Thank you to all the teams – individuals and companies, for taking part in the HOPE Golf Classic this month.

The competition results are as follows:

Ladies
1st:    Helen Mc Court’s team

2nd:   Anna Cullinane’s team

3rd:    Lee Travel’s team

Longest drive:  Marian Reidy
Nearwst Pin:      Nina Kearney.

Mens

1st:    Bernard Hayes team

2nd:  Pat Murray’s team

3rd:  Nicholos Hannon’s team

4th:  Cork Chamber

5th:  Padraig Burke’s team

6th:  Johnny Allen’s team
7th:  Mark Ginn’s team

Longest drive:   Donnagh Callanan
Nearest Pin:       Brendan feehily

Pictured are: Douglas Golf Club Manager Conor O’Brien, Douglas G.C. Captain, Gordon Adair and Madeleine Cummins, HOPE

‘Friends of HOPE’ is a new initiative in Kolkata in partnership with the Hope Kolkata Foundation. It is a group of dedicated supporters from throughout the city who advocate in line with HOPE’s vision: ‘It should never hurt to be a child’.

While the group was established earlier this year, it has recently launched a Facebook page. Friends of HOPE’s aims are:

1. To spread the message of HOPE and enlist support from the wider community
2. To discuss prominent community concerns and plan advocacy and awareness events
3. To participate actively and generously to the work carried out by the Hope Kolkata Foundation
4. To research and suggest means of strengthening the fight against poverty.

The group meet once a week to plan activities, visit HOPE projects and connect with their local communities throughout Kolkata. It is hoped that through ‘Friends of HOPE’ an increasing number of Kolkatan’s will become involved in tackling the widespread issues of poverty and inequality throughout the city and work together with the HKF to bring about lasting change in the lives of some of the poorest slum and street children.

Despite ongoing recession, the Irish public continues to believe Ireland should to invest in overseas aid.  A new opinion poll, commissioned by Dóchas (Irish Association for Non-Governmental Development Organisations) from IPSOS/MRBI, found that 85% of people rated overseas aid as “important” or “very important”. What’s more, a very large majority – 88% thinks that Ireland should be proud of its reputation as an international aid donor.

Irish Aid continues to support The Hope Foundation’s Primary Healthcare Programme, which reaches out to hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable street and slum children and their families.  Irish Aid also supported HOPE’s Child Protection programme in its early years. Speaking about the poll findings, Maureen Forrest, Hon Director of HOPE said: “The Irish public have generously supported HOPE’s work since 1999. Guided by local communities, we deliver the most accessible, cost-effective interventions and we are proud to partner with Irish Aid to support the most vulnerable communities of our time.”

What also comes out of the Dóchas-commissioned report is that the public is unsure about the difference the money makes to the lives of those they wish to help. “This research confirms once again that, even in the midst of recession, the Irish public want Ireland to help the victims of disasters, violence and extreme poverty,” said Jim Clarken, Dóchas Chairperson and CEO of Oxfam Ireland.

“The poll also shows that people’s perceptions of what aid can do, and what aid is actually achieving, have not caught up with realities on the ground,” said Clarken. The research revealed that only 49% of people in Ireland believe Africa is better off now than two decades ago. In actual fact, there is increasing evidence that progress is being made in sub-Saharan Africa, where much of Ireland’s public and private aid is spent.

“This research suggests that, despite clear progress in many developing countries, the good news stories are not reaching the general public,” said Hans Zomer, Director of Dóchas.

“We now need a broader approach to informing the Irish people about the contribution that we in Ireland are making around the world. We need NGOs, the media and government to work together to build on the enormous support for global justice that is in evidence, and to demonstrate that choices we make in Ireland can have a big impact on poor people overseas,” concluded Zomer.

When asked where people get their information about developing countries, the vast majority of respondents indicated that they rely on television and other media. The research shows that most people get their information from the television (90%) and press (83%), followed by a mix of internet sources (73%).

Photo: David Lavery

HOPE for street children: International Day for Street Children 12th April 2012sees global youth unite to be LOUDER TOGETHER

The Hope Foundation in association with The consortium for Street children will mark The International Day for Street Children on Thursday 12th April around the world.

The Inaugural international day for street children was held in 2011 and was a resounding success.The Hope Foundation are delighted to partner with The Consortium for Street Children to celebrate this day on April 12th 2012 as part of a campaign to be ‘louder together’ to help raise awareness on the plight of street children around the globe. Amanda Brunker, International Rose of Tralee Clare Kambamettu 2010 and the reigning Rose of Tralee, Tara Talbot, along with the Minister for housing Jan O’ Sullivan and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald were on hand to lend their support to the campaign.

HOPE have organised a series of balloon releases around the world to symbolise the freedom of childhood, which the street children of Kolkata so rarely enjoy. With an estimated street child population of 250,000, Kolkata’s streets bring many dangers and abuses which its street child population endure on a daily basis. HOPE has been working since 1999 to help restore childhoods, improve futures and support children to access education, healthcare, nutrition, counselling, drugs rehabilitation and protection. With 14 local NGO partners, HOPE continues to deliver the immediate and long term supports to those who most need it.

Speaking about the campaign, journalistAmanda Brunkersays ‘I encourage and appeal to everyone to get involved in HOPE’s awareness campaign, by the very simple gesture of releasing a balloon, we are sending a message of love and support from Ireland to thousands of homeless children living on the streets of Kolkata – they simply have nobody but HOPE’

Also supporting the campaign is Actor Jeremy Irons adding, “In these days when so many Irish people are suffering serious economic hardship, it is easy to forget those even worse off than we are – especially the children, The Hope Foundation has not forgotten, they work constantly to ease the poverty of the street children in Calcutta. But they cannot do it without our help. We must not forget them, Even now.”

Maureen Forrest, Hon. Director, currently in India working on HOPE projects asks “each and every person who can show solidarity to come onboard. We work against daily challenges and can only overcome them with your support. We need to be Louder Together and stand united for the children whose voices are not heard around the world. It should never hurt to be a child…”

The Hope Foundation

Set up in 1999 to raise funds for one girl’s home, today The Hope Foundation funds over 60 projects in education, healthcare, shelter, vocational training, child protection and drugs rehabilitation.

HOPE works primarily with the street & slum children of Kolkata (Calcutta) and the subsequent difficulties that these children encounter. The estimated population of street children in Kolkata is over 250,000. HOPE is currently reaching out to over 18,000 street children in Kolkata.

The Hope Foundation is a registered Irish charity (No: CHY 13237).

The Hope Foundation, Silverdale Grove, Ballinlough, Cork

Tel: (021) 4292990. Website:www.hopefoundation.ie. Email: charlotte@hopefoundation.ie

Work of The Hope Foundation

The Hope Foundation is working with 16 Indian NGO partners torescue thousands of children from the streets and slums, improve their quality of life, and give abandoned street and slum children a better future.

HOPE and its partners operate over 60 projects, with the majority of the projects geared towards helping street children and their community. It begins with the youngest children and the establishment of crèches, something that is very unique in Kolkata, which allows the mothers of children to work and support their family. Following this, coaching centres provide children with social and educational preparation for mainstream schooling and support during their schooling.

Vocational training is given to young teenagers and working mothers so that they can have a livelihood; and counselling plays a huge part in helping those who have been abused while living on the streets and slums. HOPE funds a number of children’s homes that care for young children who are deemed to be at high risk on the streets. These homes provide these children with food, clothing, shelter, education, a brighter future but most importantly unconditional love – something that many of them have never felt before.

The Consortium for Street Children

The Consortium for Street Children (CSC) is the leading international network dedicated to realising the rights of street children worldwide and works in collaboration with over 70 International NGO’s.

Vision:

A world in which the rights of street-involved children are realised

Mission:

The Consortium for Street Children (CSC) is the leading international network dedicated to advocating, promoting and campaigning for the rights of street-involved children.

We are committed to creating a better and sustainable future for some of the most disadvantaged and stigmatised children by working together to inform and inspire research and action that influences policy and best practice worldwide.

www.streetchildren.org.uk

Get your Walking Shoes on for HOPE and Experience Magical India this October

You’re invited to get your walking shoes on this October and join The Hope Foundation on the trip of a lifetime. The HOPE Himalayan Walk will see participants enjoy a breathtaking trek through the Himalayan foothills of northern India, and visit HOPE’s projects which are giving street and slum children in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) a brighter future.

There is no better way of exploring the natural wonders of the Himalayas than on foot and this two week trip (October 27 ^nd – November 11^th) offers you that opportunity. Walkers will explore forests, spice plantations, local villages and farmland in the northern state of Sikkim and in the environs of Kalimpong, West Bengal.

A unique aspect of this trip is the volunteer visits to HOPE’s projects in Kolkata. These project visits will take place before and after the trek, and offer you the chance to see first-hand just where your fundraising money is being put to use. You will get to spend some time with the children who live in the HOPE protection homes and meet those who attend projects like schools, medical facilities and craft cooperatives run by HOPE. This is a fantastic opportunity to see fundraising in action and volunteer a little time to help. HOPE promises that you will never forget your time with the children of Kolkata, who have been given so little, but have so
much joy to share.

Each walker is asked to fundraise/submit €5,000 between now and mid-October to take part in the HOPE Himalayan Walk, and funds will go directly to HOPE’s projects. Set up in 1999 to raise funds for one girls’ home, HOPE now works with 15 Indian NGO partners to help thousands of children from the streets and slums, improve their quality of life, and give them a better future. Currently funding over 60 projects, HOPE reaches out to the most forgotten; offering protection, healthcare, nutrition, education, rehabilitation and a family for life; and to date has reached out to almost 30,000 children through education alone and hundreds of thousands more through primary healthcare, in partnership with Irish Aid.

This is the charity trip of a lifetime in parts of India not normally visited by Western tourists and your participation will be directly contributing to making a real difference to children’s lives, so get your walking shoes on for HOPE and sign up today.

For further information or to request a Walk Pack and Application Form call Fiona on (021) 4292990 or email admin@hopefoundation.ie. For further information on The Hope Foundation visit www.hopefoundation.ie.

The Hope Foundation

Set up in 1999 to raise funds for one girl’s home, today The Hope Foundation funds over 60 projects in education, primary healthcare, s helter, vocational training, child protection and drugs rehabilitation.

HOPE works primarily with the street & slum children of Kolkata (Calcutta) and the subsequent difficulties that these children encounter. The estimated population of street children in Kolkata is over 250,000. HOPE is currently reaching out to almost 25,000 street children through education alone and hundreds of thousands more through primary healthcare, in partnership with Irish Aid.

The Hope Foundation is a registered Irish charity (No: CHY 13237).

Our Aim

HOPE aims to help break the cycle of poverty and abuse and free the street and slum children from a life of horror and fear.

Work of The Hope Foundation

The Hope Foundation is working with 15 Indian NGO partners to rescue thousands of children from the streets and slums, improve their quality of life, and give abandoned street and slum children a better future.

HOPE and its partners operate over 60 projects, with the majority of the projects geared towards helping street children and their community. It begins with the youngest children and the establishment of crèches, something that is very unique in Kolkata, which allows the mothers of children to work and support their family.

Following this, coaching centres provide children with social and educational preparation for mainstream schooling and support during their schooling.

Vocational training is given to adolescents and working mothers so that they can have a livelihood; and counselling plays a huge part in helping those who have been abused while living on the streets and slums. HOPE funds a number of children’s homes that care for young children who are deemed to be at high risk on the streets. These homes provide these children with food, clothing, shelter, education, a brighter future but most importantly unconditional love – something that many of them have never felt before.

Contact Information

The Hope Foundation, Silverdale Grove , Ballinlough, Cork
Tel: (021) 4292990. Website: www.hopefoundation.ie. Email: charlotte@hopefoundation.ie