Students on aid trip to Thailand

Dec 5 2012 by Lynda Nicol, East Kilbride News

Two East Kilbride students are heading out to Thailand next summer to help people living in extreme poverty.

Eighteen-year-olds Luisa Marie Ronney, from The Murray, and her friend Niamh O’Donnell, from St Leonards, who met through Sunday School, are both students at Strathclyde University and they have put their names forward for the International Student Volunteers (ISV) programme.

In July the pair will join up to 50 other students from all over the world to spend a month in Thailand.

For the first two weeks, they will help out on sustainable development projects working with non-government organisations and grassroots groups to undertake such activities as teaching children English, building houses and playgrounds for orphans, working with children who have been rescued from child-labour and developing eco-tourism initiatives.

They will then spend a further two weeks travelling in that country to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding not only of its natural wonders but of the problems and difficulties faced by much of the population.

Luisa Marie told the News they were really looking forward to travelling to Thailand.

“It is a terrific chance to do something for others,” she added.

To take part in the programme former St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School pupils Luisa Marie, who is studying international business and modern languages, and Niamh, who is a sports science and nutrition student, have to raise £3000 each to cover their travel and other expenses and to pay for some of the resources they will need for the projects they will be involved in.

They plan to undertake some fundraising events in the run up to their adventure.

However, they would also welcome donations from companies, individuals and groups torwards their trip.

Donations can be made by visiting the website at http://www.isvonline.org/gb/payments and filling out the following details: Luisa Maire Ronney luisamarieronney@hotmail.co.uk; volunteer ID: 310316 Thailand 4th July, 2013, or Niamh O’Donnell niamh_odonnell@hotmail.co.uk ;volunteer ID: 310146 Thailand; 4th July 2013.