Madeleine Cummins is network co-ordinator and manager of Hope Foundation, in conversation with NIAMH GUNNING
I’M AN EARLY riser, so my day begins around 6am. Mornings are pretty laid back and the day is usually off to a good start. I arrive at the office by nine-ish!
My job as the Hope Foundation’s manager and network co-ordinator is quite varied. I look after everything to do with fundraising. Meetings are a regular occurrence, especially when we’re sourcing new donors or organising lunches, golf classics and concerts.
A big part of our work is the schools’ programme. We bring a group of students out to Calcutta every year to show them the difference Hope is making to the lives of the street children.
The students are required to raise €3,700 before going away, €1,500 is provided by the student’s family or nominated sponsors to cover the cost of the trip, while the remainder is used to fund Hope projects. The students organise bag-packing, run the mini-marathon, hold cake sales in school and sell the Hope Butlers Chocolates bars.
I visit the participating schools regularly throughout the year as part of our immersion school programme.
Nothing can prepare you for the poverty in Calcutta, but Irish students are made as aware as possible of what to expect when they visit the slums.
Travelling to India can be difficult as there are no direct flights. We have to go through Dubai to reach our destination so the experience is quite tiring.
I also miss home comforts and, of course, my family.
My away wardrobe consists mainly of T-shirts and light trousers. We are careful to respect the local culture by wearing long trousers which also prevents mosquito bites.
A typical day in India is spent visiting our projects with the Irish students. Working there is very rewarding, as I can see first-hand how the children’s lives are improving as a result of our work. The students play music, sing and dance with the older teenagers, but they usually just play with the younger ones.
On a recent trip, we brought the kids from all the homes out on a picnic for the day, giving both the Irish students and the street children a chance to interact with each other.
My favourite type of day is one with plenty of money raised for Hope projects. The best part of my job is the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when we reach our targets. At the moment, the worst part is the recession, as it makes reaching those targets far more difficult than before.
We’re always looking for people who’d like to get involved in any way. Contact us at 3 Clover Lawn, Skehard Road, Cork, visit our website hopefoundation.ie or email Madeleine@hopefoundation.ie.
We need all the help and donations we can get to enable us to continue our work with the street and slum children of Calcutta.