Proud to be from Kilmore

People always talk about the overwhelming generosity of the Irish people, but I always forget about just how good we can be. It's been a ferociously hard year; lots of us are lucky enough to have kept our jobs, but there are so many others who are barely managing to get by each week. Being unemployed now is a different feeling to being unemployed in the 80s; we all have higher expectations of what we should be and the life we should lead, and our purses are simply not able to back it up. Generosity Having said this, the recent disaster is Haiti has managed I think to put a lot of things in perspective for lots of people. Every night of the week, fund-raisers are being organised in halls and pubs all over the country and I wonder if any other country in the world is responding in quite the same manner. Each time I see an ad for another event, I am always moved by just how good we can be. Lagos And unquestionably the people from Kilmore and the surrounding areas must be among the most generous, because last year €95,000 was raised in the St. Patrick's Day collection. I was lucky enough to have witnessed the work that Fr. Benny Fitzpatrick and his colleagues are doing in Nigeria and it is phenomenal. From keeping a whole suburb in water, to building schools and technical colleges, there is no end to the amazing work that the priests of Kilmore are doing every day in Lagos and beyond. Witnessed work St. Matthew's compound in Amukoko is the official home of Fr. Benny and the Medical Missionaries of Mary, and the Church and clinic. But aside from that, it is like a home for thousands of people who live in the surrounding area. When I was there, what struck me was every morning you'd wake up there was activity and commotion, meetings here, classes there; a hub for people to come to and know that they will be advised and looked after. The number of people, young and old, that have benefited from walking through the gates at St. Matthew's is unquantifiable; on a practical level, a survival level and an emotional and spiritual level. That kind of love and support is what we the people of Kilmore contribute to in our St. Patrick's Day collection and it is invaluable. Word spreads I often have cause to get taxis here in Dublin and get to meet drivers, many who are from Nigeria. My friends at this stage laugh at me, because they know that within a few minutes of getting into the car, they'll hear about the fantastic work that the priests and sisters do in St. Matthew's in Amukoko. Even among Nigerians, Amukoko is known as one of the most disadvantaged areas and the fact that Irish people are there and giving so much to the community is something we can be continually proud of. Of the €95,000 spent last year, more than €65,000 of it has initiated the construction of a new technical college, which will equip thousands of people with new skills. The rest of the money went to loads of other projects in Minna in the north and Gwagwalada to mention just a few. The most remarkable thing for me was in seeing that out of the €95,000, only €200 went on administration. That is a huge achievement for Fr. Benny and his colleagues, and also for us the people of Kilmore. So this St. Patrick's Day we will once again get the opportunity to give to our mission in Lagos knowing that this money is bringing water and food and education to thousands of people, with not a penny wasted. Dig deeper Despite the fact that money is tight and people have been contributing towards Haiti already, I would really encourage us all to dig deeper this year for Lagos. You can be sure that no matter how hard the recession is affecting us, it's hitting the people of Amukoko and Nigeria a lot more. I can sit back next time I'm in a taxi and feel proud for the work the people of Kilmore and our priests are doing out there, not only because I've seen it for myself but also because I've heard it from the locals.