Sir, - I have been a volunteer worker here in Ethiopia for the past two years and during the last year became aware of quite extraordinary work undertaken here by the Irish Government, and of course funded by the Irish tax-payer. As a result, I have a new pride in being Irish. The work is spearheaded by a group styled Irish Aid, overseen by Mr Joe Feeney. I spoke to him of my admiration of the work, and particularly the meticulousness of the control of money and resources, and he offered to have me taken out and shown the project. It was enormously impressive.
A greater part of it dealt with a chronic problem here, namely the finding and conservation of water. I saw three enormous ponds built for trapping rain, and several springs tapped at source to provide pure water. I saw mills for grinding corn, health centres, schools built (these last were very basic indeed, but I saw them as 100 per cent better than no schools at all). I was shown electrical systems where small towns had generators installed to give electricity. One town had tapped a small local waterfall to provide power for it. This now has a road into it where many others have but tracks.
I have never seen a man with such work capacity as this Joe Feeney, who apparently once worked with Concern and latterly was seconded to the work by the Irish Embassy at Addis Ababa.
have got dizzy looking at his pace of work. He is much loved by the Sidama people.
The foregoing is written to raise the spirit of the Irish taxpayer. If one must pay huge taxes it is uplifting to see that the money is spent judiciously and helpfully in a deserving Third World. - Yours etc
Awassa, Southern Region, Ethiopia.