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The Second Group of 50 Volunteer trade’s people are on Day Three here in Mombasa. After fundraising, some for over the last two year’s raising 3,000 euro’s each given generously from people in different events and contributions right across Ireland. The Volunteer’s come from Clare, Tipperary, Monaghan, Galway, Carlow, Kilkenny, Dublin, Louth, Cork, Limerick, Laois, Wicklow, Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim, Mayo, Kildare, Longford, Waterford, Sligo, Meath, Tyrone, Port- Elizabeth, South Africa and Blois, France. Our County flags fly beside the site. As the days pass quickly we think of families and friends back home and every person who supported generously this year’s project. The volunteer’s here  at  present  are making a huge difference in the lives of the children who are visually impaired.  The buildings measure 1600 sq metres. Today final preparations are taking place before the task of sheeting the entire buildings. The roofers are working so hard with assistance from all on site including the locals. The grounds are being levelled too with hard work going on preparing the site levels for the landscaping. All the plants have been grown in the Poly-Technical School that we built here in 2010. They will be moved down and planted by Group Four.

The intense heat, change of food and poverty are testing factors for the volunteers. The Welcome the Group received on arrival on Wednesday was emotional and uplifting. All the local workers on site lined the road as the new volunteers got off the buses to hot African sun. They shook hands with each local worker first. But, on meeting the visually impaired children also lining the road, emotions were high as many were not able to see the volunteers so shaking hands was difficult for them. The Irish outreach, as usual, touched everyone as did the African welcome.

Hope abounds here. In a few weeks the buildings will be up and ready for the children to move into. The Irish ‘givers’ of so much money and generous volunteering has made all this happen. A dream comes through for these children. Having  good accommodation and classrooms makes all this so worthwhile. The volunteers say they are getting more out of it than they are giving. The work continues here...

TRAVEL  DATE  FOR  2012  PROJECT

GROUP DEPART IRELAND  -    ARRIVE IRELAND

Group 1... 13th JANUARY    -     24th JANUARY

Group 2... 24th JANUARY    -     04th FEBRUARY

Group 3... 04th FEBRUARY  -     15th FEBRUARY

Group 4... 15th FEBRUARY  -     26th FEBRUARY