Presidential honours at the ras for Delia

Delia meets President Michael D Higgins at the Áras

A SKIBBEREEN woman with a long association with Ireland’s oldest development charity, was amongst the guests honoured at a reception hosted by President Michael D Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin recently.

Delia Dutta, who has worked for many years as a volunteer at the Gorta charity shop in Skibbereen, joined representatives of the charity at the function to mark its 50th anniversary.

Established in 1965 in response to a United Nations-led campaign to end global hunger, Gorta-Self Help Africa’s remarkable work has been ongoing for over half a century.

The President said that he saw, on a State visit to Africa last year, the positive impact that Ireland’s development organisations were having across the continent, and praised Gorta-Self Help Africa for its positive contribution to global efforts to end hunger and achieve a more equal and fair world.

Gorta-Self Help Africa was created last year following an historic merger between two of Ireland’s longest established development organisations.

Chairman Tom Kitt, a former Minister for Overseas Development, thanked all of the loyal and dedicated supporters who had supported the organisation over the past 50 years.

‘We have achieved a great deal in the past, but our work is not done,’ the former Minister said.

The war again hunger and poverty has yet to be won, and climate change and other new challenges mean that we have to work hard in the years ahead to achieve the goal that was set when the founders created this organisation in the mid-1960s,’ he added.