A former Holmfirth High School pupil spent nine-months helping people living in slums in India.
Andrew Walsh, 30, took a career break and signed up for a volunteer placement with The Hope Foundation – a charity focused on supporting people living in street and slum conditions in Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal.
Andrew said “I had been working for seven years in the market research industry, then at the start of last year I decided it was time to leave and support communities in the world who are less fortunate.
“It was an incredible experience.
“Sadly there were the emotional lows of seeing the conditions children and families were living in, yet I also had many positive experiences supporting them in the protection homes and meeting many wonderful people.”
The Hope Foundation, which was established in Kolkata 17 years ago, runs over 60 projects across areas of child protection, education, healthcare and much more.
Andrew added: “I decided to help children in the protection homes learn English as well as doing some sports coaching.
“I qualified as a cricket coach a few years ago and although people are cricket-mad in India, children still needed access to good equipment and coaching.
“It helped them get out into the park, learn new skills and bond with their friends.
“We also did some football sessions and I helped coordinate a football exhibition day with four of HOPE’s children’s homes involved playing against local clubs and students visiting from Hope’s HQ in Ireland.”
