| 20 November 2009 |
|
Miss NI's Blog Promotes Cooperation |
|
 An international humanitarian operation run from Co Armagh has been boosted this week with news that Miss Northern Ireland is to help promote the building initiative in Uganda.
The Rushmere project - which is about international cooperation - is being helped by the recently crowned beauty queen, Cherie Garnier.
She has launched an Internet 'blog' to provide regular updates on her movements and thoughts about the trip to Africa she is preparing to undertake.
It is part of the Rushmere Shopping Centre school building project - carried out in conjunction with the Fields of Life, an all-island charity - which is helping building a well and accommodation blocks for school teachers in Africia.
She hopes that her blog www.beautyinthebush.com can be a funny way of learning more about Uganda, the Rushmere project and volunteer trips in general - and if it encourages people to get involved in similar projects then even better.
Winning the Miss Northern Ireland competition opened the door to many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and when the option to join the project arrived, she had no doubts.
"Trips such are these are about doing what we can, no matter how small, to help those in need," she said.
In 2009 a team of volunteers based at Rushmere Shopping Centre went to Uganda for a week to built a school for 400 under-privileged children.
Because of their success, a second team of 26 volunteers from the Centre will repeat the experience next year.
This time, the purpose is to build a well - in order to provide children the daily access to fresh clean water - and two blocks of rooms for the teachers because offering such accommodation is a way of attracting better professionals from the city, who can improve the educational level.
With the foundations and structure now in place, Cherie and the other volunteers from Rushmere-based retailers - including Tesco, Dunnes, Next and Sainsbury's - are going to Uganda next summer.
The Manager of Rushmere Shopping Centre, Martin Walsh, said he was delighted Ms Garnier was able to join the team, being "the perfect Rushmere representative".
He added: "The project has had so much community support, which has been fantastic and hopefully Cherie's support and blog will encourage a new younger demographic to get further involved."
At the moment, Cherie is in South Africa taking part in the 2009 Miss World Competition.
(CL/BMcC) |
|
| Top 10 Northern Ireland News Stories |
| 09 February 2010 |
| Justice Minister And Parading Talks Open |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| Decommissioning 'Completed' |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| Gardaí Launch Cork RIRA Raids |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| Tragic Police Families Promised Support |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| Dissent Over Omagh Fire Tragedy Inquiry |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| Listed Building's Demolition Leads To Court |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| Make Ulster Canal Reality, Says MLA |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| Rural Broadband Project Complete |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| 200 Homes For Barracks Site |
|
| 09 February 2010 |
| Ulster Hounds Launch St Pat's Week |
|
|
| Submit a news item |
| News Archive |
