BY TOMMY CURRAN
A WEST Donegal couple recently travelled to Malawi where they presented a cheque over €9,000 through an annual memorial walk in their late son’s name.
The annual Colm Clancy Memorial Walk took place on Easter Sunday last and over 160 people took part. As a result of the generosity of the sponsors €9,270 was raised.
Matt and Betty Clancy, Stranacorkra, Derrybeg, whose son Colm (34) was killed in a helicopter crash in Kildare in April 2009, travelled to the African country where they visited the two charities, Cara Malawi (a Dublin based NGO) and Ubwino Wa Amayi based in Blantyre and Namitembo.
They were hosted by Mary O’Neill, one of the founders of Ubwino earlier this month to see the work being undertaken by Ubwino and the two toilet blocks (for girls and boys) at the school which were built with funds raised to date by the walk.
They also presented a cheque for the proceeds of this year’s walk, which were divide equally between the two charities.
The choice of a toilet block may seem strange but it was found that the non availability of toilets was a factor in the girls leaving secondary school particularly after the onset of puberty. The girls decorated the outside to reflect their ambitions.
The funds raised since 2010 has enabled Cara Malawi to continue the ten adult education classes daily in the villages of Kaphuka and Dzandi in Dedza region of Malawi and to assist with the cottage industry in Dzandi. Cara Malawi has expressed deep gratitude to the generous response of all the people in Donegal.
Betty Clancy with some Ubwino girls.
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