Press Release
NEED IN NIGERIA – THE DIFFERENCE MISSIONARIES ARE MAKING TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD POVERTY DAY
October 17th 2007

The Irish Missionary Resource Service (IMRS), today (Wednesday, 17th October) is highlighting the 20th anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty by looking at Irish missionary organisations and the contribution they are making to tackling poverty.

Every year the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty figures are announced which obscure a true reflection of reality. Over one billion people live under the extreme poverty line (one dollar a day). Over 800 million people suffer from hunger. Every year six million children under the age of five die of malnutrition. Every thirty seconds an African child dies of malaria. When statistics like these are being cited the IMRS is concerned that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a long way from being achieved.

However, to only see the negative would be misleading as much is being done, by missionaries among others, to tackle the root causes of poverty – and there is much to hope for in the future. The theme for this year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is “People Living in Poverty as Agents of Change”. On a recent field visit to Nigeria in West Africa the IMRS looked at what development work missionaries are involved with and how they are helping Nigerians to help themselves out of the poverty trap.

An Irish missionary organisation that can provide a good example of Nigerians becoming “agents of change”, are the Holy Rosary Sisters (MSHR). The congregation’s makeup in Nigeria has changed dramatically over the last 50 years from being predominantly Irish to now being made up of a majority of African Sisters – Africans helping Africans. Currently eighty Sisters are directly engaged in development, the aim of which is the eradication of Poverty and its causes. To deal with the many faces of poverty, the MSHR investigate local conditions and co-operate and collaborate with like-minded institutions and communities concerned with making their world a better place. Not just the theme of today’s awareness but good development practice.

Speaking from Nigeria Sr Felicitas Ogbodo, co-ordinator of the Diocesan Development Services (DDS) in Idah, Kogi State, explained,

“In our work we are tackling poverty and its causes by nutrition awareness and food sustainability, the establishment of micro-credit schemes, women’s empowerment, education and basic healthcare, awareness of HIV/AIDS and care of the Handicapped. Through outreach, training and facilitation the local Igala people who have participated can now see the effect these initiatives are having on their lives and on their community. It is great to see that as missionaries we can play an active role in building up the capability of local people to help themselves.”

Sr Nora MacNamara, form Co. Kerry has returned home from Nigeria recently, after being honoured made by the people, their King and Chiefs of Igala kingdom. Now based in Dublin as Development Director for the MSHR, she has spent over 35 years in Nigeria and has seen much change in that time. She maintains,

“If you are talking about eradicating poverty you must first tackle those issues which cause it in the first place. When you look at the development effort coming out of Ireland, missionaries offer Irish Aid complete value for money in terms of effort and results when compared to many alternative ways of funding development to combat poverty.”

She continued,

“Now that our Irish Sisters who were such a force for change in Nigeria have largely returned home, we are very encouraged to see our Nigerian Sisters both continuing and building upon and enhancing what has been achieved thus far to alleviate poverty. African Sisters with first hand knowledge of customs and situations have real advantages when tackling the root causes of poverty.’’

The IMRS also visited Fr Brendan McDonnell, an Augustinian from Cork city who is Director of Our Lady of Victory Rehabilitation Centre in Bukuru, Plateau State. This is the only facility of its kind in all of West Africa and offers addiction counselling for drugs and alcohol the focus being very much on Nigerians helping themselves. Fr Brendan commented,

“The men and women who come to us are not here just because they have become addicted to alcohol or drugs. This is only part of the problem. In Nigeria for many surviving from day to day is a struggle – to escape the reality of this through substance abuse is a symptom of poverty. We try and make sure that after their 8 week programme they have a chance to try and put back together a life for themselves and their family and cope with the difficulties that they may face instead of escaping from them.”

An Irish missionary who is dealing with the reality of poverty is, Sr Helena McEvilly, from Athlone, a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM). Alongside her fellow Sisters they are all-rounders when it comes to fighting poverty. They are involved in coordinating the health services for the area of Jos in Nigeria’s Plateau State, not just with expertise but by providing care and help to those who are most vulnerable from community based care for those living with HIV/Aids to children crippled with Polio who need life changing surgery. Sr Helena commented,

“As missionaries we see where need is greatest and work with the local people to deal with that need. This means that once we can see local Nigerians becoming empowered and development taking place we then will concentrate our efforts on other communities where the need is greatest. We are here to bolster the communities in which we work and not to create a culture of dependency.”

Sr Noelle Corscadden, IBVM, a Loreto Sr and IMRS Chairperson stated,

“What distinguishes the development work of missionaries on a project is that they do not just tackle poverty through the practicality of providing aid, nor by providing the physical presence of assistance – what they also provide is a deep compassion and long term commitment to building up the communities and people with whom they both live and work. This is what makes the missionaries stand apart from other aid agencies and is why the impact of missionaries has made such a difference to some of the world’s poorest countries.”

In terms of funding, Irish Aid is the IMRS’s core donor and in 2007 has provided the IMRS with €16million which is currently being allocated and represents an increase of €2million from 2006. In 2006, the IMRS was in receipt of €14million which went to funding approximately 730 missionaries (both religious and lay, Irish and non-Irish) and 115 projects in around 58 countries. More specifically in West Africa (which includes Nigeria) – the IMRS in 2006 allocated €1,545,153 in funding to missionaries. In 2006, IMRS allocated €8.17 million towards the support of missionary personnel and €4.75 million towards development projects.

The Irish Missionary Resource Service (IMRS) is a charitable organisation that supports the development work of Irish Missionaries. For more information about the IMRS and some of the work of its members, please go to their website on www.imrs.ie.

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