26 January 2010
Zambia Update
On Monday 22nd June 2009 a team of twelve Lower 6th girls and five members of staff from Our Lady’s Grammar School, left Newry and made the long journey to Zambia to work with the charity Habitat for Humanity. Their aim was to build two houses with the charity in a place that was at that stage only a name – the village of Ibenga, not far from the city of Ndola.
Throughout the year the team members had engaged in a wide range of fund-raising activities and had successfully reached the £36,000 target set by Habitat for Humanity. They had also raised money above and beyond this. So, on 14th December 2009, Our Lady’s had a celebratory night when the girls’ parents and other invited guests had the opportunity to hear about the Zambian experience and what these funds would be used for.
While they were in Zambia, and, indeed, during the preparation for the trip, the team received great support and guidance from the SMA Fathers and from the Sisters of Mercy and they decided that the additional monies raised should go to these two groups. It gave the team great pleasure to present a cheque of £10,000 to the SMA Fathers who work in Ibenga and Ndola and to make a donation of £4000 sterling and almost $2000 to the Sisters of Mercy who reside in Mazabuka.
The money given to the SMA Fathers will go directly to particular projects with which the students and staff were involved during their time in Ibenga and Ndola. All of the team members felt very privileged to visit and experience these projects and to meet the many wonderful, unsung heroes who work tirelessly to help those who are sick, orphaned or homeless.
Sister Angela and Sister Mary have told us that the money they received will be spent helping many families, orphans, out-reach programmes, food programmes and women’s projects which they run in Mazabuka. As with the work of the SMA Fathers in Ibenga and Ndola, the team was in awe of the huge contribution which the Sisters make to the lives of the people with whom they work in Mazabuka and all of us in Our Lady’s are delighted to have been able to help them.
The team would like to thank everyone who helped with the project in any way throughout they year. It was beyond all expectations that an additional £15,500 would be raised and to experience first-hand the projects which will benefit from this money has been an incredible honour. Thank you!
