On Tuesday the 10th of March we had the privilege of hosting our AFSS Connection Event, bringing together young people and staff from AFSS, Baptist Care, and Junction for a day focused on connection, culture, and adventure. The aim of the day was simple: to create space for our young people and staff to connect with one another while spending time out in nature, connecting to Country and enjoying activities that reflect the core elements of what the Cultural Immersion program is all about.
The day began with an incredibly powerful Welcome to Country from Isaac Hannam. As Isaac played the yidaki (didgeridoo), all of our young people stood and sat quietly and respectfully, taking in the moment. Isaac welcomed everyone onto Country in Kaurna language before sharing the meaning of his words with the group. While Isaac played the yidaki, our youngest participant, watched with complete focus. He began making didgeridoo sounds with his mouth, carefully copying Isaac. After the welcome, everyone was invited to participate in a smoking ceremony, where Isaac explained the cultural significance and purpose behind washing ourselves in smoke. Several of the Baptist Care young people stayed behind afterward to ask more questions and learn more about the ceremony.
During the smoking ceremony, he confidently stepped up to Isaac and attempted to play the yidaki himself. He then picked up the clap sticks and carefully washed the smoke over himself. Isaac quickly noticed how drawn he was to the instrument and shared that he may need one of his own. Even after others moved on to the day’s activities, he stayed with Isaac for a while longer, listening closely as Isaac shared different animal sounds through the yidaki.
From there, the adventure activities kicked off. The tube slides were a huge hit, with laughter and excited screams echoing throughout the area as everyone joined in.
Our head chef for the day, Cordell, cooked up an incredible lunch of kangaroo and bush tomato sausages. It’s always great to see Cordell jump in and offer his support at events like this. His willingness to help out and be involved is something we really appreciate.
Throughout the day, young people also contributed to a connection canvas, placing their painted handprints onto the artwork. This canvas will now be completed by some of our young people to represent the day and the connections formed while on Country. Others spent time painting small canvases to take home, while Alarni was quick to get creative by painting her face.
Our final planned activity for the day was heading over to Challenge Hill to complete the obstacle course. However, the final river crossing quickly became the real highlight. What was meant to be a quick challenge turned into over an hour of the kids splashing, playing in the water, and laughing together. Aiden was the only one to successfully conquer the rope swings and make it across, although everyone gave it a red-hot crack.
One of the true standouts of the day was the level of engagement from all of our. Staff were fully involved, running, chasing, hiding, and joining in imaginative play with the young people throughout the entire day. It was incredible to see and exactly the kind of environment we strive to create for the young people we support.
A huge thank you goes out to all the staff who attended and helped make the day such a success, as well as those working behind the scenes to ensure our teams were supported and able to attend. Your efforts made this day of connection possible and we are looking forward to planning our next event to bring everyone back together.
