The Paralowie R-12 School students shining a light, remaining positive through COVID uncertainty
They’ve had end-of-year sports trips cancelled and part-time work disrupted by COVID but a wise, insightful and driven cohort of young people are powering towards their life goals.
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Cancelled school trips, missed sporting opportunities and part-time work challenges aside, a trio of proud young South Australians isn’t letting the pandemic mess with their life dreams.
The past and present students at Paralowie R-12 School are determined to use lessons learned through COVID to power them towards their goals.
Year 12 students Caleb Thompson and Stamili Hamisi are following in the footsteps of 2020 school leaver Faraja Umutoni in wanting to inspire and be role models for other young people.
Each has taken part in school-based leadership programs offered by SA not-for-profit Youth Opportunities, aimed to help disadvantaged youngsters grow skills and motivation as well as build self-esteem and confidence.
Davoren Park’s Stamili, 17, found restrictions around face-to-face connections a challenge in 2020 but is now looking to the future.
“I am actually feeling really good, it is a year to get back on track, to make plans and see those plans through … I have left COVID in 2020,” she said.
The Year 12 student, who arrived in Australian as a 14-month-old after being born in a Tanzania refugee camp, is hoping to become a registered nurse when she finishes school.
“It is my dream and something that I have always wanted to do … becoming a nurse will help me reach out to help others,” she said.
Classmate Caleb, 16, of Andrews Farm, is remaining positive and hoping this year’s local footy season won’t be disrupted as it was in 2020, nor his fast food restaurant shifts again impacted on.
While he admits to worrying at times about job prospects and financial security, he is looking forward to life after school, including travel.
“The world is changing and with that certain things are improving and making life easier for us … we’ve more chances to experience different things,” he said.
As for Faraja, 17, from suburban Burton who moved with her family from Uganda to SA about 10 years ago, she can’t wait to start studying Mobile Applications Development at UniSA at the start of March.
She said while her anxiety levels “skyrocketed” during COVID and she missed not being able to de-stress through sport, she had learned from the experience.
“COVID has really taught me I should really start enjoying what is in the moment and not worrying about what is in the future,” she said.
“I have learned to stop looking up to (unrealistic) social influencers who tell us we’re not successful enough and instead now look to real-life people around me like my mum, or my teachers … I’ve got better at unfollowing those people who don’t make me feel better about myself.”
Youth Opportunities CEO Erin Faehrmann is proud of each of the students as well as the role her organisation – which works with about 30 schools across the state – has played.
“Employability skills remain important (but) we also have a really strong focus on mental health and building resilience in young people … pretty much anything that helps young people build their confidence and gives them the skills and habits to be successful,” she said.
Why our kids need us to talk to them
Hundreds of young Australians are continuing to reach out daily to telephone and online counselling services as the nation seeks to reclaim a sense of normality post COVID, new data shows.
Latest figures from Kids Helpline, shared exclusively with the Sunday Mail, reveal more than 500 youngsters aged between five and 25 have sought help from the service each and every day over the past four months.
In South Australia in 2020, demand for the service rose by 17 per cent on the previous year – slighter higher than the national increase of 16 per cent.
Yourtown, the charity that runs the service, chief executive officer Tracy Adams said demand was expected to further grow.
“As Australia rebuilds, the need for counselling and support services will only continue – the pandemic has intensified the level of support required,” Ms Adams said.
“As parents – and a community – we need to understand it is on us to really keep encouraging young people, to be actively engaging with them, asking them about their day … not rely on them to have to be the one to take on that responsibility of saying, ‘I need help’.
“One of the things we talk about is children are not adults, let’s talk about their needs, because they are not the same (as ours) and we need to keep that top of mind.”
In addition to direct counselling support, the Kids Helpline’s website, which offers tip sheets and self-help resources, was accessed more than 7,500 times a day in 2020, she said.
The five most common reasons for kids and young people to seek counselling support were mental health (28 per cent), emotional wellbeing (25 per cent), family relationships (19 per cent), suicide-related (15 per cent) and friend/peer relationships (9 per cent).
“Many of the issues were ones our counsellors were already working with young people on but we saw these exacerbated and the sheer number increase (through COVID),” Ms Adams said.
“Unfortunately, we are continuing to see young people seeking help for suicide-related concerns, (they are) young people who really are in crisis … our counsellors have to take action to save them at a moment in time.
“(There are others) expressing a great sense of loss and a loss of hope.
“We’ve seen young people become anxious about change … we’ve seen lockdowns can come and go, so the uncertainty around that continues to be there.”
Ms Adams advised parents and educators to watch and listen for “red flags”, including changes in a young person’s behaviour.
The Kids Helpline statistics follow research released during the week by headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation that found young people in the critical age groups of 12 to 14 and 18 to 21 were reporting significant increases in feelings of isolation.
“We know transition periods can be a time of high risk for young people,” the not-for-profit’s clinical practice chief, Vikki Ryall, said.
“The move to secondary school from primary or from school into further study or the workforce can feel quite daunting for young people in any instance and COVID has now added extra complexity.
Meanwhile counselling service GriefLine, which is staffed by volunteer counsellors, is reporting a tenfold increase in demand.
While its focus is adults, call sheet data shows about five per cent of callers are aged 18 to 24 years – about 200 a month.