Niamh and Hanna visited a resource centre for children with special needs.

Busy times at Borrisokane Community College

WellFest Week 2024

All students from Borrisokane Community College enjoyed a fun packed week for WellFest which is Active Schools Week and Well-Being Week combined together. Huge thanks to all guests who came to the school Conor O Sullivan, David Coen, Tommy Holland, Christine Nevin, Jordan Fitness & Performance, Catherine Ryan and guests from Fiserv. The week finished with a Whole School Colour Run where an array of colour was on display and students made some colourful memories. Thank you to the wellbeing committee and the active school class and teachers for all their work.

Students travel to Kolkata

Kolkata is the capital of West Bengali, India. It has a population of 15.5 million, writes Niamh Patterson.

The Hope Foundation was established in 1999, by Maureen Foster, to provide protection and safety to girls in Kolkata who were forced to survive on the streets, alone and vulnerable as young teenagers. In 25 years, HOPE’s progress and outreach of support has impacted the lives of over 2.9 million individuals from the streets and slums of Kolkata. HOPE provides permanent and sustainable pathways out of poverty through the delivery of education, healthcare, forgotten children, victims of trafficking, violence, abandonment, prostitution, sexual abuse, severe neglect. Working with such vulnerable children and their families and communities, has brought millions put of poverty, which enables and empowers them to build a brighter future for themselves and their future generations.

Hannah Farrell and myself travelled as a group of 75 people from schools in Munster and were accompanied by Charlie and Nessan who work with the Hope Foundation and a few chaperones. They stayed in the HHI Kolkata Hotel which was beautiful and they were all very grateful.

We visited places such as the Kasba Girls Home, Lifeskills Centre, Jain Temple, a resource centre for children with special needs, Nabo Asha Education Centre, Victoria Memorial Site, Mother Theresa House, Ashar Alo girls and the Bhagar Dump community. Every activity and home we visited opened our eyes to the hardships faced by the less fortunate. We met so many smart and kind hearted young people. Visiting Kolkata with The Hope Foundation was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life and should be experienced by many more young people.