Joseph O’Dwyer, Anne Mannion, Marcus McLoughlin and Anthony Sheedy, all from Portarlington were amongst the attendance at a reception at which President Mary McAleese commended the charity for its great work, and said that organisations like Self Help Africa did Ireland great credit on the international stage.

Self Help Africa chairman Tom Corcoran said that the charity had achieved a great deal in its first quarter century, and had released hundreds of thousands of rural people in Africa from a life of poverty.

The charity, which has its headquarters in Portlaoise, was founded in the aftermath of the terrible Ethiopian famine of 1984. He told the reception that Self Help Africa had enabled farmers to access seed and irrigation, had supported women with small businesses, had improved community access to health-care, education, sanitation and clean water, and had given hope and opportunity to people across nine countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Joseph O’Dwyer, who is a member of the board of Self Help Africa said that the reception at Aras an Uachtarain was a great occasion for Self Help Africa, and would allow the organisation to build on the foundations of its first quarter century, in the years ahead.

Just last month Mr O’Dwyer launched the Laois-Rongai Project to enable the people of Laois to lend their backing to a water development project being undertaken by Self Help Africa in the Rongai area of Kenya’s Rift Valley province. He was assisted by Anne Mannion and Marcus McLoughlin with a hugely successful barndance fund-raiser organised by the campaign, and hosted by Anthony Sheedy at his farm outside Portarlington.

Following the reception Self Help Africa Chief Executive Ray Jordan said famine was again threatening Ethiopia and other African countries, which should remind everyone that while a great deal had been achieved, a great deal more work yet to be done if Africa was to be able to feed itself.

To find out more about the work of Self Help Africa visit: www.selfhelpafrica.net