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Schools in Action: Aussie schools support Nepal (part 1)

Kavita stands with her two daughters outside their temporary shelter after the Nepal earthquake struck on 25 April 2015.

Schools across Australia have rallied to raise money in the aftermath of the devastating Nepal earthquakes.

In April and May, Nepal was devastated by two huge earthquakes which killed more than 8,700 people and left tens of thousands without homes. Oxfam has provided assistance to more than 419,000 people, supplying water, sanitation, emergency shelter, hygiene kits, toilets, food and seeds to grow crops.

In emergency situations, funding for these essential items is crucial. In an overwhelming show of support, schools across Australia have rallied to raise money for those in need in Nepal.

In the next two blogs, we’ll share some of the amazing work done by Australian schools. An advance warning: there is a heightened amount of adorable in this post!

Ararat Primary School, VIC.

These preppies are proof that little humans can make a big difference!

Concerned preps from Ararat Primary School created a huge campaign after seeing images of the devastation in Nepal and learning more about the situation from their teachers.

They held a fundraising table at Woolworths and hosted a pyjama day where they sold treats and hot chocolates. Using Oxfam’s guidelines for action, they created a Money Mountain. Resembling Nepal’s Mt Everest, the highest mountain in the world, the Money Mountain was made entirely out of coins which were then donated to Nepal.

Ararat preps and teachers with their Money Mountain. Photo: Ararat Primary.

Calling their campaign the ‘Power of Preps’ – a campaign name after our own hearts – they certainly managed to harness the power of people against poverty by inspiring people across their community to take action to help.

Classroom teacher Tammie Mehan told the Ararat Advertiser: “we were stunned when three Marian College students walked up to Woolworths to give us money that they had been secretly raising for weeks to support the prep students”. These little kids inspired the big kids to donate around $191!

The preps managed to raise an astounding $1277 to help the people of Nepal – enough money to provide 141 families with life-saving water kits.

Urrbrae Agricultural High School, SA.

These superstars raised a whopping $1800 for both the Nepal & Vanuatu appeals. The SRC held a casual clothes day to raise the funds. SRC Vice President Liam Edgecombe said in the school newsletter that the students were motivated to act because they wanted to “help people rebuild their communities and lives”.

The students showed that casual clothes days are an oldie but a goodie when it comes to effective fundraising.

Montessori East Pre School, NSW.

If you have an aversion to cute, please look away now.

Nikki & Finnigan selling their bread. Photo: Montessori East Pre School.
Nikki & Finnigan selling their bread. Photo: Montessori East Pre School.

Nikki & Finnigan (both five years old!) organized their own fundraiser after they heard about the crisis in Nepal. They baked their own bread, set up a stall, and made promotional signs on their own initiative, with very little help from adults.

Finnigan told us “I hope it will help them to get some warm clothes and build new houses”. The delightful duo managed to raise raised $278 from bread sales and extra donations, which will help lots of people in need – that’s enough for two temporary toilets that help stop the spread of disease.

Stay tuned for part two!

Has your school taken any action this year in support of Oxfam and our life-changing work? We want to hear about it!

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