Strength in Unity: Changing the face of hiking for youth refugees
Disclaimer* Interviewees second language is English.
Picture yourself in an unfamiliar location with an unfamiliar language, and having to adapt to a completely new culture. There are 26.5 million refugees around the world, half of whom are under the age of 18 and for them this is their reality.
First Hike Project (FHP) is a not-for-profit organisation created to help youth with refugee backgrounds to adapt and be more connected to Australia through hiking and camping in the Australian bush.
Founder, Neil McCulloch, chats about how hiking and camping have been game changers in helping youth from refugee backgrounds settle in Australia
Thanks so much for taking the time to have a chat with me about First Hike Project, Neil. How did the initial idea come about?
I had a very simple understanding of what refugees go through, and it was through my relationships, and conversations with people with that background made me realise how necessary the process was to “get here by any means,” and it was my desire to provide a sense of welcome and assistance for those who are in that situation.
Photo credit: First Hike Project
What first drew you to implement hiking and camping into the organisation?
It started when a friend would ask me what I was up to, and I would say I was hiking and sleeping in the bush, sleeping under trees in the forest and they would say “what is this crazy white guy doing?’” their curiosity of what I was doing and my eagerness to show them. So, I guess the activity came before the organisation.
Photo credit: First Hike Project
What opportunities do these hikes and camps provide for youth refugees?
We are still trying to figure out why it's popular and what it really gives them. We try to make as many opportunities as possible. We’ve had past participants who are now guides, we’ve had apprenticeships, and currently, we’re doing our first intake of a new “participant to guide course.”
How has the organisation changed since it was first started?
It has become a legitimate organisation. From that humble beginning of just me and a couple of people going hiking, now there are five groups around the country, and I think the volunteers have played a large part in growing the organisation to be what it is.
There is a quote on the FHP website that I really like “in unity there is strength,” how do you think this quote is reflected in the hikes and camps?
Unity is not what you have to buy into and change yourself. Unity for us is very much just bringing yourself and doing what you do in this space. Through using that space to express yourself there is a sense of strength in all of us.
The best example of that is a hike we did with a group of Syrian refugees, they had brought a wireless speaker and they were blasting music and having a good time. They were playing whatever music they listened to, it wasn’t pop music or western music, some kids [at the campsite] were joining with our participants. I looked around after a little while and the parents had joined the campfire, had hijacked the speaker and were introducing our participants to ACDC. That is unity.
Any inspiring takeaways from the hikes that you’ve done?
The very first hike we did in Melbourne was with some young Somalian boys. In the morning, there was mist covering our tents. But then I heard this singing, a call of prayer. I didn’t really know what was going on, but apparently one of the boys was a singer in the mosque in his community…he had [left] his tent [begun] to sing. All the boys made their way out, and they had a service. I think about it even now, it’s quite an emotional moment. It was such an Australian environment, yet you’ve got these kids completely owning the space…making it their own and bringing their own culture, practices, and faiths…into that.
Have you got any plans for the First Hike Project?
I am taking things as they come. I want to make sure [the program] is sustainable, that’s the main thing. Keep our cost down, we don’t have any employees so it's quite an easy thing to sustain. But at the same time, I have flashes of what it could be. It could be a multinational thing; in every country that has people who hike, we can run this program quite easily.
How can readers support First Hike Project?
We’re always in need of volunteers, anyone who can hike can join through our website. If anyone would want to donate there are ways you can donate on the website, but just spread the word! Try and live a little First Hike Project in your life, and get someone to express their own culture. Have a chat with someone you wouldn’t normally chat to, and see what happens!
Photo credit: First Hike Project
Further resources
Learn more and visit FHP website here.
Click here to donate to FHP.
WORDS: MUHAMMAD ARDANNY
PHOTOGRAPHY: FIRST HIKE PROJECT
PHOTOGRAPHY: FIRST HIKE PROJECT
