12.06.2015
Christian Aid Wicklow Way Walk in Solidarity with Loko
Christian Aid Ireland is calling on people to join them in the great outdoors for a hill walk to show solidarity with Loko in Ethiopia on Saturday July 4. Their new Christian Aid Wicklow Way Hike will raise funds to support the work of Christian Aid worldwide, including in Ethiopia where Christian Aid partner HUNDEE is changing lives of women like Loko in one of the remotest regions of the country.
The Christian Aid Wicklow Way Hike will be a family friendly 10km walk which will bring participants up onto part of the Wicklow Way route in south Dublin where they can experience terrain similar to that on which many people have to walk on in the developing world.
The hike is expected to take about four and a half hours with a lunch break en route. The event begins with registration at 11.00 am at the Sports Hall at St. Columba’s College, Whitchurch, County Dublin. The registration fee is €30.00 per person and €60.00 for a family. Christian Aid also request that people raise sponsorship to further support the work of Christian Aid in Ethiopia and the developing world.
The hike will begin at 12.00 pm with walkers leaving the base at St Columba’s College for the Wicklow Way Route, heading to the ‘Fairy Castle’ on Two Rock Mountain, looping back through woodlands to the college.Walkers are expected to arrive back to school grounds from 4.00 pm onwards where a tasty barbeque will follow from 4.30 pm for walkers.
In linking with the work of Christian Aid partners work in Ethiopia, the theme for the hike is: walk with Loko and bring positive and fundamental change to the lives of women and communities in southern Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is a country of great heritage, history and culture, with a population close to 95 million people, many living and existing in poor and remote regions far from towns and cities. Christian Aid has worked in Ethiopia for many years and has nine Ethiopian partners that work to change and improve lives of some of the poorest communities in remote regions of the country. One of those Christian Aid partners in Ethiopia is HUNDEE an indigenous grassroots development organisation which operates in Oromiya State in Southern Ethiopia and supports poor rural communities and especially women’s groups.
Loko is an indigenous woman who walks alone for eight hours a day to gather and sell firewood so she can feed her children. It’s a job she dreads, but she has no choice; she must continue, week after week. If she doesn’t, her children will starve. As it is, Loko can only afford to give them one small meal a day. Loko dreams of owning a cow one day and having the means to save enough money to set up a small business. HUNDEE distributes heifers to women headed households, such as Loko’s. It’s allowing women and families to have better lives and future
Funds raised by the Wicklow Way Hike will provide cows to vulnerable women in Ethiopia. Just €206 is enough to buy a female cow and bring a promising future for someone like Loko.
“Christian Aid greatly appreciates the support of St. Columba’s College for providing their facilities and grounds for this event and the support of Whitchurch Parish and many communities in South Dublin in helping with the organisation of the Christian Aid Wicklow Way Hike. By supporting this fund raising hill event, you will be part of Christian Aid’s work in taking action where there is need, regardless of religion, helping people to live full lives free from poverty,” comments Andrew Coleman, regional fundraising coordinator with Christian Aid.
To find out more and to register see christianaid.ie/trekking, email eventsireland@christian-aid.org or phone 01–4967040.