My experience of the
Bóthar Travelling Meitheal
AFTER the very successful
Travelling Meitheal of 2006 it
was decided to repeat the
exercise in 2007 only on this
occasion to go to 6 separate
venues. The concept behind the
Travelling Meitheal is to get
people from our project
countries to come and bring
news of progress and
development within their
country directly to people in
Ireland.
This year the Meitheal consisted
of a 6 stop tour around the
country when we visited
Clonmel, Wexford, Dublin,
Belfast, Longford and Galway.
The visitors who spoke each
evening were Dr. Bernard
Muyeya from Uganda, Dr. Suria
Bajracharya from Nepal, Ora
Bytyci from Kosovo and Marco
Machado from Honduras Each
of the visitors made a
presentation on their livestock
projects and this was followed
by a question and answer
session. The following is an
account written by Ora about
her visit to Ireland for the week.
LAST November I was invited to
Ireland to participate in Bóthar’s
Travelling Meitheal. This was my first
time in Ireland. I have to say that I was
exited and at the same time nervous
about the task ahead. I was
representing Central and Eastern
Europe and wanted to give as much
information to the Bóthar donors
about the many families they help
throughout my region.
I arrived in Limerick on Sunday evening
where I met with my old friends from Bóthar
and some new friends from Africa, Asia and
Latin America. Next morning we started our
Travelling Meitheal.
We first visited a school in Waterford called “Meanscoil San Nicholas”.
We were greeted
by the head teacher who took us into the
school hall. The children were waiting for us
there. The meeting started in a very
traditional Irish way – by playing an Irish
song. The atmosphere was warm and cosy. I
felt like I knew these children for a very long
time as they made me feel very comfortable
and relaxed.
Each one of us told a story of our country,
focusing on the contribution that these
children and their families have made. I told
them about the war in Kosovo and the
troubles that the children of their age
experienced during that time.
The children
were listening to us and I could see in their
eyes their emotions when they heard our
stories, and the happiness when they heard the
difference that one Bóthar animal makes to a
family. We said goodbye to the children
feeling wonderful and emotional.
We continued our journey to Wexford
where we met many people who support
Bóthar. We had a big responsibility on our
shoulders. We were carrying a message to all
these people from the families they support in
our countries. The day ended with all of us
talking and sharing stories, from our everyday
lives to stories about the families whose lives
they have changed.
This was our daily routine. We were visiting
schools during the day and continuing with
the larger group of supporters in the evening.
A large part of our day was spent in the bus,
traveling from one place to another. Every day
I had a chance to meet with different Bóthar
supporters. It gave me a chance to tell them
about their help and the impact that their help
has made in Kosovo and central European
countries. They had a chance to ask me
questions and learn more about the families
they have helped.
During the Travelling Meitheal I had a
chance to see the many beautiful parts of
Ireland and Northern Ireland. Surya from
Nepal, Bernard from Africa and Marco and
Marcela from Latin America and I became
one team. Peter, Michael, Lynsey and
Brendan from Bóthar were with us in the bus
and they kept us entertained by telling us
about Ireland and their supporters. Each
evening we were joined by Maureen, Alli and
Tara from Bóthar, who arranged the
presentations in each area. The week went by
so quickly.
On our last day we all gathered to have
dinner. Each one of us was sharing our
experiences of the week. The last one to stand
up and share his experience of the week was
our bus driver, Alfie. Alfie had never heard of
Bóthar before taking us around the country
and he was impressed with the work that the
organisation was doing. He told us that he
made new friends during the week and
learned so much about our countries and the
challenges that we are facing. In his finishing
speech he donated all his week’s wages to
Bóthar. What a perfect end to a perfect
week!!!
In Kosovo, Irish people are known for their
generosity. The majority of our projects are
funded and supported by Bóthar. It was a
privilege for me to meet these wonderful,
generous and caring people, who are making a
big difference in my country.
I am back in Pristina now, and I am filled
with a wonderful feeling that I got during the
Travelling Meitheal. The wonderful songs on
the CD that I got in the Irish school are
becoming.
Back to Spring 2008
|
