Thursday February 23, 2023

Laxmi working towards her dream

People

This week Caritas Australia launched Project Compassion 2023 and shared the story of a teenage Nepalese girl who has resumed her education, thanks to a program supported by the annual Lenten appeal.

Thursday February 23, 2023

Thursday February 23, 2023 Comments

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Sixteen-year-old Laxmi lives in one of the most remote communities in Nepal, which experiences high levels of poverty.

Laxmi’s chance at a better life was through education, supported by her parents. Sadly, her father passed away when she was only 10 years old and she stopped going to school.

Prior to her father’s passing, Laxmi joined a child’s club at her school, which is run with the support of Caritas Nepal, through the Nepal Livelihoods and Resilience Program. Child’s clubs support students to develop their speaking, writing and leadership skills through extracurricular activities.

Thanks to the support of her club, Laxmi was encouraged to resume her education. She became an active member and developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school.

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She has become a mentor to other girls in her village, encouraging them to stand up for their rights and creating lasting change ‘For All Future Generations’, the theme of this year’s Project Compassion appeal.

During Lent, Catholics are invited to take up the call to fast, pray and give alms. The impacts of the pandemic and the many crises that have struck the world over the past 12 months mean that many communities are in great need of support.

Schools and parishes can join Caritas Q&As to interact online with our staff, partners and program participants, or download resources to learn about Caritas Australia’s work and mission. There are also resources for how to set up a local fundraiser for Project Compassion. This year, there are accessible audio-narrated and audio-described videos for schools for each of the stories, as well as a wealth of other resources for the classroom and parish communities.

To learn more or donate to Project Compassion, visit Caritas Australia’s website: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/ or call 1800 024 413.