On 1st December the Year 8 girls held their annual ‘Days for Girls’ social action day. This unique day is part of the year 8 pastoral program on Global citizenship. The girls have explored the ideal of ‘normal’ and worked to understand how life can be very different depending on your circumstances. As a global citizen students have begun to consider global responsibilities such as caring for those less fortunate. The ‘Days for Girls’ project believes that every girl in the world deserves safety and dignity through providing sustainable feminine hygiene kits. ‘Days for Girls’ believes that if they can keep girls in education for as long as possible then change is possible in the poverty cycle for women. For more info go to http://www.daysforgirls.org
In preparation for the social action day, the Year 8 girls worked to collect donations of fabric, soap and other items from across the school and their friends and family. They also organised a free dress day where they raised over $300 as an additional donation. I would like to thank all of our parents and staff who were very generous in their donations of time, financial support and practical items.
Throughout the day on December 1st, the girls were determined to make a real difference through their efforts. They impressed me with their leadership and responsibility in getting on with the job and ensuring that everyone had a job. They invested considerable effort into their packing, sewing, folding, ironing, and sorting and took a lot of pride in making sure we were producing a gift that we could be proud of giving to our sisters in need. They all worked tirelessly and could be heard encouraging each other when they were getting weary.
We were lucky enough to have state leader of Days for Girls Michelle Gates spend the day with us. She shared with the girls her personal story of seeing firsthand the challenges facing women in East Timor which was powerful and very inspiring. It was a terrific opportunity for our year 8 students to hear directly how their efforts can directly impact and improve the lives of others. The girls worked incredibly hard, and impressed Michelle with their respectful manner and positive attitudes throughout the day.
By the end of the day we had packed over 280 kits which are about to be shipped off to Uganda, East Timor and to the South Sudanese refugees. Thank you again for helping us to make this possible with your generous donations of time, donations and financial support.
By Liz Cutter – Year 8 Girls’ Level Co-ordinator
