Kids dig deep for tsunami

By Lia Bichel
LIGHTHOUSE Christian College students have collected a shipping container full of donations for a school in Samoa which was swept away by a tsunami in September of last year.
Their efforts began after learning their mathematics and physical education teacher Sunui Magele was educated in Falealili’s school, which was destroyed in the disaster.
“My mother was saved from the deluge – but people next door were swept away to their doom,” Mr Magele said.
“My old school (Falealili High School) was completely wiped away by the tsunami, as was the primary school. It was there I was educated and unfortunately the tsunami has taken all of it.”
Falealili High School’s Year 11 and 12 students were re-located to a high school in a nearby district shortly after the tsunami, while the school’s remaining students will miss out on learning and studying in an educational facility.
Since beginning their fundraising efforts, students have raised more than $2000 to pay for shipping costs and a customs bill, which will permit one shipping container to be sent to the village.
The container will be filled with donations of 27 large boxes of stationery and textbooks, 12 computers and 10 large boxes of pre-loved clothing.
Lighthouse Christian College principal Tim Rogers said he was proud of the staff and students as well as community members who donated items.
“It is one thing to understand vicariously what a tsunami can do and the social impact of a catastrophe, but it’s in responding where real understanding is found,” he said.
“Moving from passive empathy to actually formulating concrete steps for response is the pathway of true learning.”