Religious Education and Social Justice

Project Compassion Week 3

In this third week of Lent, we meet Olivia from Tanzania.

Twenty-two-year-old Oliva lives in Tanzania with her farmer husband, two young sons and an adopted niece and nephew.

She didn’t have the opportunity to go to school growing up - and was embarrassed that she couldn’t read, write or count. Around 25 percent of Tanzanian girls and women over 15 years cannot read or write, with many families unable to afford school fees or uniforms.

Now, as an adult, Oliva runs a kiosk and works as a farm labourer - but her business was losing money because she couldn’t add up.

Then Oliva enrolled in Caritas Australia-supported literacy and numeracy classes. She also set up a classroom at home to teach her neighbours, for free, because they were too shy to attend larger classes.

Oliva has now graduated, as have some of her students. Attendance at her classes is growing, her kiosk is thriving and she can help her children with their homework. She aims to become a pastor and run for leadership in the next local election.

Oliva aspires to “Be More’ and wants to help her community to achieve its vision of a better life for all.

“I am proud to be a teacher who helps others to achieve their dream,” Oliva says.

Watch Olivia's story below:

Prayer for Peace

God, as I go about my busy day today, 

I ask that you would give me

 a sense of peace and calm. 

Help me not to get stressed out, 

worried or frantic by all the problems

I see around me. 

Instead, please give me a sense of peace

 and calm that comes from knowing 

You are in control, 

You have it all figured out, 

and my best is enough 

because I can always trust You 

to take care of issues and situations I can’t. Please help me keep my eyes on You today, 

not all the negativity in the world around me.

Jane Wilkinson

Religious Education Leader