Students may wish to host a school fundraiser in aid of the Hope Foundation. Some ideas include: cake sales, non-uniform days, talent show, table quiz, jersey days, and Christmas carol singing. The Hope Foundation would be happy to provide some literature for display and handing out on the day, including posters, leaflets, newsletters and information on child sponsorship.
Perhaps your school staff room would take a box of bars? At just €2 each, they make a popular treat for busy teachers. Or maybe the school canteen would consider selling Butlers HOPE chocolate bars.
The Hope Foundation truly believes in ‘students helping students’ and the Immersion Programme is a tribute to this belief.Led by teachers, volunteers and HOPE staff, Transition Year and 5th Year students are afforded the unique opportunity to travel to Kolkata for one week and to visit the projects. They will witness, first-hand, the work of HOPE and the extremities of life in Kolkata.
Day of HOPE is a major fundraiser on our calendar each October, where students and volunteers around the country hit the streets to raise awareness and raise funds by selling our Butlers HOPE chocolate bars with the message ‘every €2 counts’.
A representative from The Hope Foundation will be more than happy to visit your school to give a talk to a class, a year or even the whole school on the work we do. We can lead discussions and workshops addressing issues faced in India, including child labour, poverty, education, gender equality, child marriage and human trafficking.
The Wellbeing module in Junior Cycle (which incorporates traditionally taught subjects SPHE, PE and CSPE) aims to provide students a strong sense of connectedness to the school, their community, society and the wider environment.
The Hope Foundation is very lucky to have such a strong relationship with Butlers Irish Chocolates. Butlers make the Hope Truffle Chocolate Bar, of which all proceeds goes towards The Hope Foundation. Each bar is sold for €2, and while €0.80c covers the costs of production etc, the remaining €1.20 is donated directly to The Hope Foundation.This is a great opportunity for your TY mini-company to the world of business and marketing, as well as fundraising and raising awareness of The Hope Foundation, and the street and slum children in Kolkata.
HOPE also partner with Green Saffron, a multi-award-winning family business based in Cork, Ireland. In support of HOPE, Arun from Green Saffron has created his version of the classic Kolkata Chaap spice blend based on well-loved traditional recipes. It is a delicious peppery curry, perfect with meat, chicken or vegetables.All profits from the sale of Kolkata Chaap blend go directly to HOPE. Why not help make a difference and treat yourself to this delicious and unique Bengali blend?
YSI is Ireland‘s largest social awareness and active citizenship and education programme for 15-18 year old teens.
We are always looking for fundraisers to host events and fundraisers, such as table quizzes, coffee mornings, movie nights or maybe even something more unique.
THE HOPE-FROEBEL PARTNERSHIP
HOPE has been operating a partnership with Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, for several years. Students from 3rd Year B.Eds have the opportunity to take a placement with HOPE projects in Kolkata for 3 weeks to fulfil their AEE (Additional Education Experience) requirements. Placements occur during the summer, and students will work across a range of HOPE projects including protection homes, crèches and coaching centres, delivering educational and recreational activities to the children.On the 3rd of March we embarked on our journey to Kolkata, India. It was one of the best weeks of my life. I met some amazing people, both Indian and Irish alike. The Hope Foundation volunteers and staff took us to many areas of Kolkata where we experienced extreme poverty like I had never witnessed before. We saw families living in slums and we also visited a dump site where families live and feed off the rubbish there. Everyone seemed friendly and one of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Chitpur crèche and meeting the kids there. It was good to see how the money we raised was being used. Another great moment had to be the Sari night where we all dressed up in Indian gear and had a party. It was a really enjoyable night. I gained so much from the trip but mostly, that despite the poverty in Kolkata, everyone seemed friendly and happy. I also learned that I should take nothing for granted in my own life.
Since 2003, HOPE have been working with schools across Ireland through Development Education. Engaging with students is one of the best ways to raise awareness of the work we do with street and slum children in Kolkata. Development Education is driven by the strong belief of ‘students helping students’, whereby learning and understanding the reality of poverty inspires young people to take action for change. We consider all students from primary, secondary and third levels who are involved with our work to be Ambassadors for HOPE; reaching out to young people far less fortunate and taking real steps to a better, more fair world.
Read more below on how you and your school can become involved with HOPE
Contact HOPE’s Schools Coordinator – madeleine@hopefoundation.ie.
