Turning points: Feb07 - Missy Wright

Missy Wright, 17, was searching for a way to get her life back on track. She found it with a local youth program that helped her to trust again.

“Three years ago, the week before Father’s Day, my dad walked out on our family. I was really suicidal after he left, because none of us really expected it.

“It affected my whole family greatly and was a really tough time. I was searching for something, I guess. That’s when I found Youth Insearch. It’s all about peer mentoring, where youth help youth. The program, which takes place at weekend camps, deals with different issues that you come across in life and gives you all sorts of life skills. When I heard about it, I felt it was a great opportunity for me to learn and grow.

“Youth Insearch has helped me with a lot of things, including the fact I was sexually abused at the age of six. I didn’t tell anyone, not my mother or father, until just recently. I kept it to myself because I was too embarrassed to say anything.

“My family didn’t find out about my abuse until about two weeks before I went away to my first weekend camp. It’s not that I didn’t trust Mum – she is my idol and we’ve always been quite close – it was more due to the embarrassment I felt. She was devastated when I told her.

“Joining the Youth Insearch program was definitely a turning point in my life – it was my saviour, really. I’ve learned to trust again, which was a big thing for me. I’ve been a member for about nineteen months, and I’m now a youth leader. I go to a camp about once every three weeks, and they run from Friday to Sunday afternoon. I have to put a lot of planning into the sessions because we deal with all sorts of things, from peer pressure and self-esteem, to good communication.

“The ages of the kids that go to the camps range from twelve to eighteen. There are adults as well, with a ratio of one to every eight children. The adults, though, aren’t ‘in charge’ – the idea is that everyone is equal. The youth leaders run the camp, while the adults take on more of a supervisory role. They also help with follow-ups once we come back, because most youth leaders still go to school.

“I’ve grown so much from this. I feel like I’ve really improved myself, and the way I think about life. I really appreciate the life I have now, and it feels more in proportion. My mother is wonderful and I have two great brothers. I don’t think I appreciated them properly before, but I realise family is very important and life is what you make it.

“I also work for the local youth council organising events in and around the area where I live. I wanted to make a contribution to the community and I really enjoy it. I think a lot of the issues in the area – like underage drinking and vandalism – are due to boredom, and I thought we needed more things for the young people to do.

“We organise drug and alcohol-free events like the Battle of the Bands, to give the kids something to do. We also organised a Save the Whales campaign and held our own fashion week – we designed a catwalk so young designers could come along and show their entries. It was great fun. We usually have a good turnout at our events – we had about 2,000 people at Battle of the Bands.

“I’ve got a busy year ahead – I’m in Year 12, so I’ll be doing my HSC [Higher School Certificate] at the end of the year. I’ve also been elected as vice-captain of my school, which I’m really excited about. It’s a great opportunity for me.

“When I finish school, I’d like to study psychology, but before I start, I think I’ll go travelling and experience other countries and cultures. I might defer my studies for a year and hopefully save up enough money to travel through Europe.

“When my dad left our family three years ago, I was searching for something, but didn’t know what. Youth Insearch filled the hole that had grown inside me. The program keeps me busy and it keeps me sane. We all deal with the same issues, and the more people that can have access to something like this, the better we will all be. I love the fact it’s non-judgemental, that they take you for who you are, and they believe your past doesn’t determine your future. That’s what I believe now, too.”

Youth to youth

Youth Insearch was started 21 years ago by its now chief executive officer, Ron Barr, OAM. He started work as a Youth Development Officer in Sydney and decided that something different needed to be done to help young people deal with abuse, addiction and the challenges of growing up.

“After dealing with a number of children, some difficult, some easy, I realised there had to be a quicker and better way to help them,” he says. “I called together a group of these young people and we sat around and talked about their issues, the issues of the town and the school system. We came up with the idea that we should go away and have a camp.”

Ron and his wife Judith devised a program, which, 21 years later, is being implemented in communities across Australia.

For more information, visit www.youthinsearch.org.au or call (02) 9659 6122.

 

Words: Karen Spresser and Linda Peatling. Photography: Scott Hawkins. Styling: Nicholas Scholl.