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10th December, 2009
Accountant Carol Mulvihill has given up her traditional family
Christmas to spend her second festive season in a row helping GOAL
in Africa.
The 35-year-old is determined to make it a Christmas to remember
for over 2,000 street children and has undertaken the 3,000 mile
trip to Freetown in Sierra Leone where she will spend the next month
helping the GOAL team in the west African country.
Her family in Ballymahon, Co Longford, have held an early Christmas
celebration for Carol and will keep her presents until she returns
to Ireland next month.
"We had Christmas dinner at home in Ballymahon already,"
said Carol. "I know the family won't be around, but at least
I can't say I missed that now! Christmas is a family-oriented time
at home, but they understand why I will be away again."
This is the second year in succession that the Co Longford woman
will be using her Christmas to help the poorest of the poor. Last
December she worked as GOAL's financial controller in Kenya.
This time she will be helping to implement a number of programmes
for the poor in Sierra Leone.
Education
These include a project which provides shelter, food, non-formal
education and other needs and rights for over 2,000 street children
in the capital Freetown.
"Sierra Leone is a very poor and a very underdeveloped country.
GOAL has been there since 1995 and I am looking forward to seeing
what they do and helping in whatever way I can," explained
Carol.
"When I visited the projects in Kenya, I could really see the
difference that GOAL is making to people's lives. Just a simple
thing like building latrines for a community can make a huge difference
in terms of sanitation and health education."
Last December, Carol's family posted her presents out to Africa.
The gifts will remain at home for her on this occasion, although
she will have to wait a little longer than most to get her hands
on them.
"Well, I got the Christmas dinner before I went and I will
open all of my presents when I get back in January.
"I know it will all be worth it though and you never know,
I might even get a second helping of turkey if I play my cards right."
© Evening Herald
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