A group of high school students have brought the words of Pope Francis to life in Hamilton. In the encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis calls on us to be ‘neighbours without borders’. “The future is not monochrome,” writes the Holy Father, “If we are courageous, we can contemplate it in all the variety and diversity of what each individual person has to offer.”
This summer, a group of 19 young women from seven high schools across Hamilton, Rotorua, Auckland, and Wellington gave their all to make the future brighter for their neighbours. The students gave up a week of their break to run a holiday programme for children from refugee backgrounds in Hamilton. They transformed the pavilion of St Paul’s Collegiate into a welcoming, Kiwiana themed wonderland.
Thanks to the efforts of these volunteers, children aged five to 13 from Congo, Syria, Colombia, and Afghanistan learned more about New Zealand. Everyone enjoyed activities like volcano building, multi-sports, storytelling, pinata making, and a talent show. The smiles on each child’s and volunteer’s, face at the end of the week spoke volumes to the impact of the experience. Before the first day was over, the volunteer team was already planning the next holiday programme. They all agree it has been a life-changing experience, one they are eager to repeat.
Training for the student volunteers was provided by Rimbrook Study Centre. The compulsory sessions focused on informing the volunteers about the global refugee crisis, safeguarding procedures, behaviour management, positive and effective goal-setting, and servant leadership. Rimbrook runs the holiday programme in conjunction with The Refugee Orientation Centre Trust in January, April, and July each year.
