Current Projects

CURRENT PROJECTS

Business Enterprise Units

Following the success of the Preschool Orphans and Vulnerable Children(OVC) class, there is a financial imperative to maintain service and increase capacity in the centre to provide respite and nutritional support for another estimated 70 OVC’s in the local area.

To support this increase in numbers, we have decided to construct business enterprise units. They will comprise a bakery, needlework/tailoring services,a woodwork business and a motor repair garage. All these businesses will be revenue making and will offer training courses to local people to help improve their employability.

Paul McGirr Sports Academy

There is a very real need for sport facilities in the area. Everyone associated with the amateur ethos of the GAA knows the value of well organised sports clubs to a community. The confidence and self esteem that team sports give young people is a valuable asset with the added benefit of taking them out of other activities.
The confidence brought about by learning and developing new skills in is something that can extend into other aspects of life. This community needs young leaders and a positive outlet for young energy. It needs themes that bond people and we don’t have to invent or design anything new - We simply transfer the principles and organisation of a typical GAA Club.
We are intending to create the pitches on an area of 200m x 200m of existing flat land with occasional protrusions of soft rock through the topsoil. The rock needs to be broken out and replaced with soil excavated from the pond construction.
The pond will provide irrigation for soft fruit production and also a ready supply of water for the honey bee farm which will come into operation this summer.

BEE FARM

During a visit to Chainda last year by Michael and Katrina McGirr, they met with a bee farmer who was promoting the benefits of bee keeping as an ideal small-scale income generating activity, as there is a ready market for honey, wax and other bee products both locally and abroad.

It is a sustainable activity as it requires little cost input and little space. It can be practised on a small area, as bees do not compete with livestock for space or food. And unlike agriculture, beekeeping does not require good soil.Further, it has positive ecological consequences, as bees play a vital role in pollination of many flowering plants and crops, thus increasing the yield of major food crops such as beans, melons, sunflower and various fruits.

Some of the families are suffering from extreme poverty hence the bee farming scheme would improve their socio-economic status as well as providing a nutritious food supplement for their children.Apart from providing villagers with bee hive and swam boxes, the villagers will also be trained on how to manage and harvest honey.We hope to have the hives available in late spring for harvest in the summer.