1st September 2021
Primary school pupils from Birmingham are the presenters of a national assembly encouraging schools to explore how they can help to protect the Amazon rainforest and support communities who live there.
On the 16th September, year 3 and 4 pupils at St Chad’s Catholic Primary School will be coming together to present the LIVE Go Green assembly, in collaboration with overseas development charity CAFOD.
The harvest assembly encourages pupils to get involved in the Go Green challenge by taking part in green themed fundraising activities, which includes dressing green for the day, baking green cakes or making a pea green soup for lunch.
One pupil from St Chad’s Catholic Primary School, shares why their school is getting involved in the harvest campaign:
“We are an international school with over 20 languages spoken by children and staff! Our school is made up of many languages and cultures and our love for God unites us every day.
“This Harvest we want to celebrate and support all the people who look after the world and protect nature.”
Ahead of climate conference COP26 in November, Go Green invites children to fundraise to support communities who are protecting the Amazon- and speak up for people affected by climate change all around the world.
The assemblies will also feature Luana, a 14-year-old girl from the Brazilian Amazon, who sends a powerful message of how the climate crisis is affecting people all around the world, and what she and her community are doing to protect the rainforest.
When fires destroyed the crops and trees that Luana’s community rely on to survive, CAFOD’s local experts helped them to replant using sustainable methods so that they would have food to eat and to sell.
Sharing why the amazon should be protected, Luana says:
“Without nature, people wouldn’t have anything. From nature comes our food and fruits- and it also protects our waters. Without nature there wouldn’t be any water, it would end. It’s very important we protect it.”
The Archbishop of Birmingham, Archbishop Bernard Longley, joins the assembly to thank children and young people in Birmingham and Catholic schools across England and Wales for taking action with CAFOD and raising their voices on the important issue of the climate crisis.
“Congratulations to the children of St Chad’s who've joined with children all over the world to present this very powerful assembly to encourage others to pray, raise money and speak out for a better world,” he said.
Sharing why the Go Green assembly is a great educational moment for her young pupils, headteacher at St Chad’s primary school, Martina Parker says:
“It is a privilege to be part of CAFOD’s national assembly and we are very excited to be part of the team driving very important messages about taking care of our world and supporting others ahead of COP26.”
CAFOD representative for the Birmingham region, Sylvester Mutsigwa concludes:
“We are proud to see St Chad’s presenting the Go Green assembly and shows how unified this school community is in sharing and listening to others on the climate crisis. As well as my involvement through CAFOD, I am also a Foundation Governor at the school and know that all the pupils, teachers and everyone involved have worked hard to put the assembly together.
“The schools within the Birmingham Archdiocese are a wonderful support to CAFOD and we very much appreciate everything they do for us.”
Find out more about the Go Green assembly at Go Green national assembly | CAFOD
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