Photo by Rohit Holt
Many of our schools in the Northern Valleys participated in the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence.
The day is about everyone being welcome at school, feeling safe and having a sense of belonging. Sadly, some still consider bullying is just part of schooling and
growing up.
Early intervention are words we often hear in relation to assisting disadvantaged or at-risk youth. I recently discovered a group that translates these words into action and had the pleasure of meeting Rohit Holt at a recent 12 Buckets fundraising event.
Having entered high school this year, I watched this quietly spoken young man bravely stand in front of a room of adults and tell his story of how he was bullied in primary school but regained his selfworth through the help of the 12 Buckets program.
12 Buckets is a volunteer run mentor program striving to equip vulnerable students with the skills, support and connection needed to build a strong future. There is no charge to schools and
it is delivered through private funding. Rohit’s mentor taught him photography and using my camera, he snapped the shots accompanying this article.
Tim Winton, Author and 12 Buckets Ambassador, shared the challenges of his own childhood and schooling at the event “Every kid deserves an even chance to thrive, but for many young Australians
the odds are cruelly stacked against them…all changes of heart begin at home and in the street and in the playground”.
The 12 Buckets program is currently run in a number of Perth Schools and provides an example of what is achievable when vulnerable youth are given the chance to
flourish.
We can all support the work done by our schools including adopting the Bullying No Way message to create a safe and supportive community for everyone.
