Jacob Farmer has grasped with both hands an extraordinary opportunity given to him by the Rotorua Trust.
In July this year, Jacob (pictured above) spent 21 days in the middle of winter on an Outward Bound course under a special scholarship the Trust is providing to help young people gain new life skills.
“When I first heard about the course, I didn’t know what to expect and I was excited to give it a go.”
Jacob was the youngest on the course in a group for 18-to-26-year-olds, and being away from home for so long was
something he had not experienced previously.
In spite of Outward Bound’s reputation for being rigorous, Jacob says he was more mentally than physically challenged.
“It made you really think about life and the environment, and who you are as a person. Whereas many others on the course came from academic and professional backgrounds, Jacob’s background in Rotorua meant that he had different values and goals than others, which did make him uncomfortable when called to share.
The most interesting aspects of the course were around values for life, and learning how he should be living his life.
“One of my values was culture, and I don’t think I’ve been living that by not presenting myself as Maori. I think I should change that and be proud of where I come from.”
He has subsequently been in touch with relatives and now plans to become fluent in Te Reo Maori.
The most unexpected and challenging things for Jacob were rock-climbing challenges and sailing in a cutter. However, he found he excelled at tramping, which he had done previously, and so plans to do more in the future.
“The course has opened my eyes, so I would like to keep healthy and fit, and eat well to stay healthy.”
The Western Heights Neighbourhood Policing Team supervisor Sgt Steve Sutton says that “Police have formed a valuable partnership with the Rotorua Trust with this Outward Bound opportunity through the CACTUS programme which has been running in Western Heights High School since 2011, giving opportunities to a few students to complete the Outward Bound course as a follow on from completing the CACTUS course.”