MORE than 300 youth ambassadors painted Albury red yesterday.
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It was with the intention of increasing Australia’s foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of the gross national income.
The Australian government contributes 0.35 per cent, 35 cents of every $100 the country earns, to helping fight poverty.
Wearing their red “join the movement to end poverty” T-shirts, Victorian school and university students and other young people crammed into Noreuil Park where they made a human sign.
The group made up five of 16 “End Poverty” roadtrips around the country this week.
Last night all 16 groups — more than 1000 people in total — converged on Canberra.
Today they will meet with about 70 state and federal MPs.
Victorian roadtrip manager Catherine Nadel said the mass pilgrimage had two goals.
“The first is political and that’s to increase foreign aid to 0.7 per cent,” she said.
“The second is to create a movement of young leaders.”
Among those at the stopover in Albury yesterday were Beechworth identical twins Jacinta and Sharon Robinson.
For these sisters, poverty is a matter close to their hearts.
They share interests including politics, international affairs and aid.
Last year Jacinta lived on $2 a day for a week, on a diet of oranges and rice.
It gave both of them a new appreciation for what those living in poverty went through.
“I found it’s quite difficult,” Jacinta said.
“She lost so much weight,” Sharon added.
The roadtrip finishes in Sydney on Sunday.