A young Limerick woman will leave Ireland on July 5 to spend nine weeks working on a volunteering and awareness raising project on the theme of HIV and AIDS on the outskirts of Cape Town in South Africa.

Amy Rose McGovern

Amy Rose McGovern got the unique opportunity as part of the 2008 Global Awareness Programme organised by non-profit Cork-based organisation EIL (Experiment in International Living).

Dooradoyle native, Ms McGovern, is currently studying for an MA in International Relations and is working in the area of Development Education in the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre in Dublin.
 
To get the coveted place she had to submit a project that outlined how she would use her experience to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS and went through an intensive interview process.

“I will be working in a community development foundation called Thembacare and living with a South African family. I will primarily be taking care of HIV positive children by driving them to hospital or to school, collecting donations, assisting at mealtimes and in the classrooms. I will also use my time in South Africa to gather as much information as possible on the situation of HIV and AIDS in South Africa,” she said.

She added that going on a trip like this is something she has always wanted to do.

“In the past, like most people I have donated to charity but when I came across the Global Awareness Programme, I knew I wanted to take part because it would allow me to see first hand the situation on the ground,” she said, “As part of my work I come across people every day who have spent time working on development challenges in poor countries and I admire them so much for getting involved. I am expecting this journey to be a life changing experience and I hope that my work can make a difference, however small it may be.”

For more informaton on the organisation and project, see www.eilireland.org.

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