Our Surrey OANH is having very poor participation from teenagers. As an NSG project leader, our NSG coordinator, Mr. Abdul Salehzai and I decided to develop young NSG Leaders. Getting students into projects in Surrey had a bottleneck problem; the Surrey School District, however, restricted giving students direct money for fear of misuse.
However, the Surrey School District Authorities agreed to let students undertake the Community Leadership, provided that their teachers take responsibility for their cash flow. I contacted L A Matheson School teachers, who were very supportive, and we organized a project in support of First Nation students’ reconciliation.
The project theme was “Indigenous Dreams Rising.” We selected a First Nation girl by the name Mikaela. She is an exceptionally talented leader with an amazing ability to lead. Mikaela came up with the Idea of gathering students from various backgrounds to paint in solidarity, expressing what each felt regarding reconciliation for the brutal suffering they had been subjected to in the past.
The 2025 project was so successful that we are beginning to see the ripple effects. For the year 2026, three students have joined and made applications.
L A Matheson School First Nation Student Community Reconciliation Project, funded by Vancouver Foundation / NGS and sponsored by OANH, Surrey, BC, in November 202.
