Westmeath man planning to volunteer in Haiti

AN ATHLONE resident who is heading to Haiti to do volunteer work in the spring is holding a fundraiser next week.

Paddy Daly, who is originally from Castletown Geoghegan and now lives in Athlone, will travel overseas in April and will hold a table quiz in advance at The Bounty, Athlone, on Friday, January 27.
He will travel with Irish charity Haven, a non-governmental organisation which works on various projects in Haiti including facilitating the provision of adequate water and sanitation, training and education and shelter solutions.
The people of Haiti are currently recovering from Hurricane Matthew which struck in October, causing widespread damage.
It's not Paddy's first time to volunteer overseas. He went to Brazil with his family in 2002 where he volunteered for two-and-a-half years.
A friend, Fr Liam Carey from Rochfortbridge, was out there at the time and Paddy and his wife Aoife and children moved there.
“It was something we wanted to do,” said Paddy.
While in Brazil, Paddy, a father-of-four, was involved in a leadership programme with adults and set up a small recycling business there. Aoife is a nurse and worked in the primary health care area in Brazil, while she helped women to knit and crochet.
“When you go to a place like that you see the skills you have.
“People are really keen around education and training and they are very talented. Brazil has a young population and they are keen to do something. People are very enterprising,” he said.
Paddy and his family were based in north-east Brazil where the health implications were challenging, he said.
“It was an amazing experience and a tough experience at the same time. Brazil is a great place of hope and joy,” he said.
The idea of volunteering again came to Paddy when he was watching a television interview with former rugby international Paul O'Connell recently.
“Paul was talking about Haven. I like what Haven do. They focus on community, education and building,” he said.
Paddy has worked as a teacher and community worker and currently works as a youth development officer with St Vincent de Paul in Galway.

He will leave for Haiti on April 10 and will return home on April 21.

He has to raise between €3,500 and €4,000 in advance of the trip and is hopeful of a good turnout at the table quiz.
“I want to raise as much as I can. It's a charity that I really trust,” he said. “I am looking forward to it.”
The table quiz will be a novelty one and he says there will be a twist to it, along with some mystery guests on the night.
“That will take the competitive element from it,” he said.
The quiz will take place at the Bounty, Athlone, on Friday, January 27 at 8pm.