Last week Souths Cares hosted the annual Boys Leadership and Cultural Camp, with 12 boys from the Deadly Youth Mentoring Program, Nanga Mai Marri (Dream Big) Program and the Liverpool Opportunity Hub attending.
The camp was held on Latrell Mitchell’s family farm in Taree, on beautiful Biripi country.
Arriving to wet and muddy conditions, the boys worked in teams and learnt how to set up swags and establish a camp site. After completing this task, the group was formally welcomed on Biripi Country by Uncle Matt Mitchell, with Latrell sending through a video message en route to the Rugby League World Cup to congratulate the boys on being selected to attend the camp.
As a special surprise, all the boys were given merchandise packs from Souths Cares and Winmarra to ensure they all looked the part throughout the camp. The group then headed to Saltwater, approximately half an hour east of Taree to learn about the cultural significance of the site and have a swim in the lagoon.
After arriving back in camp, the boys prepared and cooked dinner on the BBQ and shared a Birthday Cake with Deadly Youth Mentee Lloyd Roberts who was celebrating his 12th birthday.
Day two commenced with a big BBQ breakfast, with the boys again showcasing their great cooking skills. The group then travelled to Crowdy Head, with Uncle Matt sharing his cultural knowledge and the “three brothers story” which describes the creation of three iconic mountains in the region.
The boys took advantage of warmer conditions and sunshine later in the morning with some swimming at Crowdy Beach, games of touch football and foraging along the rock wall. The trip to Crowdy Head concluded with a Yarning Circle and the boys practicing gratitude and discussing the goals they wanted to achieve in the future.
Taree PCYC generously hosted the group for a much needed hot shower, followed by games of 3x3 basketball within the centre. Uncle Matt put the boys to work upon returning to the farm, completing afternoon chores, chopping wood and feeding the animals.
After dinner the group spent some time around the fire with another Yarning Circle – exploring in depth the strategies each individual would implement to ensure they achieved their goals after leaving camp.
The third and final day included packing down the camp site and completing a few chores around the farm before the group hit the highway to return safely home to Sydney.
Despite some challenging weather conditions, the camp proved to be a profoundly positive experience for all who attended.
Lloyd Roberts is a participant in the Deadly Youth Mentoring Program and enjoyed the opportunity to learn about culture and meet new friends.
“I learnt so much about my culture. I loved swimming in the fresh clean water and learnt the importance of looking after our beautiful land. My highlight from the camp was celebrating my 12th birthday with new friends”, Lloyd said.
Lucas Fraietta is a participant in the Liverpool Opportunity Hub and enjoyed the leadership and teamwork aspects of the camp.
“What I got out of the camp was meeting new people and learning some leadership skills. I really enjoyed listening to the stories from Uncle Matt and working as a team when setting up the camp and cooking for everyone”, Lucas said.
