Scottish Catholic Observer

The community of St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School in East Kilbride has dug deep to save a potentially desperate situation at a Bolivian orphanage from escalating.

Amadita Garcia, a former pupil at the East Kilbride secondary school, is currently working at the Hogar Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart Home) near Santa Cruz in Bolivia.

She recently reported home that the orphanage, run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, which is home to more than 100 girls who have been abandoned, orphaned or in some way abused in their homes, had run out of money and, like everybody else at the orphanage, Amadita and three other volunteers were surviving on a diet of rice and did not have enough money at the community to buy bread.

Her greatest concern, however, was for the children and in an e-mail she said: “The situation here is very bad at the moment and we live day to day not knowing where the money to feed the girls and maintain the orphanage will come from.”

School’s support

Learning of their former pupil’s predicament, staff and children at St Andrew’s and St Bride’s felt compelled to act.

Douglas Cosgrove, the school’s headteacher, immediately donated £600 from the school’s charity fund, while lay chaplain, John Russell, encouraged senior pupils to organise a ‘bucket collection’ during interval and lunchtime on Friday November 18.

After letters had been sent to parents of St Andrew’s and St Bride’s pupils, the children were prepared for the fundraiser and, much to everyone at the school’s delight, a fantastic total of £1642 was raised. A further £300 in direct donations was made to Amadita’s parents meaning that, in total, the school community has sent cheques for £2532 to the orphanage.

Humbling generosity

Amadita replied to St Andrew’s and St Bride’s saying that she was ‘shocked and humbled’ by the school and the community’s generosity, while staff and pupils were delighted to receive photographs of some of the orphans holding up thank you cards and eating food which had been bought from the St Andrew’s and St Bride’s donation.

The school continues to stay in touch with Amadita and further fundraising events are planned over the coming months.

“The fundraising was a real community effort and we would like to thank pupils, their parents and the local parishes, for their overwhelming support for this most worthy of causes,” Mr Cosgrove said.

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