Young people’s assembly for Harvest 2020

Themes: Harvest, Food, Water, Poverty, Sharing Materials required: Assembly PowerPointOptional: CAFOD Harvest poster to displayDesired learner outcomes:

For pupils to give thanks for the harvest and understand that poverty stops people from having enough food

For pupils to understand how CAFOD is working with communities around the world to end poverty and build a brighter world

For pupils to see the relationship between fundraising and supporting communities overseas

Time allocation: approx. 10 mins. Date: On or around Friday 9 October Note: This assembly is aimed at KS3 but can be adapted for KS4 and Post-16.

Slide 1: Introduction Welcome to our harvest assembly for CAFOD’s Family Fast Day.

This year has been like no other. We were separated from our friends for many weeks. Even now, things aren’t what we’ve known as ‘normal’ before.

And this is a harvest like no other. Harvest is a time to thank God for the food that has been produced during the year. But this harvest, we think particularly of people who, because of coronavirus, do not have enough food, wherever they live in the world, nearby or far away. Slide 2: This year, more than 350 million children missed at least one meal a day because of school closures. That’s nearly one in every five children.In the poorest communities around the world, lack of clean water to wash and stay healthy has made it even more difficult than it already was to get enough nourishing food. For them, the pandemic has been an emergency on top of an existing emergency.Slide 3: One of the most important things we have learned again during this year is the importance of washing our hands properly.

Imagine for a moment what it would have been like if we didn’t have clean water. (Pause for reflection)

Only 57% of schools in the world have basic handwashing facilities. So, even when schools are open, in more than 4 out of 10 schools, students and teachers cannot wash their hands. Slide 4: Pope Francis says: “Access to clean, fresh water is a fundamental human right that must be defended.”

Yet many parents in the poorest communities have had no clean water to keep them clean and healthy. They have known that if they stayed home, their families could starve. So they have made the agonising choice to go out to earn money for food, and risk catching the virus.

This Autumn term, CAFOD asks us to use our harvest fundraising to help families living in extreme poverty that are still struggling due to the pandemic.

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Let’s see how our fundraising helps people to gain access to food, clean water, soap and information about washing and keeping safe.

[Instead of slides 5-13, you could show this year’s harvest film at: https://cafod.org.uk/Education/Secondary-and-youth-resources/Harvest-resources-young-people]Slide 5: A few years ago, some of the people in Myanmar were forced to flee persecution and crossed the border into Bangladesh as refugees.

Slide 6: Many are now living in camps like this one, in a place called Cox’s Bazar. Life is hard in Cox’s Bazar. Houses are very simple, there is not always enough food, or enough water for people. And if there is not enough water, keeping clean is very difficult.

Slide 7:In camps like Cox’s Bazar, and other places around the world, CAFOD is helping to bring food and safe, clean water to families.

Slide 8: Tasmin lives in the camp with her parents and her five brothers and sisters. She knows that she has to wash her hands often because of the virus, especially after being outside.

Slide 9:CAFOD local experts are also working alongside communities in some rural areas of Cambodia.

Slide 10:Dos La is a farmer and has two children. Farmers and other small-scale food producers are some of the people being hit hardest by this year’s challenges.

Slide 11:CAFOD is supporting farmers like Dos La by providing seeds and tools so that they can provide for their families.

Slide 12:Some of you may have family in Kenya or Sierra Leone in Africa.

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Slide 13:3 billion people around the world do not have basic handwashing facilities at home. In the poorest parts of Kenya and Sierra Leone, CAFOD is supporting people to install community water points, providing families with soap and showing them how to make a simple hygienic washing station called a ‘tippy tap’. Martha Muema made this tippy tap and is showing her son how to use it effectively.Slide 14:Our fundraising can make a real difference.As 3 billion people (nearly half the world’s population) are not able to wash their hands at home, just £6 can buy a hygiene package for a vulnerable family containing soap, washing powder and reusable face masks.As 500 million children cannot access online lessons when their schools are closed because of coronavirus, just £12 can buy text books, exercise books and pencils to help a child continue their education despite school closures.And although 2 in 5 hospitals around the world do not have simple things like soap to keep staff and patients safe, £127 can provide personal protective equipment at a health clinic or hospital to help save lives.Slide 15:There are many ways to fundraise for Harvest. On Family Fast Day, 9 October, we could pay to Brighten Up, wearing the brightest clothes, wigs, hats or socks we can find! We could fundraise to buy a World Gift that will help poor communities survive the pandemic and rebuild and heal afterwards. Or we could come up with our own creative ideas.

[INSERT HERE DETAILS OF ANY FUNDRAISING IN YOUR SCHOOL THAT YOU WISH TO PROMOTE]

Thank you, on behalf of all the people who you will help to transform their lives.Slide 16:Let us pray…

Slide 17:Thank you

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