Missionvale walkers assemble in Fanore

Walker and Egg Hunters turned out in force to  attended the Burren Walk which took place in Fanore on Easter Sunday. Outdoor enthusiasts of all ages  partook in either the 10k walk or the 2k Family Egg Hunt

 Adults and children alike took advantage of a welcome break in the inclement weather to stretch the legs and support the work of Sr. Ethel in Missionvale.

 A new inclusion  to this year’s event was the Family Egg Hunt which took place over a 2km course, and this proved to be extremely popular, especially with the younger ‘walkers’.

After the activities, light refreshments were enjoyed in O Donohue’s Pub in Fanore, where prizes were awarded for the best Easter Bonnets on display.

 The organisers are grateful to all who assisted in making this event such a success, in particular the Civil Defence, O Donohue’s Pub, Fanore, and those who errected signage for the event.Plans are already underway for next year’s  Burren Walk for Missionvale.

In that struggle between being generous and being self centered, I need never fear being generous. Ann Frank once wrote “Nobody has ever become poor by giving”. As I reflect on that wonderful Christmas day I realise that the joy I received on that day far outweighed any giving on my part and for that I will treasure that day forever in my heart.

This great generosity on the part of God asks me to look at my own generosity - how generous have I been with others in my life? Am I a person who freely gives of my treasures?  Do I hold what I have been given with open hands or do I clutch it to myself? Isn’t it so easy to allow a quiet guilt to smother our generosity?

One of the great experiences for me was Father Christmas Day at Missionvale on the 8th of December over eight thousand children queued for Father Christmas to receive a present, a drink and some ice cream. Even though the presents were small in first world mentality, the extraordinary joy etched in the faces of those children who I met will never leave me.

A small gesture can mean so much, particularly if you have very little. I was left thinking a lot about that wonderful day and what does it mean to give freely. Maybe to give feely is to give with no strings attached. Just how many times do I hear myself saying: I am not sending him a card this year, he didn’t send me any last year. Or I am not going to give her a present, she never even bothered to send a “thank you” note for the last one. Or I am not going to volunteer to work in my own community - what have they ever done for me? There is always a tension in my own life between being self loving and being self centered I find myself walking that line every day.

Annette Daffey, Mary O Reilly and Paula Montwill enjoying the Cheese & Wine reception at Glor, before Ennis Player's Performance of PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

ENNIS PLAYERS  very kindly donated  tickets for their performance of THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD to Missionvale Ireland.

A packed auditorium, at AN GLOR music theatre in Ennis, were treated to an impeccable interpretation and performance of this masterpiece by the award-winning ENNIS PLAYERS acting group. 

All proceeds from this event will go to Sr Ethel Normoyle in Missionvale.

Missionvale Ireland Ltd are truly grateful to The Ennis Players for their generosity.

“Poverty is not natural It is man-made and can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings and overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice.”
- N. Mandela

I came to Missionvale on the 1st of September last. What strikes me as I drive down in the mornings to the Centre is that this is a forgotten place, forgotten by government, forgotten by other South Africans, in bleak moments I find myself saying has Misssionvale been forgotten by God. The scale of the problems here are so overwhelming it’s hard to keep hope alive.

Yet I notice many things in the Centre that give me hope. When you have been forgotten, acceptance is huge. I notice people are accepted no matter what. In my own life I know that one can’t change until one is accepted for who one is. I notice too non-judgemental listening and when one is poor or has AIDS, how vital that is.

I notice care and I think that even the smallest gesture when you are forgotten can make a difference. It might be as simple as a smile or a hand on the shoulder. I see the sensitivity of the care givers in their visits to the houses and how the dignity of the people is enriched by making the effort to visit them in their own place. I am reminded of the proverb “A drop of help is worth an ocean of pity”. And I am reminded of the power each one of us has to make a difference. One woman (Sr. Ethel) believed in that power. May the centre continue to keep her vision alive and remind all of us of the power that is in us.

The Power of One

Take a few minutes to reflect on the power of one.

• One song can spark a moment
• One flower can wake the dream
• One tree can start a flower
• One bird can herald spring
• One smile begins a friendship
• One handshake lifts a soul
• One star can guide a ship at sea
• One word can frame the goal
• One vote can change a nation
• One sunbeam lights a room
• One candle wipes out darkness
• One laugh will conquer gloom
• One step must start each journey
• One word must start each prayer
• One hope will raise our spirits
• One touch can show you care
• One voice can speak with wisdom
• One life can make the difference

You see it’s up to you!!

On Jan 26th, 2010, 2o volunteers returned from Missionvale SA having re-roof ed the Community Centre building. This building acts as a hub for the thousands of inhabitants of Missionvale. Indeed, what was noticeable while there were the number of daily enquiries to book the Community Centre for various activities.

 The predominantly Clare-based volunteers were ‘buddied’ with local inhabitants ,who worked alongside the volunteers in an effort to learn basic carpentry skills, thereby fostering some self-sufficiency for future maintenance.

In addition, the volunteers installed a comprehensive CCTV system in the Care Centre campus, which brings the centre right up to date in terms of Best Practice for Child Protection.

The volunteers also found time to assist in the feeding station, and also attended a Farewell Mass, presided over by Clareman Fr. Donough O Meara.

Plans are already afoot for another trip to Missionvale in early 2011.

Please email ‘Contact us’ for any further information.

HIV/AIDS Program

The Resource Centre is now the home base for the Home Based Caregivers who are managed by Sister Muriel Eskok. Each day the Caregivers go into the community to visit the homes of those most in need that are not able to make it to the clinic. The Caregivers have completed an intensive training program through the Nightingale Trust Christian Training College. This program has expanded their skills for home care nursing, basic counseling, nutrition, hygiene and a comprehensive HIV/AIDS education component.

Each day, a specialized HIV/AIDS treatment program is run within the Resource Centre as well. This program is run by one of our Caregivers. It uses cutting edge therapy to stimulate and help the participant with the restoration of blood cells.

Some of the rooms of the Resource Centre are used for basic treatment that focuses on alleviating the pain symptoms caused by HIV/AIDS. On a regular basis a reflexology therapist visits the Care Centre and provides therapy for some of the people.

Missionvale Care Center is in discussion with an organization about becoming an Anti-Retroviral therapy site. This treatment would be a very major step in helping extend the hope and lifespan of people currently infected with HIV/AIDS. It is possible to extend a mother’s life for an additional 15 years of which she will be able to nurture and provide for her children. There is great likelihood that without ARVs this woman would die and her children would be orphaned (this is the current situation the Care Centre responds to everyday).

Social Assistance Office

The Social Assistance Office is an invaluable part of the MCC. The two auxiliary social workers at MCC, are very thankful for the new Resource Centre. They are now able to work with the people in a comfortable, semi-private area.

Each day, they help anywhere from 45 to a couple hundred people. The goal is to make sure that everyone within Missionvale that is eligible to receive a government assistance grant has the help they need to do so. You will see people sitting comfortably in the reception area awaiting their turn to help them complete an application for a grant, have a photo id created, and assist with any other required documentation.

With the addition of the new Resource Centre, it has created an opportunity to now have Home Affairs and SASSA (South African Social Services Administration) come to MCC to process required documentation and grant information rather than having to send all the people of Missionvale individually to the Home Affairs Office in the city.

Child Support and Development Program (CSDP)

The CSDP is focused on providing orphaned and vulnerable children a safe and

educational environment where they can spend their afternoons. The children are able to take part in a variety of activities including ballroom dance lessons, drumming, netball, and soccer as well as receive a nutritious snack and drink before they go home. On average, 450 children attend the program every day.

In one of the rooms of the Resource Centre, we have recently started a computer learning program that the children can take part in. Computer basics, word processing, and other educational programming are being taught to 15 children each day. The plan is to extend these computer classes to all the students at the Missionvale Care Centre Primary School.

We are currently seeking funding to start a nursery program that will take place in one of the rooms of the Resource Centre as well. Many young children, those not old enough to enter Senior Infants, have nothing to do during the day and are many times left unattended. Once funding is secured, MCC will provide a safe environment with a supervised, educational focus for these young children.

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