Please support fellow parent Noreen Bostridge’s cake sale this weekend, after mass, in aid of this wonderful cause.
Last February I travelled to Kolkata ( Calcutta) in India to volunteer with the Hope Foundation. The Hope Foundation is a registered Irish charity set up by a Cork Woman Maureen Forrest.
There are over 250,000 abandoned children aged between two and twelve years of age on the streets of Kolkata. These children fend for themselves by scavenging on rubbish dumps or begging. They are constantly at risk of abuse, exploitation and trafficking. It is estimated over 5 million live in horrific conditions in the slums. The Hope Foundation works with the street children and the slum children to protect them and to date has rescued over 25,000 children who they have housed and educated.
While I was in India I travelled out one night in an ambulance with the child watch programme to those most in need on the streets. The ambulance goes out every night to rescue the children most at risk from predators. For those who are rescued their lives are transformed.
I also visited The Hope Foundation Hospital (supported by Weight Watchers ). The hospital deals with the most underprivileged from the streets and slums. The hospital’s specialities are paediatrics, cardiology, E&T, orthopaedics, dermatology, gynaecology, pathology, radiology and biochemistry. It is fully equipped and most of this has been donated by Irish patrons. Whilst there I spoke to the senior doctor to ask him about the priority needs of the Hospital.
He explained that there is only one hospital serving so many and that they really needed another ambulance which costs E9,072.
The ambulance will also be used nightly by the child watch programme and to bring the children to where they need to go, school, hospital etc
I wish to raise the money to buy this ambulance and will run events until I reach the target. This Sunday there will be a bake sale in the parish hall after the three masses in aid of The hope ambulance.
Yours sincerely
Noreen Mooney.