'Cool stuff' that changes lives

Kamp Kaitiaki teenagers getting the low down on recycling in Kaitaia.

No one is more enthusiastic about their mission in life than Jamie Emery.

She sparkles when she talks about the Kamp Kaitiaki programme she has devised, launched and runs, with a small team of kindred spirits, currently for female students at Taipa Area School, but she's only just getting started.

The aim, she said, was to give girls aged 12 to 15, sometimes a little younger, and from rural areas, experiences that might otherwise not be available to them, and help them explore their world, their part in it and the opportunities that are open to them, in the form of a weekend retreat.

"It's about doing cool stuff over weekends away," she said.

"We have workshops, introduce role models, talk about and develop life and social skills, all constructed around the concept of family and te ao Maori values."

The "kamps" were designed to support girls living in rural areas in the Far North where social opportunities to connect and bond outside school could be rare.

Participants were encouraged to co-create programmes and activities around the issues that affect them, with the aim of helping to develop young adults who are more connected and engaged in the future community, who can manage themselves, support one another, protect the environment and serve as effective role models for younger children.

Jamie, who is in her second year of study for a Bachelor's degree in applied social work (and spends her weekends working as camp ranger at Maitai Bay), said she had been "chipping away at it" for two years, but was now ready to reach for another level after taking part, with others from around the country, in an inaugural five-week social laboratory in Wellington.

"We all remember what it's like to be young," she said.

"Girls will tell their parents that they are going to a friend's place when what they are actually doing is partying. What I'm doing is showing them, 10 at a time, that all sorts of opportunities are open to them. It's about dream-building, personal development, supporting others and the environment.

"Kids love it," she said. She was hoping to establish Kamp Kaitiaki as a permanent programme at Taipa Area School next term.

The concept will be explained in detail at a Far North social enterprise hui at Te Ahu in Kaitaia tomorrow (10am-4pm), featuring guest speakers, an expo, workshops, networking and kai.

"We hope this hui will plant new seeds or add fertiliser to new ideas or support and inspiration for exciting projects for our community do-gooders," Jamie said. "It can be a game changer for the Far North."

- For further information or to register contact Jamie on (021) 079-4209 or jamietemery@gmail.com