|
Lynn Jolly Coming, Irish Daily Mirror, 21st May 2007
 Face-to-face with the poverty, sickness and
misery of the developing world would drive
most of us into the depths of despair.
But for John O'Shea, boss of humanitarian aid agency GOAL, staying upbeat and optimistic
is part of his job.
For the past 30 years he has brought help to around 50 countries, including India, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda and Sri Lanka.
In that time he has bumped into top celebs, and seen defenceless people on the edge of starvation.
Yet when you ask John what keeps him going and how he manages not to crumble when faced with the worst death and destruction the world has to offer, his answer is simple.
His charity's hard-working volunteer GOALies and the Third World children who keep smiling despite their suffering are the key.
John said: "I win the lottery every day of my life. The exhilaration and enormous pleasure we get from the world's poor cannot be described.
"I have never felt like giving up. I know how bad the Third World's problems are. I know I will be shocked.
"So all I can do is keep smiling, maybe take the nurses and doctors out for a meal and then get on with trying to alleviate the pain.
 "You have to stay afloat because if you panic you are no help to anyone.
"Every human life is precious. And even if one day all I can do is pick up a child and hug It at least it is something."
Children are at the heart of John's life – he has four of his own and last month welcomed his first grandchild Rebecca into the world.
John's first real taste of overseas poverty came when he visited Calcutta, India, in December 1977 – when he met Mother Teresa for the first time.
Since then GOAL, in partnership with local Indian organisations, has rescued 70,000 youngsters from the streets.
John told us: "I had been to the continent, but never to the Third World.
"Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw in Calcutta. I was shocked and traumatised by the depth of and spread of the poverty."
"Then in 1979 I was one of the first westerners in Cambodia after Pol Pot exterminated two million people, and I saw emaciated people in their thousands."
"I remember being at the wedding of two dying teenagers, who decided to get married despite dying."
"I was shaken by Calcutta and by how any world would allow such suffering. And Cambodia shook me to my boots."
The famine Ethiopia suffered, initially brought to western eyes and ears in 1984, initially had John wondering why food was not getting through.
John explained: "The BBC, Bob Geldof and Band Aid were the only people getting excited and you wonder about the human race."
"You wonder why it is called the 'human' race because often it is far from it
30 years and I have seen the situation deteriorate not improve.
"It is left to the small missionaries and agencies to do the work.
It is very sad. But governments, collectively, don't care.
We are not showing humanity as an international community.
World wonder why their own governments are not helping as much as the charities.
"They know the biggest impediment to getting aid is their government.
"The simple fact is the West doesn't really care and writing a cheque isn't caring"
John changes his tune when it comes to individuals in Ireland and the UK, whom he describes as being "phenomenal in terms of generosity".
It is the governments of the world he feels are continually letting down the poor and defenceless. GOAL's volunteers include doctors, nurses, dentists, engineers and mechanics – and without them there would be no GOAL.
The men and women dedicate their lives to:
- BUILDING health clinics in war-torn Iraq.
- RUNNING food and shelter programmes in Darfur, and
- DEALING with the aftermath of genocide in Cambodia. Rwanda, Darfur, Kosovo and East Timor.
John said: "The GOALies work is vitally important. Because of them people know that somebody cares. The good ones are phenomenal workers and they are at the heart of everything GOAL has ever done."
Both John and the GOALies are so well-loved in some places there are African and Asian children with names like O'Shea, Maura and John.
He has played football with kids in Kenya and signed up the considerable muscle of stars like international rugby star Gordon D'Arcy.
But he said governments must come on board and stop being scared to tackle problems head-on. He added: "We are like a canoe going out to the Titanic. We are just too small and are not reaching all of the people. We need governments to show they love their people.
NELSON Mandela's is the type of humanity the world needs.
"We need a second Mandela but we live in a very, very selfish world today where governments will write cheques but will not take a risk.
Ordinary people do the best they can. But we need help from the world's governments. Governments are not, collectively, stepping up to the plate."
People have been quick to knock Bono and Bob Geldof for their "preaching" about world issues.
But John said both men have been great supporters of GOAL and added: "I have great admiration for them both for speaking out.
"Whatever they do is important because they get people thinking. They get people to come up with ideas.
"As for Mother Teresa, the greatest thing she did was inspire people to do things. I was good friends with Mother and had great discussions with her. She was less than 5ft tall, but tough.
"I got a lift with her once in Calcutta to a leper colony and the authorities were thinking of moving it to the other side of the road.
"I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she won. She got her own way."
GOAL are looking for project managers, structural engineers, midwives and doctors. If you can offer your help please contact 01 2809779 or info@GOAL.ie
|
