Social Justice
Feast Day
Supporting MWIA and the Loreto Projects in Zambia In this Loreto Year of Sincerity, it has been our privilege to advocate the importance of aligning our values with our actions. The value of sincerity poses a unique challenge, asking all of us to examine what it is we truly value and moreover what good we want to see achieved, and so then how we will act because of our inner beliefs. This is a notion featured in our school theme “let our actions be a reflection of our hearts’ true intention”; it reminds us of the need to approach life with compassionate hearts and a strong sense of social justice if we are to be true Loreto women. It is in this spirit, that we as a school community work together to ensure that the values we hold can be used to achieve good for others in our wider Loreto family. This was demonstrated through our annual Happy Week; a joyous and highly anticipated week that is an integral part of every Loreto girl’s experience. It is time of fun and celebration yet equally, an opportunity to recognise the privilege with which we are all blessed. This year we focused our attention towards raising funds for a Mary Ward International Project that aims to make a difference in community development, education and health in disadvantaged and remote communities globally. It is our great privilege to support the people of Lukulu, a small and very remote township located in Zambia. The Loreto Sisters run two extraordinary initiatives in Lukulu, a baby milk program and a teaching program. Malnutrition in Lukulu is amongst the highest in the world and devastatingly 40% of the children under the age of five have stunted growth. The baby milk program aims to provide milk formula to orphaned babies and for babies whose parents have HIV, as they are unable to be breast fed due to the risk of transmission. The Loreto Sisters provide formal teaching training and financial support to untrained teachers to complete Grade 12 opportunities. It is imperative that teachers are trained adequately if the students they teach are to grow, learn and flourish and in order to break the cycle of poverty. This year, the funds raised from the generosity of our school community will go directly towards funding a vehicle for this community and these projects. There are very few sealed or well-maintained roads in Zambia and driving between townships is unsafe without a reliable vehicle. This will enable these initiatives to further develop and in addition to this, will further support mothers in childbirth, impoverished and disabled children and adults to access specialised treatment, and the elderly who are unable to attend church on their own. In keeping with tradition, the culmination of Happy Week is Feast Day and the whole school community celebrated Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, followed by the much-anticipated Feast Day fête, which was nothing short of a whole school party. Students enjoyed dancing, food stalls, dress ups, second hand clothing stalls, games, a haunted house and more. To the strains of ABBA playing by the Stage Band during the 32
