Catholic Social Teachings at work

Did you know that millions of people in our world lack their basic human needs? Over the last term the grade 8 cohort have been learning about world poverty. They have covered topics such as what poverty is, who is affected by it, and what people all around the world, including us can do to help the people impacted by poverty.  

We found out that “the poor,” are mentioned more than 2100 times in the Bible. As students at a Catholic School, we often have the opportunity to participate in the Mass and Prayer Gatherings. These times are important opportunities for us to learn and understand how we can live out Christ’s values every day. Through our Prayer Gathering we hope to communicate our understanding of how a young person living in Dalby can have empathy for those less fortunate in our global community. We hope to make others aware of the injustice of poverty in a world which is so rich in resources.

YES Arusha, an organisation that falls very close to home in the OLSCC community and is one of the many organisations that helps people affected by poverty. YES, Arusha helps the children in Arusha, Tanzania, get a quality education that they would often go without. OLSCC has been involved in the organisation for a number of years, sponsoring kids, raising money and awareness and allowing them to go to school. Baraka and Kelvin are two boys who have attended Haradali school thanks to the kindness and generosity of the students of OLSCC. They are almost at the end of their schooling career with bright futures ahead.

We are hoping to continue the legacy of year 8 classes over recent years. In the next week we will hold a class auction, where we bring in an item that we no longer have a use for. This item represents the wonderful life we have in a country like Australia. This activity will be great fun and raise funds for Kelvin and Baraka. We will also collect an offering at our Prayer Gathering on the 30^th of November. It is fantastic that our efforts can impact so significantly on young people living on the other side of the world.

Bridie Rush

Year 8