As schools across Australia take a break after Term 2, groups of staff and student pilgrims from the Marist network head off on mission to various host Marist communities in the Asia Pacific.
Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS) would like to congratulate these Australian school communities who prepare and support our partners solidarity projects in various countries across Asia and the Pacific. In Timor-Leste, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Alice Springs and Notre Dame College Shepperton visited several of the Marist project with AMS in country project coordinator Sebastião Simões.
In Cambodia, Marist College North Shore spend their immersion at Lavalla School. LaValla School is the only government approved school in Cambodia that provides children with disabilities a full primary education. Marist College Canberra also visited LaValla School briefly before travelling to the Pailin project for the majority of their stay. The Marist Brothers facilitate IT, basic English and basic Thai language training as well as a kindergarten for young locals in Pailin. St Francis Xavier (Newcastle) have also visited Cambodia and spent time at both LaValla and Pailin.
St Teresa’s Noosaville traveled to India and spent time at several Marist Projects including Operation Rainbow. Operation Rainbow was established by the Marist Brothers in 2003 to address the needs of the very large number of children and their families, who are affected by HIV/AIDS. Finally, Mount Carmel Catholic College (Campbelltown) visited Samut Sakhon Thailand where the Marist Brothers have established the Marist Centre for Migrants. The Centre provides education and training programs for Burmese migrant youth, equipping them for entry into both the mainstream education system in Thailand and the workforce.
We would also like to acknowledge host Marist communities in Fiji, Sri Lanka, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Bougainville and Santa Teresa Alice Springs who receive Australian Immersion groups throughout the year.
Marist Volunteers Australia (MVA) has also seen several participants head off to volunteer with our partners in the field. Suzette Mackney (Lismore) will be assisting the holiday program at New Horizons in Hanoi, an English language centre that the Brothers operate in conjunction with a local organisation. Nicole Arathoon (John Burn School) will be assisting at LaValla School Cambodia whilst later this month Michael Stavrakakis (ex. Marcellin College – Bulleen) and Vincent Salinos (ex. St Josephs College Hunters Hill) will depart for Johannesburg, South Africa where they will participate in the Marist Three 2 Six project.
AMS and MVA would like to thank our host communities for welcoming our pilgrims, we believe that their support can enhance our projects and partners now and into the future.