Written by Carter Watkinson, Student Journalist
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” -Saint Mother Teresa
Students at Jean Vanier Catholic High School in Collingwood eagerly await their May 2019 mission trip to various cities in India. With over 20 personnel attending, it is sure to be fruitful. Students are eager to integrate themselves into the community, and work with
Free the Children. Students will promote the 5 pillars of the ME2WE organisation, which include; education, water, health, food, and opportunity. They will be in India for 11 days.
“It’s about so many things, not just the trip. It’s about character building. It’s about the interaction among the students, and the interaction between students and the kids we meet there - it’s an experience that can really change lives. Students often become more globally minded after these trips.” says Ms. Knights, one of the teacher chaperones.
India is one of the most populous nations in the world. With over 1 billion people, many living below the poverty line, students hope to make a difference in any way they can. Vanier students are no strangers to adversity. They have travelled to countries in need before. While in Kenya, they introduced a new water purification test to help locals determine if their water was safe to drink or not. This method is called the WAPI (short for Water Purification Indicator), and it has been beneficial to the lives of many Kenyans.
It won’t be easy, but there is no doubt this mission trip will help bring necessary resources to those in need. Best wishes to all the volunteers!
Image courtesy of pexels.com
Sources: http://jva.schools.smcdsb.on.ca/cms/One.aspx?portalId=91010&pageId=7211955
https://www.eftours.ca/tour-website/2094240ND
Royalty-Free Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/administration-army-banner-border-243115/