The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Christine on a healing mission to Tanzania
Med student Christine taking part in UCC campaign supplying vital medicines
FOURTH-YEAR medical student Christine O’Sullivan is looking for a little of your pocket change – just two euros – to make a lot of change in the developing world.
As the Mounthawk, Tralee, native is flying out to east Africa this summer alongside over forty of her med students pals as part of a healing mission bringing vital medical supplies.
St Brendan’s Parish Priest Fr Padraig Walsh was on hand to help Christine launch the new campaign in Kerry this week simply called T4T.
“My fundraising initiative is called T4T which stands for €2 for Tanzania,” Christine explained.
“I appreciate this is a difficult time of the year for many people after the Christmas spending.”
“However, all I’m asking from people is €2 which is less than the price of a cup of coffee.!”
To that end there will be a collection outside Masses at St Brendan’s over the weekend.
€2 from each Mass-goer could amount to quite a lot indeed for the needy of Tanzania.
It’s the basics, the kind of things we take for granted here, that can make an inordinate difference to daily life in the country that Christine and fellow students will be bringing with them.
“We’re going out in July, 41 of us and we will be volunteering in hospitals across Malawi, Tanzania, Ghana and Zambia. These hospitals are desperately lacking in basic analgesics, antibiotics, vitamins and sterile medical equipment,” Christine said.
These items will be foremost among the supplies leaving Ireland with the group. All have been campaigning and fundraising already:
“T4T,a registered college charity, is run entirely by UCC medical students as we volunteer our time during the year to work towards reaching an annual goal of €100,000. All of the donated funds will go directly towards the improvement of the hospitals in Africa. The projects in previous years included the building of new hospital wards, a surgical unit and the introduction of an HIV Outreach Clinic.
“Every student funds their own flight, accommodation and vaccines. This year we have raised €75,000 to date, with five months remaining,” Christine added.