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

Looking to kick-start a healthier 2012? Come along to a Health Day in the Pilates Studio, Penrose Wharf, Cork city on Sunday 22nd January 2012 (11.30am to 4.30pm). You can enjoy hour-long taster sessions of Alexander Technique, Pilates, Body talk, Feldenkrais and ‘Walk Like a Diva’. Donations to the Hope Foundation will be welcomed and there will also be a raffle for free one-to-one sessions on the day. For further details, please contact Rosemary Moone on 021 4311411 or Finn O’Gorman on 087 2533244. A special thanks to Finn for donating the use of her studio.

The Health Day is being organised by Ashton School student James Moone and his Mum Rosemary Moone (pictured here at a recent health fair). The duo are already selling Alexander Technique CDs to raise funds for the school’s Immersion Education Programme, which supports HOPE projects for street children in Kolkata.

The CDs help people to relax and improve posture and cost €5 (€6 incl. p&p) and can be ordered from Rosemary Moone, by e-mail rosemary.moone@upcmail.ie or by phone 021 4311 411.

There are 5.1 million people directly infected by HIV in India. It has one of the highest populations of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Did you know that between 1981 and 2007, more than 25 million people have died from the virus, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history? HOPE is committed to the holistic care and protection of those living with HIV/AIDS on the streets of Kolkata. Such people often fall victim to discrimination and neglect due to their health status. HOPE works to defend their human rights.

HOPE runs two projects catering directly for the needs of those living with HIV/AIDS.

Arunima Hospice provides care and support for HIV infected and affected women and children in West Bengal. This Community Care Centre treats opportunistic infections of AIDS and actively plans a management schedule for each patient. The Centre assists them at each step of their recovery and treatment.

We also work alongside grass-roots organisations in the city to ensure the real needs of the community are heard and included in each of its projects. In partnership with HIVE, for example, HOPE runs a shelter home, Bhoruka, for children both infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Beyond providing a safe and loving home for these children, Bhoruka provides holistic education and treatment, ensuring a high-quality of life for each child.

Long-term, the Hope Foundation has a two-pronged approach to combatting the spread of HIV/AIDS in Kolkata and in the wider State of West Bengal: As individuals are treated, through a holistic approach they are provided with skills and resources to develop themselves through education and training.

HOPE also works directly with communities through awareness campaigns and outreach work to highlight the issue of HIV/AIDS in communities, break stigmas and ultimately facilitate an environment in which the community is empowered to help those most suffering in their own communities.

Today on World AIDS Day, while we reflect on the lives sadly lost, we also reflect on how we can enhance the lives of the living and work to save lives in the future. Be the change you want to see in the world.

The 20th November marks the day on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989. The UN recommends that this day is observed internationally and is a day to be devoted to promoting the welfare of the children of the world.

The Hope Foundation, along with its partners in Kolkata, is pro-actively raising awareness on the subject of child rights and protection. Our ongoing advocacy work includes:
• Working with Kolkata police, who have provided HOPE with four rooms for education centres in police stations
• Hosting monthly awareness-talks in communities across Kolkata
• Children from HOPE-supported projects travel to Delhi to present their experiences of child labour to the central government and regularly perform dramas on the streets to raise awareness about the issues affecting them
• Anti-trafficking awareness groups are run on the Bangladeshi border for children to become more aware and protect themselves, and this leads to rescuing of abandoned children
• Participation in annual campaigns in line with international days of celebration, for example, street marches for anti-trafficking day and anti drugs day, kite flying for anti-child labour rallies across the city.

Each child has a right to shelter, a right to be safe, a right not to be hungry, a right not to hurt and a right to a childhood.

As Christmas approaches, pause and think about the poor and abandoned street children in Kolkata, many of whom are trapped in child labour, at risk of abuse and trafficking, and for whom each day is a fight for survival. These children need charities like HOPE to enable them secure their fundamental human rights, which is their pathway out of poverty.