Students bring a snapshot of Indian life to Tipperary
A national photography exhibition featuring the work of students from secondary schools across Ireland will have its opening reception at 6.30pm in Thurles Library, 9 June. The exhibition, HOPE for the Future 2015, will feature photographs from students who have recently returned from The Hope Foundation’s Immersion Programme in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). The exhibition will then be showcased in Cashel Library from the 23 June. The students put together the exhibition of photographs taken during their time in India to thank their supporters and share their memories from Kolkata.
Immersion Programme student, Ruby McEntee stated, ‘I walked through the streets of Kolkata, lifted by a sea of smiles, made possible by the generosity of the Irish people. We hope that the exhibition of photographs can bring some of those smiles to you. The donations made by friends, family and the community make a difference and we have brought that difference home for you to see.’
Since 2003, The Hope Foundation (HOPE) has been working with secondary schools across Ireland through their Development Education Programme. In 2015, 223 students travelled to Kolkata to bear witness to the extreme poverty on the streets and in the slums of Kolkata and visiting the HOPE homes and projects and learning about Indian culture. Each student was required to develop, organise and execute a fundraising plan to help support HOPE’s development work in Kolkata. To do so, they relied on the generosity and support of family, friends and their community.
HOPE for the Future 2015 photography exhibitiontravels to the following areas over the next three months:
- Thurles Library, Tipperary from 9 June
- Cashel Library, Tipperary from 23 June
- Newbridge Library, Kildare from 6 July
- Waterford City Library, Waterford, from 31 July
To find out how schools and students can get involved with HOPE see www.hopefoundation.ie/get-involved/secondary-schools/ and follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HopeFoundationIreland and Twitter @HopeFoundation
