Invercargill
by JEFF DILLON
Cardboard, scissors, tape. No it is not a new game, but it was quite a learning curve for four girls and nine boys from years 5 and 6 at Sacred Heart Primary School in North-East Valley, Dunedin.
Thinking about the night ahead are, from left to right, Orla, Mariya, Pippa and Hannah while DRS Pesamino-Solomona Tili (left) and principal Paul Richardson check on the quality of construction.
A lot of industrious energy was expended starting just before midday Friday at the end of March
as small groups of pupils began constructing their cardboard shelters for the night ahead as they participated in the Caritas Challenge. Their construction efforts were overseen by principal Paul Richardson and DRS Pesamino-Solomona Tili.
The pupils were the southernmost primary school children taking part in the challenge in New Zealand.
Pupils worked together with limited materials to construct their shelters and, after all that effort, faced an afternoon with no food or water.
To be able to have rice for tea, they headed off to busk outside the nearby New World Supermarket.
Those eff orts were well rewarded and they raised nearly $300, giving them enough to buy the rice and the rest to donate to Caritas.
Water was restricted to one 20 litre container for the whole group for cooking, drinking and washing, so they had to be mindful of that and not waste it. The pupils had rice and water for dinner and breakfast.
Rosminian Fr Aidan Cunningham had blessed the endeavours at the beginning of the day and returned to lead a liturgy after dinner that focused on the poor.
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