FR MURPHY'S and London footballer Charlotte Faughnan recently volunteered for the Cross Cultural Solutions programme in Ghana.
From Bornacoola in Leitrim Faughnan was determined to pass on her interest in all matters GAA and to teach the children in the mountainous Hohoe Municipality in the Volta region of Ghana about Irish culture.
Julie O’Neill of Cara Personnel kindly sponsored a set of Fr Murphy’s jerseys which Faughnan brought to Ghana. “Happy Kids Foundation is an orphanage and school established in 1995 with only four students designed to provide affordable basic education to the residents of Wegbe (a suburb of Hohoe) and surrounding villages,” Faughnan explains.
“Since then, the school has grown to include a crèche and Kindergarten through sixth grade with 80 students, including 20 orphans. Younger students are taught rhymes, poems, simple arithmetic, alphabets, and basic English. For older students, courses include English language, Ghanaian language, writing, social and cultural studies, mathematics, science, and computer classes.
"Hohoe is a special town made up of of a vibrant welcoming community with more spirit than you could begin to imagine. Each new meeting and excursion bringing an array of possibilities and frequently ending in new friendships.”
With Ballyhale Shamrocks and Corofin claiming All Ireland club titles at Croke Park Faughnan has her own particularly fond memories of St Patrick’s Day 2015. “On the afternoon of St Patrick’s Day we had our own All Ghana Final. I had told the kids about All Ireland Final Day in Croker and shown them some clips from previous years so they were all up for a debut in their own GAA Final.
“It was amazing to watch the heart and determination as they adapted to a completely new sport, but I suppose those are traits of the community that they were raised in - hearty, determined, hardworking and jubilant at the end of it all.”
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