Assistant Principal - Religious Identity & Mission 

Vinnies Winter Appeal 

Thank you to those who have already sent in new socks, beanies, and scarves. We are VERY short on food items still, so if you have a spare can, or two, of soup, that you could donate, we would be very grateful. It would be wonderful if we could have a final surge in donations in our last week of Term 2!! We will parcel up all the donations and send them off to St Vincent de Paul in early Term 3. 

Mary Rice Day 

 Friday 30 June was a huge day here at the College as we raised awareness and money for the Edmund Rice Centre (formerly known as the Mary Rice Centre). We were very excited to have Jason Bongers (from Edmund Rice Foundation Australia) and Tommy Nyawir, speaking to our Senior School students in the morning. 

Tommy was born in the informal settlement of Kibera – a vast urban slum in Nairobi Kenya – and had a childhood defined by extreme poverty. 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.  

We celebrated Mass as a College, with Year 3 to 6 joining us from the Junior College. After Mass, our yearly traditional soccer game was played against Hessian and Doyle on the JPC Oval with Hessian taking out the trophy 2-1.  

The Parents & Friend's Association generously provided and organised a traditional African lunch for everyone, consisting of beans, rice and flatbread. This was truly amazing! 

The Preps and Year 1s joined us for lunch and to participate in the Walkathon. Traditionally we have sought sponsorship for each lap and have raised a significant amount of money in the past to donate to the Centre. This year we have moved to donations through Qkr! to assist in minimising paper wastage, and hopefully to make it easier for everyone! 

Qkr! donations will remain open today and over the weekend. Instructions on how to use Qkr! can be found here. 

The money we donate makes such a huge difference, anything you can spare will be gratefully received. Our donations can make a lasting difference in the lives of those at the Edmund Rice Centre, just like Tommy Nyawir.

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Photos: Immersion Trip to Kenya, 2019