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Dear ,
Welcome to the final newsletter of 2009 for TOUCH Ireland. Its been a busy and very memorable year for all and one we will never forget. There have been so many highlights and we are delighted to say that all our major goals and objectives have been achieved for the year. Thank you for your help and contribution, its vey much appreciated. Looking back over the year it has been a very special year for TOUCH Ireland.
In August 2009 TOUCH was 10 years in operation and we celebrated in style around the world. The "Unstoppable TOUCH Party" kicked off and is probably still running in some corners of the world. This was a global celebration of 10 years in existence and what TOUCH is about, a celebration of people! With our celebrations we have also managed to raise a further €8K to purchase a small bus for children with physical and mental disabilites for Sister Agnes Daka in Livingstone, Zambia. A special thank you to everyone who contributed through having a party and raising funds for this worthwhile project.
In 2009 we also started our FACEBOOK page and got or social media marketing off the ground. This has proven to be a huge success with over 410 people on board from all around the world. Its a great way of keeping in TOUCH on a regular basis and staying involved. Our link is http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=87755129435&ref=ts
and we are always looking for more members to our page so please forward this to any friends you think might be interested. There have been many, many memorable fundraisers all around the country from the Womens Mini Marathon, The Fitzwilliam Card Club, numerous Pub Quizes, Race Nights and Flag Days, corporate nights and more. Unfortunately we cannot mention them all but we are deeply grateful for your efforts and energy in once again delivering the results.
We would also like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to all our corporate sponsors who support the running and administration costs of TOUCH. They have all dug deep this year given the current economic situation and we would really like to acknowledge this vital support for TOUCH. Without them it would be impossible to maintain our philosophy that 100% of public donations goes directly towards projects and children. Our corporate sponsors this year include ISS Recruitment, Greta Duffy, Sean Buckley TPT, Copper Industries, MME Engineering, Alan Hurney, Dooley Insurance Group, Des Cashell, The Fitzwilliam Card Club, Alethea Martyn, Washington Developments, Nesselside Builders, The Bar Council of Ireland and Killeshal Precast Concrete. Thank you and we look forward to working with you again in 2010.
We have all worked hard this year and now the festive season is coming when we can look back on what we have done. TOUCH would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a Joyful New Year. We will be back again in January with more plans and news for 2010. We will see you then....
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TOUCH CHRISTMAS CD: LITTLE SONGS FOR LITTLE PEOPLE |
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This year we have a very special fund raiser to announce! With thanks to Carol Ann Potter and the Johnstown Business Centre they have combined forces with local musicians to create a CD entitled, "Little Songs for Little People."
It contains all the classic nursery rhymes and songs for little people and we know they will love them. From Baa Baa Black Sheep to The Wheels on the Bus its a walk down memory lane and a great stocking filler for young children. It has taken a big effort to have it recorded and produced and TOUCH are delighted to be associated with it.
If you would like to purchase a copy and make a donation to TOUCH through its purchase you can buy it online at www.babymoments.ie. Or if you are in the vacinity of Naas or Newbridge you will be able to find a copy at the following stores and outlets:
Natures Options, Main St, Newbridge,
Sue Ellen's Lingerie, Cutlery Rd, Newbridge
Mademoiselle Boutique: The Moat Mall, Naas.
Johnstown Business Centre: Johnstown, Naas.
Once again a big THANK YOU to Carol and the team in Johntown Business Centre. Forward to a Friend
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Asia Report 2009 by Seamus Gleeson |
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TOUCH Ireland’s Asian trip started on the 26th November leaving Dublin for Sri Lanka the first leg of our trip. We travelled for almost 24hrs and arrived in Sri Lanka on the 27th November at 6.30am. We were met at Colombo airport by our contact in Sri Lanka Victor Toussaint an employee of Ladani House in Kateruniya, Negombo.Ladani has 50 orphaned children, boys and girls. TOUCH Ireland is running a child sponsorship scheme here in Kateruniya and it is supported by the Law Library/Bar Council of Ireland. On the trip last year TOUCH Ireland had bought equipment through donations for the children to set up their own band e.g.: drums, symbols and harmonicas. Our aim was to take the children out for a day and also to arrange to buy material for uniforms for the new TOUCH band. This we were able to do as a result of donations from people at home. On Wednesday 28th November we visited
the children in Ladani, having previously arranged the day before to take the children out for the day so after lunch we all went off to the cinema in Negombo, all 60 children of all ages and staff. The excitement was tremendous as not only were they going to the cinema but they had been given a half day off school. The last time they were at the Cinema was when we visited last year. The film was in the native Senegalese language so it was a little difficult for us to understand but we shared in the children’s happiness and laughter and even tears at some stage. There were drinks and cake for everyone at the interval and plenty of fun. The following day we met with Fr. Neville who is the Founder and Director of Ladani Institutes in Sri Lanka. We were then treated to a recital by the band and plenty of singing and dancing. Our trip to buy the material was successful and some of the
children came with us to pick the colour and type. The uniforms were made locally and really make the band professional looking. On the 1st of November we left Sri Lanka for Kathmandu, Nepal via Delhi for our next phase of our trip. We were sad to leave the children behind but glad to get out of the 37 Degree C and over 60% humidity. On the second leg of our trip we flew from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Delhi and spent the night there catching up with some friends. The next day we flew on to Kathmandu International Airport, Nepal. On arrival the day was sunny and fresh, no humidity as in Sri Lanka. We were met at the airport by Salendra one of our contacts in Kathmandu. After resting for the first day of our arrival we visited TOUCH House on the following day. This is a house funded and officially opened in 2006 by TOUCH Ireland and it is home for 37 children in Gowadari, Kathmandu, out from
the city and in the fresh air. We were delighted to see all the children looking so well and happy in their relatively new home. We arranged to take the children to the cinema which we did a couple of days later. A gang of 37 children and four adults headed off to see ‘Aladin’ a modern day Hindi version of the old Aladdin. We all bundled off in the minibus and the children sang and laughed as they had a day off school. After a two hour film we all went for a meal and ended the day with full tummies and smiling faces. The children put on a special afternoon of singing and dancing for us a few days later and we all had a lovely time. Children all over the world love to sing and dance and they are no different here in Nepal. In between all this we had to get reports and photographs of the children sponsored so that we could send these to the Irish families when we return. With
donations we received from people prior to our trip we were able to buy a basketball net and pay to erect a steel pole for the boys and badminton net for the girls. Unfortunately we were unable to see them in place as they would not be ready before our return. The main reason for this, being the political problems again surfacing in Nepal. Kathmandu is once again in turmoil with all Maoists out of Government they are now holding one day strikes and marches through the streets of Kathmandu. This is causing huge disruption to business and also leading to violence on the streets. These strikes made it difficult for us to get around at times.
We had a great time with the children of TOUCH House and to see that they were happy made all the efforts of TOUCH Ireland feel worthwhile. On the next phase of our trip we visit the children of TOUCH Ghar and will be there for the official opening of their new home funded by TOUCH Ireland. The main reason for our Asian trip was to be in Kathmandu for the official opening of TOUCH Ghar. This building which is accommodating 30 children at present, that are homeless, found on the streets or rescued from child labour is set in the Himalayas. It is the result of committed fundraising by TOUCH Ireland groups and their supporters around the country including Kildare, Dublin, Meath and Offaly. The building has cost €90,000 and it has taken two years to build. A few days before the official opening we took the children out to a play-barn where for two hours they played on slides,
climbed ladders, crawled through tunnels and generally had a hectic time. After a good meal of Dahl Bhatt, a local dish, with ‘Mo Mos and Fanta rounded off the day all the children were ready for bed. The official opening was held on a lovely sunny day with all the pomp and ceremony of a traditional Nepalese celebration. Louise Courtney from our Dublin group cut the ribbon and the day began. The children dressed in traditional costume and danced and sang for at least two hours before providing us all with a lovely meal. It was a day to remember as it was focused on the children and it was obvious that they were so happy in their new home. Two years ago when we met these children they were nervous, frightened and shy. Their short lives had been traumatic and they were slow to trust us. But we could see the difference this year and it warmed our hearts.We had arranged for
swings, a slide and see-saw to be built for the opening of TOUCH Ghar, paid for by donations that we received prior to our trip, but they were not delivered on time for the opening. This was because of protests and strikes caused by the Maoists. Luckily this did not dampen theirs spirits or ours. Touch Ireland groups and their supporters can be proud of all their hard work and commitment, these children are safe now.
TOUCH Ireland is setting up a child sponsorship scheme to help run the house and continue to help the children.
If you would like to sponsor a child please contact:
Pauline at 01 – 4925453 or 086 - 2652592, email: Pauline@touchireland.org
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