Mayo students volunteering overseas
OVER the Easter holidays, 19 students and two teachers from Davitt College, Castlebar, and St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Foxford, will spend their holidays volunteering in the poverty-stricken country of Zambia.
Zambia has one of the lowest life expectancies across the globe at just 51 years of age and suffers from a high HIV prevalence rate of almost 15% of the population.
The students are volunteering with Irish charity SERVE, which focuses specifically on programmes and projects that help communities enhance the lives of children and young people and recognises that gender equality is pivotal to achieving justice, equality and sustainable development.
The volunteering programme is ran in conjunction with a development education module that is offered to transition years students at both schools which focuses on educating students on the United Nations' sustainable development goals and global issues in the wider world.
The immersion programme is the second such volunteering experience for students at these secondary schools after a successful project was completed in 2016.
The students will participate in a variety of activities over the two weeks, including working on a local farm, volunteering in local schools and helping children with disabilities. Students will also participate in the Living on Under $2 a Day challenge, which unfortunately is the reality for over 60% of the Zambian population.
Each student and teacher have fundraised €2,000 and the students have undergone a series of pre-departure training sessions, including a team building exercise in Delphi over the summer holidays.
The group will travel to Mazabuka in Southern Zambia with a total of almost €30,000 which will be spent directly by SERVE’s in-country partner, St. Bakhita’s association, in the local community.
* Pictured are students and teachers who are volunteering in Zambia. At front, from left: Eimear Donlon (teacher), Natasha Nally, Shauna Towey, Emma Barrett, Andreena Corrigan, Sinead Coll, Jason High and Kevin Donlon (teacher). Second row: Ciaran Gavin, Olivia Fahey, Louise Smyth, Emma Mullahy, Amy McHugh, Ella Mongey and Tadhg Ruane. At back: Fern Binley, Ruairi Boyle, Liam McEvoy, Emily Clarke, Tommie McHale and Saoirse Hoban.