SAAS (Support an African Student) Project was introduced to the Greystones Parish recently, with an additional sixteen parishioners to date signing up to provide continuing financial support for periods of one to five years. Read More
Kilquade Parish adopted SAAS (Support an African Student) as a Social Justice Project in February 2019. This registered Irish charity supports young people in a large slum of Mombasa, Kenya to get access to and complete a four-year Secondary Education programme. Thirty parishioners signed up to support the project by means of a modest financial donation, monthly or annually. Expanding the project to the entire Greystones and Kilquade Pastoral Area had to be postponed due to the many Covid restrictions which were in place.
In September of this year the Committee introduced the Project to Greystones Parish, and is delighted to report that an additional sixteen parishioners to date have signed up to provide continuing financial support for periods of one to five years. This will come as wonderful news to those young people in Mombasa who are hoping and praying for this opportunity to improve themselves. The Committee wishes to express sincere thanks to all who have signed up to support the project. The new school year begins in January, and each new donor will receive the identity and details of the student or students who will benefit from their donation, plus a twice yearly school report and update.
At this time SAAS has been running since 2006, and is currently supporting over 200 Secondary school students and a number who have gone on to third level. Much more can be done, but funding is the principal obstacle to increasing the number of students SAAS can support. Each of the secondary schools requires an average payment of €420 per year per student, to provide tuition, books and at least one meal per day to children whose parents simply cannot contribute anything for further education.
A huge ‘thank you’ to all of you who support SAAS, and an invitation to anyone who would like to join this very worthwhile Social Justice Project to simply contact Committee members:
Vincent Dillon ( 086 2418401) or Vanessa Hayes (087 4187616 ). Visit: www.saas.ie