SIX students from Blackrock College are settling back home following a whirlwind six-day trip to the slums of Kolkata with GOAL.
Liam Quigley, Will Doherty, Matthew O’Driscoll, Oisin O’Reilly, Sebastian McKimm and Marcus Rafferty, all members of the Southside school’s transition year group that ran this year’s annual St Patrick’s Day Badge project in aid of GOAL and Aidlink, were selected by their teachers and peers to visit the projects on behalf of the college.
The boys were the first Blackrock students to see some of GOAL’s projects first-hand, and learn how their money is helping the charity to deliver aid to some of India’s most vulnerable members of society.
The popular badges campaign has been running since 1990, and has raised more than e2 million to assist the poor of the developing world in the process.
Accompanied by GOAL’s Development Education coordinator, Maeve Seery and the college’s transition year coordinator, Christina Nulty, the party landed in Kolkata and spent the next five days meeting some of the men, women and children that the charity is assisting with relief and development programmes.
Following a settling-in period on Monday, the boys made an early morning visit to one of the 35 brick-making factories on Tuesday morning, where GOAL works to improve living and working conditions for migrant workers.
That afternoon was spent at the Mother Theresa of Calcutta Centre, which was founded by the inspiration nun’s religious family, and where her tomb is located.
On Wednesday, the boys travelled to see GOAL’s projects for people living and working at two of the city’s municipal dump sites at Howrah and Dhapa, where they also managed to play rugby and other games with some of the children.
On Thursday morning, the party visited some of the hundreds of schools that have benefitted from water, sanitation and hygiene services provided by GOAL, while they met some of the children benefitting from the street children’s project in the afternoon.
After spending some time at a rehabilitation centre for children on Friday, where GOAL is supporting the manufacture and supply of orthotics and prosthesis to physically-challenged children in need, the boys were given the opportunity to do some shopping and take in some sightseeing before they boarded the plane for home.
“I think the boys really enjoyed the trip, and I know they learned a lot about what we do,
? said Ms Seery.
“They were great with the children and apart from playing rugby they were handing out little gifts like lollipops, badges and stickers every day, much to the delight of the local kids. I hope now they will tell their fellow transition year students more about GOAL’s work in India, and how the money they raised is being spent to great effect.
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The St Patrick’s Day badges campaign began in 1990 when a group of students from Blackrock College dreamt up the idea of selling adhesive Shamrock badges in support of GOAL and Aidlink.
The students control every aspect of the project, from badge ordering, distribution and management to advertising and sales.