Livelihoods

By Sean Farrell.

In many ways it’s sad we have to hold an International Womens Day.  It’s sad that we pencil a day in the global calendar once a year to higshlight the issues of the rights of women.  It’s sad we have to highlight the many abuses, violations and inequality that women all over the world face.  It’s sad and it’s a reflection on us as people, as communities, as a country and as a world community.

There's a great buzz in New York any time but this week it's very noticeable around the UN building on 44th Street at 1st Avenue, as the world's leaders gather for the annual general assembly and the midway review of the Millennium Development Goals, a series of eight targets designed to significantly reduce poverty and disease by 2015.

As the government prepares to launch its Hunger Task Force report tomorrow in New York, we had the opportunity yesterday to visit the Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park in the city. Located on a half acre site of prime Manhattan real estate, the memorial at first glance is not very prepossessing. I had heard of it but never seen any photos. I suppose I expected something evocative like the famine sculptures in Mayo and even in Dublin, but this seemed to be a little field with overgrown stone walls, the remnants of a typical Irish cottage.

Nancy Aburi, a member of the Irish government’s hunger task force from Kenya, said if we are to positively affect development in Africa we should concentrate on women’s empowerment and education. The women of Africa, she said, will help build communities and develop the continent. We were speaking after Taoiseach Brian Cowen launched the Hunger Task Force report in New York at the UN. The Task Force was set up last year to look at ways in which Ireland could have an impact on the fight against hunger.

February 21, 2008

January 18, 2008

Liberia National Agriculture Show

November 19, 2007 I arrived to Liberia, West Africa on Wednesday 24th October, a few weeks ago now as the evening shadows were giving way to darkness. I was warmly greeted by some of our Trócaire partners and any pangs of nerves, subsided. The hour-long journey to the capital, Monrovia, unfolds on a single carriage way. On the city outskirts, there is little vehicle traffic but lines of people on the roadside making their way home in the dark. This was my first journey as the new Trócaire Programme Officer for Liberia. This is my home for the next three years.

My blog entries are not following any sequential time- pattern; below I recount my experiences from a field trip in November 2007.

Monday, 8th October 2007

We arrived at the Fatima Institute in good time for the opening ceremony – an academic procession of graduates and staff, officials and clergy led by the noisy if not melodic sounds of the school marching band. They were led in to their seating area for the already present families, friends, invited guests and community members keen to get a flavour of this unique occasion.

Sunday 7th October 2007

St Joseph’s school for the hearing impaired, Makeni, Sierra Leone