Frustrated with the helplessness of watching the cycle of poverty and injustice repeating endlessly in Africa and inspired by the philosophy behind the Connect Ethiopia & Self Help Africa organisations of empowering people to help themselves, a number of Skerries people came together in Dec 2006 to set up the Skerries/Sodo group.

The aim is to focus on one particular region in one particular country to help ensure that the people of Skerries can be instrumental in bringing about real and lasting change in a community with odds of poverty, climate & global politics stacked against them.

The area chosen is the Sodo region of Ethiopia where Self Help Africa are implementing a major project in partnership with the local community. The Sodo region is located in the Great Rift Valley, 103 km south of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. It is a rural area and prone to drought, where only 10% of households have sufficient food for the whole year.

Kevin O'Sullivan after his fundraising swim
from Lambay island

The project focuses on assisting families and communities to grow enough food to feed themselves and to earn a sustainable living as well as providing savings schemes, education facilities & health care.

The local community in Skerries has so far raised over €65,000 which goes directly into the project work.

There is always something going on in the town to raise money or awareness of the project, whether on the street, in the schools or in the clubs and associations. So watch out for the next event and support or get involved yourself.