Australian Lutheran World Service Update

Children are not things to be moulded, but people to be unfolded.”

In schools, we live this truth every day — safeguarding curiosity, nurturing confidence, and creating the conditions for young people to grow as compassionate, relational, purposeful and adventurous learners, free to flourish.

Yet for millions of girls around the world, that freedom is fragile.

Girls as young as ten are given in marriage. Forced to leave school. Speaking vows for a life they are not ready for. Becoming a wife and sometimes a mother while still a child themselves.

When we hear of challenges like this it can be hard to know what we can do, and yet there are simple ways that you and your school community can show love in action.

For many Lutheran schools their support will start with Pancakes for Purpose on Shrove Tuesday (17 February) raising awareness and funds to help families in Ethiopia. Using resources created by the ALWS school team they’ll help the world’s poorest people while also modelling the values that drive the ministry of Lutheran schools.

To support your local efforts, we encourage you to send one or more leaders from your community to the ALWS Ambassador Boot camp event in your region this term. This FREE one-day training opportunity will equip your teachers to grow compassion and understanding in your students for the most vulnerable. A highlight will be hearing directly from Mary Obara, Program Manager for our partners LWF in Kenya and Somalia who will share, in person, her experience supporting women recovering from gender-based violence, children at risk, and families striving to rebuild their livelihoods. Register today - alws.org.au/events

Together you and your school community can partner with ALWS to support young people to be Free to Flourish - here in Australia, and in places like Ethiopia where the chance to go to school is the best protection a child can have against poverty and injustice.