Who we are:
4 Yapa Ltd is a Warlpiri-led not-for-profit organisation, established by Warlpiri people, for Warlpiri people.
Grounded in culture, community and lived experience, we are committed to strengthening Warlpiri voices, improving access to knowledge and creating opportunities for our people to shape their own futures.
Working alongside our community, we seek to shift the conversation from what is wrong to what is possible. We believe in the strength of our people, the importance of our stories and the potential within our community to lead change and create lasting possibilities.
Where we Came from:
The story of 4 Yapa begins with Kumanjayi Walker.
Kumanjayi Walker was a much-loved 19-year-old Warlpiri and Luritja man from Yuendumu, whose life was taken in a fatal police shooting on 9 November 2019.
His death had a profound impact on our family and community. From this came Justice4Walker and a six-year campaign for truth, justice and accountability.
Through advocacy, community action and storytelling, we stood together to honour Kumanjayi’s life, challenge injustice and ensure Warlpiri voices were heard.
Following the Coronial Inquest into Kumanjayi’s death, Samara Fernandez, Kumanjayi’s cousin and founder of 4 Yapa, recognised that the work could not end there.
The Justice4Walker campaign had shown us the strength of community, the importance of having our voices heard and what we could achieve when we stood together. But it also made clear that there was much more work to be done.
Samara began developing the idea for 4 Yapa: an organisation that could build on this foundation, creating new opportunities for our people and investing in the future of our community.
From this vision, 4 Yapa was born.
Established in the legacy of Justice4Walker, 4 Yapa represents a new chapter and a commitment to creating lasting opportunities for Warlpiri people.
It is also a promise to Kumanjayi: that his name will never be forgotten, that the pursuit of justice will continue, and that we will keep building a future our people deserve.
Why we need to keep going:
Alongside responding to injustice, we want to create opportunities for our people to thrive. This means improving access to knowledge, building connections, sharing our stories and supporting initiatives shaped by Warlpiri people.
4 Yapa is not an organisation that only exists in response to what happens to the Warlpiri people. It exists to support what is possible for Warlpiri people. That doesn’t mean ignoring injustice. It means supporting our people before, during and after it.
We believe access to knowledge is fundamental to self-determination. Our people deserve opportunities to understand their rights, navigate the systems that affect our lives and engage with the information and narratives that shape our communities.
We also believe in the importance of connection, belonging and community. Creating spaces for our people to come together, share knowledge and support one another is part of building strong communities.
We want a future where Warlpiri people feel connected, valued and empowered to determine their own futures.
4 Yapa is our commitment to that future. A continuation of the strength and determination that brought us here, and a new chapter grounded in love for our people.
We carry Kumanjayi’s memory with us as we work towards something lasting for our community and generations to come.