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Kate Kearns, Ann O’Dowd and Jacinta Dineen who off to Tanzania at the end of the month. Photo by Dermot Crean
THREE local women are about to head off to Africa to visit and help at an orphanage — founded by another Tralee woman — for which they have raised thousands of euro.
Ann O’Dowd from Caherslee, Kate Kearns from the Belfry and Jacinta Dineen of The Kerries are going to Tanzania on July 27 to meet the children at the Tír na nÓg Orphanage founded by Louise Quill back in 2007.
They have raised over €7,000, through family and friends, to hand over to the facility and they wished to thank everyone for their generosity.
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One of the ladies, Jacinta, is finally getting to meet a boy that she and her husband have been sponsoring for the last nine years.
Jacinta’s son Darragh went out to Tanzania as a Transition Year when he was 16 years old and it had a profound effect on him. While there, he became friendly with one of the boys, Elia, and his parents began sponsoring his education. Jacinta said she was looking forward to meeting Elia, who is now 17.
The ladies are also making a bit of a holiday of the trip, with a plan to go on safari and to spend a couple of days in Zanzibar. A well-deserved break indeed after their fundraising exploits.
