Chairo gives to World Vision
CHAIRO Christian School students raised $6603 to help children in refugee camps, after taking part in a World Vision event.
The school supported the Backpack Challenge and funds raised will enable 1016 children to enroll in child friendly spaces for a year in refugee camps.
These spaces allow refugee children to receive education and counselling, and play.
World Vision’s Libania Montalvao, herself a refugee from East Timor, was “rapt” when she visited the Leongatha school last Thursday.
“You have truly smashed it. It’s an amazing, amazing effort,” she said.
The challenge was held instead of the traditional 40 hour famine run by World Vision.
For 40 hours, Chairo students instead lived out of a backpack packed with the items they needed to live, replicating the situation refugees face by having to hurriedly pack items into a backpack and flee impending danger.
Student leaders at Chairo ran the fundraiser and one Saturday, students walked with their backpacks from St Peter’s Anglican Church to the school in Horn Street for a day of activities.
Deputy principal Christine Hibma promised to dye her hair pink if students raised $4000 and principal Anthony Collier pledged to dye his beard blue if $5000 was raised.
Those targets were reached and the staff kept their promises, with the hairdressers at Inspiration Hair Design in Leongatha dyeing the duo’s hair for free.
Mr Collier said, “My favourite part of it was that it was the student leaders who did it. They were really inspired to make a difference themselves and it just caught on.
“The whole hair thing was another incentive and it shows that we are able to have a laugh at our own expense. Everywhere I go everyone is asking about the blue beard and I’m able to tell the story about the school and its fundraising.”
Thanks a million: World Vision’s Libania Montalvao was delighted by Chairo Christian School in Leongatha raising $6603 to help children in refugee camps. She was at the school with students Sahara Short, front, and back, from left, Natasha Hibma, Amber Hubbard and Lily-Grace Toohill.
New look: Chairo Christian School deputy principal Christine Hibma and principal Anthony Collier dyed their hair and beard respectively after students surpassed fundraising targets for World Vision.
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