During the school holidays, Souths Cares hosted the annual Girls Leadership and Cultural Camp. 13 female students from the Liverpool Opportunity Hub and Nanga Mai Marri (Dream Big) programs were selected to attend the camp, which was hosted at the Lake Conjola Ingenia Holiday Park, located on beautiful Yuin Country.
Day one kicked off with a Water Safety workshop from Surf Life Saving New South Wales which provided participants with the knowledge and skills to respond in an emergency situation. In the afternoon, the group enjoyed some time swimming and exploring the Holiday Park, followed by cooking workshops and a group dinner – with the girls learning how to cook Mexican cuisine and make s’mores.
Day two included an on-country experience with local Aboriginal Elder and established artist, Aunty Loretta Parsley. The group travelled to Aunty Loretta’s property in East Lynne for lunch and then participated in an Aboriginal Art workshop whilst overlooking a picturesque valley. The art workshop was utilized as an opportunity for the girls to share their personal narrative and their understanding of identity through visual art.
After returning to the accommodation the group took time to reflect the importance of connecting to country and learning from Elders. Dinner on the second night was Italian cuisine with girls showing great cooking skills, producing a feast that included schnitzels, boscaiola sauce, pasta and salads.
After dinner the girls commenced a Weaving Circle in the loungeroom where students were taught how to create a bangle and learnt the fundamental skills of weaving. The weaving circle provided a supportive environment for open and honest conversations amongst the group, with the girls sharing some of the challenges they were facing at their respective schools.
Chloe Christian is a participant in the Liverpool Opportunity Hub and enjoyed the opportunity to get away from the hussle and bustle of the city.
“It was a great opportunity to take some time out and reenergize before sitting my HSC exams. It was nice to connect with other girls from around Sydney and make some new friendships”, Chloe said.
Throughout the three day camp, the group focused on key themes such as self-care, empowering female leadership, cultural connections and goal setting. Bianca Williams, Program Coordinator of the Liverpool Opportunity Hub said the camp was about getting the girls to connect to themselves and with each other.
“The camp gave our students the opportunity to build connections with each other, learn more about becoming leaders as well as celebrating their commitment to their culture and education. A lot of pressure is placed on our girls, so to be able to provide opportunities like this re-enforces the message that they matter, and we want them to succeed”, Bianca said.
This year’s Girls Leadership and Cultural Camp was made possible through the generous support of Ingenia Holiday Parks who provided the stunning accommodation at Lake Conjola and the CommBank Foundation who provided funding for group activities and program resources.
Matt Young, General Manager of Tourism at Ingenia Holiday Parks explained the team were proud to support Souths Cares.
“We are proud to support such an incredible initiative through Souths Cares, providing opportunities for the girls to enjoy nature, build connections, experience new physical, cultural and educational activities and to get out of their comfort zones”, Matt said.
