From Buncrana to Zambia, with love: School equipment donated to African kids
Many items from the old building remain in excellent condition and are capable of making a significant difference
A major community-led donation project in Buncrana is set to leave a lasting legacy both locally and thousands of miles away in Africa, as equipment and resources from the old Scoil Íosagáin building are prepared for shipment to support the development of schools and children's homes in Zambia.
The initiative has been coordinated through a partnership between The Drop Inn Community CLG (Project Hope), led by Gareth Hayes, Kevin McColgan, and the Scoil Íosagáin community.
The project comes at a significant moment for the school as its long-awaited new state-of-the-art building continues to take shape.
With Phase 1 of the new development now completed and the former Sacred Heart building scheduled for demolition in early July, the school community seized the opportunity to ensure that valuable resources from the existing premises could be repurposed rather than discarded.
The current building, originally constructed in 1924 and expanded over the decades through the addition of classrooms and prefabricated units, has served generations of pupils.
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While the new school will provide modern facilities and enhanced learning environments for children in Buncrana, many items from the old building remain in excellent condition and are capable of making a significant difference elsewhere.
On Saturday, June 27, volunteers from Scoil Íosagáin and the wider Buncrana community came together to undertake the substantial task of salvaging and preparing as much equipment and reusable material as possible before demolition.
The effort involved the removal of school furniture and equipment, including tables, chairs, shelving, storage units, computers, desks and kitchen fixtures. Volunteers also packed pre-loved books, unused copybooks, stationery, art supplies, toys, posters and sports equipment for shipment overseas.
In addition, teams carefully removed a range of reusable building materials and fixtures, including doors, toilets, worktops, electrical fittings and plumbing equipment.
Once collected, the materials were set to be transported to a donated 40-foot shipping container located at a storage yard behind Clubman. From there, the contents will be packed into shipping containers and transported from Ireland to Lusaka and Kasama in Zambia.
The resources are being donated to Project Hope to assist in the construction and equipping of two schools and children's homes for rescued street children and orphans. Because Zambia uses many of the same plumbing, electrical and building standards as Ireland, a wide range of fixtures and fittings can be reused directly, helping to create safe, welcoming and functional educational environments for children who often have access to very few resources.
The project has also highlighted the generosity and community spirit that exists throughout Buncrana and beyond.
AMPCO Builders, led by Shaun Doherty, generously donated the 40-foot shipping container that will be used to transport the resources. Duffy Plant Hire provided storage space for the container at their site, while parent Bridgeen Harkin organised the collection of pre-loved bicycles that will be used by children attending the new school in Zambia.
Significant financial support was also provided by Boyle Construction and James Owens, helping to offset the considerable costs associated with transporting the containers from Belfast docks to Zambia.
Meanwhile, the Scoil Íosagáin Student Council demonstrated its own commitment to the initiative by donating half of the proceeds from its recent bake sale towards the project.
Organisers hope the effort will be about more than simply donating equipment. Plans are already being explored to establish a sister-school relationship between Scoil Íosagáin and the new school in Zambia. Through photographs, letters and potentially video exchanges, pupils from both schools will have the opportunity to learn about one another's lives and cultures.
As the old Scoil Íosagáin building prepares to close a chapter in its long history, its legacy will continue far beyond Buncrana, helping to create new opportunities for young people in Zambia for years to come.