'An adventure I will never forget': Students from 19 Cork schools travel to India with charity

STUDENTS from 19 schools across Cork have raised more than €357,500 for The Hope Foundation through a series of fundraising events, including bake sales, raffles, fun runs, and quizzes.

The fundraising efforts were undertaken by 143 transition year and fifth-year students who travelled to Kolkata, India, for one week in early 2024 as part of The Hope Foundation’s School Immersion Programme.

One year ago, these students signed up and began fundraising for the charity with a minimum target of €2,500 each to donate to The Hope Foundation.

On top of this target, each student further covered their own travel-related costs to India.

Student Ema Soltesova from St Angela’s College said the trip with the Hope Foundation was an adventure “I will never forget”.

“Everything from the fundraising to experiencing the culture in Kolkata and meeting the children who benefit from Hope and the fundraising we did was a real eye-opening experience.”

During their one-week visit to the City of Joy with Hope, students immersed themselves in Kolkata’s vibrant culture and celebrated the festival of Holi.

They also made visits to Jain and Hindu temples and explored various historical landmarks.

In addition, the students witnessed first-hand how far their fundraising money goes towards reducing inequalities that street and slum-connected communities face in Kolkata.