Norwich pupils Brighten Up this Harvest

Local pupils have raised over £260 to help overseas communities living in poverty to grow enough food this Harvest.

Notre Dame Prep School in Norwich has held a day of fundraising to help improve the lives of young people around the world as part of development charity CAFOD's Brighten Up Harvest campaign.

Jo Graham, the Parent Teacher Association liaison officer, said: "The students and staff of Notre Dame Prep came to school today in their "brightest" clothes and the school was awash with colour. The children also brought in donations of tinned and dry foods for the Norwich Foodbank and donated £1 each to CAFOD's Harvest Fast Day collection."

CAFOD works with communities like those in El Salvador - a small country in Central America with a population smaller than London. With support, farmers are learning sustainable farming techniques, women are setting up small businesses and urban communities are finding ways to cope with the violence around them and to build peace.

As a result, people are escaping poverty and transforming their lives so that families have enough food and children can go to school and achieve their dreams.

CAFOD's representative in Norwich, Jane Crone, said: "Harvest is a time of abundance of both crops and of life in the community. This day of fundraising has shown the abundance of compassion in Notre Dame whose kindness will help communities in El Salvador and around the world.

"Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated after he spoke out for poor people of El Salvador, said: 'We plant the seeds that one day will grow'. Our Harvest appeal is about literally planting seeds but also about standing with people to ensure that they can prosper. This wouldn't be possible without the generosity of pupils like those at Notre Dame."

Donate to the Harvest Appeal at cafod.org.uk/harvest