Healthcare Students Thar Lear (HST) — formerly Voluntary Services Abroad — is a student-led charitable society within the University of Galway dedicated to raising funds for essential medical supplies for our three partner hospitals in Malawi and Zambia.
Each year, our members work directly with the medical directors of each partner hospital to identify and fund the purchase of urgently needed medical supplies. All funds raised go directly to our partner hospitals, as participating students cover their own travel and living expenses. On average, we raise over €20,000 per hospital, ensuring that every euro donated is used to directly improve patient care and hospital resources. Recent contributions have included 30,000 syringes, life-saving emergency medications such as adrenaline and artesunate, and thousands of surgical sutures and colostomy bags to support safe operations. We’ve also funded vital neonatal and maternity equipment — from fetal heartbeat stethoscopes to children’s oxygen masks — along with larger items like wheelchairs, infusion chairs, and patient trolleys to improve comfort and care delivery across our partner hospitals.
While students do travel to the partner hospitals, this is not a volunteering programme — our time there is focused on learning alongside Malawian and Zambian medical students in resource-limited settings, gaining valuable clinical experience while fostering cross-cultural collaboration and understanding.
Through our partnership with the Galway Races we raise funds through Student Race Day. We also host a variety of fundraising events throughout the year — including our St. Patrick’s Day Bed Push, pub quizzes, bake sales, and half-marathon sponsorships — all in our efforts to reach our annual fundraising targets.
Through our rebrand to Healthcare Students Thar Lear, we aim to highlight our true purpose — students supporting global healthcare in a way that is sustainable and meaningful.
