Building Confidence and Connection: An Update from Our Yiliyapinya Partnership

Earlier this year, we shared the news of our partnership with Yiliyapinya, a First Nations mental health charity in Queensland, where MOOD is helping fund a full year of equine therapy for young people.

We've recently received an update from the Yili Program team, offering a glimpse into how participants are progressing and what working with horses has meant to them.

A space to build trust and confidence

Yiliyapinya's Yili Program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 7 to 17, including those who have disengaged from school or recently exited youth detention.

The program combines cultural connection, wellbeing activities, cognitive training, sport, art, music and equine therapy to support young people's development.

Through equine therapy, participants spend time working with horses in a supportive environment, developing skills such as patience, responsibility, emotional regulation and confidence.

It's an opportunity to build connections, learn new skills and experience a sense of achievement.

What we're hearing from young people

Feedback collected during Term 3 has provided some encouraging insights into participants' experiences.

Among those who provided feedback:

100% said equine therapy helps them feel more focused.

75% said it increases their strength and sense of responsibility.

All participants said they often or always feel equine therapy increases their patience and confidence.

Beyond the numbers, it's the young people's own words that help tell the story.

When asked how equine therapy helps them, one participant shared:

"It helps with anxiety."

Another reflected on the connection they'd developed:

"I don't know why but it just helped me after knowing I can work with horses and develop a connection."

And when asked what had changed since starting the program, participants described feeling less anxious, managing frustration and becoming more responsible.

One young person simply said:

"I'm more responsible after working with the horses."

These reflections offer a window into the personal experiences behind the program and the different ways young people are responding to it.

Why this partnership matters

At MOOD, our purpose is to help support preventative youth mental health programs that give young people opportunities to build confidence, connection and resilience.

Our partnership with Yiliyapinya is one way we're contributing to that work, supporting a program grounded in culture, community and the individual needs of young people.

We're grateful to the Yiliyapinya team for sharing these updates and for the care they bring to their work.

We look forward to following the program's progress and sharing more stories from the partnership as it continues.