Midleton College hosts Holi Festival to raise funds for Kolkata children

Students from Midleton College held a Holi Festival on their school grounds on Wednesday, May 11 to raise funds for the Hope Foundation's work with street children in Kolkata, India.

The Holi Festival celebrates the arrival of spring, the ending of winter and the blossoming of love. Students from Midleton College held the event as part of a year-long fundraising campaign for the Hope Foundation.

Mary Lenihan, who is a teacher in the school and who also co-ordinates their Hope activities, said Midleton College has held numerous fundraisers for the Hope Foundation down through the years. 

“Midleton College has for a good number of years donated money to various projects in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) for the Hope Foundation," she explained. "Maureen Forrest, who is from Mogelly in East Cork, set up the Hope Foundation in 1999. Our school is affiliated with Maureen. Our annual Holi Fest raises funds for the Hope Foundation’s work with the street children in Kolkata,” she added. 

Midleton College is currently sponsoring the Baghar Education Project, which enables kids in Kolkata to attend primary schools. “In recent years, we have sponsored various projects," Ms Lenihan explained. "Now we are sponsoring the Baghar Education Project. In Kolkata there are large slums unfortunately, and the Hope Foundation works with four primary schools there. For some of the pupils, it is the first time in some of the families they have entered education," she said. 

Midleton College hosts a series of fundraising events throughout the school calendar.

"We have a pub quiz night, we have a pasta day and we have Holi Fest, which is good fun," Ms Lenihan added. "The funds we raise go directly towards that. It is great to help.

“We are playing a small part but an important part,” said Ms Lenihan. “Our Transition Year students visit some of the Hope Foundation homes every year.

"It can be an eye opener for them, but they love it. It is a really rewarding experience for the pupils. 

"We often have students who have returned to Kolkata or who go on and do more charity work. When we travel over, there is a sense of pride when we see what our funds have achieved.”