Castlebar businessman Pat Quinn spends many months each year in Africa. He has been travelling to Kenya for 10 years now and has been so touched by the people and their worsening daily struggle that he has begun a fundraising campaign to improve necessary services such as running water and build new classrooms for the children.
Pat’s first fundraiser will be the Tóchar Pádraig Walk on Saturday August 22 for which he is looking for volunteers to participate.
Pat is passionate about raising funds to assist the people whom he has befriended over the years travelling to Kenya.
“We are trying to alleviate some of the hardships for some of the people in coastal Kenya. Here, people are trying to reek out a subsistence living in an increasingly harsh environment where the climate is becoming hotter and more drought prone every year,” explained Pat.
“Initially, we are hoping to raise enough money to provide clean water for a village called Bericho which is located about 200km north of Mombasa on the way to Somalia.
“The rains have been sporadic and insufficient for adequate food production for the past three years throughout Kenya and especially in the semi arid coast province.
“At the moment the women of Bericho, as is common throughout the region, have to travel several kilometres two or three times per week to collect an adequate amount of water for their family’s needs. This is carried in 20-litre jerrycans approximately 20kgs in weight on the head.”
And according to Pat there are many other worthwhile projects which can be carried out to help some of the people of this region.
For example schools are in dire need of funds and support. He explains: “Here, in most cases, classrooms are insufficient in number so that students attend classes on a half day rota basis. The classrooms are in many cases mud walled and mud floored with few or no desks or seating and toilet facilities are totally inadequate.”
Pat is looking for people to join him on the Tóchar Pádraig Walk on August 22. He is also encouraging anyone who wishes to assist him in his fundraising efforts to contact him at his business on Main Street, Castlebar on 094 902 1030 or [email protected] or look for Mayo Malindi on facebook. Further events will include a pub quiz and Pat says he is open to suggestions for other fundraising ideas which will greatly enhance the daily lives of these people who, despite their daily grind, are kind of heart and spirit and wear their troubles with a smile.
