A Dunsborough primary school student has inspired her school to raise more than $500 for an international aid organisation.
Our Lady of the Cape Primary School student Amelie Lambert was so moved by the plight of refugees that she wanted to take action.
“I was watching a program about refugees going in a boat from one place to another and it made me sad,” she said.
“I just to make more people happy.”
The Year 5 student wrote to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull about the issue.
Not satisfied with his response, she reached out to religious education coordinator Amie Meyer.
Together, they came up with the idea of the Rice for Refugee Day lunch to coincided with June 20’s World Refugee Day.
The pair researched what a typical meal looked like in refugee camps through the UN Refugee Agency.
They found refugees were given a limited ration of flour, lentils, chickpeas and rice.
The school supplied the rations and each student that participated made a gold coin donation, with the money raised going to Caritas.
Ms Meyer said Amelie had exemplified the school’s values of compassion and excellence.
“Amelie actually came to me about this last year when she was in just Year 4 so to have that compassion at such a young age and be able to say this isn't right and I want to make a difference in the world is amazing,” she said.
“Our values of compassion are all about seeing a need, and doing something about it. Going out of your way to do something, that displays excellence.”