1997

3rd June 1997
Catholic Students Experience the Lot of Impoverished Children
About 45 students and teachers from 11 Catholic high schools within the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese will gather this Thursday (5 June 1997) to participate in an awareness-raising program called the "Pauper's Feast".

Organised by the Church's official aid agency for children, CHILDREN'S MISSION, the purpose of the "Pauper's Feast" is to raise student's awareness to the plight of less fortunate young people around the world and to serve as preparation for staging Catholic Mission's annual "Fast For Kids" fundraising event.

At the "Pauper's Feast" a few lucky individuals will enjoy a sumptuous meal while the remainder line up for a single bowl of rice, to simulate the experience of millions of children around the world each day. The rice-eaters will have no access to the world of the 'banqueters' - but will simply watch from the sidelines as huge amounts of food are eaten by the lucky few.

The aim in this powerful role-play activity is to experience the deprivation large numbers of children go through every day and the emotions involved. A discussion and sharing of insights will follow the "Pauper's Feast" as students attempt to come to grips with the vast differences that occur in the lives of children in third-world countries as well as in affluent countries like Australia.

Diocesan Director for Catholic Mission, Mrs Gail McBurnie, says that in the last 5 years Children's Mission has directly supported over 5 million children in 7000 projects, with the funds coming largely from Catholic school students throughout the world.

Upon completion of the "Pauper's Feast" activity, the students involved will return to their schools to spearhead planning for the "Fast For Kids" fundraising event to be held on 24-25 July.

Funds raised by the 1997 "Fast for Kids" program will provide much-needed support for the 47 projects in India, Africa and Brazil that Australia has been allocated to finance this year.

The "Pauper's Feast" will take place on Thursday 5 June (12.15 - 1pm) at the Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan Centre, 841 Hunter Street Newcastle.

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