Essentially, immersion experiences give participants the opportunity to see first hand what life is like for people in other parts of the world. On Wednesday 12 October, Sr Anne Dixon hosted a Zoom link up between the various Good Samaritan Colleges in Australia with the Kinder School in the Philippines, giving our Year 11 girls a direct insight into the daily life of the work done in the Philippines by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.

Teachers and support staff of the Kinder School spoke to Year 11 via Zoom, informing us of the day to day routines the school’s staff and students undertake. It was noted that there is plenty of joy on the faces of both staff and students alike, even though the facilities and resources available to them are nothing like what we have at St Pat’s.

The teachers spoke of the school’s experiences of lockdown and isolation during the time of restrictions due to COVID. Due to many families not being able to afford the technology, many students could not learn from home as we were able to here in Australia. They were indeed isolated. However, there recently has been much joy for the fact that they are slowly returning to face-to-face learning and reconnection with each other and their formal education. Each year on St Benedict’s Day, our Year 7s raise money which is earmarked by the Good Samaritan Foundation to be sent to the Kinder School.

Another initiative established and run by the Good Sam Sisters is the Outreach Centre in Bacolod. The Boulevard in Bacolod is a congested, polluted, and impoverished part of the area where the poorest families live in cramped conditions in houses made from scraps of materials such as cardboard, corrugated iron, and bamboo. On Benedict Day each year, our Year 11s raise money which is earmarked for the Outreach Centre.

During the Q and A session, our Year 11 girls were interested in knowing how we at St Pat’s may be able to offer practical support remotely to the Kinder School. One way we can do this is by sending everyday school supplies such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other stationery. Of course, we can also always offer our prayerful support, especially to the Sisters and staff who continue to do an amazing job at keeping things running smoothly.

The Year 11 cohort is to be praised for the way they entered into the Virtual Immersion experience by being attentive, empathetic, and fully engaged in the whole process. Overall, it was a most valuable encounter between St Pat’s and the Philippines.