Bayside man returns from Rwanda work visit
Dublin People 12 Nov 2011NORTHSIDE man Kevin Greene has returned home from a work visit to Rwanda to see first hand the work being done to alleviate poverty.
Kevin,
from Bayside, is the facilities manager in the Dublin head office of Concern
Worldwide, where he is responsible for the overall care of the buildings and
infrastructure. He also provides support for Concern office buildings in
Ireland, UK, USA and worldwide.
“Concern works
in the capital, Kigali and in Huye, in the south of Rwanda, and I was
inspecting and assessing our offices in both places and making sure everything
is safe and up to standard,
? he explains.
Kevin joined
Concern in 1992. This was his first time to visit Concern programmes in Africa.
In 2007 he was
in Bangladesh conducting an internal audit of Concern’s operations. He was
there immediately after the catastrophic flooding that year.
“People often
ask me does aid work and does it get to the people for whom it is meant,
? he
says.
“After my visit
to Rwanda I saw how the work is getting done and it really is rewarding and
fulfilling to see that.
“All but six of
the 62 staff are Rwandan. Joanne Smyth, from Newry, is Concern’s assistant
director in the country.
“Rates of
malnutrition remain high in Rwanda. The Concern programme treats malnourished
children and trains community health workers in all aspects of health
development.
?
Kevin says in
Huye they visited a nutrition centre where Concern gives advice to mothers with
newborn babies on how best to provide for the nutritional needs of their
children.
“Concern also
supports them to establish a garden in their homes where they can grow their
own fruit and vegetables,
? he adds.
“These women
have little education and few support systems. They are vulnerable and some are
living with HIV.
“Many have no
homes of their own and those who do, live in mud huts with no running water.
?
Concern’s education
programme aims to reduce the drop out rate among boys and girls. It promotes
positive change in attitude and practices of parents regarding their
involvement in their children’s primary education.
By targeting 73
schools, the programmes keep children at school, and improve the quality of
education. Parents see it is worth their while sending their children to
school.
Kevin visited
the genocide museum in Kigali, which remembers the 1994 conflict in which over
one million people lost their lives.
This year Concern
is spending
?¬1.64 million in Rwanda, supporting the poorest of the poor in the
country.
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