Young teacher to volunteer in Nepal

By TOM GILMORE A YOUNG Tuam secondary school teacher, Anna Marie Jennings from 6, St Beninâ€â„¢s Terrace, who is currently teaching in Portumna Community College, will be working in a very different setting next month as a volunteer among the disadvantaged children of Nepal. Anna Marie, daughter of Bernie and Martin Jennings, is packing her suitcase already as she and another teacher friend, Breda Oâ€â„¢Mahony from near Killarney, Co Kerry, prepare to leave for Nepal on June 1 for their stint of volunteer work. â€Å“We are going to Nepal to teach English on a voluntary basis and we will be based in an orphanage there. As well as teaching English for three weeks we will be assisting with the basic care of the children,â€Â says Anna Marie. She says that young people in Nepal want to gain a good knowledge of English as it improves their employment prospects, and tourism is also important to the economy.[private] â€Å“A proper education can make a huge difference to the lives and prospects of young orphans in Nepal and many of the orphanages are informal settings that also serve as educational training centres. â€Å“We are travelling with EIL Ireland, which is a not-for-profit organisation who have a partnership with local projects in Nepal and help to facilitate the placement.â€Â Anna Marie has to raise €1,500 as a volunteer and already this talented young teacher of home economics and religion has held a sale of cupcakes at Tuam Shopping centre and a table quiz in Reapyâ€â„¢s Bar where she works part-time at weekends. Anna Marie wants to thank everybody who has helped her and supported the fundraising events to date. â€Å“I want to thank everyone who has supported me so far, especially the businesses in town who donated very generously,â€Â she says. Golf scramble Reapyâ€â„¢s Bar Golf Society also have arranged a fundraising golf scramble for Dunmore Golf Club on Saturday week May 25 with lots of valuable prizes and spot prizes and everybody is welcome to attend. Anna Marie is aware that working conditions in the orphanage in Nepal will be very different to either teaching in Portumna or being behind the bar at Reapyâ€â„¢s. â€Å“My friend Breda and myself have attended a workshop in Dublin to prepare us for what we will be doing in Nepal. We understand that there is another young man from Ireland also going out there as a volunteer but we have not met him yet,â€Â she says. Her friend Breda already has some experience of voluntary work abroad as she did a stint in Ethiopia last summer, but this will be the first time for Anna Marie to work as a volunteer. â€Å“It should be a rewarding experience and we are looking forward to the challenge,â€Â concluded this unassuming young teacher. Anyone who wishes to help with Anna Marieâ€â„¢s volunteer work can purchase a line on her sponsorship card at Reapyâ€â„¢s Bar, Tuam or via the link gogetfunding.com/project/teaching-in-nepal #.UYBAIRiuacY.facebook.[/private]