Writes Leo McMahon
Coffee mornings in Crosshaven and Ballinadee were held recently in aid of the charity Street Children of India founded by Crosshaven woman Nuala O’Connell.
On Monday, August 26th, the indefatigable Nuala, who will be 80 in December, set off on her 38th trip to the sub-continent accompanied for the first time by Margaret Moloney from Ballinadee and May O’Connell from Ballinspittle.
The latter two held a coffee morning in Ballinadee Community Centre on August 11th and raised we’re told, almost €2,000 while Nuala organised the Crosshaven event on August 14th hosted by Norma and Barry Twomey of Whispering Pines, assisted by daughter Monica as well as Alisa. It also featured an auction and raffle of donated gifts. This events, along with donations from those unable to attend, also brought in around €2,000, money that will go a very long way helping those who need it most in India.
Welcoming guests at Crosshaven, Nuala said she was inspired to found the charity following a life changing trip to India with friends in 1998.
‘Today, in association with the Good Shepherd nuns, we have Stella Mary School which began with 19 pupils and now has around 900 aged from three up to the equivalent of our Leaving Cert year and out of our funds we provide them with a meal a day,’ said Nuala.
‘Another school, St John Vianney’s for two to ten year olds run by the Redemptorists in Ranchi, Jharkland, began with 12 students and now has 340. We also help a school for the disabled in Bangalore which we will also be visiting and would like to further develop.’
‘On my last trip with Dr Sean Dunphy from Crosshaven and accompanied by local Redemptorist Vicar General Fr Siluvai Muthu CSsR, I went to visit Ursuline Sr Jacintha, a medical doctor running a small surgery in the Ursuline Convent who gave us tea. I turned around and saw a man with a mutilated little girl in his arms. We were told that while bringing in two cows for her father, the nine year old was assaulted and raped by her 15 years old cousin who was subsequently convicted and imprisoned. Her teeth were broken and her face was severely torn from biting. Whatever money we had at the time, we gave to help but we wanted to do more.
‘While I was in India, a very good friend had given me a letter with a donation for a doctor who had treated her. The doctor told me to give it the poor but I told him about the little girl and being a plastic surgeon, he offered to treat her for nothing. That was a miracle. We opened up a trust fund for her with the Redemptorists and she is now away from her village and getting an education as a boarder with the Ursulines,’ said Nuala who said she looked forward to see how she is getting on.
Nuala said that in addition to assisting the schools, money raised by the coffee mornings and other events would go towards food runs in the village comprising rice, dahl and medications etc. ‘So, that’s what I do and I love doing it’, said Nuala stressing that each of the trio going to India will pay their own fare ensuring that every cent will go towards those most in need.
She went on to thank everyone over the past 36 years who have supported the charity, especially her long-time friend and supporter Margaret, May and also Dr Dunphy who has been on several trips and done outstanding work, most notably treating the sick and helping blind children in Ranchi by providing tandem bikes.
At the coffee morning in Crosshaven, another loyal supporter over many years, Mary Dunne from Dublin, who has made four trips to India, said meeting Nuala had brought joy into her life. ‘She asks and she receives but she gives more than she takes.’
Food runs could sustain families for up to a month and the people were so grateful said Mary who spoke of the mutual enjoyment of teaching English, storytelling and sing songs in the slum areas of Bangalore. She also paid tribute to Sr Nirmala of Stella Mary for getting children further education as far as university level at a school which began 38 years ago in a country of contrasts with immense wealth and but enormous poverty.
The attendance at Whispering Pines included Nuala’s daughter Laura Delaney, Dr Dunphy, Carol Davis-Long, Mary Rooney, Mary O’Connell, Mary O’Sullivan, Winnie O’Flaherty, Mary O’Sullivan, Kay Jenkins, Sue Parker, Dolores O’Keeffe and Marie McCarthy.
On sale at the events was the booklet ‘From Sunrise to Sunset - Nuala O’Connell and Street Children of India’ compiled and edited by Leo McMahon.
Donations can be made to Street Children of India, Bank of Ireland, Carrigaline Account No 27327994, Sort code 90-29-79 or phone Nuala at 086 8170527.
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