Pushing through to a better place

A young Bailieborough woman who successfully completed her Leaving Cert under trying circumstances was recognised for her achievements at the Cavan Monaghan Garda Youth Awards.

Abirose Kavanagh won first place in the Special Achievement Category, an accolade she won in 2021, but couldn’t be presented with due to Covid-19. She also took the national award in the same category.

“It was a big event,” she said.” People like Marty Morrissey presented at it. It was great to be there”.

She explains how she was nominated for the award after overcoming personal challenges to go on to study nursing at NUIG.

“I was nominated by Sharon Ivers who works with the 365 Project, which is an organisation is for people who come from poverty or a difficult home life. It creates a place for them to go and join a homework club, do activities, and go to talk to somebody. It’s a great service.

“I would never have known about it if my school counsellor hadn’t put me in touch with it. I went on to study nursing in NUIG and I wouldn’t have done that if it wasn’t for the 365 project.

“During my Leaving Cert year, my home life was hard, there were a lot of domestic issues, things like coming home and doing my homework was very hard, getting food or sleeping at night was very hard,” revealed the young woman.

She said that the 365 Project helped put her in a position to go to college, which she couldn’t have achieved otherwise.

“I was able to go to the 365 project after school and didn’t go home until later in the evening, which made life a lot easier. The social worker also helped me move out of home and move in with my best friend, and I did my Leaving Cert from there.”

Abirose hopes others can hear her story and know that there is help out there.

“If anyone is in my position I just want them to know that there is help out there. I was only 17, going on 18 but was able to do well because of organisations such as the 365 Project. It’s a big step to go on to study psychiatric nursing in Galway. It’s a long way to come from where I was. I also volunteered to be a youth leader in Dublin over the summer. I’m doing it because I got a lot of help from the 365 Project, so I want to have the opportunity to give back.”

* See this week's print edition of The Anglo-Celt for pictures of more local Garda Youth Award winners