Inishowen quartet to take on charity building challenge in South Africa
“On my first trip, I was so humbled by the welcome we all got and the love shown to us. It was as if these kids had won the lottery”
Four Inishowen men are preparing to travel to South Africa later this year as part of a major charity building project aimed at improving educational facilities for underprivileged children.
Gerard Curran, from Burnfoot/Fahan, Paul Bradley and Oisín Bradley from Fahan, and Kieran Toner, from Inch, will all travel to Cape Town on November 7 for a ten-day building expedition with the Mellon Educate Foundation.
Three of the four men work in the construction industry in their day jobs, meaning they will bring valuable practical trade experience and structural know-how to the project.
For Paul, this will be his sixth trip with the charity, while Gerard is preparing for his fourth. It will be the first time Oisín and Kieran have taken part.
The Inishowen men will join around 400 volunteers from Ireland and abroad who will work together to build classrooms, kitchens and outdoor sheltered areas for children living in townships.
Gerard said the experience was about much more than simply putting up buildings.
“There is a sense of camaraderie, great friendships are made, and stories shared,” he said.
Mellon Educate is a charity working to improve the educational opportunities available to children living in disadvantaged communities in South Africa, with a particular focus on basic learning and literacy.
Gerard said his first trip had left a lasting impression on him, particularly the welcome the volunteers received from the children.
“On my first trip I was so humbled by the welcome we all got and the love shown to us. It was as if these kids had won the lottery,” he said.
The volunteers also visited local townships and saw first-hand the conditions in which many of the children and their families live.
“I know how lucky we are and take basics for granted,” Gerard said.
He said he had witnessed the improvements made as a result of the volunteers’ efforts over the years.
“I have seen first-hand the improvements that we as volunteers have contributed to. We have given these kids a step towards their futures,” he said.
“It is so important to help people to be able to help themselves.”
The four men are now fundraising ahead of their trip, with a number of events planned locally.
A bucket collection will take place in Buncrana and Bridgend on Friday, August 28, while a coffee morning and fundraiser will be held in the Fowler Hall from 10am to 2pm on September 5.
The group is also appealing for online donations, with every contribution helping to provide the bricks, cement, timber and classroom resources required for the building projects.
Gerard said: “Every single donation helps us hit our target and get these kids into the classrooms they deserve.”
Anyone wishing to support the Donegal Four can donate through www.idonate.ie by searching for ‘Donegal Four: Mellon Building Blitz’.