Harvest Secondary Schools Assembly 2017: Brighten Up

Slide 1: IntroductionWelcome to our assembly for Harvest Fast Day, which is on Friday 6 October.

Harvest is a time to thank God for the fruits, grains and vegetables that feed us.

It is also a time to be mindful of people who do not have a fair share of Earth’s harvest.

We remember people in our own country who do not have enough to eat [if your school collects for foodbanks during Harvest-time, give details here]. And in this assembly we remember our sisters and brothers around the world.

[The World Bank defines extreme poverty as surviving on less than $1.90 per day. This is approximately £1.50 but varies as exchange rates rise and fall.]

Slide 2:“Today I must survive on £1.50.” This is the challenge that millions of people have to face every morning.

Take a moment to think what you could buy with £1.50 to help you survive. [Pause] Perhaps a bag of crisps and an apple?

Remember that £1.50 also has to cover your heating, lighting, clothes, housing, travel and any other expenses you have.

Could you survive on £1.50 a day? Every day? For years?

Slide 3:1 in 10 people in our world live in extreme poverty - on less than £1.50 per day. This is unjust!

Everyone should be able to live life to the full, not be struggling to survive.

That’s why CAFOD partners work with the poorest communities in LEDCs to help them find lasting solutions to extreme poverty.

Themes: Harvest, Food, Poverty, Sharing, Long-term development Materials required: Assembly PowerPoint, Harvest animationOptional: Brightly coloured clothes for narrators to wearDesired learner outcomes:

For pupils to understand that one in ten people live in extreme poverty - on less than £1.50 a day

For pupils to understand that CAFOD partners work with communities long-term as they work out different solutions to poverty

For pupils to see the relationship between taking action and supporting communities overseas as they build a brighter world

Time allocation: 7 minsDate: On or around Harvest Fast Day on Friday 6 October

Communities in places like El Salvador…Slide 4:[Show the 3-minute film via the hyperlink on the slide. If your school system blocks YouTube, you can download the film from the secondary schools pages on our website]

[Isabel featured in our Harvest 2015 materials and film about Romero; Ronaldo is Jacqueline’s brother and features in Connect2 El Salvador materials; younger pupils may recognise Diego from our primary Geography pack and Harvest 2015 materials]

Slide 5:The road out of poverty is a long one. It can take years to put in place solutions that will last.

Around El Salvador and around the world, communities are working out new ways of doing things, confident that CAFOD partners will stay beside them for as long as it takes.

As a result, many children and young people are growing up in safer, healthier communities, with a brighter future.

Slide 6:But, with 1 in 10 people in the world living in extreme poverty, there is still much more to do.

Slide 7:You can be part of making a lasting difference to other people like the young people in today’s assembly.

Brighten Up with CAFOD this Harvest to raise money and help build a brighter world!

There are loads of bright fundraising ideas on CAFOD’s website.

[If your school already has aBrighten Up event organised, give details here]

Slide 8:And every pound makes a difference:

£1 buys one week’s attendance at a children’s club, safe from gang violence.

£38 gives a family grains, vegetables, organic manure and livestock to start a farm.

£105 buys chickens and materials to start a family business.

How will you get involved and raise money this Harvest, to help build a brighter world?

Slide 9:Before we finish with a prayer, let’s have a moment of silence to remember some of the people we have heard about today. [Pause]

Let us pray together…Lord, you created the Earth and gave us enough for everyone to live life to the full.This harvest-time, we pray for our sisters and brothers who do not

have a fair share of Earth’s bounty.Help us to share your gifts with them and to work with them, for as long as it takes, to build a brighter world for everyone.We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Slide 10: Closing image[The Brighten Up poster]

Teacher note: To find out more about our work in El Salvador, use our El Salvador country guide at cafod.org.uk/secondary.