Faith

Friday Community Mass

Thank you to the members of 9.3 and 9.4 who attended our 8.00 am Mass today. It is a blessing seeing parents and our regulars supporting their sons in their faith journey – thank you and God bless!

Edmund Rice Foundation

On Tuesday a number of year groups heard from Tommy who was born in a slum area of Kibera in Nairobi Kenya and experienced extreme poverty as a child growing up. At 14, Tommy was forced to leave school when his parents could no longer afford his school fees. His dreams faded as he focused on survival. Tommy’s life changed due to the kindness of a stranger. He was able to complete secondary school and was awarded a scholarship for a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Human Development. It is no exaggeration to say that Tommy embodies the contemporary face of Edmund Rice charism.

In 2010, Tommy and his wife Judy founded Mirror of Hope. Through the Women's Empowerment Program, Mirror of Hope is changing lives in Kibera by equipping women with business-skills training and support. Women in Kibera are the backbone of their families and the community. However, nearly 80% of women living in the largest slums of Africa rely on odd jobs to make ends meet and sustain their families. With business-skills training, women can establish a business to secure additional income. The quality of this program has attracted accreditation with the Australian Department of Foreign and Trade. The Edmund Rice Foundation Australia (ERFA) is proud to partner with this excellent program.

In addition to Tommy the students also heard from Jason Bongers who is the Edmund Rice Foundation of Australia Schools and Community Engagement Manager who outlined the terrific work ERFA do in so many parts of the globe.