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2006 Gallery Archive

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Remembrance Sunday Mount St Josephs Ballycran 2006

On the 11th November 2006 representatives of the Air Cadet Corp from Regent House School, Newtownards held a short service of remembrance in the Graveyard at Mount St Joseph’s for the Polish Air men of 315 Squadron as well as RAF and Canadian Air Force personnel who were killed in accidents at their 2nd World War base in Ballyhalbert.

A few years ago the Regent House Cadets began a research project on this Polish Squadron. They discovered that three airmen from the squadron were buried along with two RAF personnel in the Graveyard at Mount St Joseph’s. In November 2005 they held their first Act of Remembrance and on their return in 2006 they were joined by some of our parishioners.

Afterwards the Cadets and their Officers were invited to refreshments in the old school.

Headstone of Polish Airman J. R. Tuczemski of 315 Squadron. He died on22nd August 1943.

Air Cadets from Regent House take up position in front of the three graves of the Polish Airmen. Above them other Officers stand in front of the other two military graves in the Graveyard at Mount St Joseph's. The service was also attended by local parishioners.

Officers and Cadets begin to move forward and place remembrance day poppies and crosses on the graves

Officers and Cadets salute the graves of the Airmen. Parishioners accompanied by Fr Colm McBride watch and remember the men who lost their lives during World War II

The three graves of the Polish Airmen

Polish Airman J. R. Tuczemski

Maura and Claire Gilmore - An account of their work in Kenya Summer 2006

Thank you for all your help and support for our trip to Nairobi, Kenya. It was the most amazing experience and we have both wrote a short piece about our experience which I hope you will find interesting. We worked in a rehabilitation centre for young girls in the outskirts of Nairobi. The centre relies on funding from various charity organisations – one of which was DKA, the volunteer organisation we were working through. Kenyan companies or individuals donate food, clothes, school equipment etc, but they rely on volunteers coming to the centre to offer the girls the kind of attention that all little girls should receive under normal circumstances. We have enclosed some photos from the centre; unfortunately we are unable to include photos of the girls for their own privacy and protection.

The centre has had an audit report carried out, and when the results are made available the centre co-ordinator, Ann, will be able to allocate money to the areas that are in most need. I can guarantee however, that the centre is very well run, and the staff really care about the girls, so I have no doubt that the money will go to the best possible use.

You may realise that Clare and I have both been affected by our experience. It was the most demanding, yet rewarding time I have ever spent and we could not have done it without your help. So thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And a big thank-you from all the girls at Rescue Dada.

While there we took a few trips to see some of the country. We went on safari, and to Lake Naivasha where we climbed through the Rift Valley. While there we also visited Panda Flower Farm, a Fair Trade farm producing Roses for distribution to various supermarkets throughout the world – including Asda. We also have included some photos from Nairobi and where we were living.

I hope you enjoy looking at the photos and reading about our experiences. If anyone would like any more information feel free to contact either myself, or Clare, and we will be happy to answer any questions.

By Maura Gilmore

I was working in Rescue Dada (translated Girl), a rehabilitation centre for street girls. 56 girls live at the centre, aged from 18 months to 16 years old (they are now at full capacity). The girls are from various backgrounds - orphans living on the streets; girls abandoned by their families; from very poor families in the slums that cant support them; referred to the centre from remand centres where the girls went after being picked up on the streets for prostitution; runaways from other areas in Kenya who come to Nairobi seeking a better life but end up on the streets; girls in abusive situations. Before I tell you about the centre, let me ask you a question. If you know any children, or know people who have children, what is the normal reaction of a young girl when you bend down and hold your arms out wide to her for a hug? Most children would just go to you and hug you. Unfortunately I had to teach one little girl how to hug. She is called Jane and looked about 3 or 4 years old. I was kneeling on the ground with my arms wide gesturing for a hug, but she stood 4 feet from me and just looked. She then copied my actions with a confused look – she had no experience of this and did not know what it meant. I crawled to her and gave her the biggest hug possible, to which she started giggling and clung to me for what seemed like forever. After a couple times doing this, she started to run to me with her arms wide, looking for that hug. I discovered that social workers found her last year living on the streets in the slum. Her parents both live in the slum but efforts to rescue them from their situation and find a better way of life for them have been fruitless. Jane was fending for herself with help of other older children in the slum. She is probably about 6 years old. The social workers in Rescue Dada literally 'rescue' girls (with their agreement if possible) who are living in high risk or dangerous situations. They come to live at the centre where they learn life skills (how to wash themselves, brush their teeth, tidy their belongings, make their bed etc); receive an informal education; get counselling; receive health care; and are fed 3 meals a day. The social workers try to locate family members and, if successful, offer them family counselling and try to set them up in a situation where they can look after themselves, for example providing a sewing machine so they can work as tailors. When all parties are ready, the girl is 'rehabilitated' back with the family and goes to mainstream schooling. During this process the centre provides food for the families as they live in the various slums around Nairobi and would otherwise have very little food - they are lucky to get one meal a day. If necessary, the centre can also get families access to healthcare - many of the girls' parents are HIV positive and cannot afford to go to hospital.

Often the girl's family cannot be found, so the centre tries to find foster families for the girls. If the girl is old enough she may also get into boarding school. The social workers aim to educate the girls in ways other than begging, prostitution and petty crime so that they want to get educated and find a job in the future. Many of the girls have not had any form of education before, so the schooling provided is very informal and gives a basic education so when the girl gets to mainstream school she is not totally left behind. The girls stay at the centre for various lengths of time, depending on their situation. One girl, Suzanne, lived at the centre since she was 7 but through sponsorship, was able to go to school and is now at the stage to go to university. Some of the money raised is being used to pay for her 1st year at college, after which it is hoped other sponsorship can be found.

For girls over the age of 16, Rescue Dada offers training in hairdressing and beauty (for those that have seen my new hairstyle this is where it was done). A local firm ‘Nice and Lovely’, that sells hairdressing and beauty products throughout Nairobi, donates all equipment. The girl who did my hair, Petrolina, is 17, mother to a 2-year-old boy. She was working on the street selling her body for money so her son was taken of her. She is now training in hairdressing so she can get a job and hopefully get her little boy back. I paid her the equivalent of £10, which to her is a huge amount and will go a long way to supporting herself while trying to get her life back together.

This has been the best experience of my life. The girls have been through very traumatic experiences in their short life – there is a high chance that any girl over 6 years old has been raped – yet they are so full of hope. We spent most of our time playing with them, hugging them, and listening to them. Just being with them and giving them attention was special.

“If you want to know how I live walk a mile in my shoes” Clare Gilmore

The first thing I noticed upon leaving Jomo Kenyatta airport and heading towards Nairobi was the vast numbers of people walking. It was 8am and there were hundreds of men, women and children simply walking along Mombassa Road in both directions and none. It reminded me of the above saying and in my 6 weeks in Kenya I have ‘walked a mile’ in the shoes of many people. I would like to share with you 2 of these which impacted me greatly…

The first person I would like to introduce you to is Bethlihem (aged 22). I met her in Rescue Dada where I worked. Bethlihem is from Ethiopia and came to Nairobi 8 months ago, having had to flee her home country and seek refuge, along with her 18 yr old sister, at her uncles house in Mdara slum in Nairobi. Arriving scared and unsure her problems were only beginning; under her uncle’s care she experienced abuse and much fear and so she pleaded with the local priest to help her. After enquiries Bethlihem was placed in Rescue Dada where she helps in the kitchen and housekeeping department, in return she receives food, accommodation and safety. Unfortunately her sister had to be sent to South Africa, to another distant relative and for the last 4 months she has been alone. With help from the social workers in Rescue Dada, Bethlihem has succeeded in applying for refugee status and has her interview in the coming weeks. Bethlihem is so happy to have the opportunity to stay in Nairobi, although she misses her family and home very much. While working closely with Bethlihem we came to be good friends and I pray her future is happy. She is such a wonderful, friendly, caring and intelligent girl. She dreams of being a pharmacist and of going back to Ethiopia to help her people. The most endearing thing about Bethlihem is her smile and her genuine delight in greeting you and sharing stories. She is a truly remarkable person.

The second person I walked with is Valentine – and she wears flip flops! Again, we met at Rescue Dada, only this time Valentine is a 14 yr old girl rescued by the centre when she was found on the streets. She came to Nairobi from up country and found herself living in the slums. When I met Valentine she was incredibly shy and stood on the outskirts of games and activities. I befriended her and spent time simply “being” together. In the afternoon of day 3 she asked me to teach her a game the next day and I said I would. We talked and she told me she had been raped while on the streets. The next day I arrived at Rescue Dada and discovered that Valentine had run away. The social work department had arranged for Valentine to go to boarding school in September and she was very pleased about this, however, she feared she would be sent to live with her aunt until then and for whatever reason she fled. I may never know what happened to her. After speaking to staff I was told that if Valentine ran back to the streets they would probably find her as they have many contacts on the street. However, as she had not finished school it would be hard for Valentine to get a job and often girls like her hire themselves out as housemaids. If this is what she did then it would be unlikely they would find her until she was at crisis point again. When in houses, girls are often hidden away, paid very little money, and most often raped and abused. Generally it is only when a neighbour steps in and reports the abuse that girls are found, sometimes too late. In the following 4 weeks since her disappearance, Valentine has not been seen. Please pray with me that she is safe and has found good people to help her. She is just a child, and all she wanted was to learn a new game and play, how many more miles will she walk before her childhood returns?

Thank you for hearing just two of the many stories I heard during my time in Nairobi. I also thank you deeply for your prayers for these girls. May God hold them and you gently in the palm of his hand, ever ready to wipe our tears and share our joys.

God bless, Clare Gilmore.

Cemetery Sunday 2006