Mercy mission willaid kids in Tanzania

The event was organised to help fund a trip with the Kids4School charity.

A group of young people from Larne and Carrick will be travelling to Tanzania this summer to provide resources for approximately 100 blind and partially-sighted children, some of whom are also affected by albinism.

The sum of £5,011 has been raised in Larne and Carrick during the past 12 months to buy specialist equipment for two schools in the African district of Dodoma.

Making the trip in August will be eight young people from Larne and Carrick including Aaron West,23, from Millbrook, and Megan McGookin, 16, from Gleno who will be part of a 22-strong group of volunteers.

The team will be delivering some of the equipment already purchased, working hard to revive their dorms and playgrounds, and will also be running Kids Clubs, delivering food to families in remote parts of the Dodoma region and doing light construction and much-needed repairs around the schools.

Matthew Beggs, from Millbrook, who participantedin a previous trip to Tanzania, said: “Delivering aid directly to the families’ homes was such an experience and even though they had so little we were surrounded by the most happy and joyful kids I’ve ever met as we all played on African drums, or blew up a balloon and let it go whilst hundreds of kids came out of nowhere to play and chase it.”

The sum of £1232.43 was raised on Saturday to help with Aaron and Megan’s travel costs.

Visitors at the afternoon tea event included Mid and East Antrim Mayor Councillor Audrey Wales and Alderman Gregg McKeen. The team will continue posting updates on Facebook page: ‘Millbrook to Tanzania’. 2017’