Just Leadership Day

On Monday, a selection of Year 8 and 9 students attended the Caritas Leadership Day at MacKillop College.

Year 9 student, Annalize Moase, wrote:

The day consisted of various interactive activities to make new friends while discussing social justice issues and leadership. It was a great opportunity to meet like-minded students from other schools and discuss world problems and what we can do together to try and resolve them. I enjoyed discussing past and present world leaders and analysing their strengths and achievements and learning from this what makes good leaders. It was clear that all the students from each school thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Students were asked to write a reflection about their day by answering three questions. A collation of the response was made with the main aim of the day certainly being achieved from what our students experienced.

Three most surprising things I learnt today were:

How many people are living on a $1.60 a day; 10% of the world’s people use 90% of the resources; how difficult it is for a refugee; we have enough food for everyone but we don’t share; the number of people living in poverty and/or without a decent toilet; our help can give poor lives so many opportunities.

I was surprised that so many countries in the world suffer from poverty and how many children die before the age of 5 and that they die from preventable diseases. I learned how Caritas helps, what people do for one another and new ways to raise awareness. We are so privileged

What did you find challenging?

The majority said talking to students from other schools or having to speak in front of a large group of unfamiliar people, realising the fact that other people in the world have so little and live horrible lives, being a refugee, realising the fact that so many people are so much less fortunate than ourselves, it’s actually quite hard to see.

What did you enjoy the most today?

Realising that I can change someone’s life, learning about Caritas’ work, meeting people from other schools, listening to other peoples’ stories and how they overcame hardship, the opportunity to socialize and thinking about things our school can do.

Mrs Alicia McMahon - Director of Faith & Mission K-10