Among GAA stars just returned from the Plant The Planet Games in Kenya, hosted by Self-Help Africa, were Antrim legends Jane Adams, Neil McManus and Paddy Burke.

The trip involved the stars playing gaelic games in Nairobi before going on to take part in the planting of a million trees in the country organised by Self-Help Africa.

Jane Adams, who captained Antrim to 2010 victory over Waterford in the All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championship and also won four Ulster Championships with O’Donovan Rossa, branded the trip "a once-in-a lifetime experience".

“As soon as we got off the plane they had people dancing and smiling," she said. "Everywhere you went, people were dancing and so happy to see you. At the start we had all our bags so we didn’t know whether to join in but they came over and pulled us in and we all started dancing with them. You can’t do anything apart from join in!”

The West Belfast camogie veteran said they played games in central Nairobi and also got to see the work Self-Help Africa was doing with the money they raised for the trip — each of the 50 players raised €10,000.

“When we got to Nairobi we played our Gaelic games at a stadium in Nairobi city centre. There were about 3000 kids from different schools who turned up to watch us play. The next day we got on the bus to go to Londiani which took six hours and we planted trees there."

It wasn’t just about planting trees however.

“We did raise enough money to plant a million trees but we saw where the money we raised was going to and how it was being used.

“We played Gaelic games to show the kids and afterwards brought them all onto the pitch. I brought about 50 hurls which I got from Molloy Hurls and Gavin Duffy and other brought sliotars and footballs as well as jerseys. 

“The kids were really interested in gaelic games but they were also mad about soccer. We did drills with them all, from the ages of six to 19 and got them all involved and they had a brilliant time.”

Jane said a lot of the work there is about helping people find solutions to problems such as dealing with drought as well as focusing on ensuring the children get a good education.

“A lot of the people have nothing but what they do have they will try and give to you.

"We visited one woman who ran a small farm. She only had two cows and one died in a drought and their nearest source of running water was 1.5km away. 

“The charities were helping her and her family develop a better way of getting the water to her farm so her family could thrive and find solutions to their problems. With the extra money saved from their improved water solution they were able to feed their children and send them to school.”

Jane said some of the group visited an impoverished community where there is a school  set up in the memory of Dunloy hurler Frankie McMullan.

“Myself, Neil McManus, Paddy Burke and Conor Meyler met local priest Fr PJ McCamphill who hails from Cushendall. He brought us tothe ‘Dump Site' where the community make their living by picking through the local dump and selling what they find."

KENYA: Local children at the dump site near where Frankie's Nursery is situated
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KENYA: Local children at the dump site near where Frankie's Nursery is situated

“I played on the Antrim camogie team with Frankie's sisters Sinead and Majella McMullan and when I saw a picture of him on the wall while the kids were getting their free breakfast and being educated it really moved me. I sent a message to Sinead and Majella who have never been there. Frankie’s daughters are about 21 but were only around one when their daddy died. They messaged me to say thank you so much for seeing our daddy’s school."

Jane says, like most of the travelling GAA contingent, she plans to remain an ambassador for Self-Help Africa.