|  | | Press Section | | | | March 2010 | | | On Vita agricultural fact-find visit to Ethiopia | | | | |
Press Release
Monday 15th March
On Vita agricultural fact-find visit to Ethiopia
Deirdre Ruane, a member of the projects committee of the third world development agency Vita and a native of Pearse Street, Ballina, Co.Mayo has left for Chencha, Ethiopia in Africa this month to lead an Irish delegation on a fact finding visit to Vita community-led agricultural projects there.
Deirdre Ruane is a professional nurse and mid-wife and was for some years, the country manager of Refugee Trust International, now Vita, in Rwanda, Africa. She has taken leave from her work in St Francis of Assisi Hospice, Dublin to visit the Vita projects in Ethiopia.
Vita has established a number of community- led projects across Eritrea and Ethiopia which are helping to alleviate hunger and fight climate change. The projects are expected to help more than 100,000 people become self sufficient and less dependent on aid from the West.
Vita recently secured Euro 3 million from the EU to help develop agricultural projects in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Dr. Seamus Crosse, former director of administration and research in Teagasc, is adviser to the projects. Dr. Crosse and Larry O’Loughlin, area manager, Teagasc, who is a member of the board of Vita, visited Africa last year to assess the projects.
For further information, please contact: John Weakliam, chief executive officer of Vita or Tom Carroll, programme officer , Vita, 73a Blessington Street, Dublin 7. Tel: 01 8820108
Vita
Vita is an Irish international development agency that is fighting hunger and climate change in Africa. The mission of the agency is to bring an end to extreme poverty and reduce the vulnerability of people in Africa by helping them to build sustainable long-term livelihoods for themselves.
Vita, which means ‘Way of Life’, was originally called Refugee Trust International (RTI) when it was founded in 1989 by the late Fr. Kevin Doheny, a Holy Ghost priest who was born in Ballinakill, County Laois. Fr. Doheny, who was known internationally as an outspoken and radical priest, respected by governments throughout the world, worked for 46 years in various countries in Africa including Nigeria (during the war in Biafra) and Ethiopia.
Vita is supported by the Irish Government through Irish Aid - the international aid section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the European Union through EuropeAid, and by voluntary work and donations of the people of Ireland. The annual budget of Vita is Euro 3 million (three million Euro).
In 2010, Vita has seven staff in Ireland supported by volunteers around the country, and 40 staff working on agricultural and community-led development projects in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya, helping more than 100, 000 people become self sufficient and less dependent on aid from the West.
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Members of the board of Vita are: Fr. Norman Fitzgerald,CSSp, president; Brendan Casey, (former head of strategy , AIB), chairman; Larry O’Loughlin, (area manager, Teagasc), Robert(Bobby) Gahan, (former deputy director general of RTE); Tom Barry (former head of AIB Corporate Finance); Brian Buggy, (partner, Matheson Ormsby Prentice); Patricia Hallahan, (director, Dementia Ireland); Sean Hurley,(former editor, the Kilkenny People) and Fr. Brian Starken (Irish Provincial, The Spiritans).
John Weakliam is chief executive and John Wallace is company secretary.
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Deirdre Ruane, a member of the projects committee of the third world development agency Vita and a native of Pearse Street, Ballina, Co.Mayo has left for Chencha, Ethiopia in Africa this month to lead an Irish delegation on a fact finding visit to Vita community-led agricultural projects there. Deirdre is a professional nurse and mid-wife and was for some years, the country manager of Refugee Trust International, now Vita, in Rwanda, Africa.
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