By Aaron Cordy
HUNGER is not something associated with Australian children but for many, it is a reality they face each day as they go to school and try to learn on empty stomachs. When former Shepparton local Lyndon Galea read a story about children going to school without lunch in 2013, he knew he had to do something to help.
“I just had a very simple idea, I was a young guy at the time without any grand resources or funding or expertise, but I just had a simple idea that if these kids didn’t have lunch, what if I made some extra sandwiches and dropped them off,” said Lyndon.
12 years on Lyndon’s passion project, Eat Up, has made humble cheese sandwiches for over a thousand schools across the country. Working with community groups like the Albanian Moslem Society (AMS) of Shepparton and volunteers, with bread, snacks and other materials donated, they make as many cheese sandwiches as they can in a production line.
Lyndon and Eat Up visited the Moslem Mosque in Shepparton on Sunday, March 2, and with the help of AMS community members they made 1,425 sandwiches in under an hour, which were disbursed to schools in the region. The act of giving is significant for the community in the month of Ramadan.
“This is the time for giving. You gave your time; some people get food. Some people get the bread. As you know, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, says ‘The best person among you is one who benefits the community.’ So, we did something, hopefully, beneficial to everyone. So may Allah accept this good deed, and I hope we can come back again for good things,” said Imam Hysni Merja.
