Brighten Up assembly Secondary

Themes: Brighten Up water, education, safety, rights of the childMaterials Required: Brighten Up assembly PowerPointOptional: Fabiano’s film, Brighten Up promotional film Desired learner outcomes:

For students to understand that every child has the right to water and education For students to understand how CAFOD is working with communities around the world to support people in

poverty For students to see the relationship between taking action and supporting communities overseas

Slide 1[Ask Headteacher or Head of Year to make the following announcement]

Good morning everyone. I have a very quick announcement to make. We have had to make some tough choices in light of budget cuts. Next week there will be no food available in the canteen. We won’t be stocking the vending machines and the tuck shop will close too. I’ll give more information after the assembly, but please be prepared for no food availability on school premises next week.

Now I’d like to introduce [either the student, teacher or CAFOD speaker leading the assembly]

Slide 2Good morning everyone. I can see you are shocked by that announcement, but let’s try to move on.

Today we are going to hear about the work of CAFOD.

CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. Through CAFOD, our school is part of the largest aid network in the world, working with local experts in more than 40 countries, fighting poverty and injustice, reaching out to the poorest and most marginalised people on earth.

Slide 3November is the anniversary of the United Nations adopting the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

All children have rights. The right to safe, clean water and food to eat. The right to an education and a safe place to sleep at night. The right to live in peace.[The sign says ‘Peace is happiness’ written by a young person involved with a peacebuilding project in Colombia]

Slide 4Sadly, many children and young people’s rights are denied.

Have you noticed any rights-related stories in the headlines recently?

Perhaps a story on the news about people being denied refuge? Or climate change stories on your phone’s newsfeed, with communities struggling to grow food or searching for safe shelter after a disaster?

We don’t have to look far to see that many people struggle to access their rights.

How do you feel about the announcement that you just heard: being denied your right to food at lunchtime at school for a week? Try to hold on to that feeling of injustice as you watch this film:

Slide 5[Watch the film about Fabiano from Uganda]Slide 6It’s pretty impressive that despite walking for miles for water, feeling pain, being covered in dust, Fabiano makes the effort to clean up and go to school.

But millions of children and young people don’t have easy access to water, miss out on school to collect it, and face danger along the way.

Slide 7Can you imagine being Fabiano? How different would your life be? You’d probably have to wake up much earlier, get dressed, and start walking with your empty containers. After carrying the heavy containers all the way home, maybe on your head for balance, you’d have to get ready for school, then fight to stay awake in class and concentrate. After school, you might have to go out in the dark to collect more water for the evening.

Slide 8That solar panel has made life so much better for Fabiano.

It’s literally making the future bright for this community.

Powered by the sun’s rays, the panel helps to pump water from a borehole underground and store it in the tank, before it’s distributed to the community.

When Fabiano was asked what the water pump meant to him. He said: “It means a lot. It means life”.

Through projects like this one, CAFOD helps communities around the world, ensuring that children have access to water, food, safety, education and many other rights.

Slide 9CAFOD invites us to Brighten up to help build a brighter world.

Did you know that currently CAFOD has to turn away 1 in 3 projects requesting help because it can’t fund them?

CAFOD can only do its work with the support of parishes and schools like ours. When we raise money, CAFOD can reach so many more people. It’s as simple as that.

Slide 10There are loads of ways we can help more communities like Fabiano’s.

The money we raise will help more children enjoy the rights like water, food, education and healthcare that we so often take for granted. Slide 11Did you know, £10 can help a child learn to read?£33 can supply a family with safe, clean water?And £150 can give a family one cow that will supply them with milk to drink and to sell?These gifts respect the rights to food, water and education.

Slide 12[Show the Brighten Up film]Slide 13 (optional)Do you remember CAFOD’s Lent 2019 story about Mahinur in Bangladesh? You may remember her wading through a river, water up to her neck, trying to find fish to eat. The fish had disappeared and Mahinur’s family struggled to find food.

Update, November 2019: We are sorry to have to share the sad news that later in 2019, Rabiul died of a fever. Local expert Jamal is continuing to help Mahinur and Khalek and will be there to support them through this difficult time. Mahinur asked if you would please pray for Rabiul’s soul to rest in peace. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.

The fish still haven't come back, but CAFOD wants to say ‘THANK YOU!’ Thanks to the money that schools like ours raised, Jamal and his team are now able to work on a new project helping Mahinur, Khalek and the whole community to find different ways to feed themselves.

The money we raise really does change lives.

Slide 14 and 15Thank you for listening.

Sometimes it’s easy to take our freedom and the rights we have for granted.

Let’s end with a prayer, asking that all people can live life to the full.

Loving God, We think of our neighbours, near and far, who live in poverty. We pray that all people can live life to the full. Help us to work together to build a brighter world,  where each of us can become the best person we can be.   Amen.