Last Updated on 19/01/2021 by owen waters
Please click the photo below to listen to my recent interview on Sunshine 106.8!
Tanzania
Tanzania October 2019
We meet people for different reasons in life. I never thought over a year ago that one such encounter would lead me to travelling almost half-way around the world. A trip that would change me as a person and make me re-evaluate my life. Ultimately helping me to find – ME.
Little did I know when Frank Diamond invited me to travel to Tanzania with ALPS Ltd, that I would get back so much more than I ever could have put in.
ALPS is a community based initiative, funded and run by ordinary people, to offer Mental Health Education & Suicide Prevention.
So when the chance for me to go to Africa presented itself, I said, yes, straight away. The topic of suicide prevention and mental health awareness has, for a long time been close to my own heart. I also suffered with depression and I have always wanted to help in Africa and to give something back to its community.
Frank had asked me in August if I would go to Africa to help train teachers and community leaders on suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
I set about raising money for the organisation and managed to raise almost €2,000 Euro through the kind donations from colleagues at work, from friends and from followers on my blog.
It was a life changing experience and I found ME on this trip. I learnt so much from these people who were so happy and joyful with almost nothing. I will definitely return to Tanzania. The most touching memory for me is that every small thing, no matter how insignificant, plays a big part. The love I was shown among the school children was really unforgettable. It made me humble.
ALPS Ltd. relies entirely on volunteers and donations for its everyday running, and no one receives any payment for the work carried out.
They constantly strive to provide much needed mental health education and pastoral care including suicide prevention; to individuals, groups, schools, teenagers, families and their wider community.
I want to thank ALPS Ltd and the diamond himself Frank Diamond for inviting me on an amazing experience in Tanzania.
I also want to thank you all for your support and donations, it’s just the start as I intend to help ALPS as much as I can with this much needed work in Ireland.
