Walk-a-While - The Success
Walk a While ... people of different cultures walking together and learning from each other
Hello again,
This newsletter issue has been a long time coming, but I wanted to wait until I could share our latest adventure on a project that’s very dear to my heart.
Our latest Walk a While initiative involved bringing eight indigenous youth and two elders to Sydney from the remote Northern Territory community of Haast’s Bluff. They came to learn about the diversity of the photographic industry and the opportunities it can offer. Our indigenous shutter bugs had a fantastic time over a period of 10 days learning about different styles of photography.
They photographed fire-works on Australia Day; did aerial photography from helicopters over Sydney, shot landscapes, did a fashion shoot with some of the most sophisticated and expensive gear available, and they photographed wildlife at Taronga Park Zoo.
They also did some beach and surfing photography. Through all that activity - and more - we only lost one camera into the ocean due to one boy’s over zealous pelican chase, but fortunately we were able to save the images off his digital storage card.
Our friends from the outback enjoyed learning about various aspects of our industry and how we make a living from our photography. Their eyes were wide open as they saw the different opportunities that some of them never knew existed. For most, it was their first time in a plane; first visit to Sydney; first time to see the ocean and swim and surf in it and their first time in a helicopter. And there were many more firsts.
Through this project, we have been working with this outback community for about six years and we’ve been out to their place on several occasions. It was wonderful to have had our indigenous friends come and stay with us. When we travel to their land we learn so much from them. They can teach us how to connect better with the land, show us secret places and help us see things from a new perspective. They can teach us how to unwind and de-stress and they can teach us incredible bush skills. They can even teach us how to cook the animals on our Australian Coat of Arms - if we can catch them.
I feel privileged at this time when everyone is talking about reconciliation, that we in the photographic industry have already been taking steps to walk with our indigenous friends. I am glad our politicians are saying `Sorry’, but in the end, it is individuals - not politics - that will bring unity to our nation. We all need to learn to Walk a While together in this beautiful country we call home.
When the time came for the kids to leave, there were tears in all our eyes as we waved farewell. But we will meet again soon. Walk a While is not about a one-time meeting; it’s an ongoing commitment to each other over time.
After they returned home, the teacher at their small community school sent me an email saying how amazed she was at the positive changes in the children. A leading Northern Territory newspaper interviewed the children after their trip down to the city and wrote:
Show-and-tell time can often be a mixed bag of dead frogs and pet stories, but Haasts Bluff School students are clammering for more details of a recent adventure. Five fellow classmates have just returned from a trip to Sydney, where they saw the surf, the Swans (of the AFL kind) and the Sydney Opera House - all for the very first time.
They bring back to a community 260km west of Alice Springs tales of water covering spaces as wide as their desert country, of bridges as high as mountains, of uncountable crowds of people in all directions.
More than that, they bring back new technological skills from the photography workshops organized. Haasts Bluff principal, Faye Cameron, said there had been a noticeable change in the kids since their return. ``They've come back very confident and very positive,'' she said.
Katie, nine, Tanya and Ann Marie, both 10, loved the zoo - the big cats were a big winner, and so were the cheeky monkeys. For nine-year-olds Christopher and Bentley it was the lure of water as wide as the sky that they liked the best.
I’m extremely grateful to the many industry associations and companies who helped make this latest Walk a While adventure such a resounding success. None did it for their own glory - they just wanted to try and make a difference. I know that so far we’ve only helped one small community, but if we can get this right, the initiative can grow and be replicated in other communities.
I’m also grateful also to all our VIP Club friends, for without your support we would not be able to give this project our time and energy. I hope you are proud that you’re helping to make a difference in the lives of children from the outback.
Sincere thanks to you all.
Hope you enjoy the Journey!
Best wishes
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