In this week’s episode, Geoff is talking to Kohbi Barrow who was Finalist in the 2021 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards for Western Australia.
Kohbi Barrow, still 11 years old has been volunteering since he was 6. From volunteering to coach and referee games for under 8 soccer to volunteering at FeNaCING Festival he enjoys getting involved. He has researched, written and delivered RUOK speeches to hundreds of adults at Rio Tinto and FMG mine sites. He has raised money for the Hedland Cancer Support Group and Dolly’s Dream and continues to identify ways he can contribute to his community. In 2020, he started Operation School Stationery Swap where he collects end of year school stationery and shares with people who need it. He started an Elf Street Lolly Drive for our street as a count down and have been involved in cleaning up Sam’s Island and the container for change program, donating to SAFE. Kohbi is an active participant with Community activities such as art, photography and writing competitions and wants to do so much about raising awareness about support that bullies and the bullied needs.
In this episode:
- We hear how Kohbi finds ways to raise money – anything from organising walking challenges, baking cupcakes to his new Coffee Lid project.
- The statistics that form the Coffee Lid project are just terrible:
- 14 cents from every coffee, represents the age that Dolly took her life
- 96 minutes of the challenge, represents the 96 suicides in 2019 form 5 – 17 year olds
- The project is held on the 7th of each month, with the 7th representing the 7 signs of bullying
Links
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Transcript
Welcome to the inspirational australian’s podcast, where we check to people making a difference in their communities and in the lives of others. And here is your host for today. Jeff griffin. Welcome to the inspirational australian’s podcast stories of inspiring achievements and community contribution. Every week we will celebrate an award program category winner will find we hope you’ll be inspired and encouraged to know that australia is in good hands, together with our corporate partners and not for profit partners, awards, australia, showcase ordinary people from across australia. Doing extraordinary things. If you enjoy hearing the stories about inspirational australians, please subscribe. Write us and review us. We really appreciate it. My guest today is a very engaging and extraordinary young human is totally passionate and committed to make a difference in the lives of others, which is a wonderful fit for the seven years young achiever awards. And of course our inspirational australian podcast. So much so that the judges chose 11 year old kylie barot as a finalist in the shoes of what australia original service award. And when you listen to a story, you won’t believe just 11. It’s such an honor and a privilege to have you on the podcast today. Thank you for joining us and congratulations for all you do. Could be well done. Thank you. I mean, I’m really good. How are you going? Good. I hear you’re up to a bit of rugby on the weekend with your mates. That’s good. kobe, i have to say you certainly stole the hearts of the three hundred and fifty private limited guests in attendance at the pan-pacific for the awards presentation. At the end of May this year, yianni not long into being 11. So congratulations, you are a superstar and a great role model for everybody. Thank you. From memory you pretty hip delacey and very much looks like a cool dude. What was it a great experience for you? Oh, yes it was. I got to see like all the other people, how good they have done in their community. And I think they have some pretty amazing young people, some a little older than yourself, but people doing really cool things like you do. And it is pretty inspiring to hear their stories too. So what’s your favorite memory of the awards night or the awards process from getting to spend time with my dad and dressing up with him? So it looks pretty cool. dressed up today, does it? Yep. And what was it like being nominated? It must have been nice to have that recognition. Yeah, it was nice and it was like the meetings that I got to have the opportunity to, you know? Yeah. You started volunteering when you were just six years old. What motivated you to start helping people? My mom and dad always been there for me and helping me and say I can do it. Yeah, well that’s a, that’s an important thing is having positive reinforcement, having positive positivity in your life. And that’s what you would do to try to create positivity, promote and help people like yourself doing terrific stuff. So can you talk us through some of the volunteering you’ve contributed to so far, particularly when starting way back. When you were just six years old, I donated to the virgin lichee for the people that were as advantaged as our people say. Will be from my school for the website. And I raised a hundred sixty one dollars and cupcakes for those dream. Who made the come to me? My mom makes the best cupcakes. Your mom. I think you have a bit more practice and maybe you better take over that mantle. Yeah. So what, what motivated you to start actually doing this stuff? I would to help people and be there for them if they needed me. That’s pretty cool . Not a bad way to live your life. Is it to think about this and be there for people. You’ve won lots of awards, could be a selfless giving and we’re a finalist in the recent kubra, the purpose awards. And I believe your Brother actually won that award so giving must run in the family. Yeah, it does because everyone’s nice. And because my brother has same business that he’s like really nice people and my mom and dad and most people say it’s really giving family my family. Oh that’s, that’s sensational. It really must be very proud of your. Yeah, I am. That’s, that’s awesome. What’s your brother’s business is business is Shelby right. Is where he goes through his process of getting eggs from local cafes and then crushing them and making them into a special powder that you put on your plants to help them grow and also conduct some worms. So it goes better. Yeah, that’s how a Brother is. Right. Yeah. And that is good. His own little business. That’s pretty cool. If you want the headline youth involvement, cancel 12 to 17 year old category to tell us about that award and what was it for? What did you win the award for? Said the award was for leadership in the community because I really love leadership for the community and I help everyone that I can and be are good to it. Fantastic. So we don’t do what you do just so that you can win awards, but it must be really nice to be recognized. And for people to give you that pat on the back to say, you know, you’re doing a great job. Yes, a nice feeling to have that happen and it’s good role modeling for other people to say, you know what people notice when we do good things and I do appreciate it. So that’s, that’s really cool as well. And kypri, i believe your school captain as well. What do you have to do? What’s some of your responsibility? I have to be a leader. I can’t mess up if I be naughty like, I shouldn’t be naughty because for me to be ugly about, I have to be good at everything I can’t give up and I can’t be a bad sport and anything I do really, So I have to show good leadership well I think there’s something in that for our politicians and business leaders isn’t that you can’t be that you need to do the right thing. Set an example, that’s a big part of leadership is a big part of it is showing and leading by example. And being the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. What’s your plans for the future? What do you want to be when you leave school? Probably a politician or scientist to sound like you could make a very good politician. So scientist or politician, i wish you Well nonsecure for you also a bit of an artist and you had your own art exhibition. I believe. Can you tell us about that? Part of this program could such as arts program together i think photos and get better at photography and try to learn how to do it when I’m older. And I had a exhibition, i think last Friday you could see that I was in the photo or I took the photo on the screen. It was cool. So you’re a photographer on the side as well. Yeah. What type of camera do you have? We just use the cannon once, and that’s pretty amazing. What’s your favorite type of thada to type? Do you have anything in particular? You like to play? Like I get to play and then I go to photoshop and I’m like, I photoshop my head out and then put the Play in the parts of looks. Cool. That’s very cool. You have to teach me how to do that. I have to turn the computer on now, but that’s about it. Maybe I need to go to the next level. Sounds like you’re the guy. You’re pretty, pretty smart guys because you’ve competed in a national and an international math competition. And you finish in the top 10 percent. That’s pretty cool, isn’t it? It was like a hundred thousand people in one of them which was really scary. And I still got 15, which was really cool. I got 50. It is very cool. Yeah. And I didn’t know what it was about twenty thousand people, and I finish in the top 10 appraisal. That’s so I can see where your idea of becoming scientists stems from. That’s very, very cool. And it’s also pretty cool that you’re in a chat, that you are a change champion for the high commissioner for children. What does that mean? What do you have to do that? At the end of every time I, we have to make a story up like a paragraph of last year. It was, do boys or girls get equally treated? And this time it was, do they get equal treatment? And what’s the answer? What did you find out? I did boys to get as equally treated at my school because like they don’t really get treated well if a go was something that the girl doesn’t get as much trouble as if a boy did it. Well, that’s interesting. That’s been a little while since I’ve been at school, but I seem to remember it was probably the opposite side. Unfortunately, it seems that when we get older, maybe goes the other way around a bit in the workplace. But certainly as a youngster, it’s a good observation. And do you think the commissioner for children takes on board what you and other change champions have? So yeah, I think they do. Yeah, that’s good. Well, it’s worth putting in time effort and making your contribution to change processes and so on. So that’s awesome. Can you understand mum lost your two unborn sisters during pregnancy in twenty nineteen and has ptsd and high functioning anxiety is a result that must have been really, really tough time for your family. Yeah, it is because sometimes you can get sad and anxious, and I don’t really like when what happens because it makes me feel a bit sad. Yeah, understandably, it would too. And would have been the very, very, very hard for your mum and dad to lose little ones. So we can certainly understand. So it sounds like you’re there for, for mum. Yeah. What special things do you do for mum? So let’s make cupcakes. You do the dishes and stuff. Yeah, I hope my little sister dakota. How dakota? She’s like 20 months. 20 months. Wow. That’s pretty, pretty cool. So she’s just running around now. Getting, getting into everything. Yeah. Yes, it’s interesting when the little ones I get a bit older, you’ve got to stop, i can sort of climb up and things like to put things up. And then when they start walking, you got to put things up even higher. You make little things in their mouth and stuff. So sounds like you’re a big help with your, with dakota. So that’s, that’s awesome. And I believe you had to put up with some bullying, bullying as well, which is pretty tough. bullying is really nasty and people who are not nice people . How do you deal with that? I just go to my mom, don’t tell them what happened and then they tell me how to avoid it. But ignore the bully. And then that’s how I like it better for me. Yeah, I think bullies are often jealous the tales that you did good stuff. And that’s the way to feel better is to try to make other people look bad, which is very sad. So the key thing I think is to understand that they don’t necessarily mean it because their life might be not that I’d see that life has been as good as yours and they’re really jealous. So in some ways being bullied is a positive thing for people being bullied because they need to realize and understand that they’re better off and try not to take offence. batard when he isn’t about to tell you this. Because we really worried about what people think about us and whether we’re doing something good or bad right or wrong, or whether we are the best at whatever it was. So it’s hard not to take it personally, but the key thing is to remember that you’re probably a better person barring some pretty exciting news is that you’ve just started a coffee project to raise awareness of the effects of bullying in the first ever event is coming up across the pilbara towns on August seven. Tell us about what coffield project is and what you’re aiming to do. So, the project is where local cafes around tom price and kolff for heaven. If they wanted to donate 14 cents of every coffee for nine six minutes, which is 14 cents was how old was when he took our life. And in the nicest way, this is how much kids took their own life in 2013 for five to 17 year olds. So ninety six young people held five to seventeen, five to seventeen, took their lives in twenty nineteen ninety six kids. Are you asking people to ninety six minutes to be involved on the seventh of every month to help provide the service for the citizens? Boy? Oh, that’s cool. So it’s really all connected, isn’t it? Pouring rain, for instance, was how old kelly was ninety six minutes. How many people died or took their own lives in that period. So there’s some really great connections there to remind people about these things. Also trying to go international because andrew bezzina inspiration, you know, he’s an inspiration to me. He places across the world to raise awareness and then so it inspired me to do what he did and I for international of this which I will be so fantastic if it goes like, well, going to national, lucky to. So you’re looking to raise awareness of the seven signs of bullying and to help stop bullying. Yeah, that’s very cool. bullying is rampant. It is way too bad. In schools, especially in schools and social media a bit too. I think if people get bullied people think that tough, but they’re not really doing that. So I think what doing is brilliant. And of course, part of the reason that you became a finalist in the regional service award could undermine that truly fantastic. And I think going international is a really great I, so I wish you all, all the very best and hopefully we’ll continue to hear more about how that’s going to keep us posted on that. Now if you’ve got good support from the community, but also your local mp and tom price, who’s that and what the, how do I help? So he’s peter foster and he mentioned me at parliament about my coffee project and also my brother. So the commercial purpose award and also where I go to Tom price to thank them for the local companies that have for me he to see a photo of me and says, well, I hope he continues to help promote what you’re doing because it sounds doesn’t sound that is really important, and hopefully it builds strongly in the pilbara and then spreads across the world. So it’s good to have. Now, you mentioned andrew bannister, of course, he won an award at the seven years young achiever awards in May. You attended as well? He is a true inspiration, you’re quite right. I had the pleasure of having a chat to him after the event finished. And he is doing some amazing things and it’s wonderful to pick up on some of these role models. Are you part of awards, alumni group? I am fantastic, so I keep looking on there because there are some good stories and I believe, I think you’ve promoted your, your project having you on there as well. Yeah. So that’s cool to continue to ask people to be involved across the community and across the awards alumni, which is set up for past and present finalists and winners of the award. So to great community connect and opportunity to brainstorm and get people involved. We talked about your brother’s little business, so you’re really a very entrepreneurial family. And I know you’ve done a number of awards as we talked about before going back to when you were nominated at the table. What was the main thing you got out of being nominated? I love that I could get like others the way they need to be helped and if they are disadvantaged, i can give them the help they need. Yeah, and the young achiever awards are not too far away from opening again for next year’s program. Would you encourage people to nominate someone if they have seen them be nice to other people or then they could nominate that person because they are a real inspiration to community? Yes, but they are and it’s great. It’s a great feeling for someone to nominate someone else as well because you’re doing a really cool thing. It’s the same as you helping people feel good about that. They love helping people and that makes you feel good too to see them benefit. And it’s the same thing when you nominate someone, it’s a great feeling to know that you’re going to make someone feel important and valued . So if any of our listeners would like to find out how to nominate someone or more about sponsor partnership opportunities, drop me an email at chess awards, australia dot com. gee, what’s australia dot com or check out the awards australia dot com website to find out more? Remembering those nominations will be open again. So covid what? Something that we might not know about you then really sporty. Yeah, you talked about rugby before we got on air and I mentioned that. So what, what other sports do you like? I like soccer afl, tennis, hockey, golf and athletics. Pretty much everything. Yeah, probably the best. What do you wonder if you could probably either rugby or suckhole athletics. OK, so in rugby, what position do you have a particular position at this stage that you fancy further? I have no idea what that means, but I think I’ve heard it said that an important position in the team. What soccer? Because we just had the big soccer, not so long ago over in Europe. What’s your favourite position? So, so right midfield or goalkeeper, goalkeeper, they call it different positions. What do you think you’re better at? Poorly goalkeeper, coach? Cottonmouth running around there are certainly better devinney. hobbies or other passions, other than like playing with my friends like My or my cousins. So I get to chefdom because I in quezon. Ok. Well that’s a good thing about the Internet, isn’t it? Yeah, I connect with people that, that are far away. And during covid, i guess people are not allowed to travel overseas to see family, at least, to have some nice opportunity time to, to talk to family must be tough times for people who have family overseas or loved ones that they can’t see and connect with. That could be, there must be times when you feel a bit like you do so much in the community to help others. There must be some times when you’re not feeling on top of things. What do you do to help bounce back when I come to my dad or mom? Because then they help me or I just like, relax the rest of it and then I hike up and then get better. Well, I think that’s good advice for everybody because when we are feeling low and we all do that we don’t always want to admit it. But talk to someone, whether it be mom or dad or a friend or partner or whoever, it might be just chat and sometimes I think correct me if I’m wrong, it doesn’t necessarily have to be about much in particular, but just to talk to someone. And I think young people these days get a bit lost to talking online and not talking in person. It takes some time. And I think that can be a real problem. You just need to communicate in person with someone, even if it’s some time to try to have a chat feeling like better to just chat and communicate but creatures that need interaction, personal interaction with you that way. And we have to do that. I think, I think that’s great advice for you and sometimes to recharge. It’s just a matter of taking a break. As you said, just relax. Do something you really like doing that’s not connected to what your passion is or what your work or your volunteering is. So I think that that’s great advice for everybody listening so well done. And I think you go too far with that attitude and I just want to applaud your family as well. Again, because I had really good grounding and a really good platform to for greatness, which is why you do so much at such a young age already and not many 11 year olds make the finals in the world. I have to say very rare. So be very proud of who you are. Do you have any other words of wisdom from listeners? You’re pretty intelligent man. Have any other words of wisdom that might help our listeners? Not. So just go back any time you can and you need to talk to like some of that you can trust. Not something that could potentially the person that hurt your feelings . It definitely don’t talk to them because they’re always going to run you down and give you negativity when it’s not deserved. What about in life? What, what kind of help people is in terms of being motivated to continue what they do? Tell them they can do it or you could tell them that good job. You can try again another time. Yeah, I think it’s important for people to believe in themselves and most of us have way too many doubts about our own ability or capability. In fact, if, in fact I get asked because I get the good privilege of traveling around the country, meeting so many young people for each of our Good programs in every state and territory and people ask me, what’s one common thing that I find with young people who are achieving excellence? I always say probably the one thing is that young people haven’t learnt to see yet . They’re not afraid to make mistakes or take risks or do things. As we get older, one of the sad things. And it sounds like your parents are pretty cool and don’t do this, but a lot of people want to tell you that that won’t work. Don’t try that. That’s no good. And we learn to see it learn to see failure. And that’s the one thing with young people like you that don’t have the discipline to get out there and do good things. works are not so good for you and good for your Brother and for your mom and dad and sister as well. I think you’re a great example of a great family and being well positioned to take on the challenges and be able to bounce back when things don’t always work or go to plan. People give you a bit of a hard time can be where can listeners connect with you online or get involved in your projects? On my facebook page, which is good, kirby says, notably, skype says no bullying and its can be I and I certainly encourage listeners to get up to that facebook page and like skype says, no to bullying. Can you have anything else you want to add? We haven’t said that you want to mention before we finish today. I just want to say thank you for this opportunity. And like I know a lot of you can get the chance to say thank you for my absolute pleasure. purpose in our business is to try to make a difference and be able to promote awareness for the things that people like you do so that the world can be a better place, starting with local communities and building a bigger and bigger. And I know that you’ll be bigger and bigger. I can’t wait to 10 years time when the projects all over the world, everybody’s really focused on stopping bullying and not being afraid to tell police to stop kobe. It’s been a real pleasure to have you on the podcast. I really enjoyed talking to you an absolute inspiration and a young champion. Thanks so much for sharing some of your story with us. It’s been really great. Thank you. Have a nice day. Thanks to you too. And I hope everybody listeners enjoyed hearing this story as well. I challenge everyone listening to pi at least five compliments every single day this week. And please email me and let me know that you have and what those compliments were if you’re happy too, of course. So that email, again, just chey jeffard autotrader.com, and I’m might be about helping boeing. But please, I’m going to put that challenge out there this week. And it’s been a passion of mine every day of my life since I was 20 to pay five compliments a day every single day. So I please drop me a line, let me know the five compliments that you’ve paid every day this week or at least that you’ve done it. I’d be pretty wrex to hear from you. So until next week be kind and remember together we make a difference. I hope you enjoyed today’s interview as much as I had. We would love you to subscribe to our podcast that you won’t miss an episode showing each week as we talk with ordinary australians. achieving extraordinary things. Did you know that awards australia is a family owned business that proudly makes a difference in the lives of those that make a difference for others? And we thank our corporate not for profit partners to making award programs possible to, you know, someone that’s making a difference. Or maybe your business might like to sponsor an award. Contact us through our instagram page, inspirational dot australians, head to our website, awards australia dot com. Would be great if you could share this site with your network. Because who doesn’t like a good news story, and please write and review us. We would really love to hear your thoughts until next week. Stay safe and remember together we make a difference. Thanks for joining us today from the inspirational australian’s podcast. We hope you enjoyed listening and have been inspired by ordinary australians achieving extraordinary things. So it’s goodbye for another week. Remember together we make a difference.
