2018 – Build Our Youth KOA [Kaitiaki O Aotearoa]

To Parents of Our Youth

Same Climate Change message I repeated in 2017. Now already quarter way into 2018. Except getting a lot more serious. Just finished walking through Aotearoa end last year. Started 23 Sep 2017. Finished 31 Dec 2017. Roughly 2000km in 100 days. Signs around water, rivers and land conditions getting worse.

Year 2018 will bring more global uncertainty and climate shocks such as earthquakes happening more frequently here in New Zealand and overseas. Stress is affecting our kids more as they cope with increasing technology and social change. Technology is great until power-cuts happen and batteries go flat. Then we have to be self-sufficient and emotionally resilient. We can expect more turbulence in these forthcoming years to 2020 and beyond.

I believe in 3 month seasonal plans and updates as the frequency of climate change is happening a lot quicker.  We need to be more adaptable and creative in our readiness for life. Houses will get flooded. Power lines cut. Cyclones. Coastal chaos.

Here is a curriculum course that I be will running this year 2018 each school holidays.

KOA CURRICULUM FOR SHORT SURVIVAL READINESS FOR KIDS

A practical course for students aged 10 years and above teaching emergency thinking and survivor skills for suburban environments, wooded areas and rivers/beaches.

Objective 1. Assemble a mini survival kit.

Each student designs and assembles own mini-survival kit. Essentially a large pencil-case containing simple emergency items derived from $2Dollar shop. Items include plasters, bandage, small torch, handyman-tool, tape and emergency card. This kit stays at the bottom of the student’s school bag in case of emergency away from home.

Objective 2. Tying ropes and knots.

Students will be taught 3 types of knots.

–          A knot to tie a shelter down.

–          A knot to rescue a struggling person in need.

–          A knot to lash pieces of wood together.

–          Tying different ropes & improvised materials together in an emergency.

Objective 3. Erect an improvised shelter.

Students will be taught to construct an improvised shelter using knots and local materials found in car boots, garages and households. Bush shelter may be taught depending on proximity to native bush.

Objective 4. Cook a meal over small stove.

Students will cook a packet of noodles using either gas stove or small hexamine stove. Students will be shown fire-safety and cooking improvisation using local materials.

Objective 5. Sleeping outside OVERNIGHT.

Student will sleep outside overnight by erecting their own shelters, make sleeping space and make own food and drink. Students may be woken in middle of night and re-erect shelter as part of testing. Other little challenges may be added to test student resilience and humour.

Objective 6. SURVIVE 24 HOURS.

Students will undertake a 24hour guided survival exercise. Scenarios include: alone in open ground, alone in a building or alone in the bush. Students will incorporate all previous survival objectives plus create a personal mindpower-pack for the exercise. This mindpower-pack contains memories, words and feelings that give the student inner strength, courage and hope in an emergency.

Final Thoughts

My hope is that every 5 year old child who starts school from 2017 onwards has a survival kit in their small bag. They be taught calm breathing and simple mind drills as part of their school curriculum. Start simple but lovingly. Add more as they grow. Along with literacy, numeracy and other academic subjects. Their  world will be different to this one right now.

I have started a registered NZ charity C00528 called MANA TREE FUND to fund this type of survival resources and training for children. It has very little money but full of Mana right now. Nem mind, the Mana Tree will grow. Bigger then any Hedge Fund. Lol.

If you feel called to help, share & collaborate then just email me.