Tipperary students return from 'life-changing' trip abroad

A group of Tipperary students recently went on the trip of a lifetime when they visited India.

15 students from Cashel's Rockwell College went on a week-long trip to Kolkata, India, with the Hope Foundation to get first-hand experience of the work that the Hope Foundation do for communities in need.

The Rockwell students were accompanied by teachers Shane Looney and Mollie Ní Shúilleabháin, and were alongside students from St Anne's Secondary School in Tipperary Town, as well as St. Angela's College Cork and Dunamase College Portlaoise.

Founded in 1999, the Hope Foundation works to improve the lives of children and families living in Kolkata's slums, operating schools, crèches, and children’s homes, offering education, healthcare, and emotional support to some of the city’s most disadvantaged communities.

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During their stay, the Rockwell College students visited several projects run by the Hope Foundation, witnessing the work done by the charity.

Students Beatrice Byrne, Ada McGarry, Mollie Meagher, and Róisín Heffernan said that the trip helped put things in perspective for them.

"We learned so much about the culture of India and the harsh realities that so many people face in the slums of Kolkata. It really put our own worries into perspective.

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"From the first day to the last, we visited schools, crèches, and children’s homes. We saw firsthand how the Hope Foundation is positively impacting the lives of children in Kolkata. This was the highlight of our trip," the Tipp students said.