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|  | Vita is an Irish international development agency with field offices in the Horn of Africa.
Founded in 1989, and originally called Refugee Trust International (RTI), Vita’s vision is to forge long-term international partnerships which bring an end to extreme poverty, reduce vulnerability and increase the sustainability of people’s livelihoods by Building Sustainable Livelihoods.
Our mission is to bring about lasting positive change in the living conditions of poor and marginalised people in our priority countries of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya.We achieve this by developing and supporting income generation activities with marginalised and deprived communities.At the heart of Vita’s commitment to Building Sustainable Livelihoods in the Horn of Africa, is the core belief that the participation by poor people in the analysis of their own situations is a necessity, as is their inclusion in programme design.
Vita is delighted to acknowledge the vital contribution of Department of Foreign Affairs, through Irish Aid, to Vita’s Sustainable Livelihoods Programme in the Horn of Africa. Irish Aid has been pro-active in supporting organisational development at Vita, in addition to providing a block grant for the period 2008-2010 from the Civil Society Fund. Vita also acknowledges the funding contribution of the European Union to Vita’s Eritrea Livelihoods Programme through EuropeAid’s Forestry and Environment Programme. | | | Vita is honoured to have, Mother Teresa, as a named patron. She offered great inspiration to the work of Vita's founder, Fr. Kevin Doheny. | | |
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| Vita - A Bridge between Ireland and Africa
• Vita employs business and development professionals who work directly with families in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya to help them lead their own development and become self-sufficient.
• Vita’s expert staff work with families and communities on agriculture, water, income generation projects to ensure that they have enough food, water and income to survive and become self-reliant.
• Projects include tree planting, well digging and water harvesting, drip irrigation, improved seeds, beekeeping and poultry, bakeries, latrines and solar panels.
• Irish Supporters of Vita can participate in supporting and monitoring community projects, and have access to families they support and their wonderful cultures through online media and visits to the country.
Tackling Climate Change
• Working with families affected by climate change, Vita applies an environmental approach to tackle hunger and poverty in their communities.
• One example is a prize winning fuel efficient cooking stove which provides thousands of women and families with better health and livelihoods while reducing tree cutting and improving the environment.
• Less tree cutting using the improved stove reduces CO2 emission, helping to tackle global warming.
• Donations to such projects can allow individuals and companies to offset their carbon footprint and become Carbon Neutral, addressing personal and corporate social responsibility.
| | | Multiplying your Donation
• The value of a donation is multiplied by up to four times through funding which Vita can generate from the Irish Government and European Union to co-finance Irish public fundraising.
• Carbon credits for sale in Ireland generated by the stoves installed double again the value of a donation, bringing more benefits to come to African families suffering the effects of climate change.
| | | | | Our Approach
• Vita adds value through innovation; new technologies such as the cooking stoves, drip irrigation and edible “Miracle” trees, and new techniques such as community led development which transform thousands of families and allow communities to own their development and avoid dependency.
• Vita upholds the values upon which our charity was founded in 1989; respect for people and cultures, partnership to bridge gulfs which divide Irish and African people and their governments, and empowerment of African communities.
• At the same time Vita brings values of professional management to our work; impact at household level, accountability showing minimisation of administration costs for our Irish donors, and learning for us and our partners. | | | | | | |
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