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Global
Reality Meal
Tanaya
Redman was expecting a lot more than half a cup of rice and
a glass of water upon paying for her school lunch when she
joined her fellow classmates for an unconventional meal;
leaving some satisfied and others hungry.
But it
was all for a good cause as the class of Year 10 students
from Tenison Woods College participated in a Global Reality
Meal as part of fundraising efforts for this year’s Caritas
Australia’s annual Project Compassion appeal.
Students
arrived for class expecting a lavish meal to then receive a
card that displayed a temporary identity placing them in the
very different realities of men and women around the world.
The
interactive experience that explored issues of poverty,
hunger and human rights was just one of the many events and
fundraising activities taking place throughout the College
in support of the annual appeal.
Handing
over their lunch money at the door, students received a
ticket in return which randomly assigned them to which
economic class they fell under.
The
high-income group, which represents 15 percent of the
population, were then seated at chairs and tables and ate a
full meal of pizza,
sweets
and soft drink.
The goal
of the unique event was to bring awareness to the reality of
life for millions of people in the developing world who
survive on a staple of rice and water
Students
who were allocated into the middle income bracket were given
flavoured rice and water with the remainder of students
(representing 50 percent of the population) allowed a small
section on the floor to sit and were served leftover rice.
Tenison Woods College Senior School Faith and Wellbeing
Coordinator, Bernadette Fisher, said the
purpose of the event was to raise awareness about local and
global issues surrounding poverty and hunger in an
interactive and engaging way.
“It’s
important for students to understand what difference their
actions can make in our world.”
“By
getting actively involved in global injustice, the unequal
distribution of food and resources, students are challenged
to do something about it,”
Year 10
student Connor Mackle, who experienced a lunch of leftover
rice as a third class citizen, said the fundraising event
was a real eye opener and a practical way of
 understanding
the lives of people in countries where food security is a
challenge.
“It’s very easy to take our privileges for granted,
privileges like water, education and our health, but as
we’ve seen it’s just as easy to harness our privileges to
empower others and contribute to lasting change.”
“It was an opportunity for us
all to become more aware of global food insecurity and
social justice issues and the simple actions we can take to
end global poverty.”Mr Mackle said.
Held
through to Easter, the Project Compassion Appeal, which
began in 1966, is an annual fundraising appeal for overseas
aid and development and this year aims to raise more than
$10 million nationally during the six weeks of Lent.
The funds
raised locally will assist Caritas Australia to work in
partnership with communities to improve their own lives
through projects which focus on education, health, water,
income generation and sustainable agriculture.
Mrs Fisher said the annual
Caritas Australias Project Compassion
appeal was not only an
opportunity to raise funds for
aid and development in the poorest communities throughout
the world but to also
reflect deeply on how we live
our life’s.
“The
appeal enables us to open our hands to share what we have
with those who lack basic human rights like food, water,
shelter, healthcare and education”
“It’s
important for students to understand what difference their
actions can make and to look at what is happening in the
world around us.”
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