MARCH 24 may have been the last day of term, but for students at Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School, in Mitchelton, there was no time to take it easy.
Principal Patrick Davis said a small group of Year 6 student leaders organised the full day of activities to support the annual Project Compassion appeal and the work of Caritas Australia.
“Everyone in our school community was invited to wear something purple, symbolic of our Lenten journey,” Mr Davis said.
“Students were asked to forgo their normal lunch and make do with a small container of rice instead, as well as losing access to all electricity in the classrooms for up to two hours.
“We felt that these measures might give us all some small understanding of what people living in poverty deal with, and remind us of how fortunate our lives really are.”
The main activity of the day was Walk for Water – a sponsored initiative that Our Lady of Dolours participates in every year in an effort to raise funds for Caritas.
This year it was decided the Walk for Water would be held on the local streets.
“A procession of students left school during the morning session,” Mr Davis said.
“Each student was carrying at least two litres of water in plastic containers, with some of the older students carrying as much as six litres.
“This is the perfect opportunity for our kids to experience something that is a matter of basic survival for so many people throughout the world – walking long distances with water.”
Mr Davis said the day was a tremendous success teaching students invaluable lessons about not taking things for granted, while raising much needed funding for Caritas.
