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Lehmo is for Australian Aid

Announcement posted by Sarah Cannata 06 Oct 2015

6 August
Lehmo is for Australian Aid

Hard workers, generous, caring, community-minded – they’re the qualities that make us Australian and have led funnyman, Lehmo, to ask this confronting question: why don’t these same qualities apply to Australia as a country?

Consider these statistics taken from Campaign for Australian Aid’s Campaign Booklet:

  • On average, Australians think we invest 16 per cent of the Federal budget on Australian aid.
  • On average Australians think we should invest 12 per cent of the budget on Australian aid.
  • In reality, we only invest around 1 per cent of the budget on Australian aid.
The reality of the situation has inspired Lehmo to film a short series of YouTube videos for Campaign for Australian Aid, the most confronting of which compares Australia to that rich, selfish and annoying friend we all have.

Given our low contribution levels to date, the global community would be justified in viewing Australia in the same light at this point. 

“Our country isn’t reflective of the people in it,” says Lehmo.

“With 60 million refugees around the world, we can do more to help out the global community.”

 According to Campaign for Australian Aid, in 2014 alone, Australian aid:

  • Built more than 9,000 new classrooms.
  • Trained over 100,000 teachers.
  • Equipped more than 400,000 farmers with better technology.
  • Increased access to basic sanitation for over 1 million people.
  • Responded to emergencies in 24 countries including Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and flooding in Solomon Islands.
“By increasing Australian aid, we can build schools, train teachers, make people feel safe and help to end poverty,” says Lehmo.

And we all know that educated, fed and clothed people equate to happy and peaceful people. Peaceful people are better for Australia and the world.

Watch what Lehmo thinks Aussie hearts and Pharlap have in common:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_33JBprMps

For further information or to arrange an interview with Tony Milne, the Executive Officer for the Campaign for Australian Aid, please contact Sarah Cannata: 0407 536 133

About Campaign for Australian Aid

The Campaign for Australian Aid is a joint initiative of the Make Poverty History and Micah Challenge coalitions, for all Australians who believe we can and should do more as a nation to end extreme poverty around the world. It represents over 65 aid and development organisations, church, business and community groups.