Catholic Mission has kicked off its annual Socktober appeal with a Mass for students from 11 Sydney schools to raise money for unprivileged communities.
The Mass, held on 9 September in St Mary’s Church, North Sydney, and presided over by Bishop Daniel Meagher, was attended by more than 500 students.
This year, the schoolchildren are raising money for the construction and establishment of a maize mill in Mpika, Zambia.
The project will contribute to stability in an area currently plagued with doubt and food insecurity.
Zambian High Commissioner Dr Elias Munshya was a special guest at the launch, and said the partnerships between the Zambian government and other organisations such as Catholic Mission have improved the lives of those living in underprivileged areas.
“The good thing with this model of Catholic mission is that the money donated to these causes actually go to the causes themselves,” he told The Catholic Weekly.
“In some cases, they have helped to bridge the distance between where the communities are and their access to health care facilities, and the latest project, which is investing in a maize meal press to help with food security.”
Munshya expressed appreciation for the participation of Australian students and that the Socktober program is “creating a new generation of leaders that are looking not only to their own interests, but to the interests of others.”
“And those others that they are helping are not just going to waste the help; it is going to go into tangible investments to help our country,” he added.
Catholic Mission Deputy National Director Peter Gates says the initiative is a way for the community to come together and bring life to another community, and for students to put their faith into action.
“It is very much life giving to the whole community, and that’s one of the beautiful things about this work,” he said.
Gates, who spent three years living in Zambia, said the living conditions for those in rural areas are simple, yet complicated by natural disasters and the after-effects.
“There’s still drought in Zambia, and so maize meal is the critical staple food, and this project is to support that,” he said.
