This year Caritas New Zealand hosted a leadership camp to inspire and encourage us to do what we can as leaders in our community and motivate people around us to join in our mission to reach peace and justice.
Seven lucky senior Sancta Maria College students, accompanied by Miss Goulding, were privileged to attend this wonderful event. Arriving at Te Unga Waka Marae at 5 o’clock on Monday evening, the students were welcomed with a breathtaking powhiri by the tangata whenua encompassing the beautiful culture and spirit of our native people, leading the students to be enthused for what was to take place over the next 24 hours.
Starting with a version of the Amazing Race and ending with writing our own versions of a ‘Pepeha’, the students were able to learn that they should accept all people with different backgrounds to come together in unity to make this world a better place.
The students awoke to the beautiful singing of Sister Makareta and a prayer, making it a beautiful way to start the morning. The rest of the day included fun-filled activities, such as the ‘Challenges in the Pacific’ game and inspirational group talks by Sister Makareta and Michael Stewart. These inspired the students and motivated them to be stewards of the earth and look after God’s creation.
Climate change is the main focus for 2017. Over the course of the event, the attendees were made to understand the effects of climate change and how we can start in our own communities to make this world better and decrease global warming.
The hosts helped the students realise that the more privileged and wealthy countries are the main perpetrators of this problem and the victims of their actions are the most underprivileged countries.
From meeting many new people from different Catholic schools to learning the importance of accepting all cultures and identities, to understanding the effects of climate change in the Pacific, not only did the Sancta Maria College students attending the event form new lifelong bonds with people from other schools, they also took away valuable lessons.
They are now able to take this newly found information and inspire the rest of the College community.
Marco Tam and Martina Kleis
