EON Foundation has appointed Ms Rokiyah Bin Swani to its Board of Directors.
Named a ‘2021 Rising Star’ by the Australian magazine ‘The Educator’, Ms Bin Swani is currently the Indigenous Scholarship Programme Coordinator at Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC) Perth. Ms Bin Swani is a Bard woman, from the Lombadina community.
With her experience as a professional educator, and in human resources, diversity and inclusion, Indigenous employment and leadership development, Ms Bin Swani will bring considerable experience and expertise to EON’s health education and training in remote communities across WA and the Northern Territory.
Ms Bin Swani believes education is key to creating intergenerational change, and in her current executive role engages with students, families and school staff to create a culturally safe environment where students can thrive and succeed.
Before PLC, Ms Bin Swani worked within the non-for-profit sector as a Scholarship Manager at MADALAH, an Indigenous scholarship programme that offers secondary and tertiary scholarships. Prior to this, she worked in the mining industry at BHP as a Human Resources Business Partner and was involved in diversity and inclusion projects, Indigenous employment and leadership development.
EON Chair, Caroline de Mori AM, said the first community in which EON worked was Djarindjin Lombadina in the Kimberley region’s Dampier Peninsular.
“EON’s beginnings are closely connected with Rokiyah’s heritage- our very first edible garden was at Djarindjin Lombadina north of Broome. Her experience working with young Indigenous women to reach their educational goals aligns with EON’s aim to provide education and training to remote school students that expands their future career opportunities.
“Rokiyah’s insights and knowledge will help EON successfully develop our training program and her cultural knowledge is invaluable to our Board and staff.”
