In the lead up to Mother’s Day on Sunday, we’d like to share Tara’s story. A passionate Act for Peace fundraiser doing our Trek for Refugees in August, she’s one of the many mums in our community doing their part to create a better, more peaceful world for future generations.
Words by Emma Brophy, Act for Peace team
Tara lives with her daughter in a little town called Jabiru in the Northern Territory.
She knows she’s got the power to help change the world, and she’s prepared to work hard to make sure it happens.
Tara says one of the biggest motivations for fundraising for refugees is so she can help create a better, more peaceful world for her daughter. Credit: Act for Peace
Tara is gearing up to take part in our Trek for Refugees in August, where she’ll join 16 like-minded strangers on a 7-day hike of the iconic Larapinta Trail, to raise funds and walk in solidarity with refugees and displaced people around the world.
It’s the first fundraising event of its kind for Act for Peace – and for Tara – who’s done the Ration Challenge for the last few years. She says it’s a step up from anything she’s done before.
“I’m completely out of my comfort zone! It’s all new to me.”
While scenically spectacular, the journey through the Larapinta will no doubt be a physically and emotionally demanding one. Despite all this, Tara jumped at the opportunity.
“I didn’t give it a second thought”, she says.
“My whole life I’ve been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, and a lot of that stems from feeling helpless about the problems in the world; like I can really do anything about it. So that’s why I first started fundraising for refugees.”
“I’ve just always felt like I’m really lucky to live in Australia. And that’s all that separates me from refugees, just luck, I’m just lucky to be born here.”
With a few years’ experience under her belt doing the Ration Challenge, Tara is mastering the art of fundraising — she’s already close to hitting her $5k goal!
But aside from raising money, she says the trek gives her an entry point to talk more about refugees with people in Australia and help change peoples’ perspectives.
“I think we can all agree that refugees can be a bit of a tricky subject. I guess there’s just a stigma attached to the word refugee. So, I like talking to people about it and trying to give them a different perspective. I think it does open eyes, and it does help”.
On top of this, Tara says her daughter is a big motivator for why she wants to do the trek.
“I just want her to grow up in a peaceful world, and in a world that has hope. We see a lot of negativity, I just want her to grow up with hope, with love, and just feeling good about the world we live in.”
This Sunday is Mother’s Day and I want to share this story to celebrate the many mothers and role models in our lives like Tara, passing down strength, courage and wisdom to future generations.
While sometimes change might feel impossible, with the right tools, we can do something really meaningful.
That might be trekking the Larapinta Trail, or everyday actions, like teaching our children to be compassionate and empathetic beings.