspired to begin the enterprise after feeling the effects of suicide in her community and within her own family after the death of her older brother.
“We always deliver our programs in the format of a healing circle or yarning circle which has been the practice for Indigenous people for thousands of years.
It is a place where people can find their voice, share their stories, have a sense of belonging and connect with other like-minded people.”
