Young volunteers urged to spread message

Young volunteers are the future of Ireland’s efforts in tackling the poverty faced by children in the developing world.

Minister for overseas development Peter Power said organisations depend on the next generation to take the lead in supporting the disadvantaged across Africa.

During a four-day trip to Tanzania, he told volunteers from University College Dublin to bring their message of goodwill back home.

The 10 students and two leaders are installing computers and giving teachers IT training to pass on to more than 2,500 schoolchildren in three rural schools.

“We depend enormously on you to be the next generation of people who are leading Ireland in the development effort,” said Mr Power.

“Our aid programme in Ireland depends on the goodwill of Irish people, especially young Irish people, and for you to bring that message home is highly valued.”

UCD Volunteers Overseas is a small charity which encourages students and staff to volunteer in the developing world.

Working with local NGO TazEd, they installed computers – which were donated by UCD and reconditioned by the Irish NGO Camara – in the Morogoro region for a month.

Mr Power met the group while seeing how Irish taxpayers money is being spent on projects funded by Irish Aid, which has donated €400,000 towards Camara.

UCD student Kevin McNally said his goal was to provide IT as a learning tool for kids.

“I’m a very strong believer is using IT in education,” said 24-year-old computer science student from north Belfast.

“We want to keep these computers running and keep the teachers using them to help themselves and the kids.” Forth year science student Peter Weldon from Rush, Co Dublin, said he always wanted to volunteer in Africa.

“I thought it was a good opportunity and something I will definitely do again in the future,” he added.