Local Belvo Students to host Beach Clean Fundraiser

Three local students from Belvedere College, Donal McKay, Luke Marren and Rory Doran are currently fundraising for the Jesuit mission at Chikuni, Zambia which is supported by the Belvedere College Zambia immersion programme.

The lads have decided to host a fundraising event while also raising awareness about waste ending up in the sea which is causing huge damage to sea life and marine ecosystems. In order to raise funds for their charity, while also making a difference locally, they are planning a beach clean at Dollymount.  

The beach is approximately 5 kilometres long so they will be working hard with their friends and families on Saturday the 24th March 2018 from 9 a.m. until 2.00 p.m. They have set up a gofundme campaign where they hope local residents will show support by donating at this link https://www.gofundme.com/dollymount-beach-charity-clean-up. Belvedere has been involved in the Zambia Immersion Programme since 2015 which supports the Jesuit Mission in Chikuni, Zambia.  Chikuni is a large Jesuit mission with education at its heart. At the mission, there

Belvedere has been involved in the Zambia Immersion Programme since 2015 which supports the Jesuit Mission in Chikuni, Zambia.  Chikuni is a large Jesuit mission with education at its heart. At the mission, there are primary schools, secondary schools and a third level teacher training college. There is also a hospital, an outreach programme supporting people in rural villages living with HIV/AIDS, income generation projects to support these outreach programmes and a cultural museum and centre. There is also a radio station which broadcasts the school curriculum to 18 rural schools. These schools were originally set up under a straw hut or a tree and over time school buildings have been built.??

Donations will help to continue initiatives that the Belvedere college immersion programme has been engaged with since 2015 such as the school building programme, the provision of school supplies and the installation of solar panels to provide electric lighting for evening study.  Belvedere college also supports the training of community teachers who teach classes at the schools. In addition to supporting these initiatives the Belvedere immersion programme has two primary aims:

1) to support the education programmes in Chikuni especially the Taonga Radio schools programme, and

2) to give the Belvedere students a total immersion into a new culture that challenges them and opens them up to share their gifts and talents. A programme of sharing a common human story and learning from one another. Each student taking part in the programme must raise €4,000.00 to ensure that it will happen. The funds raised will go towards all of the initiatives supported by the Belvedere immersion programme at Chikuni. The significance of the new rural schools is that children have local access to school and without having to walk long distances so they can still carry out household chores before and after school. This is a very important aspect of rural life and the education they receive is a key out of poverty.

The lads are looking forward to taking part in the Belvedere immersion programme in June 2018 and any support will be greatly appreciated by them and the children at Chikuni.