Best foot forward to welcome strangers

More than 60 million people around the world have been forced from their homes due to poverty, conflict and the impact of our planet’s changing climate. Of these, 20 million people have sought refuge in other countries as refugees.

Our Lutheran family takes seriously Jesus’ call to ‘welcome the stranger’.

When the students of Living Faith Lutheran Primary School, Queensland, learnt more about refugees from the Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) Community Education team, they decided to turn their new awareness into action.

The students did sock-‘blinging’ at lunch-times, adding sparkle and flair by decorating their socks. Those in Year 6 ran stalls and the whole school took part in a walkathon around the oval. Students even carried weights during the walk so they could feel a little of what it’s like to be a refugee carrying your possessions.

Teacher Tammy Spalding says: ‘Our final laps were a highlight, with dancing in the centre of the oval and finishing with the whole school walking with their banners, reading “Walk as One”’. The school, located at Murrumba Downs in Brisbane’s outer northern suburbs, raised $6,950.80 to care for Syrian refugees through ALWS and partner Lutheran World Federation (LWF) at Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan (see story, page 8).

Through ALWS and LWF our Lutheran family also cares for refugees who have fled to Kenya – nearly 200,000 people at Kakuma in the north, and more than 300,000 people at Dadaab in the west.

These refugees come from countries including Somalia, South Sudan and Burundi.

As followers of Jesus – like the students at Living Faith – our Lutheran family takes seriously Jesus’ call to ‘welcome the stranger’ (Matthew 25:35). And it costs so little to make a difference. ALWS invites us to dedicate a dollar a day to help provide welcome and care to people at Kakuma and Dadaab. Help is focused on young children, refugees with special needs, and the elderly.

Care includes pre-school for the children, mattresses, mosquito nets, and counselling for the elderly, as well as practical aids and specialist teachers for those with disabilities.

To find out more, or to dedicate a dollar a day, visit the ALWS website or call 1300 763 407.

At the website, you can also learn how ALWS respects you as a donor and uses your donation.

Every dollar counts

The low cost of caring for refugees will surprise many people. LWF reports that with many agencies working together at Kakuma Refugee Camp they can provide:

• Food +
• Shelter +
• Water +
• Sanitation +
• Education +
• Health +
• Security +
• Social services

… per refugee, per day, for just $1.

This feature story comes from The Lutheran March 2016. Visit the website to find out more about The Lutheran or to subscribe.