Taoiseach hears of Mullingar’s help for the poor of Tanzania

The story of how an Irish town has dug deep to fund improvements in a rural African neighbourhood was related to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Mullingar.

Freelance photographer John McCauley had the taoiseach’s full attention as he told how funds from Mullingar have been used to transform an orphanage that he stumbled across while holidaying in Africa 10 years ago.

Now, Mr McCauley revealed, the focus has shifted to the needs of the elderly people who live near the Amani Orphanage in Tanzania.

Mr McCauley said his ‘Heavenly Homes Tanzania’ charity has most recently bought half a hectare of land and built a four-bedroomed unit, with bathrooms, to provide accommodation for some of the old people locally who are living in mud huts.

“Their big thought when they wake up is: ‘Where do I get food for the day?’ not ‘What shirt will I put on?” Mr McCauley told the taoiseach.

“We’re going to start off meals and wheels for those who don’t want to move into the new unit, and we ae going to employ two or three people who are going to look after these people,” he said.

When he asked potential employees how much wages they wanted, they requested €100 per month.

The charity has relied on donations to date, but has now set up a scheme which aims to have 200 volunteers sign up to a direct debit commitment of €3 per month.

With a guaranteed €600 per month through that, the charity will be able to employ four prople.

Mr McCauley told the taoiseach that the operation is a registered charity and has no expenses:

“Even if we are going to Dublin on the bus, we pay our own way; we pay for our own flight,” he said, adding that only the teenage volunteers are allowed collect to cover their travel costs and for their accommodation.

“Anything over that goes into the pot,” he says.

“This town – I only have to walk down it and there’s €20s and €50s given to me for the charity,” he said.

Taoiseach Varadkar told Mr McCauley he had visited Ethiopia in January: “And it does change your perspective on things,” he said.

Taoiseach Varadkar was asked during his visit about the new climage change plan.

“What is going to be required is big changes not just by government but also by local authorities, at European level, by individuals and by business. We are all going to have to make big changes,” he said.

A single protester attended during Taoiseach Varadkar’s visit to Mullingar.

Retired RSM (regimental sergeant major) Noel O’Callaghan bore aloft a poster relating to the defence forces calls for pay restoration

“Stop This: We support full restoration of pay and allowances for our defence forces,” the poster read.

Mr O’Callaghan followed the taoiseach and European election candidate Maria Walsh as they did their walkabout.