On Monday of this week Kilkerrin native, Maura Lee, Cloonkeen, flew out to Kenya to work for three months as a volunteer mostly with children and teenagers who have HIV/Aids.

Maura, who is an accountant with the Brothers of Charity Services in Galway city, will spend three months in Kenya working as a volunteer with the Daughters of Charity.

“I am pleased to be working with this Order for a number of reasons but most of all because they don’t believe in handouts and instead they aim to train people in the trade or profession of their choice. They also help people in Kenya start up in business and contribute towards the payments of rent for their premises for the initial period until the entrepreneurs get established,” says Maura.

Already Maura has been given donations totalling €5,500 and all the money goes towards the projects in Kenya. She is paying all her own air fares and other travel costs as well as contributing towards her accommodation while in Kenya.

“This means that 100% of the funds that I’ve been given go towards the projects,” Maura said. “I’ve been blown away with how generous people have been especially during the current economic crisis here. My heartfelt thanks goes out to all for this worthy cause.”

The money was raised at various events in Galway City and her home area and from donations given by colleagues, neighbours and friends. Apart from working directly with the young people suffering from HIV/Aids, Maura will also provide accounting services for those working with entrepreneurs in Kenya.

“For one half of each day I will be helping them with the administrative side of their work and then in the afternoons I will be at the outreach stations working with those young people suffering with HIV/Aids. I’ve also done courses in reflexology and aromatherapy, and I did a facilitator course with Capacitar which was given by Patricia Keane at Esker, Athenry’ says Maura.

She also met with the Irish Provincial of the Order here, Sr. Catherine Prendergast, a native of Dunmore, who briefed her on some of the work they are doing in rural areas of Kenya.

“They recently bought a tractor for a community farm there and it brought back to me the wonder and joy of times gone past when my father and two other neighbours got together to buy a tractor. This is the stage that Kenyan farming is at now and any help we can give them is vital for the development of agriculture there,” she added.

Maura has some experience doing voluntary work abroad as she spent three weeks in Sri Lanka two years ago. She was in the country one year after the tsunami and found the work there very rewarding. Two of her aunts, Sr. Rosalie and Sr. Collette Lee, are both members of the Daughters of Charity Order, and when she saw all the good work being done by the order abroad she decided to volunteer for work in Kenya.

“From looking at the Order’s website and seeing some of their magazines it is most encouraging to note the difference their work has made to the lives of people in Kenya.”

“When I get there next week I will be working with Sr. Catherine Mulligan of the order and I am looking forward to the challenge for the next three months,” says Maura.

She adds that, apart from her aunts, many others from the Kilkerrin, Glenamaddy and Clonberne areas have also worked with the Daughters of Charity in the past.

Anyone who still wishes to contribute to the fund can do so, as it will remain open during the time that Maura is in Kenya. All monies will be forwarded regularly for the work there. The account is located in AIB, Lynch’s Castle, Galway and donations can be given for the work through any bank branch. The account number is 40326660 and the sort code is 93-70-96.