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You are > Home > Wexford-Zambia Group fly out today
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Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wexford-Zambia Group fly out today
A GROUP of ten people will leave Ireland for Zambia today as part of the Wexford Zambia Outreach Group which was set up to improve the life of orphans in the African country.
The group is bringing with them everything from sewing machines to shoes and a huge number of school uniforms to the 80 or so orphans who attend the Wons orphanage in Chunga Township in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.
Terry O’Sullivan who is leading the group, and has travelled to Zambian on numerous occasions, says the group’s aim is to help the children in a number of different ways: “At present we are undertaking building work and orphanage improvements for Wons and we are teaching the children life skills from basic home economics and cooking skills to computer skills.”
The group of seven women and three men hail from around the country and include group coordinator, Betty White from Adamstown who is a special needs teacher and will bring her expertise to bear with the children in Wons Orphanage.
The orphanage was founded by a woman, who was herself once an orphan, Eunice Bualya and her husband, Stephen, who are now trying to spread the word about what is needed in Zambia.
Eunice and Stephen gave up their home which now houses 80 orphans in total during the day, with 27 permanently living with the couple.
In 2008 the group visited Lusaka and helped to put up a dormitory for the children and they returned last year to continue the work they started and are planning to continue the work this year.
Terry said that the biggest problem the group had for this trip was too many donations. From shoes to uniforms, the group collected 54 boxes of goods to bring out to the orphanage and had agreed with a company called Genesis Freight to bring the boxes out to Zambia.
However, due to the vagrancies of the international fuel prices, the company cancelled the agreement and the group are now looking for other ways to bring the boxes to the children in Zambia.
“We have managed to get some extra baggage allowance with British Airways so we will be able to bring the most essential goods out to the children but we are looking for businesses to help get the other boxes to Africa,” Terry said. Terry paid special tribute to Kirsty Draper from Tesco, Wexford, who came up with 130 uniforms for the children as well as all the other people who donated everything from sewing machines to pens and pencils.
If you would like to get involved and donate money to the Orphanage account in Permanent TSB, Sort Code 990666 and Account Number 13821105 or contact Terry on 087-6746080.
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