Four Aquinas ākonga have won a national contest for their ideas to address key social and environmental problems

Monique Faire, Shanya Dewan, Ture Hansson and Niklas Walzak entered the Kaitiaki2Share competition as part of their Y10 social studies classwork on Caritas.

The competition, run by Caritas Aotearoa NZ, challenged students to create a video, poem, story, plan or artwork/diagram showing kaitiakitanga (protection) of people and the environment.

Monique’s art entry won for its social commentary on purchasing clothing made by child labour. Shanya’s story and artwork discuss the social impact of child poverty in NZ, while True and Niklas teamed up to create an interactive narrative on climate change and ways to address it.

Caritas said their work showed how we can come together and use the Catholic principle of Stewardship to care for God’s creation. They and three other winners each receive a share of the prize money and will have a native tree planted in their name.

Fellow Y10 student Beth Mosley received a Notable Effort for her entry.

Their entries can be viewed at: https://www.caritas.org.nz/kaitiaki2share