Kuala Lumpur, you were great!

Wow. What an experience this has been. I am feeling so incredibly lucky to have had such an amazing experience with people who deserve endless respect and who I am in absolute awe of. Thank you Maddison O'Gradey-Lee Ahmad Nisar Orygen Lucy Varley Craig Hodges

Even as a self-proclaimed word-fiend, I’m struggling to find the words to describe this experience. To describe the community and connection built within such a short space of time, despite such vastly different cultures and contexts. Despite all coming from completely different walks of life and the fact that our experiences are all so incredibly diverse… never have I felt more ‘right’.

Ferdinand (travel frog) at Batu Caves

A year ago, I wouldn’t have envisioned myself travelling at all. The trip I took to Melbourne in November ‘24 felt indescribably terrifying… because it really was. That in itself was a huge step in gaining independence. To think that not even a year on I travelled internationally to pitch Integrity Initiative (my own charity in the making) to the Malaysian Ministry of Health at the National Centre of Excellence in Mental Health… quite literally, speechless.

As a Lived Experience advocate, it is a lot of work, usually with little to no reward. I am not paid, I get far more rejection than success, and I rarely get a break from constant dilemmas and decisions (I have already faced plenty since landing in Perth yesterday arvo). I pour in hours and hours (days, weeks, months and so on…) of unpaid emotional, physical and mental labour, only to face challenge after challenge. It is truly the hardest job in the world, not just emotionally but also because of the stigma and constant resistance. Love what I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world, but I rarely see people talk about the sacrifices it requires.

The ASEAN-Pacific fellowship - and in particular the in-person forum - was one of those experiences that reminds me why. That makes the hard work, theory, applications and project proposals feel like it’s coming to something real.

Rachael, Minh, Steph, Tina and Jhonathan outside the Malaysian Ministry of Health. Tina and Jhonathan are wearing cultural attire, whilst Rachael is wearing her Integrity Initiative shirt.

Advocates thrive when exposed to contexts, opinions and views that challenge and extend outside of their comfort zone - and this certainly did. We can become so stuck in our silos and echo-chambers. It is very easy to lose sight of the wider world and broader scope that exists externally. Thankfully this opportunity was a reminder of life beyond.

Katie, YuHang, and Rachael at the top of the 272 steps of Batu caves. Rachael and YH are wearig their green and orange Orygen tops, and Katie is wearing a white blouse. They are stood together, smiling at the camera.

Though I could talk at length about what this experience has looked like, I will instead share a couple of my learnings (some of which were more comfortable than others). This trip wasn’t about the novelty - nor was it a ‘holiday’ (what are those?) - it was an opportunity for growth, development, hard work, and understanding the meaning of community.

1. Mental health challenges are universal. I gained a new level of insight into the different contexts and backgrounds facing mental health advocates and a new-found appreciation for the fact that we CAN talk about mental health here in Australia. I saw that the same barriers can rear their heads in different and diverse ways… but I also saw that there are similar barriers, attitudes, disparities, prejudices, experiences and oppressive systems regardless. That people are all connected over a uniting factor - the human condition.

2. I am incredibly appreciative of the Lived Experience movement in Australia and what it has allowed us to do. That I am able to work in a Lived Experience designated role amongst people I relate to and genuinely respect. That whilst Australia is FAR from where we need it to be, the hard work of advocates thus far means that we are able to speak about mental health far more openly than many others are.

3. Australia’s reputation as having a fantastic healthcare system makes it easy to dismiss the injustices that occur, and means that a lot of malpractice and iatrogenic harm can be swept under the rug… brushed off under the premise that it would “never happen in Australia” (news flash: it does!!)

4. That I am more capable than I believe myself to be, and that my project (@integrity_initiative) has merit. That I am not just ‘winging it’ and that I know what I’m doing, what is within my power, AND what is not.

5. That I am not alone in this journey, as much as it feels like I am at times. That other people like myself exist, and that there are many fighting adjacent battles to the one that I am in WA.

The group played a game throwing around a ball of wool to represent their interconnection with one another. Pictured is the green wool, which is intersecting and crossing over from multiple directions.

Thank you to the fellows - Katie, Reian Mark Tamayo , Nherry Jane Caaya , Tina Afiqah , YuHang Toh , Rungrot Tatiyawongwiwat , Jhonatan Yuditya Pratama, BSN , Le Minh Han , senkosal, Niang Sian Lawh Lun (Agnes) , Steph, Joshua Lato , Izzat Zaidi , and Vanisa (Nita) S.. So much love for you all, I am so incredibly grateful to each one of you and I can’t wait to see you achieve the success you deserve.

Minh, Nherry, Bond, Reian, Tina and Rachael (aka the 'suits club'... with Bond posing as an imposter) smiling and holding peace signs to the camera

Thank you for sharing some of your culture with me. It has been a pleasure to hear your stories, traditions, histories, cultures and to truly feel connected to you like family. Thank you deeply, genuinely, truly.

Thank you to the Orygen Global team - Maddison O'Gradey-Lee , Ahmad Nisar, Iz, Lucy Varley , and Craig Hodges . YOU made this trip what it was. YOU created a safe space.

Especially to you Maddison O'Gradey-Lee and Nataya Branjerdporn - this fellowship is your baby, and it is so fantastic to see what you have made it. Thank you for being such a fantastic leader and for giving us all a boost of confidence in a world that often fails to see us.

Rachael chatting with the Orygen Global team at the post-pitch, end-of-forum celebration party

Here are some gorgeous pictures from the trip with some of the even more gorgeous humans. Note - these are the first of MANY you will be seeing. I certainly got a bit too excited as designated photographer!

Thank you for the most incredible trip - an opportunity of a lifetime that I will never forget.

Your Aussie sister, Rachael xx