22nd July 2015
Five students from St Brendans spent hours packing suitcases full of gifts to take on their trip to Kenya this month.
The students packing
The students, along with Environmental Science Teacher Jane George, have collected shoes, tools, stationary and books to share with their hosts in rural Kenya. Sophie Giltinan, Adam Skirkowski , Dana Clench, Kieran Long and Megan Long have also raised money which they will take to Kenya with them to buy sporting equipment for the schools they visit.
They will be based in Alara, a small rural community in Western Kenya, a few miles from Lake Victoria. The village centre of Aoro Chuodhu has a few shops and workshops that provide goods and services for the local population. People live in scattered farms and houses spread over the countryside, with most families relying on farming small plots of land, although many of the men leave to go fishing on Lake Victoria or to look for work in Nairobi. Most people are very poor and struggle to obtain their basic needs. Piped water and mains drainage are virtually absent, electricity is rare and poverty, undernutrition and easily preventable illnesses are common.
The St Brendan’s students are in for a trip of a life time, experiencing the sights and sounds of Africa, as well working on health and environmental projects with the charity Kenya 2020. We can’t wait to hear all about their trip in the new term!
