Students of Our Lady of the Southern Cross College are continually committed in their efforts to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Our link with YES Arusha is just a part of the ongoing development of the students understanding of being living witnesses to Christ’s values.

What a wonderful year 2018 has been with our students and families participating in charitable activities at a local, national and international level. How marvellous it has been to hear about the immersion to Nepal on the recent holiday break. These young people highlighted the overwhelming sense of gratitude they now have for the life they live in this abundant country compared with others living in incredibly different environments such as Kathmandu.

Teaching and Learning in Year 8 English and Religious Education has focussed on the global blight which is Poverty. Our Term 4 unit has introduced students to the extent of suffering in our world and the ongoing fight for the development of human dignity for all on earth.  It’s about opening their minds and hearts to the reality of poverty which affects 3 billion people across the globe (that’s half our world population).

The following extract is from the YES Arusha website and captures the essence of the organisation:

“YES Arusha Limited is a small not-for-profit organisation based in Brisbane, Australia. We support young people in Tanzania with access to education. In particular, we work in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania. We are partnered with Haradali Primary and Secondary Schools; a well-established educational institution, which is founded and operated by local Tanzanians.”

The Logo above which has been adopted by YES Arusha was the creative inspiration of one of our past students Tom Caffery. It is a part of the bond that our College has with the work being done in Tanzania. Our commitment to supporting the ongoing work of YES Arusha is one of the many ways our students bring to action Christ’s values in a real and significant way.

I was reading the Parish News on Sunday and listening to Father Jim, I was inspired by the story of the poor widow who gave all she had to the poor. The message is that we all have the opportunity to help those in need. The advances in technology of the past 40 years have led to the phrase, “we live in a global village.” If this is truly the case, then all our lives are intertwined and Jesus’ message of hope rings louder and stronger in the 21^st Century than ever before.

If you are interested in the work of YES Arusha have a look at our website. 

Steve Gillespie.

Chairman of Directors YES Arusha.