Leinster RDO Bergin Bound For Uganda

Caitriona Bergin, the Leinster Women’s Rugby Development Officer, is taking a month’s unpaid leave to work with the A-Z Children’s Charity in Uganda.

Caitriona is heading out to Africa for the month of June to help in a number of projects that the charity runs. Commenting on the trip, she said: “Instead of heading on a package holiday I thought that I’d do something worthwhile. It’ll also be a great way to learn about other cultures.”

A-Z Children’s Charity currently have five projects helping children in Uganda –

Children’s HIV Community Project:

HIV-infected children are forgotten by today’s society. 50% of children born with HIV will be dead by their second birthday.

Kasengejje Resource Centre:

A-Z Children’s Charity has a resource centre consisting of seven rooms built on one acre of land in a community called Kasengejje. This project is involved in empowering local community based organisations (CBOs) to fight HIV/AIDS.

A-Z Children’s Library:

Through its sponsorship programme, A-Z Children’s Charity saw that there was no reading culture in Uganda. Through its partnership with St. Brigid’s Boys National School, Killester, it collected and shipped over 1.56 tonnes of children’s books to Uganda.

Sponsorship Programme:

In Uganda there are approximately two million children who have either lost one or both of their parents to HIV/ AIDS. The Ugandan School system is privatised. A-Z Children’s Charity now has 130 children on the sponsorship programme. These children will be provided with education until third level.

Peer Education Programme:

Peer Education is essential in primary schools as once children, especially girls, start developing physically they are approached by older adults.

Whilst in Africa, Caitriona will be keeping a weekly diary of all of the activities that she will be helping with, which will be posted on www.leinsterrugby.ie.

She explained: “I thought that it would be a great way to raise awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS is having on the children of Africa if I kept a web diary. A-Z is a unique charity as 100% of the funds collected goes directly to the charity. So please dig deep and support this worthy cause on Saturday.”

Caitriona will be raising much-needed funds for the charity before she heads off to Africa, as she is required to raise €2,000 for the charity. All funds raised will go to the charity as Caitriona will be paying the expenses of the trip herself.

Caitriona, along with a colleague, will be collecting at the Leinster v Borders game in Donnybrook this coming Saturday, before and after the game. All donations, big or small, are welcome.

– Should you or your company wish to sponsor this worthy cause please contact Caitriona on 087-2967689 or e-mail: cbergin@leinsterrugby.ie –

For further information on the charity, please visit: www.azchildrenscharity.org