Ehon, Youth Ambassador for the Inspire Foundation will be coming along to Brisbane Twestival. This is his story.
Volunteering has always been a part of my life, so when I first moved to Australia about 3 years ago from Malaysia, naturally, I went about hunting for an organisation I would have passion for. I came across the Inspire Foundation through its flagship program, ReachOut.com, and decided I want to be involved with the organisation - its motto then was “Creating opportunities for young people to change their world”.
About 7 years ago, one of my closest and best mates, Ryan, died in a drowning accident. Things were supposed to be ideal when you were young. You hang out with your mates, do hip and cool stuff and get smashed together on occasions. Grow apart, exchange contact, meet up when you can and catch up on what’s been happening.
But at 16, I had to come to term that life was short, and I was made to discover the bitter aspects of life and learn to be wise. It was hard learning how to grieve at that age, and after losing someone who’s a part of my identity. I wasn’t depressed or anything likes that, but I was questioning life. When I came here to Australia and for the first time exposed to the world of youth suicide, it stirred up all that was in me. You know, Ryan did not choose to die. But these young people, given the choice to live, were forced them to choose death by their illness and circumstances. And what we did as a society was to allow these young people to choose to die. And so I decided, that here it is, my purpose, my passion… to give these people the opportunity to change their own world, so they not only choose to live, but live a happier life.
Inspire Foundation is a non-profit established in Australia that utilises information communication technology to improve the mental health and well-being of the 14-25 year olds. Inspire’s mission is to help millions of young Australians lead happier lives and to do so, Inspire does two very clever things. Inspire harnesses the power of technology as a setting to reach young people and involve young people in every aspect of the organisation to ensure that all our programs are closely aligned with the needs, interests and language of young people.
We know that in an average Australian Year 12 classroom of 30 students, 7 young people will have experienced a recognised mental health difficulty, but only 2 will have sought professional help. At least one will have attempted suicide. An estimated 481,600 Australians aged 18-24 are currently living with an affective anxiety or substance abuse disorder, which represents approximately 26.5% of young people in this age group. Hospitalisation rates for intentional self-harm among young people increased by 43% between 1996 and 2006 - in contrast to decreased rates in youth suicide.
We also know that 94% of 18-24 years old are online or use the internet; and more than 2/3 of all online households (79% of Australians) have broadband connection. The internet is continually increasing the possibilities of who young people connect with and how they ‘belong’, both online and offline. According to Mission Australia, after friends and family, young people most often turn to the internet for help.
Knowing that, Inspire runs two program:
www.reachout.com helps young people help themselves through tough times. It provides information, resources and support for young people to improve their understanding of mental health issues, increase resilience, coping skills and help-seeking behaviour.
www.actnow.com.au supports young people to become more connected with their community by connecting them with opportunities to learn about their world and take action on social issues they care about.
Its really exciting that Brisbane Twestival has come on board to be a part of the Inspire community - and together we can dream big and help millions of young Australians lead happier lives. I look forward to meeting everyone on Friday night at the Twestival… I’ll be speaking about Inspire but in the mean time you can find out more at www.inspire.org.au.
Inspire’s dream is that every young person can stand up and say:
I am a young person.
I am loved and I love.
There lies before me a land of endless opportunities where I can learn and grow.
There lies within me a limitless ocean of compassion and kindness.
I respect all people, including myself, for who we are.
I celebrate our common humanity and I honour our individual differences.
I show up for life each morning ready for whatever comes my way.
I give my best and know it will make all the difference.
I am making my world a better place.
I am happy.
