St Joseph's College, Echuca

Refugee Week

It’s been a fantastic week celebrating Refugee Week in our school community. It has given us an opportunity to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes while fundraising for the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project. 

 

During lunchtime at Kildare on Wednesday, students had the opportunity to learn about Anh Do’s refugee story. It was fantastic to be able to have the opportunity to look further into someone’s experience in Australia. 

 

 

We also have a lunch experience on both campuses on Friday, where students will cook some refugee recipes for staff.

 

Matt Butler

Living Justice Living Peace Leader

 

Refugee Rations

 

The 2024/25 VM students have been exploring all aspects of travel in literacy this semester, including those who travel as refugees. When it was posed to them to undertake the charity challenge to eat refugee rations for a week, we had seven students eagerly put their hand up. 

 

After extending the invitation to both senior student leaders and staff we added another 12 people to our group. 

 

From Monday 17 June to Friday 21 June, which coincides with National Refugee Week these individuals will eat only from their ration packs and self supplied ingredients. 

 

Ration Pack Contents for 5 day challenge include: 

  • 420g rice
  • 120g lentils
  • 60g dried chickpeas
  • 1 tin of sardines
  • 1 can of kidney beans
  • 215ml vegetable oil (self-supplied)
  • Extra rice from the 'coupon' (self- supplied) 950g
  • Extra flour from the 'coupon' (self-supplied) 285g

 

During the experience we will be accepting cash donations which will be sent to Brigidine Asylum Seeker Fund (BASP). Containers will be located in front reception, student services and the school canteens. If you would like to donate directly to BASP please use the following link https://basp.org.au/you-can-help/. 

 

Our VM teachers and social justice team would like to thank everyone who has taken up the challenge; Grace Riddell, Moana Broughton, Abbey Hamilton, Violet Thomas , Cody Walker , Chloe Power, Imogen Ross, Kajini Karunanayake (School Captain), Rebecca Hof (VM Literacy Teacher), Abbey Tustain, Ruth Phillips, Peter Phillips, Dewan Gounder, Lee Pethybridge, Judi Thomson, Mitch Berg, Gavin Deller, David Armfield, Matthew Butler (Living Peace, Living Justice Leader). 

 

Thanks also goes out to Year 12 Student Nate Spiers who measured and packed all of our ration packs.

 

 

Rebecca Hof