In June this year, a team from the Department of Nursing and Health Studies at LYIT will be going to Ponducherry in South East India to work alongside a vulnerable community, comprising mostly of widows and orphans, who currently live in a slum with no sanitation or substantial shelter. 
This is the Department’s fourth trip with Habitat for Humanity. In 2010 a team of 17 visited Mulange in Malawi the third poorest country in the world, while teams of five (2011) and nine (2012) visited Kaniki, Zambia completing a total of six houses.
The trip is part of the Department of Nursing & Health Studies at LYIT’s ongoing relationship with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village project.
Habitat for Humanity is a charity based on the premise that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live.
The nursing students, all in their third year, said that despite study and exams, they felt motivated to volunteer for the project.
The students have to raise €3000 for their trip to build houses. Speaking about their trip Niamh Fleming from Mayo is “excited” about travelling to India to meet the community she says,
“Fundraising has been tough because of the recession but also because some people believe that India is now a rich country.”
“Whilst parts of India are indeed flourishing there remain vast areas of extreme poverty where basic living amenities and standards are way below the norm, that’s why we’re going.”
Elaine Coleman another Mayo volunteer says she wants to make a small contribution to poorer communities and to widen her life experience,
“This is a lifetime’s opportunity to experience a world which is inconceivable to us, I hope we can give some practical help, I want to travel to poorer countries which will help me apply my nursing skills in the future.”
As part of the trip the group will be visiting 2 health centres to gain an understanding of nursing practice in an area of extreme social and economic deprivation.
Whilst they’re in India, however, most of their time will be spent on the hard graft of building.
Some of the challenges the LYIT team will face are: very high temperatures, a new environment/culture, extreme poverty, the emotional impact and lack of supplies explains Mary Dunnion, LYIT Lecturer,
“but every time we make these trips we are always humbled by the welcome and generosity of the people we meet.”
When questioned about their motivation Tony McGilloway a Nursing mature student from Dunfanaghy, says, it’s about giving something back.
“Really, it’s not about being a ‘do-gooder’, you get real satisfaction doing something practical like building houses, which can make such a dramatic difference to the quality of someone’s life.”
“I’ve volunteered previously and it sounds very selfish but you get so much more back from the experience and the people you meet.”
Siobhan Carey from Sligo adds,
“It’s exciting and scary but ultimately you want to help and Habitat offers a very tangible way to do something which will last for a long time.”
One of the students Sean Gallagher who’s from Dungloe will be keeping a daily blog and diary of his experience,
“I want to let people who have donated money know how it’s being used on a daily basis through Facebook. It’s a way of bringing everyone in on our experience. I think overall this trip will make us realise how lucky we are.”
The group is still fundraising and donations can be given to Mary Dunnion on 074 9186395.