Girls laugh as they hold chalkboard tablets in a primary school in Bunj, South Sudan, sponsored by JRS. (Paul Jeffrey/Misean Cara)

One of our youngest donors, 12-year-old Sarah from Milltown in Dublin, raised money earlier this year for the education of refugee girls in South Sudan.

It is not the first time that Sarah has reached out to help people in need. Her family got to know a family from Syria who arrived in Ireland as refugees. They assisted with getting their children into the same school as Sarah, who helped their son with his school work as he settled into his new life.

Irish couple Martin and Laura gave the gift of computers to a school in northern Uganda and are regular donors of Irish Jesuit Missions. Their generosity is a reflection of their gratitude for Martin receiving a heart transplant in 1988 which saved his life.

Students in Ocer Campion Jesuit College in Gulu, Uganda now have 25 new computers for their school, thanks to the generosity of an Irish couple. Martin and Laura have been loyal supporters of Irish Jesuit Missions for many years, and have donated to several of our projects. They have a long history of giving to charity, which started when they were first married.

Members of the Xavier Network (XN) met in Portugal from 4th to 6th of October for a three-day workshop on Supporting XN Partners in Child Safeguarding. The workshop was held at Torre d´Aguilha Seminar, located in Cascais municipality, around 20 Km west of Lisbon. The participants included Directors of the different member organizations in Europe, Canada and Australia, as well as personnel working in international programs and with volunteers.

Winter nights are cold and dark, and it’s a relief to come home to a warm house. For refugee children in Lebanon, cold weather makes it even harder for them to cope with living in makeshift or inadequate accommodation, many miles away from home.