TEACHERS, pupils and parents at St Genevieve’s High School have been putting their best foot forward in a bid to raise money for their school charity Ajosepo.
Their fundraising effort titled ‘Miles for March’ saw them collectively walk the distance between Belfast and Ethiopia with the money raised going to a project in the African country.
The head of the school’s Charity Committee, Eileen Haigney said: “For a number of year's we have sponsored needy projects in Africa.
“We are currently funding a feeding project in the Holy Saviour Kindergarten in Dawhan, Ethiopia, providing a daily meal for children attending the nursery.
“Some walk for miles to get educated and fed. For many, it's the only meal that they will receive each day,” she added.
Discussing their fundraising efforts, Eileen said: “This year we hoped to raise money to part-fund our project by walking, running or cycling our target of '5866 Miles in March', the distance from our school in Belfast to the nursery in Ethiopia.
“This was completed during lockdown, as we could not do our usual fund-raising initiatives in school.
“It is a huge challenge and we invited the entire St Genevieve's Community, past and present – pupils, staff and families – to get involved to help us.”
Continuing, she added: "We covered a total distance of 17,899 miles during the month of March on our virtual journey to Ethiopia and we raised the staggering sum of £3,555 for our feeding project in Holy Saviour Kindergarten Nursery in Dawhan.
"We were overwhelmed with the generosity and support that we received, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported our very needy project.
"Your donations really will make a difference in the lives of the children, at the nursery in Ethiopia."
