KEMBALI NATURE-BASED PROGRAMMES FOR GIRLS
No barefooted, tree climbing, frog holding, mud pie baking, cloud spotting, puddle stomping, bird calling, wild foraging, moon gazing, firefly chasing, fort building, creek following, rock hunting moment with Mother Nature is ever wasted.
– Nicolette Sowder
Oct 2022 Half Term Custom programmes for Girls
Get in touch with us about booking a specially curated re-wilding experience for your girls & friends during the half-term period.
Guiding your girls
Hello, I'm Jasmine, and I consider myself an apprentice of the Earth.
I grew up in the Hong Kong countryside and was born to a mother who allowed us to wander and play in the wilds of our village.
I was blessed enough to have the experience of playing unsupervised (at least by human eyes) in the natural world, and that wild relationship I unconsciously cultivated at that age is what led me to work for animal welfare NGO's, environmental conservation groups, and eventually in setting up Kembali as a pathway in offering experiences that facilitate a remembering of what it feels like to fall back in love with our ancient, raw, primordial mother, the Earth.
I get it - I get what its like to live in this city, where it feels like you never get a break. I know how it feels to have conflicting values, in a land that is so heavily influenced by the East & the West. I understand how hard it is to balance what feels right, and true, while figuring out how to pay the bills. I know that feeling of loathing when you've eaten so well during the day, then thought 'nah...' and grabbed that bag of doritos (and felt terrible after).
I also know what true belonging feels like, the kind of acceptance that feels unbelievable, too good to be true. I have glimpses into moments where I adore myself, wholeheartedly. There are times I love and thank my body, for moving me steadily and safely through the Earth. I have moments where I feel so pulled towards a purpose I cannot help but run blindly to it. In full trust that whatever happens along the way, I am safe, even if I crash and burn!
My belief is that the Earth dreamed each of us into being. We were born from this world to deliver and share our magic, as medicine for our time. You are here for a gift that you hold, and we need you to share that gift.
This is what I wish to share with your daughters. A remembering of their gifts, a sense of belonging, of true acceptance, a way to navigate through challenges, to adore themselves so wholeheartedly that the person next to them can't help but fall in love with themselves too. To love the Earth unconditionally, as she loves us.
I do this because this is what the Earth did for me.
I thank you for the privilege of trusting me in guiding your girls.
I am a humble student of the Earth, and thankfully have had many incredible teachers who have helped me along the way.
I am trained and certified in:
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Masters in Counselling
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Wilderness First Aid Responder
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Nature & Forest Therapy Guide
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Rites of Passage Facilitator
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ICF Certified Transformational Coach
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Level 3 Forest School Leader
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Eco-Therapy Practice
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Permaculture Designer
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Vision Quest Protector
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Mindfulness Practice
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Forever student of Bushcraft & Survival skills
FAQ
Where are the programmes held?
We will be based on Hong Kong Island, unless agreed otherwise. We will be exploring similar locations, but with plenty of diversity in tracks we can choose to take.
Generally for all 4-day programmes, the meeting locations will be:
Mon - Braemar Hill Road (North point)
Tues - Tai Tam Reservoir (South entrance)
Thurs - Tai Tam Reservoir (South entrance)
Fri - Braemar Hill Road (North Point)
Privately organised programmes will vary and be arranged according to the group and suitability of time, location, experience.
FAQ
Why girls only?
Whether we identify with being a 'girl' or a 'boy', sometimes we can become stuck in an identity which others, and we ourselves feel is appropriate to show the world. We learn to put 'masks' on in order to fit into what society or culture tells us is accepted.
A big part of these programmes is acknowledging that certain spaces are viewed to be 'masculine' and others viewed as 'feminine'. The outdoors and bushcraft can often be viewed as something girls don't really do, when it can be one of the most beautiful ways in which girls and women can flourish, connect and feel empowered. By running these programmes reserved for girls, we allow for safety and time for them to explore aspects of themselves through bushcraft & Earth skills, that may not always have been accessible to them in larger groups where they may not have been provided with the space to nourish these wild parts of themselves.
FAQ
What happens when it rains?
We get wet!
Rainy days can offer incredible, new and exciting experiences that transform our relationship to the outdoors, as well as our own bodies. Spending time in Nature when it rains can:
- Heighten our senses - noticing changes in temperature, smell, the feeling of rain, an opportunity we don't often get when we are often told to get inside or under the umbrella.
- Increase Body Awareness & Self-Regulation - This is an important opportunity for the girls to notice what it is they need, and how to regulate themselves physically and emotionally. Whether its to put on another layer to stay warm, find a tree to stand under. This is a chance to check in with ourselves and notice.
- Build Compassion - Rain is often referred to as 'bad' weather, or that it hinders us from doing what we want. Experiencing rain can also bring about compassion, understanding that it nourishes the land, the animals and us.
- Raise Awe & Wonder - A rainy day in Nature offers a window into a world many don't often get to see, what animals come out in the rain, the way the light and temperature changes, the smells brought by the rain falling on the soil.
- Strengthen Community - There's nothing more effective at bringing people together than huddling for shelter in the rain, or splashing joyfully in puddles!
The most important thing is that we are prepared and have the right gear to keep us comfortable and warm.
In the event of a thunderstorm, we will always guide your girls to shelter and remain under the safest location.
For more details of severe weather condition procedures, please visit:
https://www.kembali.org/understanding-daughtersoftheearth
FAQ
What if my daughter has joined a programme before, can she join again?
She can absolutely join again!
The experiences and skills offered through our programmes are specifically designed so they can be, and need to be cultivated over a period of time. Fire making, whittling, knot tieing and connection with Nature is not a one-off experience to be had, it is a relationship we continue to develop intrinsically as well as externally with the people around us and the Earth herself.
We will be continually exploring new locations around Hong Kong, and developing our skills further with your daughters. Those who have joined before will be able to deepen their skill and experience level, as well as get a taste of guiding and supporting others as they may learn for the first time.
And as Pocahontas said 'You can't step in the same river twice". Nature is constantly evolving, moving, changing, as are we. So no two experiences in Nature can ever be the same.
FAQ
Eeerrr... what about safety?
When guiding the girls, our TOP priority is their safety, physically & emotionally. There is always an element of risk in everything that we do,
Part of our role is not to point out every single potential danger there is to the girls, but to support them in developing skills that will enable them to assess risk themselves, so that even when we're not around, they have the skills and opportunity to be able to discern what feels like a healthy risk, and potential danger.
By building and strengthening this skill in risk assessment, we allow them to gain experience and confidence in listening to their own bodies and trust their intuition so that this can be applied in any and all environments.
Here are some of the many ways we mitigate harm, and risk:
- We carry a comprehensive first aid kit around with us
- We gather information beforehand about your child's medical history & any special needs they may have
- Your guide has attended outdoor and wilderness first aid training almost every year for the last 8 years!
- 90% of the work and experience we carry is to prevent an incident from ever happening. It's all in the prep!
- We carry a compass, map and GPS enabled phone so we can always communicate our location in the event of an emergency
- Your child will never be forced to do anything they do not feel comfortable with. There is a fine line between empowering them to stretch their comfort zones, and forcing them into an experience they are not ready for. Our safety includes not only keeping your child safe physically but also taking care of their emotional well-being.
Contact us about a bespoke programme if the dates and schedules do not suit your girls
We would be delighted to co-create bespoke programmes for your girls so that we can curate the opportunities for the experiences that would bring them joy and wholehearted belonging to this wild Earth.
Each programme will adhere to the social distancing regulations in place at the time of the programme, and we will only take a max of 6 girls being aware to create space between small groups with safety being our first priority.