This article is from page 56 of the 2009-04-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 56 JPG
DAIRY farmer Michael O’Leary from Knockmore, Kilmihil is one of 200 volunteers travelling with The Building of Hope Project to Mom- basa, Kenya to build a feeding and training centre to benefit one of the most impoverished urban communi- ties in east Africa.
Michael is no stranger to the task ahead as he was also a volunteer when the Building of Hope Project
build in Post Elizabeth, South Africa early last year.
Michael, who is married with five children said “It’s an experience he will never forget. When you see the conditions out there, there is no re- cession in Ireland.”
An only child, Michael was edu- cated at the local St Michael’s Sec- ondary School and took over the family farm at a young age when his father fell ill. A teacher in the school encouraged him to further his educa-
tion and become a school teacher but Michael decided to stay farming and realised the benefits of that when, as he put it himself, “A lot of my mates had to emigrate in the early 70s as work was scarce here. I was glad I didn’t have to do that as I had my job at home on our own farm.”
The Building of Hope Project is planning to provide a 10,000 sq ft centre for feeding, education and training in Migombani, Likoni on the south suburb of Mombasa which is the second largest town in Kenya with a population of approximately three million. Migomban1 itself has a fast growing population of up to 600,000.
Fr Martin Keane, who hails from the nearby parish of Cranny, is a priest with the Holy Ghost mis- sionary order. He manages projects which helps to educate young teen- agers who come from deeply impov- erished families and saves those who are little more than children from a life of prostitution and desperation Chea oie mnaten
If you would like to join Michael and the other volunteers, you too can become part of this life changing project by contacting Olive Halpin, Clarecastle, who is co-ordinator of the Building of Hope Project on 087 6994599.
Donations to the project can be made to the AIB branch in Bank Place, Ennis.