Voluntary Work Overseas
The Fisher Foundation will assist Young People to undertake voluntary work overseas with a registered charity, and are particularly interested in suporting The Leprosy Mission, Trócaire and the Church Missionary Society Ireland by:
- 1. Providing financial support to those who want to devote a portion of their christian lives to overseas voluntary work with a registered charity including one of the nominated organisations.
Preference will be given to support individuals from Fermanagh and its natural hinterlands who are interested in undertaking voluntary work overseas with a registered charity.
- 2. Supporting Leprosy Mission, Trocaire and the Church Missionary Society in their work in helping those in need overseas.
Emma Fisher making shoes for suffers of Leprosy in a small workshop in
Naini Leprosy
Hospital in Allahabad in the Indian State of Uttar Pradefh
during her time
in India in the summer of 1996.
The provision of protective footwear for patients with anaesthetic
feet
was an area in which Emma had a particular interest.
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Voluntary Work Overseas - Nominating Organisations
Please contact The Fermanagh Trust or one of the relevant Nominating Organisations if you wish to be considered for a bursary award.
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Applications
Those interested in devoting a portion of their lives to overseas voluntary work and wish to apply for financial support must work through the relevant nominating charities, or another registered charity.
The Fermanagh Trust will receive applications from registered charities including the three nominated charities by the 28th February annually.
The Fermanagh Trust cannot accept applications directly from individuals wishing to undertake work overseas.
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Emma's involvement in Missionary work
Anyone who was fortunate enough to have known Emma (Fish to her friends) would have immediately recognised her love for God and other people.
Fish became a Christian in her early teens and from the onset trusted and followed God in every aspect of her life. She was never the sort of person to sit back and watch from the sidelines but rather was keen to work out her faith practically and always got involved when help was needed.
During her time as a Podiatry student at Queen's University, Belfast she felt challenged by God to share her talents and love with those in less developed countries and as a result spent 2 months in India with The Leprosy Mission in the summer of 1996.
Her determination to serve in this capacity was evident from the initial stages when she carried out the necessary fundraising with great enthusiasm. It was no surprise that she raised more than the required amount and used the surplus to buy much needed supplies and equipment for the hospital in India.
Working with the team in the Podiatry Department in Naini hospital in North India Emma was involved in making special shoes and splints for Leprosy sufferers to provide protection and prevent further injury. She was a great blessing and encouragement to the many patients she met, with her infectious smile and hearty laugh breaking down any language barriers.
Fish returned home with plenty of intriguing and sometimes amusing stories about her memorable experience and was delighted to share these with numerous groups and organisations around the country.
Emma was a loyal person and consequently her commitment to the Leprosy Mission did not end on her return. The people she met in India remained very close to her heart and she continued to support the ongoing work with Leprosy sufferers.
Emma was elected on to The Leprosy Mission Council in 1998 and although she was the 'baby of council' her contribution to the work of The Leprosy Mission was always significant.
Fish willingly gave of her time and energy to help and serve others no matter where she was - a truly special person whose warmth, genuineness and sense of fun became apparent from the moment you met her.
Alison Fawcett
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How to get involved in Missionary work
1. To be realistic, you need to have a strong Christian faith that is mature enough to face all kinds of challenging situations.
2. You should be able to offer some particular skill or skills. The skills needed are many and varied - various aspect of medical care such as podiatry (in which Emma Fisher was involved) or ophthalmology, teaching, farming, technical or building skills and many others. The skills needed by the mission agencies will vary from place to place. Mission service probably won't involve very many things that many people perceive a "missionary" to do, such as preaching or leading churches. Local people often take the initiative in these things, though there are opportunities to work along side local Christian communities.
Emma Fisher finishing off a pair shoes for suffers of leprosy.3. It is generally a good idea to take part in one of the short mission experience visits overseas, provided by most of the mission agencies, before thinking of devoting a longer period of your life to mission service.
4. Realise that mission service is a vocation rather than a career. Emma Fisher would have wanted to stress that the first qualification for doing missionary work is a commitment to Jesus Christ and a love for his needy people. Therefore, you need to have some sense that this is the work to which you are being called. Again, the mission agencies will be able to help you assess your vocation.
5. If, after having read all this, you are still interested in pursuing this area of service you should speak to someone from one of the recognised mission agencies (listed below). They will be able to advise you about the opportunities that are available and what is involved in training and preparation.
Canon Paul Hoey
Church Missionary Society
www.youth.cmsireland.orgTrócaire
www.trócaire.orgLeprosy Mission
www.leprosymission.orgLeprosy Mission N Ireland
www.tlm-ni.org
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