Reflecting on a hugely rewarding experience in India
Five Lasallian volunteers from the District answered the call to help those on the peripheries by travelling to India to help provide classrooms in a rural school.
Robyn Whelan, Kenneth Giles and Dylan Sweeney – all from Ardscoil La Salle Raheny – have joined Auxiliary Visitor Br Tommy Walsh and Tom O’Neill (MEL Ireland) on the three-and-a-half week trip, that is certain to make a huge difference to the lives of the local children.
Br Tommy reflected on a hugely successful and rewarding experience.
Congratulations to Lasallian Projects Ireland 2024 in helping to construct eight badly needed classrooms at St. Joseph's English Medium School in Keelanudiman, Tamil Nadu, India.
It was a privilege to be there with Tom O Neill, and three wonderful volunteers from Ardscoil, Raheny, Dylan Sweeney, Robyn Whelan and Kenneth Giles. It was a memorable experience overall, the three weeks flew, the kindness and generosity of the five local brothers, the dedicated and enthusiastic school staff and the friendliness and warm welcomes from all the students on campus.
Thirty-eight degrees heat didn't prevent the daily work going ahead, cleaning out earth from the base of sixty-nine columns, the shifting of earth, the whitewashing of external walls, the teaching and singing in the English Medium school, the dance classes in the boys and girls hostels, the sport and games in the afternoons and the beautiful village visits in the evenings to experience the Indian way of life.
The unique students’ bus trip home to the villages was speculatar and the numerous invitations to visit their homes was overwhelming.
The trip to the Marian shrine Vailankanni, the tip of India Kanyakumari, the salt production in Tuticorin, the Temple in Madurai and the Gateway of India Mumbai will live long in the memory.
Our sincere thanks to everybody who contributed in any way to our fund-raising efforts to build this school. The project is well underway and more information will be available in due course as the building progresses.
Please consider being a volunteer to India in 2025. Think about it, you won't regret it.
Br Thomas Walsh
