The Big Cheque

As you see from the cheque Blackrock College Outreach Committee raised the phenomenal sum of ?184,242.98 to help with our projects in Malawi. When we got the preaentation on Thursday last we were shell shocked. It can do so much
I write on Sept 3
Returning home after our latest 6 week adventure in Malawi. Besides all our projects, we had the new experience of volunteers, on a large scale. We had two groups from Blackrock College, Dublin totaling 44 Post Leaving Cert students and 22 parents, all making a contribution to the Malawian economy and each in their own way having a significant impact on the lives of the people they met and worked with.
All we asked is that they should connect with the people they met and in the process try to inspire, educate and challenge, wherever possible. We would rate this process as a complete success. A connection was made, and the learning and understanding process needed to be seen to be believed.
We had sports days, football, netball, education, school building, knitting and singing. We dug a well, built two fishponds, visited orphan care centres, initiated a home based care for HIV sufferers, built a school garden, built a state of the art tennis clay court, had fun, and made lots of new friends. It was magical, moving, thought provoking, inspiring and exhausting all at the same time.
Now I recall:
Everything about the contributions was positive, the example of the physical work by boys, the friendship, the memories, the pump in Lusangazi, the fish ponds, the memories of the women are particularly vivid, the small and big connections, the smiles and the hugs, the real Irish friendships, the games, the sports all remembered and recalled. Statistics on the contribution might be difficult, but we know that the impact will never be forgotten, a moment in history for the poorest.
The financial impact will be more measurable and I will give a little summary of what we have been able to do so far.
Land for model farm now bought and being planted, Orphan daycare centre in the course of construction on a purchased site, Micro Credit scheme in place for 60 new business women, 300 beehives delivered and in place on a 75 hectare location, Accommodation being built for first residential students at Seed farm in Lusangazi......................................
Forgot to mention than when I tried to upload this picture of our newest volunteers, I found that the pic of the cheque was not late Sunday night but early Monday morning. Sorry guys!!