by Jonathan Krause

Hair braiding. Busking. Cupcakes. Bookmarks. Lemonade. Painted rocks.

These are just some of the products created and sold by the Grade 5s at Good News Lutheran College in Tarneit, Victoria, as part of the ALWS What’s my business? program.

Starting with just a $20 loan, students form groups to create businesses, sell products at a marketplace, repay their $20 loan, and then use the profits to buy ALWS Gifts of Grace to help people in need.

The proprietors of Smiling Lemons, a business selling lemonade and lemon slice, decided they would like to use their profits to buy a chicken. They said: ‘This will help someone thrive because this chicken can provide food from its eggs, grow baby chicks from its eggs, meat for a family and the ability to sell extra eggs. The money the family makes could be used for education, health, such as medicine and doctor visits, clothes, beds, food and more. The chicken manure can be used to help plants grow.’

What’s my business? was developed jointly by ALWS and Lutheran schools in Victoria and New South Wales as a way of teaching students about finance, business and managing money … and at the same time how God’s gift of money can be used to bless others who may be poor.

Sienna from the business Shake It Up said, ‘We had fun, and the money we made will help other people’s lives and bring change’. Meanwhile, Isabelle from Amazing Accessories stated, ‘We went from just getting by with $20 to being successful with the profits we made, which will help the people just surviving and turn their life so they are thriving’.

Hair braids, bookmarks, painted rocks … Gifts of Grace … how wonderful to see our church in schools, and ALWS and the LLL working together to bring love to life!

Jonathan Krause is the community action manager for Australian Lutheran World Service.

WHAT’S MY BUSINESS? SCHOOLS

  • Good News, Tarneit Vic
  • Geelong Lutheran College Vic
  • St John’s, Geelong Vic
  • St John’s, Portland Vic
  • St Paul’s, Henty NSW
  • St John’s, Jindera NSW
  • Wagga Lutheran School NSW
  • St James, Hervey Bay NSW

LLL INVESTS IN SCHOOLS

The ALWS What’s my business? program in Lutheran schools is supported by a generous grant from the LLL. The LLL tagline ‘finance with a mission’ comes to life in a very practical way as students build their businesses to create finance for their mission to help others.

Read more stories like this in the October edition.

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