AUSTRALIAN soldiers based in Afghanistan will soon check their mail and find a little slice of home, thanks to the efforts of Quambatook Group School students.
All five students have spent several weeks preparing 10 care packs to send to soldiers in Kabul in a heart-warming expression of gratitude and reverence.
The packs include tastes of home like Tim Tams and Vegemite, along with essentials like tooth brushes and shaving cream.
Students have put their budgeting and maths skills to use in preparing their packs, with $25 allocated for each pack and a shopping outing to the Quambatook General Store.
There they perused the shelves with owner and returned servicewoman Chelle Espagne, who how now sent the packs on to a friend in Kabul.
“He will receive the packs and find worthy recipients of them,” Ms Espagne said.
She said the Tim Tams – which are the only commonality across the packs – would likely be most popular.
“Tim Tams are the currency there because you can’t get them anywhere,” she said.
School teacher Ashley Blight said the students had taken part in the challenge based learning project with great gusto.
“The kids have been very enthusiastic and it has been really beneficial for them,” she said.
Each pack also includes a personal letter from the students, in which they tell the soldiers about themselves, describe the contents of the packs and ask a series of questions.
The insides of the packs are also adorned with messages of support, praising the soldiers for their bravery and describing them as heroes.
Ms Blight said the students were eagerly awaiting replies from their heroes.
The packs were funded from the $900 raised at the school’s community celebration night in April, when more than 120 local people gathered to take enjoy a concert organised by students.
“We received overwhelming support from the Quambatook community and it was just the most fantastic night,” principal Xanthie Girdwood said.
“It was so heart-warming to see that the community cares so much about our students and also the cause they were working toward.”
Funds raised on the night were also used to make a $300 donation to the Aussie Hero Quilts organisation – a volunteer group that has sent more than 5800 quilts and 9000 laundry bags to ADF members overseas since 2012.
In a moving show of gratitude for the donation, founder Jan-Maree Ball wrote a detailed letter to the students and staff and also sent five caps which had been worn by Rear Admiral Trevor Jones, who returned to Australia this year after commanding Australian forces in the Middle East.
“I hope you will wear them with pride; you should be very proud of what you have achieved and of the community you are lucky enough to be part of,” Ms Ball wrote.
