Midlands Farmers for Africa raises €50k for Self Help Africa

By Ronan Scully, Self Help Africa

Sometimes a community comes together and creates something much bigger than anyone could have imagined. That is exactly what happened at Tullamore Mart on Monday last of last week when the Midlands Farmers and Irish Farmers for Africa fundraising livestock sale raised close to €50,000 for Self Help Africa.

What began six months ago with a simple idea from Offaly farmer Pat Mahon, asking farmers to donate one animal to help farming families in Africa, has become a demonstration of generosity, solidarity, loving care and compassion.

On behalf of Self Help Africa, I want to say two simple but heartfelt words to everyone who made it possible: thank you.

First and foremost, a special thank you to Pat Mahon, his wife Trisha, and their family, Paddy, Emma and Steph. Pat has worked tirelessly over the last six months contacting farmers, organising donations, arranging transport, distributing leaflets and doing everything possible to bring this initiative to fruition.

Pat’s commitment, humility and determination have been an inspiration. He has shown what one person can achieve when a good idea is accompanied by hard work and a generous heart.

As Pat himself has said, there is an old saying: “I don’t count my achievements – I prefer to count my blessings.”

I believe the real blessing of this fundraiser is the extraordinary number of people who decided to help someone they may never meet.

THANK YOU, FARMERS

A special thank you goes to every farmer who donated an animal. Farmers from Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Kildare, Longford, North Tipperary, Meath, Roscommon, Carlow, Kilkenny and East Galway, and beyond, responded to the appeal.

Others made monetary donations, spread the word or encouraged fellow farmers to take part. To each one of you, thank you.

Irish farmers understand farming. They understand uncertainty, difficult weather, rising costs, the pressures of markets and the responsibility of trying to provide for a family.

They also understand something equally important: when a neighbour is struggling, you don’t walk past: you help.

That is the spirit behind Midlands Farmers for Africa. It is farmers helping farmers. It is rural Ireland reaching across thousands of miles and saying to another farming family, ‘We see you. We have not forgotten you. And we want to help.’

The close to €50,000 raised represent food, opportunity, agricultural knowledge, livelihoods, resilience and hope.

Through its work across Africa, Self Help Africa supports rural communities to build sustainable livelihoods through agricultural training, livestock and veterinary support, climate-smart farming, access to markets, women’s enterprise and other practical initiatives.

The philosophy is simple – a hand up, not a handout.

COMMUNITY EFFORT

There are so many other people who deserve thanks. Sincere thanks to Tullamore Mart, its management, Pauline Fitsgerald, Antoinette and the office team, yard staff and auctioneers for their support and for helping make the sale possible.

Thank you to the Irish Farmers Association, including president Francie Gorman and the team in the Tullamore and Offaly IFA office, for their support.

Thank you to Sean Browne, Andy Meacle, Kevin Weir, Dominick Mahon and haulier Peadar Heffernan for helping transport animals from across the midlands; to Chef John and his canteen staff, Aisling and her team at Tyrrell’s Bakery, Ben Scally’s Centra on Arden Road and John Leavy’s Centra on Henry Street for their support.

Thank you to Ciara Tallon, Sarah O’Carroll and the Self Help Africa team for their support throughout the campaign. Thank you to the midlands media for helping give this campaign a voice and bringing its message into homes and farms throughout the region. Every person who helped, whether publicly or quietly behind the scenes, played a part.

RIPPLE OF HOPE

Mother Teresa once said: ‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’ Pat Mahon threw that stone six months ago. On Monday last, we saw the ripple.

Close to €50,000 has now been raised, but perhaps the greatest achievement is the spirit of generosity that has been created. The hope is that this initiative can become a template for similar farmer-led fundraising efforts elsewhere in Ireland, bringing the generosity of farming communities into partnership with the work of Self Help Africa.

After almost four decades working alongside vulnerable communities in Africa, I have learned that people do not want pity; they want opportunity. They want to farm, provide for their families, educate their children and build a future with dignity.

That is what this fundraiser is helping to support. We may never know the names of the families who will benefit from the generosity shown in the Irish midlands. We may never meet the farmer whose livelihood becomes more secure, the mother who can provide another meal for her children, or the young person whose opportunities become greater because of this support.

But somewhere in Africa, the ripple from here will reach someone. And that, ultimately, is what this has all been about.

One animal. One farmer. One family. One extraordinary act of kindness. Close to €50,000 raised. Thousands of reasons to be grateful. And a reminder that when ordinary people come together with generous hearts, extraordinary things can happen.

If you would like to support the work of Self Help Africa or make a donation, go to selfhelpafrica.org or contact Pat Mahon at 083 423 8887 or email patjoemahon@outlook.com or Ronan Scully at 087 6189094 or email ronan.scully@selfhelpafrica.org.

Thank you for all your kindness, generosity and support to Self Help Africa.

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