1999

27th April 1999
Catholic Students Experience the Taste of Poverty
Fifty students and teachers representing Catholic high schools from the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Manning and Hunter areas will gather tomorrow (Wednesday 28 April) to participate in the annual "Pauper's Feast" organised by Catholic Mission's aid agency for children, Children's Mission.

By random selection ten students will enjoy a generous hearty meal - the rest will be given a small bowl of rice and water. The 'rice-eaters' will have no access to the meal of pleasure and plenty enjoyed by the 'feasters' but will simply watch from the sidelines as huge amounts of food are eaten and enjoyed.

This simulation is a powerful role-play designed to provoke a thoughtful response as participants reflect on the experience of millions of children around the world and get a small taste of the emotions associated with deprivation and hunger, or the experience of 'feasting' while others go without.

Prior to the "Pauper's Feast", guest speaker Helen Tannous will speak of her time spent living with families in slum communities in the Philippines. This will add a dimension of reality to the role-play situation. Helen travelled to the Philippines last January as part of the "Getting Involved Globally" program, a cultural immersion program for young people organised by Catholic Mission.

Following the "Pauper's Feast" students will have the opportunity to discuss and share their insights. They will then be invited to encourage their peers to support one of Catholic Mission's 1999 projects.

This year, projects being funded range from Street Kid programs in South Africa, to schools and orphanages in the Philippines and health clinics in Tanzania and Uganda. There are also projects supporting Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley area.

Diocesan Director for Catholic Mission, Gail McBurnie says that: "All these projects focus specifically on the needs of deprived and impoverished children throughout the world, building upon decades of financial support which has seen over 5 million children in more than 7000 projects cared for in the last 5 years. Last year, our 61 diocesan schools contributed $42,000 to this work."

According to Ms McBurnie, "The young adults in our high schools are very open to the needs of others; they are prepared to do what they can to make a difference. I am confident the students who attend will be well motivated to respond to the unjust global inequality that exists by undertaking the work of supporting Catholic Mission projects with great enthusiasm."

The "Pauper's Feast" will take place on Wednesday 28 April between 12.15pm and 1pm at the Diocesan Centre, 841 Hunter Street Newcastle.

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