Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, Sligeach Sligo's Irish Medium Primary School
(ENGLISH VERSION BELOW)
Is sráidbhaile beag tuaithe é Tumu Tumu in ardchríocha Lár na Céinia, atá suite i bhforaoisí dlútha ag bun Sliabh Chéinia. Cónaíonn teaghlaigh i dtithe beaga adhmaid scaipthe ar fud na foraoise, go minic gan aon leictreachas nó uisce reatha.
Mar is eol daoibh, tá an Ghaelscoil nasctha leis an mBunscoil. Tá Coláiste na Trócaire nasctha freisin leis an Meánscoil áitiúil agus is í scoil do Dhaoine Lagaithe Éisteachta an tríú scoil, sainscoil réigiúnach le 174 páistí agus daoine óga ó 4 bliana d’aois suas go dtí 21 bliain d’aois. Beidh mic léinn agus baill foirne ó Choláiste na Trócaire ag taisteal ann le linn shaoire na Cásca agus beidh cuairteanna ar an mBunscoil déanta ar ár son.
Gach bliain, déanaimid urraíocht ar shraith de ghradaim airgid do na páistí agus iad ag fágáil na bunscoile chun tús a chur leis an meánoideachas. Cuireann an méid beag airgid seo (i gcomhthéacs na hÉirinn) go mór le inacmhainneacht an oideachais 2ú leibhéal do na páistí seo. Is minic seo a bheith mar dhifríocht idir leanbh a bheith in ann tosú ar mheánscoil nó gan a bheith. Bíonn Rang a 6 gach bliain páirteach san iarracht tiomsaithe airgid seo agus beidh ár bpríomhimeacht ar siúl níos déanaí.
Áfach, tá sé cloiste againn le déanaí go ndeachaigh 4 leanaí isteach sa bhunscoil (féach grianghraf). Deirfiúracha iad an bheirt chailíní a tréigeadh ag Githurai i Nairobi. Deartháireacha iad na buachaillí a bhfuil a máthair faoi mhíchumas. Tá siad anois faoi chúram a seanmháthair, atá 73 bliain d’aois, agus atá ag streachailt le bia a chur ar an mbord don cheathrar páistí. Ba mhaith le Rang 6 tacaíocht a thabhairt do na páistí seo trí íoc as bróga nua agus leabhair scoile agus freisin 30 feadóg nua stáin a sheoladh chuig an scoil le haghaidh tionscadal ceoil.
Mar sin, ar an Aoine bheag seo, beidh Rang a 6 ag eagrú díolachán cácaí agus crannchur sa scoil. Is é an cuspóir atá acu ná €300 – €400 a ardú. Cuirfear suim ar bith os a chionn seo i dtreo tiomsaithe airgid an tSearmanais Ghradaim a bheidh ar siúl i mí Bealtaine/Meitheamh. Go raibh maith agaibh as bhur dtacaíocht don tionscadal fiúntach seo.
Tumu Tumu is a small rural village in the Central highlands of Kenya, situated in the dense forests of the foothills of Mount Kenya. Families live in small wooden houses scattered throughout the forest, often with no electricity or running water. As you may know, the Gaelscoil is twinned with Tumu Tumu Primary school. Mercy College are also twinned with the local Secondary school and the third school is Tumu School for The Hearing Impaired, a specialised regional school with 174 children and young adults from 4 years old up to 21 years old. Students and Staff from Mercy College will travel there during the Easter break and there will be visits to the Primary school on our behalf.
Each year, we sponsor a set of money awards to the children as they leave primary school to start secondary education and this small amount of money (relative to Ireland) makes a huge impact on the affordability of 2nd-level education for these children and can often be the difference between a child being able to start secondary school or not. Rang a 6 each year are involved in this fundraising effort and our main event will take place later.
However, we have learned recently that 4 children joined the primary school (see photo). The two girls are sisters who were abandoned at Githurai in Nairobi. The boys are brothers whose mother is disabled. They are now in the sole care of their grandmother, 73 years old, who struggles to put food on the table for the 4 kids. Rang 6 would like to support these children by paying for new shoes and schoolbooks and also send 30 new tin whistles to the school for a music project.
Therefore, this Friday, Rang a 6 will organise a cake sale and raffle in the school. Their objective is to raise €300 – €400. Any amount above this will be put towards the Awards Ceremony fundraising to be held in May/June. Thank you for your support of this worthy project.