aid in action annual review 2008

AID IN ACTIONannual review 2008

J2269e AAI Ann update A4 PAG.qxp:Layout 1 25/11/09 12:48 Page 2

2

Introduction p3From Olga McDonogh, CEO

Where We Work p4ActionAid Ireland around the globe

Kenya p6Bringing clean water to the people of Takaba

Uganda p8The fight against HIV & AIDS in the deaf community

Cambodia p10Education plays a central role

Nepal p12Challenging discrimination

Vietnam p14Addressing malnutrition through education

Appeals Update: Nepal and Uganda p16

Special Campaign Report p20Towards a HungerFREE future

Fundraising in Action p22Sponsor stories

On the Web p24

Leave a Legacy p25

Financial Review p26

annual review 2008Contents

Children at Yaa family homestead,Langobaya, Malindi, Kenya

J2269e AAI Ann update A4 PAG.qxp:Layout 1 25/11/09 12:48

3

Introduction

Welcome to the first issue of Aid in Action, our annual review of howyour support is creating lasting change. It includes reports of our workaround the globe, as ActionAid combats poverty, inequality and injusticein poor and marginalised communities where we work.

Overall, 2008 was a very positive year as we started new childsponsorship programmes in Cambodia and Kenya. We also had aphenomenal response to both our appeals - to support the ‘Kamaiya’house building project in Nepal and to rebuild the lives of internallydisplaced children and communities in northern Uganda. You will seefrom the personal stories in this review just how much of a difference yoursupport is making.

In July 2008 we ran a joint seminar in Dublin together with Concern tomark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Former President Mary Robinson made a powerful call to action to raiseawareness of the world food crisis and ActionAid will continue tocampaign on this issue.

You will also find details of our newly launched website www.actionaid.iewhere we provide up-to-date reports on our work and campaigns and aclear financial breakdown of where your money has been used and theimpact it has made over the past year.

I would like to send my sincere thanks to everyone who worked toraise funds on our behalf over the past year. Read about how someof our supporters have got involved in the Sponsor Stories sectionof this review.

ActionAid Ireland is very grateful to all our supporters who stand with usin our work to end poverty and injustice by ensuring the basic rights ofchildren and their wider communities to claim a life of dignity. We hopeyou enjoy reading about the work you have supported in this issue ofAid in Action and as always, we welcome your feedback.

Yours sincerely,

Olga McDonogh,CEO, ActionAid Ireland

Olga McDonogh


4

Where We Work

KENYA• Population of 37.5 million

• Average life expectancy of 54 years

• 1 in 9 children dies before they reachtheir fifth birthday

• 43% of people do not have accessto clean, safe water

• 1 community sponsorshipprogramme in Mandera and 2 childsponsorship programmes in Malindiand Kongelei

UGANDA• Population of 30.8 million

• Average life expectancy is 48 years

• One in seven children dies beforethey reach their fifth birthday

• 1 in 20 people is HIV positive

• 1 child sponsorship programmewith Uganda National Associationof the Deaf (UNAD) across severalvillages and schools

ActionAid Ireland is now working in five countries with ten child andcommunity sponsorship development programmes across Africaand Asia.

In the light of drastic government cuts in overseas aid, we are even more relianton the continued support of our 9,000 Irish child and community sponsors tofund our programmes.

The main focus of our work is the protection of the rights of women and girls andensuring access to education and sustainable livelihoods.


5

CAMBODIA• Population of 14.4 million

• Average life expectancy of 61 years

• Nearly one quarter of adults areilliterate

• 77% of the population live on lessthan $2 a day

• 1 child sponsorship programmein Battambang Province, northernCambodia

VIETNAM• Population of 87.3 million


• 37% of children under 5 aremalnourished

• Up to 76% of people living in ruralareas do not have access to safewater

• 2 child sponsorship programmes inCao Bang and Quan Ba, in northernVietnam

NEPAL• Population of 28 million


• 1 in 4 children is engaged in some formof labour

• Half of the population is illiterate

• 1 community sponsorship programmeworking with freed-Kamaiyacommunities and 2 child sponsorshipdevelopment programmes in Baitadiand Bara


Tegla Natao, fifteen, Kenya

6


ActionAid Ireland supports work

in three parts of Kenya: Malindi,

Mandera and Kongelai. In 2008, a

devastating drought struck Kenya.

The Mandera district, in the arid

north east, was one of the most

badly-affected areas. ActionAid

responded immediately to the

water shortage and also identified

measures that could be taken to

solve the problem in the long term.

Drought Takes Its Toll

Most of the people living in the Takaba

settlement in Mandera district rely

on livestock farming to earn a living

and water shortages have always

been a problem in this area. However,

consecutive years of drought

turned a difficult situation into a life

threatening one.

Women and girls had to walk for miles

every day in search of water and health

problems escalated as families were

forced to drink unsafe water. As water

and grass for grazing livestock

became less available conflicts began

to occur between farmers.

Local communities were placed under

further pressure as families who lost

their livestock to drought arrived in the

settlement seeking food and water.

Making a Splash

ActionAid’s immediate response to

the emergency was to transport water

in trucks to Takaba and provide

nutritional supplements to the most

vulnerable, such as pregnant women

and children under five. ActionAid also

took steps to ensure that a similar

crisis would be avoided in the future

and successfully lobbied the Kenyan

government to fulifil its responsibilities

to its citizens by drilling boreholes and

providing water tanks.

To further assist with water

conservation in the area, ActionAid

also built two “barkads” or large

underground tanks that store water

that can be used in future times of

drought.

Life Improves For All

The lack of a permanent water

supply has long been a barrier to

development in Takaba but life is now

changing for the community. School

attendance rates have increased, as

children no longer have to join their

parents walking long distances in

search of water. The availability

of clean water has also improved

overall health and greatly reduced

the prevalence of diseases such

as typhoid and diarrhoea, all thanks

to your support.

COUNTRY REPORT:Kenya

REAL LIVES:MAMA HABIBA’SSTORY

Mama Habiba, a mother of seven,

used to trek for up to 34km a day in

search of water. She suffered four

miscarriages and lost two of her

children to water-borne diseases.

Her surviving children were often ill,

and missed school frequently.

However their lives have changed

since ActionAid has helped to bring

water to the area.

“Thanks to ActionAid my life is now full of joy”, Mama said,

“I have clean tap water and my daughters are all in school

now. Our physical health has improved, and we are free from

the risk of disease. We have made the first stride towards

ending poverty. Thank you.”

Children with clean water,Takaba, Kenya

7


Mary Goret, twelve, Kitemba Village, Uganda

8


COUNTRY REPORT:Uganda

Difficulties Abound

In Uganda ActionAid has focused its

HIV work on the deaf community in

particular. People who are deaf are

disadvantaged at a number of levels

in terms of their access to information

about HIV. Messages transmitted over

traditional broadcast media, like radio

or television are not accessible to them.

Furthermore, most members of the

deaf community have received little if

any formal education and many are in

fact illiterate.

Unfortunately only a few counsellors

who work in the sector know how to

sign properly and can communicate

effectively, so this combination of

factors means that there is a very low

level of understanding of the HIV issue

within the deaf community and

consequently there is a high risk

of contracting the virus.

Tackling the Pandemic

To bring awareness of HIV & AIDS to

deaf members of the communities

where we work, ActionAid has trained

30 deaf men and women as HIV &

AIDS counsellors. These counsellors

now educate other deaf people about

how to avoid contracting the virus and

also provide support to people who

have been diagnosed as HIV positive.

This support provides access to

antiretroviral drugs, which greatly

improve health and quality of life.

ActionAid also supports children’s

drama groups to perform plays in their

local communities with messages

about transmission and prevention of

HIV & AIDS.

Hope for Future Generations

In the past year, over 450 people from

the deaf community have been reached

through this programme. As well as

increasing their awareness of HIV

& AIDS through education, the

programme has encouraged these

individuals and people from the wider

community to discuss the issue more

openly. This further reduces the

likelihood that people will engage in

behaviour in the future that puts them

at risk of contracting the virus.

REAL LIVES:JAMES’ STORY

James Kadunguru, 30, is married to

Florence, and they have a 3-year-old

daughter. Following a counselling

session conducted by ActionAid,

he tested positive for HIV. He has

responded well to medical

treatment, and is now working as

an HIV & AIDS counsellor in his

community.

“I am deaf and it has been difficult to get information aboutHIV & AIDS. I did not know that I was carrying the virus untilI attended awareness and counseling sessions conducted byActionAid, and agreed to do an HIV & AIDS test. On hearing thenews, my world came to a standstill. I am however consoledthat my wife and lovely daughter are both negative. I ampleased that I started taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. I amsure I will be able to bring my daughter up and educate her aslong as I take my ARVs and protect her from getting infected.”

James, thirty, and his baby daughter,Uganda

Uganda has made considerable progress in tackling the HIV epidemic. Following

investment in services and information programmes by government and non-

governmental organisations in the 1990s, the number of people becoming infected

with the disease has decreased steadily. Nonetheless HIV is still a significant issue:

1 in every 20 people in Uganda is HIV positive and 1.2 million children have lost

both parents to the disease. HIV is therefore an issue which ActionAid continues

to focus on.

9


Ross Srey Meng, four, at a school for orphans andvulnerable children, Battambang

10


COUNTRY REPORT:Cambodia

A Choice Between Food andEducation

ActionAid works in a number of

provinces in Cambodia, one of

which is Battambang province in

the northwest. Battambang is on

the border with Thailand and has

high levels of poverty and

unemployment.

For parts of the year, often during the

dry season, many families from the area

migrate to Thailand in search of work.

This pattern of migration has negative

effects on children’s education as they

do not go to school while they are in

Thailand. Furthermore, many children

do not return to school in Cambodia as

their parents rely on them to carry out

household chores while they are out

at work. Quite often, these children also

join their parents as agricultural

labourers so that the family may earn

enough money to buy food. As a

result, the cycle of extreme poverty

and migration is carried from one

generation to the next.

Learning the Importanceof Education

ActionAid began to address this

situation by providing information to

local communities on the value of

children’s education and the effects

of migration and absenteeism. This

information was provided at organised

village meetings and through visits to

the households of the most vulnerable

families. ActionAid also set up literacy

classes in two villages for children who

had previously been unable to attend

school due to poverty and the long

distances they had to travel. These

activities have had a significant impact

on parents’ attitudes to education, with

many now realising the importance of

sending children to school every day.

Creating Stable Livelihoods

Unfortunately, it is not always enough

to increase parents’ awareness of the

importance of education. As levels of

poverty are so high in Battambang

many parents have no choice but to

take their children out of school so that

they can contribute to the family’s

income. ActionAid provided some of

the poorest families with rice to meet

their immediate food needs. However,

to solve this problem in the longer term

ActionAid also provided these families

with agricultural training, vegetable

seeds and livestock. This support

ensured that poor families would have

a constant and reliable source of

income and therefore would no longer

need to migrate or rely on their children

working.

REAL LIVES:RAY KA’S STORY

Every year 60% of the population

of Cambodia’s Battambang

province travel to Thailand seeking

work. Ten year old Ray Ka’s family

used to be amongst them.

“I didn’t like living inThailand”, says Ray, “I don’tspeak Thai and I missedmy friends and school”.

ActionAid provided Ray’s family with agricultural training and equipment.

His mother told us how much their lives have changed.

“I am happy that I don’t have to migrate to Thailand. NowI can earn a living by working on my farmland. I grow riceduring the rainy season. After the harvest, I start vegetablegrowing. I can sell the surplus of the vegetables to earn anincome. I don’t think I will go to sell my labour in Thailandagain. Without support from ActionAid, I would still migrate,and my children would not be able to go to school. I want tothank ActionAid for their work that brings such positivechange to my family and children.”

Ray Ka, ten, Battambang, Cambodia

11


Nilisha, five, Nepal

12


COUNTRY REPORT:Nepal

REAL LIVES:HARKA’S STORY

Harka Singh Mahara, 14, lives with his family in a rural village called

Siddheswor. His parents were so poor, they could not afford to send their

children to school. Harka was sent out to find a job and eventually found

work in a hotel. ActionAid provided some assistance to Harka and his

family to ensure that he could return to school and complete his education.

"It was very kind of ActionAid to take me out of the hotel andput me back in the school. To help me with my school theyprovided me with a scholarship.

I am very happy as my brother and sisters also received thescholarship and we all are going to school. Thank you formaking an effort to make our future bright."

Although discrimination against a person on the basis of their caste, or social class,

is now illegal in Nepal, the caste system still operates and is a significant factor in

terms of risk of poverty. People from lower castes tend to have much lower access

to education, health and other services and therefore to employment and other

opportunities. In Baitadi in Western Nepal, ActionAid works with members of the

lowest social caste, the Dalits or ‘untouchables’.

Children benefiting from education, Nepal

An Unjust Society

In addition to being disadvantaged interms of their access to services andopportunities, people from Dalitcommunities continue to experiencediscrimination in a number of areas. Forexample, Dalits are not allowed to entertemples or the homes of people fromhigher castes and physical violencetowards Dalits is widespread. Childlabour is illegal in Nepal, but it isestimated that as many as one in everyfour children is engaged in employment.Child labour puts disadvantagedchildren at risk of further abuseand exploitation as they often worklong hours and in poor conditionsfor little pay.

Bringing Hope to DalitChildren

Many Dalit families cannot afford tocover basic costs related to theirchildren’s education and as a resultare forced to take their children outof school. To address this, ActionAidprovided scholarships to 120 childrenfrom Dalit communities that will enablethem to complete their education.These scholarships cover the costof school fees and expenses likeuniforms and transport. ActionAid alsodistributed uniforms to a further 300children and established libraries inschools in some of the poorest areas.The libraries are used by almost 2000children whose families cannot afford tobuy books. In addition, ActionAid hasprovided desks and benches to

schools with few facilities. Schoolattendance has improved greatlyas a result of these measures.

Towards a Fairer Future

Attitudes toward people from lowercastes have been slow to change in

Nepal. By supporting the educationof Dalit children, ActionAid hopes toincrease the opportunities available tothem and reduce their risk of povertyand experience of discrimination inthe future.

13


Mother carrying her child, Vietnam

14


COUNTRY REPORT:Vietnam

Child Malnutrition

There are still high levels of povertyand illiteracy in the northern partsof Vietnam. Most of ActionAid’swork in Vietnam therefore is inthese northern areas, includingThong Nong district. While childmalnutrition has decreased in thecountry overall it is still commonin this region.

Families here often cannot afford tobuy anything other than the mainstaple foods, and meals often consistof just rice and maize. Poor nutritionamong children creates a range ofproblems. It causes dizziness andfatigue, affects growth and weakensthe immune system. This can resultin the development of health conditionslike rickets but also affects children’sability to learn. Malnutrition has beenidentified as one of the factors thatcontribute to the high drop-out ratefrom education among children inthis region.

Supporting Families to Earnan Income

To improve child nutrition in the areawhile also addressing the underlyingproblem of poverty, ActionAidestablished a microcredit schemefor the poorest families in thesecommunities. These families weretrained in animal husbandry and werethen provided with loans of €86 to starttheir own chicken rearing businesses.The loans were used to buy chicksand housing for the poultry. Familiesuse the eggs to supplement their dietsbut also now have a regular source ofincome from selling eggs and chickensat local markets.

Learning About Nutrition

As women in this area tend to havelow levels of education they havelimited understanding of nutrition butstill play a key role in sourcing andpreparing food for their families.To further improve the health andwelfare of families in localcommunities, ActionAid organisedtraining courses on nutrition forlocal women. The training providedinformation about the symptoms ofchild malnutrition, cooking techniquesand the nutritional value of differenttypes of food, particularly food thatis locally available and affordable tolow income families. Women whoattended the training courses wenton to share this information withother members of their communities.

REAL LIVES:MA DUC THANG

When 9-year-old Ma Duc Thang’s

father died, his mother became the

sole provider for Duc Thang and his

elderly grandmother. The family

rarely had enough money to buy

fish or meat, and young Duc Thang

became very thin and weak.

Their lives changed for the better

though, when his mother received

a loan from ActionAid to start a

chicken rearing enterprise.

“Now I have eggs every week,” says Duc Thang, “Mum alsobuys meat and fish more often than she did before ... I feelhealthier and I don’t have to miss school. I get good marksand I feel very happy. I will work hard to become a teacher asI want to teach other children like me how to read and write”.

Ma Duc Thang, nine, Thong Nong,Vietnam

Tuan, three, from the mountain areaof Ha Giang Province, Vietnam

15


APPEAL UPDATE:Nepal

Building a better future for the Kamaiya, Nepal

16


Liberation to Destitution

For many years ActionAid supportedthe Kamaiya in their struggle to maketheir government aware of their plight.Eventually, the Nepalese Governmentoutlawed the practice of bonded labour,and the Kamaiya were declared free.

However, following liberation in 2000,thousands of Kamaiya were evictedfrom their landlord’s properties. Withnowhere to go, they had no choice butto sleep outside in the monsoon rains.Hundreds of people, mainly womenand children, died from diarrhoea,typhoid and cholera as a result.

The Difference You’reMaking

With your generosity, however,ActionAid has raised enough fundingto support the construction of 78secure and lasting homes for the freedKamaiya in Tesanpur village, Bardiyadistrict reaching out to 387 people.Work began in May this year, onceall the materials were purchased anddelivered, and is expected to becompleted by January 2010.

As with all of our projects, communitypartnership and sustainability are atthe core of ActionAid’s work with theKamaiya. The beneficiaries of the

project contribute their labour in theconstruction of their houses, learningskills such as carpentry and masonrythat will open up future employmentopportunities to them. Furthermore, theKamaiya children that have not beenattending school are being identifiedand assisted with enrolment for freeeducation.

A Brighter Future

We remain committed to our goal ofproviding more houses for Kamaiyafamilies and ensuring sustainablelivelihoods for their communities, andtherefore plan to make this a key focusof ActionAid’s work in Nepal over thecoming years.

Kamaiya ‘Building for the Future’ AppealLast year we wrote to you to appeal for your support to build 364 houses for the‘freed’ Kamaiya. The ‘Kamaiya’ are poor Nepalese who were forced to becomebonded labourers in order to pay back loans that their ancestors had received fromtheir landlords many years before. This project aimed to provide these formerbonded labourers and their children with shelter and sanitation, ending a life ofdestitution and offering a future of dignity.

REAL LIVES: BINITA’S STORY

“I lived as a Kamaiya until a few years back when thegovernment declared us free. We lived in a hut that wouldflood during the rains, and I spent many evenings holdingon to the roof to stop it from blowing away.

As we had no means to earn a living and could not afford tobuy the materials we needed for a secure home, ActionAidprovided the materials and covered the wages of skilledpeople to help us to follow a building plan.

We have been trainedby ActionAid to growvegetables all year roundso we no longer have toworry about our daily food.Irrigation and drinking waterpumps have also beensupplied so our childrenno longer get sick fromdrinking dirty water. Life ismuch easier now. Thankyou for supporting us.”

Binita Chaudari and her daughtersecure in their new home, Nepal

17


APPEAL UPDATE:Uganda

Christmas Appeal Update

ActionAid and The Return

to Griki

Griki village, in northeast Uganda,

is one such community. For the

returnees, there were no community

facilities and their once productive

fields lay fallow and overgrown.

Following your response to our appeal,ActionAid is helping the displacedpeople of Griki to resettle.

It was very urgent to equip the healthcentre that ActionAid built in the villageas this facility services over 10,000people in Griki and the surroundingareas. Prior to its establishment,

expectant mothers, children and thecritically ill had to travel over 50km toaccess medical care. Now, thanks toyou, children can receive essentialimmunisations and life saving malariatreatment while women are able toaccess proper maternal care, thuslowering infant mortality rates.

Sowing the Seeds of aCommunity

ActionAid believes in long-termsustainable development and is takingsteps to ensure food security for the

Last Christmas we brought the plight of Uganda’s internally displaced

people to your attention. Years of conflict have forced thousands of

Ugandans to leave their homes and livelihoods. Fortunately, peace is

finally coming to afflicted regions, and people are taking the brave step

of returning home to rebuild their communities.

David with his mother and sisters, Griki, Uganda

18


community. The abandonment ofsmallholdings combined with risingfood prices and drought in this regionmakes it a high risk area for famine.With your support, 200 acres of landhave been cultivated with maize anddrought resistant beans, andagricultural training has been providedto the families of Griki. A lack of safedrinking water was another serioushazard faced by the people returninghome. The wells and boreholes thatpeople had left behind had fallen intodisrepair, and either had to berehabilitated or replaced altogether.A pump has now been installed nextto the health centre. This makes it easyfor people visiting the clinic to accesssafe water at the same time. Two moreboreholes are currently being sited,and are expected to be completed bythe end of the year.

A Roof Overhead

For many of the families returningto Griki, finding shelter is an issue.At present, many families live insmall thatched huts which do notprovide adequate protection fromthe elements. We are assisting thecommunity to build new homesusing bricks, timber and sheeting.Sixteen houses are currently underconstruction, a project which isgenerating much excitement in thecommunity. Twenty-two-year oldEsther Chelimo is one of the peoplethat is looking forward to moving in toa new home. “I am excited with mynew house that is roofed with ironsheets. It will soon be ready foroccupation and this will end mysuffering. Whenever it rains, mychildren and I cannot sleep. We

have to keep standing as my houseleaks too much.”

Supporting a Lasting Peace

Violent livestock raids by neighbouringcommunities were a particular problemfor the residents of Griki in the past.ActionAid supports conflict resolutionand offers skills training to young menthat may otherwise engage in livestockrustling to make a living.

There is still much work to be done,especially as more people comehome. One of our next goals is to builda proper school in Griki. We lookforward to putting this plan into actionalongside our existing projects, andworking further with the people in Grikito rebuild their community.

Saving lives in Griki hospital, Uganda

REAL LIVES:DAVID’S STORY

Nine-year-old David Chebet and his family found life

very difficult when they first returned to Griki. One day,

David became very ill. Fortunately, the health centre

had just been completed and David’s mother, Irene,

brought him there.

“When I was sick my mother took me to thehealth centre. The doctor saw me, and toldme that I had malaria, and he gave me somemedicine. With the medicine, I now feel betterand can play with my friends.”

Irene is so relieved that her little boy has recovered. Sheis happy to know that all of her children can now getmedicine if ever they fall ill.

“Thank you very much for the health centre.We mothers know that it is going to help usand our children in the future.”

19

J2269e AAI Ann update A4 PAG.qxp:Layout 1 25/11/09 12:55

SPECIAL CAMPAIGN REPORT:Towards a HungerFREE future

Adiya Tibanagwa, Bigando Village, Uganda

20


The HungerFREE campaignin Ireland

As a result of the global economiccrisis the Irish government hasreduced Ireland’s budget for overseasdevelopment by EUR 95 million. Withone billion people going hungry acrossthe world it is crucial that Ireland triesto stick to its own target of reaching0.7% GNI by 2012.

On 9th July 2008, ActionAid andConcern held a joint seminar in Dublinon the world food crisis. The event wasorganised to mark the 60th anniversaryof the universal declaration of humanrights and had as its keynote speakerMary Robinson, former President ofIreland and one of the world’s leadinghuman rights advocates.

Mrs Robinson described the currentfood crisis and the consequences ofrising food prices for the world’s poor.She urged world leaders to act nowand spoke of their obligation to tacklethe global food crisis or risk renegingon the commitments they made withrespect to the right to food for all.

“Food is a human right to whichevery woman, man and child isentitled. Everyone from politicaland business leaders, to the

world’s hundreds of millions ofsmall farmers must join togetherto solve this crisis. Investing morein agricultural production andimproving our trade and foodaid policies to stimulate localproduction are just some of theways that we can address thisproblem now. Otherwise the rightto food will remain out of thegrasp of millions of people foryears to come.”

Chris Kinyanjui, ActionAidInternational Regional Director forEast and Southern Africa, added:“Protection of the right to food hasnever been more urgent. The Irishgovernment, and Mary Robinsonhave been leading lights in the

struggle to end hunger, but wemust work together to deepen ourresolve and increase theinvestment in long-term solutionslike support for women farmers.”

A HungerFREE world

As part of the HungerFREE campaign,several ActionAid offices organiseda special exhibition on InternationalWomen's Day (March 8th), called‘HungerFREE Women Speak Out’.Through pictures and stories aboutwomen from all over the world, theexhibition highlights the link betweenwomen’s lack of access to land andthe experience of poverty and hunger.

Check out our most recent ActionAidreport at www.actionaid.ie/hungerfree called “Who’s reallyfighting hunger’’ and log ontowww.hungerfreeplanet.org to joinour HungerFREE campaign!

In September 2000, world leaders met in New York and committed to a

series of goals related to reducing global poverty and suffering. These

goals, which are called the Millennium Development Goals, included the

goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015. Nine years later, and in spite of

the fact that there is enough food to feed the planet twice over, hunger

is increasing in the world’s poorest countries. ActionAid International

launched a global campaign, called HungerFREE, to highlight the current

situation in relation to hunger and poverty and to lobby governments to

meet their commitments to end world hunger.

Mary Robinson with Chris Kinyanjuiand Nancy Kachingwe of ActionAid

21


FUNDRAISING IN ACTION:Sponsor Stories

6th Class, Scoil Mhuire Naofa

Each year the boys of 6th Class in Scoil Mhuire Nafoa,Carrigtwohill, choose a charity and attempt to raise fundsduring the 40 days of Lent. This year the boys decidedthat they would like to sponsor a child with ActionAid.

The class researched different countries to find out whatlife is like for young people like them. They were surprisedto find out that food, water, clothing and education -things they take for granted - are not easily available to

boys their own age in poorer countries. They encouragedeveryone in their school to sacrifice something duringLent and make a small donation with the money saved.

6th Class now sponsor two young children in Nepal.

“This is important because we are saving livesand helping children to have a better future,”says Darragh Behan.

Mary O’Mahony and herniece Alison

Mary O’Mahony decided to sponsor

a child through ActionAid Ireland, to

mark her niece Alison’s Confirmation.

“Alison and I thought about things

we could do together to mark her

special occasion.” Mary says, "We

both wanted her Confirmation gift

to be something we could do

together over time.”

Alison says, “It is very enjoyable to get a present of sponsoring a

child because you know that you are helping someone somewhere

in the world. The letters I get from Pav let me know how a child in

another part of the world is living. She is a part of my heart.”

We wish to express our sincerethanks to everyone who fundraisedon our behalf to raise awarenessof the mission of ActionAid Irelandand its work in your community.Your goodwill and determinationis transforming the lives of someof the poorest families andcommunities in the world. Hereare just a couple of examples.

If you would like to get involved infundraising for ActionAid, we wouldlove to hear from you. We can provideyou with plenty of ideas, advice andsupport.

Please contact Michelle Lenihan atActionAid on 01 878 79 11 or [email protected]

Mary O'Mahony andher niece Alison

The boys of Scoil Mhuire Naofa, East Cork

22


Mary Geraghty: Walking For The Kamaiya

Action Heroes: Running Poverty intothe Ground

Our ‘Action Heroes’ came out in force in the Junesunshine to support ActionAid for the Flora Mini Marathonraising a total of €1,500.

Fionnuala Edge, our star fundraiser said, “It was a reallygreat day, the sun was shining and spirits were high.

I really wanted to help ActionAid Ireland raise fundsto support their work with young girls to enablethem to get access to a better education and toa brighter future. I asked my company, Bank ofIreland, to match what I had fundraised and theykindly agreed so I raised a total of €580. I was sohappy that my money can go even further. I’m alsosponsoring a little girl from Nepal called Basanti andI love writing to her and getting her messages.”

There are lots of different regional and national runningand challenge events throughout the year, and we wouldlove to see more ActionAid supporters become ‘ActionHeroes’ for ActionAid. If you or your friends are planningon entering any events or planned races, please send anemail to [email protected] and we willsend you out a fundraising pack and provide any supportyou need!

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

Your ongoing support is vital to us and we want to ensurethat you feel that you are receiving quality information aboutthe impact of our work and are getting the most from yoursupport of ActionAid. Your feedback will help us communicatebetter with potential child sponsors and enable us totransform the lives of more children and communities. Pleasesend back the enclosed supporter survey by the closing date21st December, 2009.

The first 10 respondents will win a colourful ‘Heart of Africa’Fairtrade Hamper with an assortment of delicious, ethically

sourced products including coffee, tea, pineapple, macadamiaand jumbo raisin mix, and roasted and salted cashew nuts. Thefood range, launched in 2006 by Traidlinks (www.traidlinks.ie)supports ongoing projects in Africa with all profits going directlyback to the communities they came from, thus creating a betterlife for local people.

Mary Geraghty has been a childsponsor with ActionAid Ireland fornearly 20 years. Last year she raised€879 in only a few weeks for theKamaiya ‘Building For The Future’Appeal (see Appeal Update, page 17).

Mary says, “When I got the appealthrough the post, I just knewthat I had to raise enoughmoney to build a whole housefor a Kamaiya family.

I am part of a walking club andwe had a walk planned upCarauntoohill so I immediatelycontacted ActionAid Ireland forsponsorship forms and a T-shirt.

Once people knew what it wasfor they were incredibly generousand my thanks goes out toeveryone who supported me.I couldn’t believe how quicklyI raised the money.”

Our 'Action Heroes' at the race finish!

Mary Geraghty, climbingMacGillicudy's Reeks for families

in the Himalayas

23


On The Web

ActionAid Ireland has launched anew website - www.actionaid.ie.This is a great source ofinformation about our approachand work in Ireland and acrossthe world.

The website also provides lots ofinformation about child sponsorship withstories from current child sponsors, sowe would ask you to spread the word toyour wider community of friends and

family to help our mission to find morechild sponsors as they can now signup online!

If you would like to learn more about ourcampaigns around development issuesand our rights based approach, you candownload ActionAid reports on subjectssuch as world hunger or the impact ofthe financial crisis on the developingworld. The website also features newsabout ActionAid International’s work and

campaigns and how you can getinvolved. If you would like to fundraiseeither as part of your work or yourcommunity, please check outwww.actionaid.ie/priorityprojectsand learn about some of our excitinglong term projects that are changingchildren’s lives. Help us raise muchneeded funds for projects such asproviding care and support to womenand orphans with HIV & AIDS inCambodia or bringing safe waterto the school children of Uganda.

24


FINANCIAL REVIEW:How Your Money Was Spent

Child Sponsorship €1.98m (46%)Irish Government €1.6m (37%)Other Donations (Appeals, €0.691m (17%)Individuals, Trusts, Tax)

TOTAL €4.271m

INCOME

Overseas Programmes& Support Costs €3.7 (86%)Cost of Generating Funds €0.56 (13%)Governance & Advocacy €0.02 (<1%)

TOTAL €4.28m

EXPENDITURE

1) TURN THE TAXMAN INTO A DONOR

One very easy way to make your money go further is toreturn your tax form so that we can claim additional revenuefrom the government from your charitable donation. Itdoesn’t cost you anything, as only ActionAid Ireland canclaim this money. If we don’t claim it, it simply stays with theRevenue Commissioners. Thanks to all of our supporterswho returned their tax forms in 2008, we raised nearly€300,000. If you need a tax form, please log ontowww.actionaid.ie/taxback to download the form andcontact our office to get details of your donation amount.

2) HELP SPREAD THE WORD

You can help us reach more child sponsors and increasethe impact of our work by introducing us to a friend orrelative who would be a great supporter like you and find

the experience of sponsoring a child a very positive one.Alternatively, you could get behind our campaigns and joinus by voicing the concerns of the poor we represent.

3) GIVE YOUR TIME AND TALENT

We always have a need for more helping hands whenit comes to managing our ongoing fundraising activity.If you would like to give some of your time and talentto ActionAid, a volunteer registration form is available todownload at www.actionaid.ie/volunteer.

We are a small team in ActionAid Ireland, so if you havea background in marketing communications, PR and eventmanagement or website and online marketing and feel youcould help us increase our impact, by either taking on asmall project or lending your expertise and knowledge,we would really love to hear from you.

Each year we publish our financial accounts on our website www.actionaid.ie. This information has been

extracted from the Consolidated Financial Statements, on which our auditors, Grant Thorton, have reported. In

order to keep costs down we don’t automatically post a copy to all of our supporters, however if you would

like a printed copy, please don’t hesitate to call us on 01 878 79 11.

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2008

Below you can see how ActionAid Ireland raises and uses funds.

HOW CAN I MAKE MY SUPPORT GO EVEN FURTHER – 3 EASY WAYS!

46%

86%

13%

Lessthan 1%

37%

17%


Legacies are a vital source of income forActionAid. While sponsorship and appealsprovide much of the funding for establishedprojects, legacies allow us to expand ourwork and help more communities wheresponsorship simply isn’t practical. And theseare often the communities who need our helpthe most.

Legacies also offer us the chance to fund largerprojects like health centres and schools, and manyof our supporters have used their legacies to passon the gift of an education or indeed of life to futuregenerations.

In the future, your legacy could help us to achieveeven more. Whatever your legacy is used for, youcan be sure that it will change the lives of those ingreatest need around the world.

There are various types of legacy, all of whichare exempt from inheritance tax. If you want tofind out more, please contact Veronica Waterson 01 878 79 11 and we will send you furtherinformation. If you have already includedActionAid in your will, then please let us knowand we can discuss where your gift can best makea difference.

LEAVE A LEGACY:You Can Make a World of Difference

Our supporters often ask us how they canmake a donation in their will. We asked asolicitor to provide an example of how a giftto charity may be drafted in a will.

“I GIVE (the sum of €X) or (X% of myestate) to ActionAid Ireland, CHYnumber 6888, for the general purposesof the said charity, and I declare that thereceipt of the treasurer or proper officerof the said charity shall be sufficientdischarge to my executors on thepayment of this gift.”

Touch Se and her grandson Protin, eight,Chong Prek, Cambodia

25


Contact Us

ActionAid Ireland Team

Olga McDonoghCEO

[email protected]

Cliodhna O’LearyFinance Manager

cliodhna.o’[email protected]

Albha BoweProgramme Manager

[email protected]

Sharon EdgeHead of Marketing & Fundraising

[email protected]

Michelle LenihanSupporter Services Co-ordinator

[email protected]

Veronica WatersFundraising Executive

[email protected]

Printed on The Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) accredited sustainable stock andproduction costs have been kept to a minimum.


ActionAid IrelandUnity Building16-17 Lower O’Connell StreetDublin 1

TelephoneLocal 1890 704 704

[email protected]

Websitewww.actionaid.ieRegistered Charity, No.6888


aid in action annual review 2008

Documents

kenyaj2269e aai ann

educationappeals update

issue of aid

positive year

past year

actionaid combats poverty

average life expectancy

northern uganda