Lisa on Mellon Educate trip to South Africa

BALLYHEANE native Lisa Dillon will travel to Cape Town in South Africa with the Mellon Educate charity on July 21 to provide much needed assistance to children in schools there.

She will be teaching in the poorest townships of Cape Town where crime and extreme poverty are prevalent.

Lisa will take with her a host of supplies, including medical and school resources. She will cover her own costs so all monies raised will go directly to the charity.

This is where you can help – Lisa would greatly appreciate any support you could give. You can donate via www.gofundme.com/lisasmelloneducatefundraiser.

Lisa, on her fundraising page, sets out some of the challenges the schoolchildren she will be working with face every day:

- Children attending these schools are living in extreme poverty

- Crime and gangs are extraordinarily high

- The average classroom size is 55-60 children

- 70% of children are not at grade level

- One third of the children are victims of sexual and physical abuse

- Children journey to and from school in extremely dangerous conditions

- Many children only attend school because at school they receive breakfast and lunch

The funds raised will be used for the upkeep of basic facilities, medical supplies, and will also help in sourcing basic resources the children are without such as pencils, pens, paper, copybooks, crayons, storybooks, toys, etc., that we take so much for granted here.