Schoolgirl invited to launch Project Compassion

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Brisbane Project Compassion launch

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BEING the victim of a natural disaster can really put things into perspective.

At least it did for schoolgirl Tess David.

After her Sherwood home was flooded in last year's devastating Brisbane floods, her family had to move out and live with relatives.

But rather than dwell on her own loss, the experience inspired the 16-year-old to look past her own misfortune and help those in need.

Miss David said it was humbling to see scores of people - strangers she had never met - offer to help out in any way they could.

Embracing that attitude, Miss David put her own troubles aside and spent last year inspiring her school to raise funds to help the poorest people on Earth.

"There were quite a lot of us who were affected by the floods and some people lost their homes," she said.

"But we just decided there were a lot more people out there worse off than us."

With a series of bake-offs, lolly stalls and sports events, Miss David and her Brigidine College schoolmates raised $4400 for Cartias Australia's Project Compassion.

Now one of the largest humanitarian fundraising campaigns in Australia, Project Compassion raises millions of dollars each year to help end poverty around the world.

"Poverty is not right, people should never have to go without food, clean water and basic necessities," Miss David said.

As a role model for other students, last Friday, Miss David was invited as a guest speaker to help launch this year's Project Compassion fundraiser.

Held at the Queen St Mall, she was joined on stage by in-country development expert Sister Joan Doyle RSM and foreign affairs minister Kevin Rudd.

"I felt honoured to be representing my school at such a significant event," she said.

"And I was so excited to be a part of the Caritas launch because I admire the work they do, particularly how they work in partnership with local people."

Brigidine College hopes to raise $5000 this year for Project Compassion.

"Bishop Ooderman, Minister Rudd, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning.

My name is Tess David, a year 12 student at Brigidine College, Indooroopilly.

In Brisbane, many people crave a property with river views, but last January, I was living in a hours where the views came to us.

I wasn't alone; 35 Brigidine families had flooded houses.

When Oxley Creek approached our doorstep, my family was lucky to have our cousins visiting from North Queensland.

They mastered the art of furniture removal, shifting everything not nailed to the floor, upstairs.

After helping us out, my cousins returned to Cairns the next day, shortly before facing adversity of their own with cyclone Yasi.

For the next few days, we bunked at Grandmas, waiting and fearing the worst, having viewed devastating footage from the Lockyer Valley.

All around Brisbane, displaced families gathered on higher ground, watching the horror unfold thought the media.

We were all in the same boat, but it was sinking fast.

On the Thursday morning, we returned home, anxious to survey the damage.

The houses opposite were fully submerged.

In ordinary circumstances we would have wept, finding water half-way up our bottom floor.

But on that day, our glass was half-full. Something started trickling into the street nearby, finally becoming a massive wave.

It was a human flood, a mud-army wielding buckets and broomsticks s their weapons.

We were humbled, scores of people, strangers, people we had never met and may never meet again filled the streets to help in any way they could.

When word got out that out family was in trouble, soon came teachers from Brigidine and family friends. It seemed as if half of Brisbane had come to Sherwood.

Not long after the floods, came lent, and along with it Project Compassion the Caritas Australia Annual Appeal.

In 2010, Brigidine College, a small school, was pleased with the $3000 it raised. No one expected the same effort in 2011.

But perhaps the incredible sense of community spirit witnessed after the floods extended beyond those whose houses we could hose, sweep or mop.

As a Catholic school, we firmly believe that God gave us two hands for a reason; the first to help ourselves and the second to extend to those in need.

Last lent, we raised a record $4000, which contributed in a small way to the recovery efforts in Japan, Christchurch and the Horn of Africa.

As the Catholic agency for international aid and development, Caritas' ethics and beliefs reflect those of the students at Brigidine College.

Brigidine's social justice and democracy group has studied some of the root causes of poverty: rising food prices, climate change, unemployment, and war.

Despite, or perhaps even because of out communities struggles with the January floods, we realised we had more to give.

The floods affected everyone in Brisbane, whether it was through a power outage, flooded property or even the loss of a loved one.

Yet hardship forged a bond of empathy with out international brothers and sisters during a 2011 that overflowed with natural disasters.

As a school of 680 young women, we are particularly keen to see funds dedicated to projects supporting women's education.

The causes of poverty are disturbingly complex. Giving women access to basic education empowers them. Money handouts and the 'trickle down effect' will not do so.

This year at Brigidine College we aim to break the $5000 barrier to show our solidarity with out brother sisters whose lives and issues often go unreported in the media.

As a Catholic community, we want to alleviate world poverty, not as simple gesture of charity but as an act of social justice.

This lent I urge you to become a peacemaker, a role model, an advocate for social justice.

If you want peace then work for justice."