8 February 2019

Two recent St Bede’s College, Mentone, graduates won’t be spending their gap year cavorting around Europe like some of their peers – instead they’re lending a hand in a remote Aboriginal community.

Gerard Kelly and Ryan Vaux, part of St Bede’s graduating class of 2018, are volunteering with the Lasallian Mission Council in Balgo, which is in the Kimberley region, more than 3100km from Perth.

Seven languages are spoken in Balgo and it’s among the most disadvantaged communities in the country due to its isolation. Kelly and Vaux will help Luurnpa Catholic School classrooms with literacy and numeracy support, preparing nutritious lunches for students and more.

‘I am looking forward to enjoying new experiences, meeting new people, making new friends, helping others and learning more about Indigenous culture’, Kelly said.

Vaux said he had a passion for travelling around Australia and helping the less fortunate.

‘The reason I decided to become a volunteer in 2019 is to spend a year where I can use what I learnt in school to help teach others, and to develop my skills for the future’, Vaux said.

‘I’m super keen to develop friendships with new people from across Australia who are a part of this Lasallian volunteer journey in 2019.’

This article was originally published in the Moorabbin Leader on 6 February 2019.