Journeying to the Frontiers of Justice

In July, a group of six teachers from Catholic high schools across the United States traveled to Ghana and Burkina Faso as part of Frontiers of Justice, a program designed to give Catholic educators firsthand experience in a developing country.

Sponsored by Catholic Relief Services and the National Catholic Education Association, Frontiers of Justice encourages teachers to take what they've learned back to the classroom to help students better understand social justice and poverty.

Jeff Goldsmith, a theology teacher from Colorado, says he'll use his experience to rebut stereotypes about poverty commonly held by his students. "I'm going to introduce them to the village women of Manni," he says, referring to a group of women in one of the poorest regions of Burkina Faso. Jeff was impressed by their use of microfinance loans to improve their lives.

"The women of Manni have proven that when money is placed into poor people's hands, they don't waste it."

Similarly, the Frontiers of Justice trip included many powerful visits that introduced teachers to CRS programs that encourage school attendance by providing lunches and take-home food rations, as well as programs in HIV and fair trade.

Kim Pozniak works as a communications officer for CRS and is based in Baltimore, MD.