EIL Intercultural Learning

On June 26, 2009 The Roscommon People covered Ciara Cunningham's story in the article Support Ciara’s African work at local coffee morning. Ciara is one of the winners of EIL Travel Awards 2009 and will travel to South Africa as part of EIL’s Global Awareness Programme.

Support Ciara's African work at local coffee morning

Drop in to a coffee morning at Ciara Cunningham’s home at Golf Links Road, Roscommon, this Friday morning and support her efforts to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in Ireland.

Ciara is one of the winners of the EIL Travel Awards 2009. She received the award on Monday, 8th June, at the Custom House in Cork from Mr Billy Kelleher TD, Minister for Trade and Commerce. She won a unique opportunity to travel to South Africa as part of EIL’s Global Awareness Programme. The Global Awareness Programme is a training and volunteering programme which aims to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in Ireland.

In July, Ciara will travel to Athlone, a community to the east of Cape Town, for nine weeks to work with children living with HIV and AIDS.  Between 4.9 million and 6.6 million people in South Africa are living with HIV/AIDS, with only half of those infected having access to life-saving medicines. Ciara is currently raising funds for her forthcoming trip. On Friday, 26th June she will hold a coffee morning at her home on Golf Links Road from 10.30 am to 3.30  pm. All are welcome.

Speaking about the programme Ciara said: “I will be working in a community development foundation called Themba Care. It is an 18-bed palliative care centre for babies and children living with HIV and AIDS. I will assist the care team in looking after the children on a daily basis. My main duties will primarily be looking after the children, feeding and washing them, driving them to hospital or to school and assisting at mealtimes.”

Having successfully completed the application, interview and presentation process, Ciara was awarded a partial scholarship from EIL Intercultural Learning, a non-profit Cork-based organisation. 

According to Ciara: HIV and AIDS is a very important issue that affects millions of people, families and communities all over the world, including Ireland. Although we are only going abroad for a short period, our work there will give us a broader understanding of the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS and the way in which it impacts on people’s day to day lives. These experiences will be imperative to our awareness raising campaign when we return.  I expect it will be a very challenging yet rewarding experience.”

This year, twenty-nine people received scholarships to places such as Japan, Ecuador, Vermont USA, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Hong Kong and Nigeria.