Ronan Barry, Identity, Faith and Mission Office, SET
A team of four, comprising Ronan Barry (SET), Adam Puszczewicz (Willow Park / Blackrock College, James Keating (Rockwell College) and Fr. Calvin Massawe (French Province) will take part in this year’s Paris Marathon. The team’s fundraising efforts are for Barpello High School (BHS) in the drought- and famine-prone East Pokot region of Kenya which has a Spiritan presence since 1980.
BHS opened its door to four-dozen Form I students in 2007. Without any direct government support, today it has some 700 students, male and female. Many are the first generation of their families to be formally educated in a society where the backbone of the economy is now being increasingly seen as the educated child. One of the school’s objectives is to eradicate poverty and unjust practices which exist hand-in-hand with illiteracy. Residential awareness courses on Female Genital Mutilation and on HIV/AIDS have been provided during holiday time allowing many young girls to participate.
After completing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, many students go on to university, become nurses, primary school teachers, or join the army or police while others learn trades.
For further information or to support the team, please contact ronan.barry@spiritaneducation.ie or go to https://www.gofundme.com/barpello?member=1936646 .
Image by ian kelsall from Pixabay
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