Pupils send a festive message to Kenya

Dec 24 2008 by Richard Mooney

HOLY Cross High pupils are embracing the Christmas spirit by sending messages of goodwill to Kenyan children.

Pupils at the Hamilton secondary were told about the Christmas wishes of seven children living in the Korogocho slum in Nairobi.

The pupils were shown a video message from Margaret, a 13- year-old Aids orphan who lives with her two sisters and brother.

Their older sister, Beatrice, died of Aids last month, leaving her siblings to fend for themselves.

Margaret said that life in Korogocho is “very difficult and dangerous” with murders happening “every day.”

She said: “I won't lose hope. I'm going to help my family leave this place.

“My dream is to find a sponsor who will help me go to secondary school - then I will become a lawyer.”

Margaret and many children like her are beneficiaries of the Department for International Development (DFID) and Kenya Government Orphans and Vulnerable Children cash-transfer scheme.

Through the scheme, 500 families with children in need in Korogocho receive approximately £25 every two months to pay for essentials like food, rent and school uniforms.

Daniel Whelan (15), a pupil at Holy Cross High, said: “After reading the Christmas wishes of the children in Nairobi I feel really lucky for what I have.”

Fellow Hamilton pupil Samantha McMurray said she was saddened by Margaret’s story.

The 15-year-old said: “I also want to be a lawyer when I'm older and after reading Margaret's story, I appreciate the

opportunities I have.

“ I feel sympathetic about the challenges she faces in life.

“I hope that Margaret’s Christmas wish comes true."

Kevin Herron, modern studies teacher at Holy Cross High, said that the pupils were “genuinely moved” by what they had seen in the video message.