On the 20th March 2026, myself ,10 other students and three teachers from Ardscoil Rís Griffith Avenue, Marino will travel to Zambia as part of the schools’ Zambia Immersion Project.

Every two years since 2003 the school has brought a group of students to Mongu in Western Zambia to be immersed in the culture and people of Zambia and to experience first-hand the challenges facing people in a developing country.

While there, the group will work in the Cheshire Home for disabled children we will do some basic education with children, ranging in age from 4 to 18 and observe/help in the physiotherapy administered to some of the children.

In Limilunga, a village 10km north of Mongu, we will be doing some basic education, painting of classrooms and visiting children's homes.

In the two weeks that the group are in Zambia, we will also spend at least one day in a local High School experiencing first-hand a direct comparison of school life in Ireland and Zambia.

In the last two days of the trip, the group will engage with a farm project set up by Irish government aid and Ardscoil Rís support. We will meet with recently-certified local farm leaders trained in animal husbandry and new types of crops and efficient methods of cultivation. All of this is done against the backdrop of climate change challenges and local water shortages.

There are significant financial challenges in making the project a reality. We hope that you may consider supporting financially in any way possible. This would be gratefully received.

I will also be running the Clontarf half marathon on the 15th of November in aid of the project.