He comes home for a few weeks every year, during which he spends most of his time visiting schools here who have made donations, and filling in the children and teachers with information about how their funds are making a difference.
He's been home for the last few weeks and goes back again on 20th October. On Thursday 16th he's doing a public meeting in Clonakilty during which he will show some film footage of his work. Perhaps you could help publicise this in any way you can. Many thanks.
Declan can be contacted on 087-6279653 if you need further information/ comment. Please note that he will be going to London this Thursday for 4 or 5 days, and may be out of coverage. His email is at the bottom of this article I've written for the Clonakilty page of this weeks Southern Star, which might be a good way to contact him while he's away........
Slán.
"JUST ONE" TALK
An illustrated talk and short film on the work of Clonakilty man Declan Murphy who founded the "Just One" charity will be held at O' Donovan's Hotel next Thursday 16th October at 8.30pm. Founded in 2004, "Just One" strives to actively promote and facilitate educational opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalized children in Nepal by working at a grass-roots level with the children, their families and their communities to implement a range of carefully developed culturally sensitive, sustainable initiatives.
Declan is currently home until 20th October when he returns to his work in Nepal. The meeting next week will give people in the Clonakilty area an opportunity to see at first hand how their donations are making a positive difference to some of the most deprived children in the world. Declan will give a commentary and take questions from the audience on the night.
The actual nature of his work continues to evolve while "Just One" strives not only to assist disadvantaged children gain access to educational opportunities, but also to address the underlying problems and the root cause which sees countless children in what remains one of the world's poorest countries being denied their basic human rights - adequate shelter, food and environment.
Presently the organisation has around 70 children under their wing and these vary from homeless street children, child-workers and family-based children who, without assistance of some sort, would face the very real risk of ending up either working for a living or living alone on the street.
"Family reunification is one of our primary aims for virtually all of the children receiving our educational support, monthly family visits are central to ensuring that our assistance is as effective as it could possibly be", he told the Clonakilty Notes. "The 24 families that we currently work with in this regard are visited by one of the two social workers who also work alongside me in our small office to ensure that these and many other aspects of our work receive adequate attention".
He expressed his sincere thanks to everyone who has helped and continues to help make it all possible: the hundreds of school children and students whose tremendous fund-raising efforts continue to amaze him; the dozens of principals and teachers who welcome him to their schools year after year on his annual trip home; the countless individuals, families and businesses who, time and time again, give their money, time, talents or expertise so generously and in so many ways. Declan can be contacted until next week on 087-6279653 or email him at dmurphy@just- one.org.
The website is www.just-one. org
__
