Year 9 student Asad from The Radclyffe School, who is also a member of the Oldham Youth Council, recently took part in a profound trip to Poland as part of the Listen to the Earth project, which focuses on Holocaust education.
Along with his fellow councillors and Oldham Theatre Workshop, he visited the historic town of Oświęcim, home to the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps.
Asad, who was elected as a youth councillor by his peers in Oldham, is passionate about representing the voices of young people.
“In the Youth Council, we get to send letters to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, suggesting improvements to the manifesto,” Asad explained.
“We represent the young people of Oldham, so we take their requests and present them to the Council or directly to the government.”
During the trip, Asad and the group spent five days in Oświęcim, where they visited the powerful and moving sites of Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau. They also had the chance to explore a museum dedicated to Holocaust education.
Asad reflected on the emotional impact of the visit, “When we explored Oswiecim and Krakow, I felt really excited and curious. But when we visited the concentration camps and learned the history of this genocide, I felt upset and angry.”
After their time in Oświęcim, the group made their way to Krakow, where they visited museums and explored the city.
But for Asad, the journey was much more than sightseeing. The experience changed his perspective on life.
“I’ve honestly learnt so much from this trip that I can say my life has changed,” he reflects. “It made me really grateful for the simple things in life, like having food on the table. While I was in Poland, I learned that many people didn’t have these basic necessities, and it made me appreciate everything I have so much more.”
Asad’s journey to Poland not only deepened his understanding of history but also gave him a new sense of gratitude, which he carries with him every day.
We at The Radclyffe School are so proud of Asad for embracing this incredible opportunity and for the maturity and reflection he showed throughout the experience.
His journey is a reminder of the power of travel and education to change lives—and we can’t wait to see how this experience continues to shape him in the future.