AUSTRALIA
Matthew Douglas and Arthur Ellis are Melbourne social workers who devote their time to ensure troubled Indigenous youngsters stay on the right side of the tracks.
The pair work as youth mentors at the Bert Williams Youth Services Centre (BWAYS), which is one service provided by the Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Limited in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote.
Mr Douglas is a Koori youth justice support worker who has seen a large number of Indigenous youngsters come through the centre's doors with a variety of issues. "Drugs, alcohol, violence, homelessness, family issues, changing family dynamics, travelling from interstate," he told SBS, referring to the issues faced.
Mr Ellis works alongside him, and he said there were other crucial issues facing the Indigenous youth. "What I feel and see out there are a lot of kids with identity issues," he said. "It comes back to who they are and where they're from, and if they don't who they are and where they're from, they're lost."
The pair call themselves the 'yin and yang team', because of their differences – one quiet and reserved, the other loud and boisterous. Both share a strong determination to make a difference in the lives of these troubled youngsters.
"Seeing them make the choices and changing, seeing them buy their own car, get their first job – it's almost like being a parent to them," Mr Douglas said. "They become your family. It's pretty rewarding when you can help these young ones that people have given up on."
Their desires to help have stemmed from overcoming their own hardships.
Mr Douglas had a troubled upbringing. "My family sort of fell apart through some things we had no control over and I hated the world and everyone in it," he said. "I started associating with the wrong crowd myself and getting into all the wrong things."
Mr Ellis has seen a lot in his 32 years, after growing up in government housing flats in Collingwood in Melbourne's north-east. "Not a day goes past [that] you'll see someone shooting up in the street. My upbringing was harsh," he said. "My father was a very strict man. He was an alcoholic, he was very violent, [there was] a lot of family violence at home."
Mr Ellis said he made the choice to change at a young age, and the catalyst was wanting to provide a better life for his children.
Mr Douglas discovered more from the role than he ever imagined. "I was a bit lost for a good while there and through this role, I've sort of been able to find myself and connect to my community and culture a bit better," he said. "Pretty much what we're doing for these young fullas, it's done [good] for me too."
Centre manager Leigh Saunders said the teens were inspired by their mentors.
"I think when young people hear that and they hear those stories, it gives them a bit of inspiration to change, or it gives them a bit of a look at the world through a different lens rather than looking at the world all the time in the their own eyes, or their own view," he said.
Both mentors work around the clock to ensure the centre attendees are safe and happy. "I don't see this as a job, nine to five, come here to get paid, I'm here because I'm passionate," Mr Ellis said. "I want my kids to get ahead in life."
Positive results
Their tireless work already changed things for the better for Steven, 17, who attends the youth group every Friday. "It's helped me with my individuality, building my self-esteem," he said. "The stuff they say really inspires me such as where we come from, our background, how far we can get, we need to make a difference for our family and for others as well."
For Clare, 13, having a mentor and a safe haven made all the difference. "[I] Just feel safe, loved," she said. "It's nice to have someone to have your back, someone to be there."
Attendee Jess, 13, also felt safe at the youth group, saying: "They understand us, like understand me and I know that I'm gonna be safe with them."
Each week the youngsters are treated to a new experience, this week it was fine dining at Fitzroy's Charcoal Lane. A social enterprise restaurant of Mission Australia, the eatery provided leadership and mentoring to help vulnerable young people who needed a fresh start in life, like Brittany Paxton.
The 18-year-old overcame anxiety and bullying at school to participate in the program, which was endorsed by Mr Ellis and Mr Douglas. "I get to connect to culture which is huge for me," she said. "Just being able to come here, be safe and get to learn about food traditions that have been formed for 60,000 years. It's incredible work."
Jess said her goal for the future was to become a chef.
Mr Douglas believes the sky was the limit for these kids, saying: "With the right support, they could end up anywhere. They could be my boss."
By Nakari Thorpe
26 October 2016
