Schull Community College

The first leg, of what is hoped will be a long and enduring relationship between Schull Community College, our Northern Ireland partners and the small African nation of Lesotho, has now been completed. In a truly memorable trip, six students (Karen Sheehy, Kathryn O'Driscoll, Sean Duffy, David Shanahan, Eana Cotter and Isobel Towse) and two teachers from the school ( Nuala Gallwey and Paul Moriarty) joined another fourteen from the North on the long journey to southern Africa to establish a link with Emmanuel H.S. and Kolynama H.S. in the Leribe district in Lesotho.

As well as working in the schools and visiting two orphanages, the group also had the privilege of an audience with the Queen, who is patron of Save the Children Foundation and were met by the Irish Ambassador and his wife in the capital Maseru. The group witnessed first hand some of the great difficulties and hardships facing the Basutho but were left with an enduring impression of a resilient people, proud of their cultural heritage with a great ambition for their own lives. It is our hope that the exchange will continue and grow and that in the coming year we may show a group of students and teachers from Lesotho, the same hospitality that we were shown on our visit to their beautiful country. We would also like to thank those who have supported this project for their effort, goodwill and generous contributions.