The Galway Traveller Movement (GTM ) has been announced as one of the awardees of the €1.2m Engage & Educate Fund 2021-2024. The 2021-2024 Fund, supported by Mason Hayes & Curran LLP, will see the largest ever amounts awarded since the project began, with five organisations receiving grants and non-financial supports packages.
The Galway Traveller Movement (GTM ) project is a peer-led education programme that has worked with over 100 children in Galway City and County since its establishment. GTM provides assistance to families who have had negative experiences in school, breaking the cycle of community members leaving school and empowering Travellers to progress with their education and succeed.
The project aims to reach potential early-school leavers at a primary and post-primary level. The project operates creative and culturally specific workshops in consultation with Traveller youth, that build self-esteem and belonging. The project also works with policymakers locally and nationally to influence change with the view to ensuring equality outcomes for the Traveller community.
Speaking on the work that GTM does in the community, Education Project Worker and member of the Traveller Community Anne Marie Stokes said Education is power.
“Education is the only way in which we will have real change for our community. We want to empower the Traveller Community to go after our rights, and education will be a tool that will bring about real change for our community.”
Speaking about the Engage & Educate Fund, GTM’s Education Coordinator Aisling Egan said that “being granted this funding is a big thing as it will allow us to broaden our work with schools which is badly needed. This is a huge opportunity to work with a school in Galway with a high percentage of Traveller students.
“It’s a huge achievement and we’re really excited to be able to expand our work in education even further. And hopefully, when other schools will see that this is happening, it can be that model that can be replicated across the country,” she said.
Covid-19 has resulted in challenges for GTM and for Travellers who face unique barriers such as literacy and language issues. A major challenge seen by GTM over the course of the pandemic was access to the technology needed for at-home schooling.
“We linked in with these families, supplied the technology needed and offered any help that we possibly could in supporting them through the pandemic. We’re only now seeing the huge disadvantage that COVID-19 has created for Traveller children but with projects like ours in place, hopefully we can be there to deal with those issues at the very early stages and it doesn’t have a negative impact on the rest of their school experience”, said Aisling.
Announcing the 2021-2024 Engage & Educate Fund Awardees, Minister of State with special responsibility for Community Development and Charities Joe O’Brien said he was very pleased to see the diversity of the winning projects, working with children experiencing disadvantage, migrants, members of the Traveller Community and others in our communities.
“These organisations play such an important role both in supporting people in mainstream education and in providing access to educational opportunities for those who haven’t been afforded the same opportunities as others. I want to thank Mason Hayes & Curran and Rethink Ireland for this support and the process of engagement with communities that has led to these awards being made,” he said.
