Ballinagore teacher’s play fundraiser for Uganda

A Ballinagore native is bringing a comedy play to Athlone for three performances later this month as a fundraiser for a school and hospice in Uganda.

Primary school teacher Olive Robinson, who lives in Athlone, is fundraising for the development of services at Hospice Jinja and Walukuba West Primary School, Uganda, a cause close to her heart.

She is delighted to have secured the support of the Bea Masterson Legan Amateur Drama Group, who will travel from Longford to Athlone Little Theatre with their sell-out production ‘My Therapist Needs Therapy’ by Vanessa Galligan for three performances on June 26-28.

“I wanted to do something different for a worthy cause. I feel the country needs a lift in mood, and having seen a hilarious comedy drama, my heart was set on bringing it to Athlone,” Olive said.

‘My Therapist Needs Therapy’, written and directed by Vanessa Galligan and performed by the Bea Masterson Legan Amateur Drama Group, has a great comedy script and a cast of 17.

“I chatted to Vanessa; she gave a strong yes to my idea to co-host the play in Athlone for charity,” said Olive, who expressed gratitude for the generosity of the committee of Athlone Little Theatre and other supporters.

“I am grateful to have been given the opportunity by Athlone Little Theatre. I could not undertake this project on my own; luckily, I have a fundraising team to help with PR and booking and to assist with the nightly tasks of seating and the raffle.

“I volunteered in India in early 2020 with Celtic Cross FPS Primary school in West Bengal. That trip forever changed my opinions on life; most of us live in palaces and have so much to be thankful for.

“When you are up close and personal with extreme poverty, which I witnessed in Calcutta, it changes you entirely. You see the fear in their eyes and the survival mode that they are in, yet they are happy to welcome you. All I felt I could bring was some small acts of joy into children’s lives by singing nursery rhymes and doing actions with them.”

All money raised from the play fundraiser will go directly towards the construction of 10 homes for teachers on the project in Uganda, currently under way and expected to be completed later in the summer. All construction costs are paid by Irish donors, and all works are done by local labour. The accommodation homes are built on the grounds of Walukuba West Primary School, which has an enrolment of 1,200 students, and includes facilities for deaf children.

“The reason for building the homes is to provide a safe environment for the teachers,” said Olive. “In Africa, teachers are often poorly paid, struggle to pay for transport, and in some cases require second jobs. The teachers work long hours, and it’s often late into the night when they finish, so having access to the homes nearby makes it much safer for them.”

Hospice Jinja is the only palliative care service in the Busoga province of 4.5 million people. The service relies solely on donor funding and has no support from any state body.

“I want to thank everyone for supporting my charity page and fundraising drama thus far, especially my volunteering team from Athlone Little Theatre. Your financial support for Walkukubra School and Hospice Jinja will have a huge positive effect on their work. You can also donate via www.idonate.ie/crowdfunder/OliveRobinson.”

Book seats for ‘My Therapist Needs Therapy’ from June 26 and 27 at 8pm, Sunday matinee on June 28 at 3pm, in Athlone Little Theatre only by calling or texting 086 8598548 or 086 7958329.