On Wednesday the 11th of February two guest speakers from Dundalk came to Bellurgan N.S to speak to 5th and 6th class. They spoke to the children about their involvement in a charity organisation called Walser Tanzanian Charity. Mrs Bernadette Cunningham and Ms. Margaret Muckian have been involved with this charity for the past 8 years where they look for people to sponsor children in an area called Ifunda.
The money raised from the sponsorship goes directly to the children’s education and welfare. The money provides the children with maize, uniforms, shoes and their school books. Mrs. Cunningham and Ms. Muckian have travelled to Tanzania to see that the money being sponsored is being used productively and that the children are receiving education. Through this charity many schools have been provided with water and electricity.
5th and 6th class were very interested in the work that these ladies do and had many questions to ask about their experiences over in Tanzania- what kind of animals are in Tanzania, the currency they use, what the accommodation was like, how they fundraise and how the schools differ in Tanzania and Ireland. Mrs Cunningham and Ms Muckian brought in plenty of pictures of schools, animals and homes for the children to see, baskets and jewellery that have been hand made by the native people, cards that have been made from recycled materials such as elephant dung(the class loved this!!) and other detailed handmade ornaments.
Ms. Cunningham along with 5th and 6th class would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Cunningham and Ms. Muckian for sharing their inspiring experiences with us.
