CATHOLIC social justice was on the minds of Year 6 students at St Ambrose’s School, Newmarket, who raised more than $1000 for Caritas Australia.
The group of students from the Year 6 pastoral leadership co-ordinated a series of fundraising activities that included bucket relays, a disco, guessing the cloud lollies competition, dot painting, a cupcake sale and three-legged relays.
St Ambrose’s Assistant Principal for Religious Education Tania Hurley said social justice was a significant part of the student’s Catholic education at the school.
Ms Hurley said the fund-raising drive always began with the launch of Project Compassion at St Stephen’s Cathedral.
“The school leaders, (what we call the pastoral group) is responsible for social justice for that particular term.
She said following the trip to the cathedral the group got together to look at the Project Compassion website and the stories about the individuals who needed help.
“We devoted a week to project compassion activities to do the drive,” she said.
“Each day we focused on one of the stories of one of the particular profiles.
“The girls came up with an activity to focus on something we could relate back to that particular person,” she said.
Year 6 pastoral leader Sophia Vassallo said she felt grateful for the opportunity to help the disadvantaged.
“(I’m) very thankful for going to the Project Compassion launch and supporting those who are in need to have a more insightful future,” she said.
“We hope that our support can spread all the love and generosity around the world to help these communities and their families.”
She said Caritas had done a great job helping other less fortunate, but it would not be as successful without everyone’s help.
“I’m glad we went out of our limits to help the people in need for just some simple priorities, especially clean water and education.
“All of us loved organising different activities for different people around the world.”
The Year 6 students embarked on a number of ventures to raise awareness for the projects.
“It ran for five days, and we helped people like Thandolwayo from Zimbabwe,” Ms Hurley said.
“She has to go miles to get buckets of water, so we had a bucket relay one day.
“There was a cupcake drive, which was about a mother and baby who needed support.
“There was an Indigenous dot-painting day for the indigenous representative.
“And then there was a disco as well,” she said.
Caritas justice educator Kerry Drysdale said the support of St Ambrose’s would enable thousands of people to access clean water, better health and education, and a more hope filled future.