Love SHACK Kenya: About Love SHACK Ireland

ABOUT LOVE SHACK Ireland

Sam Poynter continues the story….

In June 2004 I spent 3 weeks visiting my friend, Karen Ward in Nairobi. She was in the process of setting up a children's project, called Love SHACK, something that, unknown to me, was to have a huge effect on my life. She told me about her vision to assist the local children of a slum in Nairobi and the effect was that a veil was lifted from my eyes, as the contrast between Kenya and Ireland became apparent. Like so many of us, I am prone to being preoccupied by trivialities of no substance, to the distraction of material wealth and immune to the great waste we engage in. During my trip I met many children orphaned by poverty, disadvantage and HIV/AIDS, and encountered people dying from diseases that could have been prevented with adequate medicines and nutrition. These children showed such indomitable spirit as they laughed and smiled with me. Their self reliance and resilience was astounding and I was saddened at their avoidable loss. I left Kenya with an overwhelming feeling of injustice and imbalance that exists in our world today. On my return to Ireland, I spoke with friends about my experiences and as a result of this, a group of dedicated volunteers joined forces and formed Love SHACK Ireland.

Formally set up in September 2004, Love SHACK Ireland is a voluntary body with the mission of fundraising, supporting and raising the profile of the work of Love SHACK in Kenya. It would be easy to think that our efforts to help people less fortunate would not make a difference, but having met the children again and again you can be sure they feel the difference! It warms my heart to meet these children in person and see how our actions help children to be able to go to school; get medical treatment, to have a secure home and to be happy. Love Shack Ireland became a registered charity, in Ireland, in 2005 (CHY 16455).