Tillage and dairy farmer Andrew Bird from Cobh, Co Cork, combined his agri knowledge and charitable nature as he set off on his travels to Kenya in June. The dairy farmer teamed up with Irish charity Brighter Communities on his voluntary trip.

“It was a brilliant experience. Being a farmer I was interested in what the agricultural situation was out there,” he explains.

“I visited Baraka Agricultural College, which is run by the Franciscan Brothers. They are building a new cubicle shed on the Baraka agricultural farm at the moment, with a hand-milking station. They still milk by hand so it is very different to here. They were housing about 40 cows but hoping to expand their herd in the near future.”

Impressed by Kenyan permaculture, Andrew also visited some alternative enterprises.

“I also visited a shade-grown coffee farm, where coffee is planted underneath trees. This allows the eco system to work naturally. This farmer kept cows and had his own methane plant to supply the house with energy and the land with fertiliser.”

Looking forward to the upcoming Kenya Ball at the Rochestown Park Hotel on Saturday 13 October, Andrew praises Brighter Communities for their respectful approach to helping others help themselves.

The people of Kenya seem to really appreciate the way Brighter Communities treats them – as humans as opposed to a commodity. Training and the handover of established projects helps them a lot more in the long run than money

“Brighter Communities help people to enable themselves. They installed simple smokeless stoves with chimneys in homes, which hugely reduces the amount of fuel needed and improves the family’s health. Women were then trained to install these stoves for others. Basic business management and accounting courses were set up as well, creating employment and income,” he explains.

“Other projects included the fitting of a community water system. The opening of a hiking centre. These were then handed over to the local community once the people knew how to run them.”

Promising reports on the respect Brighter Communities has shown to the local people supports their ethos, Andrew says.

“The people of Kenya seem to really appreciate the way Brighter Communities treats them – as humans as opposed to a commodity. Training and the handover of established projects helps them a lot more in the long run than money.”

The Kenya Ball 2018 is a celebration of the people the organisation works with and the impact they have on creating better futures in rural Kenya. As well as that, the Kenya Ball acts as a much-needed fundraiser to support the work done by Brighter Communities and other charitable organisations.

Kicking off at 7pm with a drinks reception, this promises to be a fun-filled night. Special guests include the Kenyan Ambassador and the Cork City Lord Mayor, along with local businesses and a community of friends, family and an array of volunteers and supporters. A three-course meal with wine can be enjoyed while hearing how community development programmes are having an impact on changing lives for the better. An auction and donation raffle as well as live music will ensure a good night for all.

Tickets cost €80 and are available online via the website or through the office in Midleton. Call 021-4621748 or visit www.brightercommunities.org