| |  |  | Cyclists complete charity marathon | Self Help Africa chief executive Ray Jordan paid tribute this week to four Irish volunteers on the successful completion of a 30,000km odyssey through Africa, which took them more than nine months to complete.
The quartet- Maghnus Collins Smyth, David Burns, Alan O'Dwyer and Brian O'Shea finished an odyssey that started last Summer, when they hosted a fundraising dinner in Limerick. The event brought to a conclusion a trip which took them from Egypt to South Africa and back, and succeeded in raising more than 40,000 for charity. | |
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| Inaugural Dublin dinner |  | | | Self Help Africa hosted its inaugural fund-raising dinner, in Dublin in early March.
Close to 200 friends and supporters attended the function, which was held at The Westbury Hotel in Dublin in early March.
The event was organised to coincide with a visit to Ireland by senior African staff, and provided an opportunity for supporters to hear at first hand about the work that is taking place in our African programme countries.
'It was good for us to meet the people who make our work possible, and understand the huge efforts that are being made by our supporters here in Ireland', said Ethiopian director Wubshet Berhanu. | |
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|  | | | Paddy's Cairo to Capetown cycle marathon | 27 year old Dubliner Paddy Berkery has just set off on a cycle marathon which will see him traverse the African continent to raise funds for Self Help Africa.
The young chartered accountant, who is a son of former IFA general secretary Michael Berkery set off recently from Cairo on a 12,000km journey, which will take a party of more than 60 international competitors on a southerly route to Cape Town in South Africa in the coming months.
Paddy Berkery has embarked on a fund-raising appeal to support his charity cycle, and is aiming to raise upwards of 10,000 for Self Help Africa from his efforts. | |
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| Loan book tops 750k | Over 26,000 members of Self Help Africa-supported savings and credit co-operatives now manage a loan book of around 750,000, a conference heard last week.
Five unions manage 185 individual co-ops across the country, with an average of 142 members in each of these co-ops. Repayment rates average over 98%, and average interest is 12%. Over 70% of co-op members are women, and there are currently 13,000 loans for activities ranging from livestock fattening to petty trading.
Self Help Africa's savings and credit initiative in Ethiopia receives on-going assistance from the Irish League of Credit Unions. | |
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|  | | | Self Help Africa launched in US | Former Irish President and UN High Commissioner Mary Robinson presided at the official United States launch of Self Help Africa.
The official launch took place at a reception hosted by the Consul General of Ireland Mr. Niall Burgess (pictured) in New York in early December. More than 100 guests, including business figures, supporters and other invited guests attended. Self Help Africa CEO Ray Jordan said the launch in New York was an exciting new chapter in the history of the organisation, which marks its 25th anniversary in 2009. |
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| Presidential reception |  | Irish President Mary McAleese hosted a reception at Aras an Uachtarain to mark the 25th anniversary of Self Help Africa.
A delegation of friends and supporters from across the country joined chairman Tom Corcoran (pictured) and members of the board of directors at the event, at which President McAleese paid tribute to the work being done by Ireland's overseas development agencies. | |
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| Minister launches climate book | Minister for the Environment John Gormley launched 'Climate Frontline' in Dublin recently.
The publication, which was produced by Self Help Africa in collaboration with Development Fund of Norway, Find Your Feet, FARM-Africa and Concern Universal seeks to tell the personal story of African people, and how they are being affected by, and coping with a changing climate. The publication was also launched in several African countries, as well as in London, Norway, and Brussels, where Irish MEP Nessa Childers officiated. | |
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|  | Stove success | A Leaving Cert student who picked up the top national award at the annual BT Young Scientists Exhibition will get the opportunity to travel to Africa to field test his winning invention.
18 year old Richard O'Shea's biomass fired cooking stove for developing countries picked up both the top national award at the event, as well as the Irish Aid/Self Help Africa Science for Development Award. A student at Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in Blarney, Co Cork, Richard received a travel bursary to travel with Self Help Africa later this year to field test his winning project. | |
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|  | | | Speaking from experience | | A Ugandan farmer spoke recently about his move into cassava production. His account, and accompanying video footage was broadcast on the One Foundation's website as part of a month long focus on food security in the development world. | |
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| UN secretary general receives MDG book |  | | | United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was presented with a copy of 'Twenty Fifteen', the first in a series of books being published by Self Help Africa on the Millennium Development Goals, when he visited Dublin recently.
The book, a collaborative publication between Self Help Africa's Education unit and Irish schools, it is a compendium of creative writing by Irish students and public figures, including Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, Man Booker Prize winner Anne Enright, author Sebastian Barry, and a host of others.
Work on the production of a second in the MDG book series is currently underway, with St. Wolstan's College, Celbridge collaborating with Self Help Africa on the publication - which looks at Millennium Goal II, the delivery of Universal Primary Education as its theme. | |
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| Vital role of farming | Farming has a vital role to play in enabling millions of Africans to escape the poverty trap, former Irish farming president Padraig Walshe said on a fact-finding visit to Kenya, this week.
Mr.Walshe, who is also the President of European Farmers Union COPA said that the importance of increasing farm productivity had been brought home during his field visit with Self Help Africa to Kenya.
During his visit he met with representatives of the Kenyan Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP), and held a meeting with representatives of Kenyan small-holding farmers. | |
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| | News from Africa | | The support that we get from the general public and our other donors makes our African programmes possible. Read below a sample of just some of the things that have been happening recently with the people with whom we are working in Africa. | | | | | | | |
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| Major EU funding support |  | | | Ambitious new development programmes that will seek to improve food security and the livelihoods of more than 1.2 million people are being started in Zambia and Ethiopia.Close to 2.5 million has been secured from the European Commission for the projects, both of which will take place over a two-years period (2010-2011).
The Seed Entrepreneurship for Economic Development and Food Security (SEEDFS) project in Zambia will aim to increase food security and incomes of farming community by increasing access and timely supply of good quality seed, while in Ethiopia new EC backing has been received to expand Self Help Africas existing Agricultural Co-Operative Development Programme in Oromia and Southern Nations and Nationalties (SNRPP) provinces. | |
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| Cereal growers combine for charity | Self Help Africa's chief executive Ray Jordan collected a cheque for 75,000 from the organisers of the 'Combines4Charity' fund-raiser, at a function in County Meath recently.
The organisation was one of four charity beneficiaries of the event, which saw a group of Irish cereal growers set a new world record for assembling the largest number of working combine harvesters in a field at the same time. Ray Jordan is pictured receiving a cheque from one of the event's organisers Michael Lawlor. | |
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| Fundraiser of the year |  | | | Self Help Africa supporter Margaret Gill received the Irish national fundraiser of the year award, at a reception in Dublin.
Margaret and her husband Bill, from Edenderry, Co. Offaly, have raised more than 125,000 since they launched the 'Barbara Gill Memorial Fund' in memory of their late daughter, more than two years ago.
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| EU launch for climate publication |  | | | 'Climate Frontline' was formally launched by Self Help Africa in Brussels recently. The launch took place in the EU Parliament Buildings in Brussels following a meeting of the European Union's Environment Committee. The event was hosted by Irish Labour Party MEP Nessa Childers.
Pictured at the EU launch of Climate Frontline are former Green Party MEP Nuala Ahern, Vittorio Prodi MEP, a brother of former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Nessa Childers MEP, and George Jacob, Steve Langdon and Jenny Rafanomezana of Self Help Africa.
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| | Laois Project launched | | A major new fund-raising campaign to encourage people in County Laois to support the work of Self Help Africa, has been launched by board member Joseph O'Dwyer. 'The Laois Project'seeks to link local fund-raising efforts and community groups with the work that the organisation is doing in Rongai, Kenya. | | | | Golfer narrowly misses world record | Young golf pro Robert Hogan narrowly failed in his bid to break the world record for the fastest round of golf, last Summer.
The 23 year old Wicklow man attempted to shatter the world record of 27 minutes at Foxrock Golf Club, but came up under three minutes short of the figure. Robert undertook his record attempt in a fund-raiser for Self Help Africa, and raised thousands of euro for the organisation with his effort. | | | | Marathon man | Wicklow marathon man Pat Carroll threw his support behind Self Help Africa, when he embarked on his 29th charity marathon, on the October bank holiday.
Pat has raised more than 100,000 for different charities from his marathon exploits, and added to that when he raised thousands for Self Help Africa at the 2009 Dublin event. Pat Carroll from Knockananna in Co. Wicklow has supported our work on a number of occasions in the past. | | | | |  | | | | Skerries Sodo's Ethiopian trip | Members of the Skerries Sodo Community Group who are supporting the work of Self Help Africa in the Sodo region of Ethiopia had a chance to see the work for themselves, when they undertook a recent fund-raising trek to the country.
The group (pictured above) visited the Sodo Project and met staff and local communities during their trip, which also included a number of days hiking in Ethiopia's Simien Mountains - a world heritage site.
To read more about the group, the trip, and a partnership which has to date raised more 70,000 for Self Help Africa click on the links below : | | | | | | | | Organise an event | | If you would like to organise a fund-raising event or activity for Self Help Africa why not contact us and find out how we can help you with your efforts. |
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| | | Self Help Africa - Ireland
Annefield House,Dublin Road,
Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Ireland
Tel. +353 (0) 578694034 |
| Self Help Africa - UK
Second Floor, Westgate House,Dickens Court,
Hills Lane, Shrewsbury, SY1 1QU
Tel. +44 (0) 1743 277170 |
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| | Self Help Africa is an international charity registered in Ireland and the United Kingdom Registered charity number : 6663 (Ireland), and 298830 (UK) | | | Powered by go2web
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