Press Release

Mayor welcomes South African visitors

Wednesday, 27 October 2004

Six South African visitors, their host families and representatives from Thornhill College were guests of the Mayor, Councillor Gearoid O’hEara at the Guildhall on Friday afternoon last.

The visit of two teachers and four pupils from two rural Eastern Cape schools (Ramafole School and Smuts Ndamase school) is part of a three week global citizenship link established by Thornhill College with the support of NGO Link Community Development.

Welcoming the visit, the Mayor, Councillor Gearoid O’hEara said he was confident the group would enjoy their visit to the North West.

“I was delighted to be afforded the opportunity to meet with the group and to officially welcome them to the city. I think it is a very worthwhile visit to the city and a good opportunity for us to learn from the experiences of the South African group. I also hope that they will return to South Africa with a better understanding of life in the North of Ireland. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to everyone involved in organising the visit, in particular the host families for generously offering their services,” he said.

Local fundraising efforts to finance the visit helped considerably by a grant from the British Council and support from local business ‘Tigi Ireland’. The South African visitors will all be staying with host families locally who have generously volunteered to assist the project by providing welcome homes.

Next week the group will be participating in a Citizenship workshop with the Shadow Council at their offices, the Junction, Bishop Street, between 2.00-3.00 pm on Tuesday, 02 November. The group will also take part in a visit to the Council’s Harbour Museum on Tuesday next from 11.30-12.30.

Community Relations Officer with Derry City Council, Sue Gallagher, who has been extensively involved in the project said she was delighted the group were involved in so many projects in the city during their visit.

She commented: “The visit has created a unique opportunity for a rich cultural and citizenship exchange in the Derry City Council area. This year marks 10 years of democracy in South Africa after the apartheid system and I feel it is an appropriate time for the group to visit us and there will be opportunities for everyone within this project for mutual learning in terms of good relations in multi-cultural societies.”

The South African group will, during their visit, be involved in educational activities within Thornhill College and will make presentations at WELB in-service teacher training. The group are looking forward to participating in the Council’s Banks of the Foyle Halloween Festival.

Ends

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