'Tenner a Month' appeal for Maintain Hope

The Maintain Hope charity co-founded by Gerry O'Donoghue has set up a 'Tenner a Month Appeal' to try and establish a regular income to support its work, writes Brian Byrne.

Local donations in Kenya to the Shelter Childrens Home which the charity supports 'have almost evaporated', Gerry says, and Maintain Hope has been trying to take up the slack.

"We pay teachers, buy books and food, pay school fees as well as medical and counselling bills. There are 200 children in the Shelter 'family', and all these costs have to be met from funds outside our volunteer programme."

The scheme is asking individuals and clubs to pledge €10 a month, which 'will help us to help the poorest of the poor'. "With this we can keep maintaining hope and build on the work to which our volunteers have already so generously contributed."

The scheme would represent 33 cents a day from every donor, a similar time period which it takes a worker in Kenya to earn the price of a bag of porridge.

"Every cent of what we collect goes directly to the children," says Gerry, who has strong connections to Kilcullen and recently retired from the position of Principal at Scoil Bhride in Athgarvan. "Nothing is diverted to expenses—even the paper and postage for our Appeal has been donated."

Since it was established in 2006, Operation Maintain Hope has constructed and equipped classrooms in Tumaini School in Mombasa and built classrooms in Kikambala School also in Mombasa. Maintain Hope has placed teaches on voluntary placement in Kibiko School, Nairobi and Kikambala.

It has also brought children from Shelter home on holidays to the seaside, established a food programme, and bought a bus to bring children to and from school. A programme to support the children through further education has also been developed.

Close to 200 volunteers have completed a placement with Maintain Hope since its inception.

If you or your organisation wants to help, Gerry can be contacted at 087 2642887.

(This piece was first published on the Kilcullen Page of The Kildare Nationalist.)