Our first ever Irish Blog!!

We were delighted to have Doireann Ní Shiochrú from Coláiste Íosagáin in to work with us for a week. Doireann is currently in Transition year and is a keen Irish Speaker. As we have never had an Irish Blog before we thought it would be nice if Doireann could put one together for us. See below the Irish and English of the Blog. Well done Doireann from all the Team at NMTT, we were all really impressed with your writing skills and it was great to work with you!

Nuair a smaoiníonn tú faoi charthanachtaí nó obair dheonacht cad a thagann go d’aigne ?
Nuiar a smaoiním faoin dá choinneáil ábhair seo tagann a lán íomhánna éagsúla isteach i mo chloigeann. Ach ,go hárithe, tagann an cinealtas agus an fíor ghrá atá ag na daoine a bhfuil baint acu leis na gcarthanachtaí éagsúla seo dá n-oibre agus dos na carthanachtaí sin. Déanann na deonaí a gcuid oibre ar son na carthanachtaí atá ag obair le daoine bochta agus le daoine atá ag coimhlint ina saol.

An ndearna tú obair dheonach nó ar smaoinigh tú ar raimh?
Bhuel ,rinne mé obair dheonach i mbliana isteach i gCaritas ar Shráid Merrion sa Charraig Dhubh. Bhí sé deacair go leor nuair a smaoiním faoi ,ach bhain mé taitneamh as an taithí san iomlán,chun a bheith macánta. Rinne mé a lán rudaí beaga tríd na bliana ,ar ndóigh, do mo chlubanna spóirt agus chuaigh mé go dtí na Fatima Mansions ag am Nollag in éineacht le daltaí ó mo scoil chun cóisir a bheith againn leo. I ndiaidh a bheith istigh sa NM Iontaobhas Bailecheantair cúpla seachtain ó shin táim ag smaoineamh a bheith páirteach sa charthanach seo sna blianta atá ag teacht.

An bhfuil aithne agat as aon duine a dhearna obair dheonach ?
Chuir mé aithne ar chúpla duine a rinne obair dheonach don charthanacht nuair a bhí mé ag obair ann ar feadh tréimhse. Bhí mé an-tógtha leo.
Cad a spreagfaidh thú chun obair dheonach a dhéanamh.
Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil aon rud gur gá dom chun mé a spreagadh chun obair dheonach a dhéanamh. Tar éis an fís a fheiceáil den turas go dtí an Afraic Theas táim in iomlán ag iarraidh an taihtí seo a fháil sa todhchaí.

Cad a dhíspreagfaidh tú as an obair dheonach a dheanamh?
Ceapaim go mbeadh deacracht agam leis an mbochtanas i gCéinia toisc go bhfuil sé an-bhrónach ,dár liom. Ag an t-am céanna ceapaim go dtugfaidh sé níos mó fuinnimh dom chun dul agus an scoil, na tithte a thógáil agus an cabhair a theastaíonn uathu a thabhairt dóibh.

Conas gur féidir le carthanachtaí níos mó daoine óga a fháil le páirt a ghlacadh iontu nó le obair dheonach a dhéanamh?
Ceapaim go mbeadh suim ag a lán daoine óga atá ag freastail ar scoil dul chun obair dheonach a dhéanamh do charthanachtaí. Ceapaim go mbeadh suim ag daltaí atá san Idirbhliain ach go háirithe. Dheirfinn dá dtiocfadh cainteoir isteach l’oráid a thabhairt bheadh gach dálta ar eolas faoin charthanacht agus bheidhidís ag iarraidh cabhair a thabhairt in aon slí.

Cad a bhí ar eolas agat faoin gcarthanacht roimhe seo?
Ní raibh mórán ar eolas agam faoin gcarthanacht seo roimh a tháinig mé chun beagáin taithí oibre a dhéanamh ann. Bhí a fhios agam gur chuaigh an NM Iontaobhas Bailecheantair go dtí an Afraic chun tithe a thógáil dos na boicht. Nuair a bhí mé ann d’fhoghlaim mé go bhfuil na deonaí ag dul go dtí an Chéinia i mbliana chun seomraí ranga i scoil a thógáil sna slumaí ansin. Táim ag freastail ar scoil íontach anseo, i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus beidh sé ar fheabhas dá mbeadh an seans céanna ag na daoine óga atá sna slumaí chun oideachas maith a fháil is a bhfuil agam.

Cad a d’fhoghlaim tú an tseachtain seo?
D’fhoghlaim mé an t-uafás. Ní hamháin gur fhoghlaim mé an t-uafás maidir leis an ríomhaireacht agus conas eolais a leagadh amach i slite éagsúla ,d’fhoghlaim mé a lán maidir leis an gcarthanach féin agus an méid oibre atá ag baint leis an turas a eagrú gach uile bliain go dtí an Afraic chomh maith.

An gcuirfidh tú obair dheonach a dhéanamh sa charthanacht faoi chabidil sa todhchaí nó an spreagfá daoine eile leis é a dhéanamh?
Níl aon amhras go mbeadh mé bainteach leis an gcarthanacht seo sa todhchaí. Cheana féin bhí mé ag labhairt faoin gcarthanacht i mo scoil agus ag labhairt le mo chairde faoi. Bhain mé an-taitneamh as an taithí a bhí agam sa charthanacht agus ba mhaith liom taisteal go dtí an Afraic leis na daoine dó-chreidthe seo. Is aoibhinn liom a bheith ag taisteal agus ceapaim go mbeadh an chineál taithí sin an-fhiúntach ar fad.

When you think of Charity or Volunteering what comes to mind?
When I think of these two subjects a good few different images come into my thoughts. But, especially, comes the true kindness and love of the people involved with the various charities for their work and for their particular charity. These volunteers work for charities who help the poor and help people who struggle from day to day.

Have you ever volunteered or thought about volunteering?
Well, I did voluntary work this year in Caritas on Merrion Road in Blackrock. It was hard enough when I think about it, but I enjoyed the whole experience to be honest. I did a lot of small things throughout the years, of course, for my sports club and I went to the Fatima Mansions at Christmas time with students from my school to throw them a party. After working in the Niall Mellon Township Trust a few weeks ago I am thinking of getting involved with this charity in the coming years.

Do you know anyone who has ever volunteered?
I’ve met a few wonderful people who have done voluntary work for the charity when I was working there for a period of time. They were very inspirational.

What would encourage you to volunteer?
I do not think that I need much more encouraging. After seeing the amazing video of the trip to South Africa I am certainly going to pursue the same fulfilment in the future.

What would discourage you from Volunteering?
I think that I would have difficulty with the poverty in Kenya because it is very sad. At the same time I think witnessing these events would give me more energy to go and construct the schools & homes that these people need.

How can charities get more young people involved in volunteering?
I think that many young people, who are attending school would be interested in doing voluntary work for charities. I especially think that students in transition year would be immensely interested. If a speaker were to come into the school to give a lecture about the charity I would say the pupils would be keen to get involved.

What did you know about the charity before?
There was not much that I knew about this charity before I visited the NM Township Trust for a period of time. I knew that the charity travelled abroad to the African continent to build houses for the underpriveleged people there. When I was there I learned that the volunteers are going to Kenya this year to build school classrooms in a school in the slums there. I am currently attending a wonderful school here in Dublin, Coláiste Íosagáin, and I would love for young people in Kenya to have just as good an education as I am getting.

What did you learn this week?
I learned an enormous amount. Not only did I learn a substantial amout of computering skills and how the information is stored on the files, I also witnessed the amount of work involved in this charity and in organising the trip abroad every year to Africa aswell.

Would you consider volunteering in the future or encouraging people to volunteer?
There is no doubt that I will be involved with this charity in the future. I was already conversing with my school friends and other pupils about this charities substantial work. I enjoyed the wonderful experience, I had in the charity immensely and I had the overpowering urgency to travel to Africa with these remarkable people. I adore travelling and I think that kind of experience would be valuable and life changing.