“Fear has the dangerous potential of keeping us shackled to one place and away from progressing in life,” says Nadreen Bagoun, with Ka Joog.
This summer, Wilderness Inquiry formed a partnership with Ka Joog (meaning ‘stay away’ in Somali), a nonprofit organization founded by members of the Somali immigrant community in Minneapolis.
Ka Joog focuses on providing meaningful after-school, weekend and summer activities to engage Somali youth in positive activities and build a strong support network for their futures in the US. In June, WI facilitated a camping and canoeing adventure at Lake Elmo for 40 Somali American youth, staff and volunteers from Ka Joog. For many of them, this was their first outdoor education experience ever.
“Between Somalia and the US there is little in common. Of that, camping is not a part. As a result, the activity of camping lies outside the comfort zone of many Somali Americans,” explains Nadreen Bagoun, a Ka Joog volunteer.
Mary Mallinger, a WI trail guide on the trip, knew that most of the participants had not been canoeing before but was unsure as to how nervous they felt about being on the water. “A lot of them had informed me that they couldn’t swim and that they were genuinely terrified to be in a boat. I noticed a few of them sending up a quick prayer. The canoeing trip could not have gone better; the water was calm, the wind was patient, and we even had a few canoe races once everyone felt comfortable in the boats.”
Mohamed Farah, Executive Director of Ka Joog, circled the group after the paddle to reflect on the day. He thanked everyone for participating and said that this was likely the very first time that 40 Somalis had ever canoed together. One of the participants stepped forward slightly and proudly exclaimed:
Today is the day we make…” and, as if on cue, all of the other participants immediately joined in and shouted: HISTORY!
The camping trip served as practice for a future where the ability to adjust to a different lifestyle is an indispensable skill,” says Bagoun.
WI is thrilled to collaborate with Ka Joog to positively develop the youth in our community.
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