Zambia 2008
The Squad at Kuomboka Backpackers
Nine students and five adults, Dr. Aidan Donaldson, Mr. Mark Robinson,
Mr. Jack McGarry, An tUas. Caoimhín de Búrca and Mr. John Cooley
headed for Lusaka.
Hello Msungu and Mr. Mark and a Friend
Working at St. Catherine's in Misisi Compound
Some of the orphans from the Home of Hope, St. Lawrence's at the 'Barefoot' Festival held in the National Museum.
Some pupils at St. Catherine's, Misisi.
Getting water in Misisi
The village of Mapepe
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Zambia Visit 2007
Thirteen students and four adults, Dr. Aidan Donaldson (Project Coordinator), Mr. Tom McAughey (Teacher), Mr. Caoimhín de Búrca (Principal) and Mr. John Cooley (Chair of the Board of Governors) arrived in Zambia as the sun rose on Thursday, 29th March.
They brought with them a most generous contribution in terms of funding and equipment from the wider St. Mary's Community. They worked in St. Lawrence's Centre, Misisi Compound and visited Kabwata Orphanage and our school in Old Kabweza - St. Mary's, Old Kabweza.
This school was officially opened on the 16th March 2005.
The travellers were delighted to see the bakery at St. Lawrence's Centre up and running and churning out breads for the Misisi community.
They completed the foundations for the piggery.
The lads cleared the ground to lay the foundations for the new Health Clinic in the St. Lawrences' Centre, serving the Misisi Compound.
They prepared the ground on the farm and sowed the next crop of vegetables.
They painted the bakery and the mill house.
Dr. D. has a a go at the new bore hole in the bush.
Heading home to Koumboka Packpackers in the
St. Mary's (Kabwata Orphanage) truck.
Reflection Time
A great welcome at Kabweza
A number of classes at St.Mary’s CBGS have generously volunteered 
to sponsor a class at St.Lawrence’s School, Misisi Compound, Zambia. St. Lawrence’s is the school which Project Zambia helped to build.
This sponsorship involves nine classes at St.Mary’s being matched with nine classes in Zambia. They have already exchanged photographs and intend to write to each other two or three times a year.
Each of the classes at St.Mary’s will donate £25 per month towards paying a teacher’s wage at St. Lawrence’s. A teacher's wage in Africa is approximately £350 a year so each class will contribute £250 of this.
This initiative is incredibly worthwhile as it enables disadvantaged children access to an education. It also means that our students get a privileged insight, through letters, into what it is like to be a child in Zambia.
Annual visit to Lusaka, Zambia, by students and staff, 2006.
On Friday, 7th April 2006, a fifteen strong party of students and staff from St. Mary’s CBGS left Belfast for Lusaka, Zambia, to work alongside the people of Misisi Compound
Compoundaaspart
as part of the school’s Project Zambia. Led by Dr. Aidan Donalson and Mr. Michael Leydon, and accompanied by Br. McKenna, Mr. Joe McBurney and Ms. Eileen McCaffrey the group of staff and ten students spent two weeks with communities in St. Lawrence’s School, orphans and street children in the ‘Home of Hope’, AIDS patients, orphans in Kabwata Orphanage and visited the community of the villages surrounding St. Mary's School, Old Kabweza.
The group also worked in the Food Aid Programme and the Special Needs Centre in the compound. This is our fourth school trip to Lusaka.
St. Mary's Group departs for Zambia:
Project Zambia was initiated by St. Mary's CBGS and Monkstown CBS in 2002 as part of the Christian Brothers' Immersion Programme. Staff and Sixth Form Students travel to Lusaka each year and work with the people there. It is a response by our school in Belfast to the cry of the poverty-stricken people of the compounds and villages of Lusaka and Kabweza, Kafue.
The project has grown and has spread to communities throughout Belfast and beyond. This is a unique venture directly linking and uniting people in Ireland and Zambia.
It is transforming lives and communities in both the rich western world and sub-Saharan Africa. It is inspirational. It is real.
March 2005.
We had a most moving ceremony in March 2005 when we planted a tree and had a prayer service in memory of Mr. Terry Hegarty, Chris Thibideau and Mr. McAteer next to the Special Needs Centre at St. Lawrence's, Lusaka. These all died very recently and had a direct connection with 'Project Zambia'. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha dílse.
Zambia V Ireland
In March 2005 for the first time in three years the St. Mary's selection (teachers, 6th and 7th years) beat the St. Lawrence's selection (teachers, police and army). It was a well deserved victory for St. Mary's (Ireland) but Zambia vow that they will never be caught short again!
Old Kabweza, Kafue
This is the inside and outside of Old Kabweza Community School, Kafue, as we found it in March 2004 - a collapsing building without a single piece of furniture.
A total of one hundred and ninety four children attended one of two daily sessions with one voluntary teacher.
In October 2004 a new school with four classrooms, an office, store and toilets was completed. The school is now fully equipped and teachers employed. We were honoured to be asked to name the new school.
It is now 'St. Mary's, Old Kabweza Community School'.
This school was officially opened on Wednesday 16th March 2005 by Mr. Kevin Burke in the company of students and teachers from St. Mary's, the Head Men of the seven feeder villages and many parents and pupils. On that day there were 426 children enrolled at the school.
This is one of a number of projects completed by St.Mary's CBGS and supporters of Project Zambia.
Since March 2003 the project has achieved the following:
St. Lawrence’s School:
Four classrooms built and eight teachers employed. Two teachers’ houses completed. Extension to kitchen completed. Entire year group provided with books and equipment. Sports facilities for entire school provided.
St. Lawrence’s Special Needs Centre:
Major extension completed and construction toys and other educational equipment provided. Funding for two SEN teachers donated.
Agricultural project commenced:
St. Lawrence’s Home of Hope:
Three dormitories built and new toilet block and plumbing system established. Number of 'street kids' under care is now over thirty.
St. Lawrence’s Community Hall:
Security wall: Completed.
Kabwata Orphanage: New water system established, blankets for the cold season provided, orphanage repainted, food aid programme established.
Misisi Compound:
Clean water programme commenced.
Old Kabweza School: St. Mary's, Old Kabweza
Rebuilt, teachers employed and school fully equipped. Has now grown in less than six months from 192 pupils to 426. Now 'St. Mary's, Old Kabweza'.
St. Catherine's Nursery:
Rebuilt and Extended. New toilet block constructed and kitchen completed. Food-aid programme instituted. Two teachers trained for additional intake.
St. Mary’s Project Zambia would like to express its sincerest thanks to all of its supporters, including St. Mary's Gaelic Aid for Zambia, Cassidy’s Bar (Belfast), Our Lady Queen of Peace (Kilwee), the North Belfast Community Sector, St. Mary's University College Business Students, a number of very generous individuals and, especially, the staff, students, friends and families of St. Mary’s CBGS who have made all of the above happen and the dreams of Mr. Tembo and Brother John McCourt a reality.
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Project Zambia Weblinks:
Project Zambia main website: www.projectzambia.com
What is Project Zambia?: Click here for details.
The latest site: http://web.mac.com/cmacaindreasa
Another link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Zambia
St. Mary's University College :
http://www.stmarys-belfast.ac.uk/academic/education/gde/latestnews.asp
The team of pupils, past pupils and staff who visited Lusaka last March were accompanied by a BBC team. Our visit featured each week for six weeks on the BBC2 Irish language programme 'SRL'.
Clár 1 - St. Lawrence School
(ó shuíomh idirlíne BBC)
tionscadal na saimbia/ project zambia
Programme 1 - St. Lawerence School
Le blianta beaga anuas tá nasc déanta idir scoileanna de chuid na mBráithre Críostaí
in Éirinn agus pobail sa tSaimbia. Bíonn na scoileanna in Éirinn ag bailiú airgid agus
á chur amach chun na hAfraice.
Tá Scoil Mhuire na mBráithre Chríostaí, Bóthar an Ghleanna, Béal Feirste, ag bailiú airgid do Thionscadal Scoile Naomh Labhras i Lusaka, príomhchathair Zambia, le ceithre bliana anuas. Gach bliain, téann grúpa ón scoil amach chun na Sambia le roinnt oibre a dhéanamh agus an nasc idir Bhéal Feirste agus Lusaka a láidriú.
I mbliana, tá Céara ina gcuideachta.
Le linn an turais, faigheann Céara agus na scoláirí ó Scoil Mhuire léargas ar na deacrachtaí a bhaineann leis an tsaol sa cheantar seo, áit ina bhfuil bochtanas
agus galair forleathan. Téann an méid a fheiceann siad go mór i bhfeidhim orthu agus is léir go dtagann athrú mór ar na daltaí agus iad san Afraic.
Sa chéad chlár, freastalaíonn Céara ar ranganna i Scoil Naomh Labhras agus buaileann sí le Peter Tembo atá i gceannas ar an tionscadal le hocht mbliana anuas.
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For several years now, many of the Christian Brothers’ Schools here in Ireland have been involved in linking with communities in Africa and India. St Mary’s CBGS, Glen Road, Belfast have been particularly involved in the St Lawrence Project in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia and in helping to build a school there. This has resulted in some students and teachers from St Mary’s visiting Lusaka to visit some ongoing projects and to see at first hand what the real challenges are for the people who live there. This year, Céara accompanied the group from St Mary’s for SRL and we see how the students benefit from the trip.
Clár 2 (ó shuíomh idirlíne BBC)
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An tseachtain seo, téann Céara agus na scoláirí de chuid Scoil Mhuire na mBráíthre Críostaí ar thuras jíp amach faoin tuath i Zambia a fhad le Sean Kabweza. Is áit an-iargúlta í Sean Kabweza, ina gcónaíonn pobal tréibheach.
Feiceann na cuairteoirí an scoil úr a tógadh i mbliana leis an airgead ó Bhéal Feirste. In éineacht le muintir na háite, déanann said céiliúradh le linn oscailt oifigiúil na scoile le damhsa, ceol agus craic.
This week Céara and the students from St.Mary’s CBS Belfast take a trip in a jeep Clár 3 Watch clip in narrowband Watch clip in broadband |
An tseachtain seo, glacann Céara agus na daltaí ó Scoil Mhuire páirt i Lá Idirnáisiúnta na n-Óg i Saimbia. Céiliúrann aos óg Lusaka an lá speisialta seo le mórshiúil ildaite tríd na sráideanna, ócáid lán le ceol, canadh agus damhsa. Tá Uachtarán na Saimbia, Levy Mwanawasa, ag freastal ar an ocáid chomh maith agus labhrann sé mar gheall ar na fadhbanna éagsúla atá ag aos óg na Saimbia, fadhbanna cósúil le HIV, easpa oideachais agus bochtannas.
This week Céara and the Belfast Students celebrate International Youth Day with the young people of Lusaka.
Clár 4 Wednesday 12th Oct. & Saturday15th Oct.
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An tseachtain seo, tá seans ag Céara agus na scoláirí ó Scoil Mhuire na mBráithre Críostaí an obair atá faoi bhun acu i Lusaka a fhágáil ina ndiaidh agus bheith mar thurasóirí ar feadh cúpla lá. Téann siad ar thuras fada ó Lusaka go Livingstone – naoi n-uaire a chloig ar an bhus le cuairt a thabhairt ar iontas nadúrtha an domhain – Easanna Victoria.
This week Céara and the students from St Mary’s leave the work behind for a day and get on the bus for Livingstone to see the beautiful Victoria Falls.
Clár 5: Misisi Compound
Misisi Compound
An tseachtain seo téann Céara agus na buachaillí ó Scoil Mhuire thart ar Misisi compound, baile ina gcónaíonn na páistí a fhreastalaíonn ar Scoil Naomh Labhras ann.
Turas dian atá i gceist, in éineacht le Gilbert, dochtúir don tsráidbhaile. Tá Gilbert é féin i mbun traenála go fóill, ach is eisean an t-aon “dochtúir” atá ar fáil do mhuintir Misisi. Feiceann muintir Bhéal Feirste fíorbhochtannas na háite. Tá na tithe ag titim as a chéile;
tá galar, fulaingt agus bás le feiceáil ar fud fad na háite.
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In ainneoin sin, bíonn na daoine sona sásta, rud a chuireann iontas mór ar na cuairteoirí as Béal Feirste. Tugann an turas seo léargas ar ghnáthshaol mhuintir Misisi, agus léirionn sé cé chomh tábhachtach is atá tionscadal na Saimbia dóibh. Cuireann sé in iúl freisin go bhfuil i bhfád níos mó airgid fós de dhíth ar mhuintir na háite.
This week Céara and the students from St Mary’s visit the Misisi compound where most of the children who attend the St Lawrence School live. Their guide through the compound is Gilbert, a young man who is still training to be a doctor himself and who is really the only source of medical help available to the residents of Misisi. The students experience first hand what real poverty means – there is disease all around and people are suffering and dying daily.
Despite that, the Belfast visitors are astounded by the resilience of the people who live like this on a daily basis and realise the importance of the project in which they have become involved and that there is still much work to be done to alleviate the pain and suffering of the people here.
Clár 6
Ar dtús, ceann de bhuaiceanna an turais do na leads, an cluiche peile bliantúil idir Saimbia agus Éire. Bhí an bua ag Saimbia achan bhliain go dtí seo. Mar sin de, is ceist bhróid í i mbliana, agus tá áthas an domhain ar na dáltaí ó Scoil Mhuire nuair atá an bua ag Éire don chéad uair riamh. Tá searmanas speisialta acu chomh maith, cuimhneachán do thriúr Gael as Béal Feirste a raibh baint láidir acu le Tionscadal Saimbia. Bhí Tarlach Ó hÉigeartaigh, Pat McAteer, agus Críostóir Thibodeau, a fuair bás go tobann le linn na bliana anuas, ina gcairde móra le muintir Naomh Labhras. Tugann muintir Naobh Labhras bronntanas dá gcairde Gael le cóisir mór in ómós do mhuintir Bhéal Feirste. Tá sonas, spraoi agus craic ag na leads lena gcairde nua as Lusaka, ach ina dhiaidh tá sé in am dona daltaí pilleadh abhaile. Téann an turas seo go mór i bhfeidhim ar na buachaillí as Bhéal Feirste agus tá siad ag dul abhaile réidh le níos mó a dhéanamh agus tuilleadh airgead a bhailiú don tionscadal. Watch clip in narrowband Watch clip in broadband Más maith leat cuidiú le Tionscadal Saimbia, nó má tá tuilleadh eolais de dhíth ort, is féidir leat dul i dteagmháil le Scoil Mhuire na mBráithre Chríostaí.
An tseachtain seo, fágann Céara agus na dáltaí ó Scoil Mhuire na mBráíthre Chríostaí slán ag muintir Lusaka. Roimh imeacht, tá cúpla rud tábhachtach le cur i gcrích ag muintir Bhéal Feirste.
Tuilleadh eolais ar an tionscadal seo buail ar/For more information on this project visit: