An innovative program at Samoa Adventist College, Lalovaea, Upolu, has seen students help each other and become more attuned to the needs of their classmates.
The school’s spiritual committee came up with the idea of doing “in-reach” at their school, rather than outreach. The committee observed that there were many students in the school who needed help in different ways.
During the penultimate week of first term, teachers helped the students to pick a secret friend. They were then given three weeks to identify their secret friend’s needs and come up with a plan to alleviate those needs. Uniform items, shoes, pens, an exercise book, even a thank-you card were some of the ideas the students came up with.
“I saw students crying while giving and when receiving,” said school chaplain Mosese Laweloa. “I’m sure when they give gifts to people in future, they [will] know how the other person feels.”
