Community Service
Community Service refers to service that one performs for the benefit of the community. Involvement in community service strengthens our sense of civic engagement and responsibility. At Shelford, students from Prep in the JDC through to Year 12 are involved in programs that make valuable and genuine contributions to the community, both locally and overseas. Some of the initiatives at Shelford have included:
- Organising personal care packs for the Sacred Heart Mission and Ardoch Youth Foundation
- Cleaning up rubbish from St Kilda Beach
- Selling Anglicare Merchandise
- Selling Krispy Kreem donuts for the Charity Canteen
- Junior School girls collecting coins for the Victorian Farmers' Federation to distribute in the form of vouchers toChildren in Rural Families who are suffering from the prolonged drought.
- Creating two magnificent peacock mosaics for Benetas Clarence Park Court elderly citizens
- Making jewellery for children at the Ardoch Youth Foundation
- Organising a walkathon for the KKS School in Bangladesh
KKS School in Bangladesh
A Save the Children Australia Project
Bangladesh is a young country founded in 1971, following a war which claimed 3 million lives. There are 130 million people living in a country about half the size of New Zealand. Apart from China and India, there are more people living in poverty in Bangladesh than any other country in the world. There are 62 million children and teenagers. Almost 50% of girls are married and mothers while still in their teens. Half of children aged 5 and under are malnourished. Bangladesh experiences severe cyclones most years, where thousands die and millions are made homeless.
The Daulatdia Brothel community is situated 3 hours from Dhaka in a mainly rural area, but at a transportation hub for river ferries, trucking and trains. There are 1,500 women and girls working in the brothel. There are an additional 400 children living with their mothers. The daughters of brothel workers try to hide the fact that they have reached puberty, to avoid being forced to start working in the brothel.
Save the Children Australia's Project
Save the Children Australia has been involved in the brothel community since 1993, and was the first organisation in Bangladesh to focus on the needs of children of brothel workers.
Their work includes -
- A Safe Home for 35 girls to protect them from the brothel environment and its dangers.
- Literacy, numeracy and life skills training for 126 young girls who have been forced into working in the brothel community.
- Provision of a primary school for the children of brothel workers and other poor children in the district.
The SCA School opened in 1996. There are 385 children attending the school, half of whom come from the brothel community. The school operates in two 'shifts' to ease crowding. There are 6 full-time and 6 part-time teachers
Save the Children KKS School
The school receives no support from the government. Save the Children Australia has applied for government accreditation but this will take years. The classrooms are quite barren and are in need of repair and improvement to enhance the learning environment. The children require assistance for supplies and uniforms and for further study.
