THE thoughts of most teenagers during the holiday period
usually don’t extend beyond summer, surf and sand. But with Hugh Bachmann, it’s
a little bit different.
While the 18-year-old knows how to enjoy himself, he also
thinks about the disadvantaged and underprivileged in society here in Australia and
across the world. And he’s doing something about it.
While planning to study law this year Hugh is also hoping
to, with the help of World Vision, continue to volunteer with disadvantaged
sections of Redfern’s Aboriginal community.
It is something he experienced for the first time last year,
working with World Vision’s youth movement Vision Generation as a group leader.
The group met and co-ordinated with Aboriginal elders to
help fight indigenous poverty.
“It was absolutely amazing,” Hugh said.
“We visited the Redfern community centre, we saw a lot of
the public housing, the local gym, the art gallery.
“We talked to the locals and absorbed as much of the
culture and asked as many questions as possible.
“It was sort of trying to grasp and get a first hand of
what indigenous poverty is, why it’s there and the opinions the locals had of
it.
“Because this was a kind of one-off experiment by World
Vision I hope to keep in contact with my fellow volunteers and continue the
work.”
Hugh’s strong sense of social justice extends beyond Australia.
Last year he travelled to Cambodia as a volunteer with his
former school North Sydney Boys High to help with an aid project. He helped
build 14 houses in impoverished and remote regions of the developing country.
“This experience was life changing having the rewards of
being able to volunteer in a community and being welcomed into it as a member,
worker, friend and equal,” Hugh said.
“The smile it brought to the families’ faces and just being
able to experience the differing culture was indescribable.
“Working for a non-government organisation has always been
a passion of mine, but especially after this adventure I have become devoutly
passionate about working in the developing world.”
Hugh said young people had an “extraordinary amount of
power to make a difference”. “Our voice is very strong,” he said. “If we
stand up and actually speak we can make a difference.
“Especially with indigenous poverty and indigenous issues,
they are very complicated and I think it’s one of a few issues that I feel are
better handled by youth because it’s a different generation and we can look
beyond the path a bit easier.
“We’re the next leaders, we’re the way forward. In the
future the way we handle different situations will obviously be influenced by
how we have been brought up.”
Hugh’s upbringing and the role of his parents Christine and
Leigh has certainly influenced his outlook on life.
Hugh’s three older siblings have all travelled overseas to
volunteer.
His sister Anna, 25, is currently in Costa Rica
helping to build a school. She has also worked in Vietnam. Hugh’s brother Nick, 21,
is in India
doing aid work with a farming co-operative.
“It’s really important to give to other people in all sorts
of ways,” Mrs Bachmann said. “I guess you also grow spiritually by helping
other people.
“I think what’s important is that if you’ve had the
privilege to have had advantages and options in life that you don’t lose touch
and realise people haven’t had the same advantages as you.”