Gaeilge
[lang_ie]Bhuail beirt mhac léinn ó rang anuraidh agus múinteoir ó Choláiste Cranncha, Bun Cranncha isteach go hoifigí Concern i mBaile Átha Cliath ar na mallaibh leis an scéal leo faoin turas agus an fhoghlaim a rinneadh agus iad i gcuideachta na Cláir Concern sa tSiombáib níos luaithe i mbliana. Chaith an bheirt, Sean Sperrin ón Charn Domhnaigh, Kevin McDermott ó Bhun na hAbhann i gcuideachta duine de lucht foirne Coláiste Cranncha, an múinteoir Kevin Cooley ó Oileán Inse agus Ruth Craig ó Concern – ina iomláine bhí 10 lá acu i gCeantar Gokwe.Tá Coláiste Cranncha mar cheann de na scoileanna is fearr ó bhí 1989 ar aghaidh ag lainseáil gníomhaíochtaí tiomsaithe airgid ag am Nollaig do Concern. Anuraidh tógadh €5,565
Seo an méid a bhí le rá ag Kevin Cooley – “Tá traidisiún fada ag na daltaí i gColáiste Cranncha le bheith páirteach sa Troscadh 24 Uair a Chloig do Concern agus tá seo anois ar fhéilire na scoile gach bliain. Glacann cuid mhór pháirteach ann agus téann an t-airgead chun sochar do chúis mhaith agus is pribhléid a bhí ann dom féin agus do na gasúir ionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar son Coláiste Cranncha le Concern.” “Bhí muid ar shiúl ó cheantair uirbeacha agus bhí seo iontach an Afraic fhíor a fheiceáil. Bhí mé an-tógtha leis an méid atá Concern a dhéanamh agus ualach a gcuid smaointí ar na daoine nó ar an phobal.”
Tá foireann de 68 duine ag Concern sa tSiombáib ach má tá féin – tá an t-iomlán taobh amuigh de bheirt as na pobail áitiúil. D’inis bean dom faoin difríocht a tháinig ina saol agus saol a clann siocair go bhfuair sí beostoc tríd Concern. Níl Concern dhul a athrú an saol (domhain) ach is cinnte go n-athraíonn siad saol na ndaoine a bhfuil siad ag obair leis.
Lean Kevin Cooley ag míniú an tábhacht a bhaineann leis féin agus na ndaltaí a scéal faoin méid feicthe acu a insint faoi Concern agus go bhfeiceann siad an t- oideachas mar an bealach amach as an bhochtaineacht i dtíortha mar an tSiombáib.
Labhair Sean Sperrin (atá anois sa chéad bhliain i gColáiste Ollscoile, Baile Átha Cliath ag staidéar Gaeilge agus Spáinnis) – dúirt Sean go raibh imní ar as an bhochtaineacht a chonaic sé. “Chonaic mé daoine ag siúl achair iontach fada le fáil fhad le bia agus uisce, daoine mar mhná ag iompar clainne agus páistí óga ag siúl trí nó ceithre huaire a chloig na scoile. “Chuir seo isteach go mór orm” – a deir Seán …”agus tá seo uafásach”. “Thug muid cuairt ar mharglann beostoc, áit a raibh Concern ag tabhairt eolas agus comhairle thréidliachta. Níl aon amhras faoi ach go bhfuil Concern ag déanamh difríocht anseo agus thug muid faoi deara fós an meas a bhfuil ag an phobal dóibh” – a deir Seán.
Lean Kevin McDermott (anois mar mhac léinn le hOllscoil Uladh ag staidéar Eolaíocht Ríomhaireachta) agus bhí seisean fós míshásta faoin dóigh a bhfuil na daoine ina chónaí i mbotháin chlábair. Dúirt sé – ” Bhí seo nua dom féin, daoine a fheiceáil ina chónaí gan leictreachas ná uisce reatha. Tá fadhbanna tromchúiseacha a bhaineann le polagamas. D’fhéadfadh fear idir 10 agus 20 cloigne teaghlaigh bheith aige agus de ghnáth claonadh i bhfabhar na mbanchéilí is nua acu.” Tá cláir sna scoileanna ag iarraidh stad a chuir leis an polagamas seo. “Thug muid cuairt fós ar thionscadail fheirmeoireachta Concern, atá ag déanamh difríocht mhór do na daoine. Bhí mé an-tógtha leis an obair atá Concern a dhéanamh”. Dúirt Kevin nach raibh tuiscint aige roimh an turas seo, cé chomh casta agus atá an obair a bhfuil Concern a dhéanamh. Tá Concern i mbliana le €2.9 Milliún a chaitheamh sa tSiombáib.[/lang_ie]
[lang_en-uk]Two students and a teacher from Buncrana’s Crana College called into Concern Worldwide offices in Dublin last week to tell the staff all about their study visit to Concern programmes in Zimbabwe. Sean Sperrin from Carndonagh and Kevin McDermott from Burnfoot spent 10 days in Gokwe District. They were accompanied by teacher Kevin Cooley from Inch Island and Concern’s Ruth Craig.
Crana College was one of the top fundraisers in last Christmas’s 24-Hour Concern Fast. They have been doing the Concern Christmas fast since 1989 and last year they raised €5,565.00 through the fast.
“Our students have a long tradition of doing the 24-Hour Fast and it has effectively been written into our annual calendar as something we get involved in every Christmas. The money raised goes to such a good cause and the boys and I were really privileged to be representing Crana College in Zimbabwe with Concern. “We were away from urban areas. It was great to see the real Africa. I was certainly greatly impressed with what Concern is doing. They are not imposing their ideas on the people. “Concern has a staff of 68 in Zimbabwe and all but two are local people. “A woman who had received livestock from Concern explained to me the difference it had made for her and her children. “Concern is not going to change the world but it does change the lives of the people it is working for.
“We now have a responsibility to tell others what we saw and the work Concern is doing. And it’s important that we see education as the way out of poverty, Kevin Cooley explains.
Sean Sperrin, who is in first year at UCD studying Irish and Spanish, explains how he was struck with the poverty he saw. “We saw people walking for long distances to get water and food, pregnant woman and children. It really was terrible. Children walk up three to four hours to school. “We visited a livestock mart where Concern was giving veterinary advice. There is no doubt about it but Concern are making a difference for the people with whom they are working. And we were all noticed how the people appreciate what Concern is doing,” Sean says. Kevin McDermot, who is studying Computer Science at the University of Ulster, was taken aback to see people living in mud huts. “It was new for me to see people living without electricity and running water. “There are serious problems surrounding polygamy. A man could have anything between 10 and 20 children and polygamous fathers tend to favour their most recent wives. There are programmes in schools trying to stop polygamy.
“We visited Concern farming projects, which are making a huge difference for the people. I was greatly impressed with the work that Concern is doing. “Before the visit I never really realised how complex the work is that Concern is doing,” Kevin says.
This year Concern is spending €2.9 million in Zimbabwe.[/lang_en-uk]
Crana College visit to Zimbabwe.