DOLLINGSTOWN woman Leah McAllister is getting set for the trip of a lifetime – jetting off to Central America in August for four weeks working in an animal rescue centre.
Leah, from Holly Hill, is currently working hard on raising the necessary sponsorship for the trip to Guatemala.
Her target is £2,500 and she’s hoping ‘MAIL’ readers can help.
The centre she is travelling to works to rescue and rehabilitate wil
d animals and she’s looking forward to working with all sorts of animals, including jaguars.
Leah (21) graduates from Bangor University in Wales next month with a degree in zoology, but this will be the first chance she has had to get up ‘close and personal with some real beasties’.
As she put it: “At Bangor the closest I ever got to an animal was a wild mackerel.”
Leah said she always wanted to be a vet but was too squeamish. She used to work at Animal Connections at Maghaberry and when she gets back home in September will be starting a Masters Degree in Animal Welfare.
As for her trip – well it’ll take 40 hours to get there. It means a flight from Belfast to Heathrow, then on to New York, Houston, Guatemala City and then Flores.
She went on: “From Flores I have to take a bus to the centre, which could be interesting because I don’t speak a word of Spanish.”
When she gets to her destination, she said: “They’ve told me to expect a basic house but with a western style flushing toilet. I’m not sure what sort of food they have, I’ve been told to expect rice and beans.”
She went on to say: “I’m looking forward to holding a monkey, and I’ll also be working with jaguars, I love that.
“I think it's something I’ll get a real kick out of, when do you get the chance to get up close and personal with a jaguar.
“I’m not looking forward to the travelling, it’s a 40 hour journey,”
Oil prices are also complicating matters – her air fare shot up by £100 in just a day.
As part of her fundraising efforts Leah is currently distributing a quiz sheet with prizes donated by local businesses.
She’s also planning to hold a coffee morning at her home.
Leah thanked all those who have supported her so far, including her uncle who got his firm to donate £1,000.
If you can help Leah’s efforts in any way contact her on 3834 6647, mobile 0780 969 2617 or email babyfroggies@hotmail.com
The full article contains 446 words and appears in Lurgan Mail newspaper.
