“IF I don’t do it, these kids won’t get anything for Christmas.”

That’s the simple motivation driving Clonakilty man Daniel Fitzpatrick to return to Venezuela in December, where he hopes to bring some joy to the children still struggling in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

 

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Earlier this month Daniel flew out to Caracas, bought as much as he could and handed out school bags full of supplies to more than 220 children in Playa Verde and La Guaira. It followed two major earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, that hit the region in late June of this year.

“It was all started and over in 33 seconds but the place is levelled,” said Daniel, after seeing the damage with his own eyes. “You see the images, but then when you see it in person you’re like how in the name of god did this destruction happen in 33 seconds.

Daniel Fitzpatrick stands in front of a hotel levelled in the earthquakes; children delighted with their gifts from the Irish volunteers in Venezuela.

“They were telling me that there were probably between 200 to 250 buildings destroyed. But these buildings, they’re bigger than the Elysian in Cork, you’re talking 12, 14 story buildings that might have six to eight families on every story.”

Daniel grew up in Clonakilty but now runs an English academy in Madrid. He explained that having visited Venezuela in 2024 and having friends from the region, led him to developing a strong connection with the country.

“In every shop you nearly have some Venezuelan working, or in every pub. And I’ve really, really good friends [from the country]. One particular friend was the contact in Venezuela and she was able to facilitate everything because otherwise it’d be nearly impossible.” He explained that without her help it would have been very hard to source the material and get it down to the zone affected by the earthquakes, which is a 40-minute drive outside the capital Caracas.

He highlighted the generosity of West Cork people too, who raised almost €7,000 for the October trip. The funds were used to buy school supplies as well as over 1,000 bottles of water, 1,000 snacks, 60 footballs, craft supplies and essential electrical equipment.

This time around he is looking to raise enough money to support 400 children over a 10-day trip towards the end of December. Daniel aims to provide new shoes and clothing, while also gifting each one a present for Christmas.

“A small portion of the donation will go to getting them some type of present or some type of toy,” he explained. “They are the future so if we can give them even an hour, two hours of relief from what they’re going through it’ll have a lasting impact on their lives.”

As a qualified secondary school teacher, Daniel said the disruption to children and their education is where he feels he can have the most impact.

“There’s no amount of money going to be able to rebuild what was destroyed let’s say from private individuals donating,” Daniel explained. “But you can really see the impact on the children.

“Like the children, oh my god, it was literally school equipment which was donated for their good [in October]. It’s for their future but I mean like at the end of the day it was a school bag and it was pencils and all they need to be able to learn, but they were so grateful, they were overjoyed.

“That’s what motivated me to be like okay if these kids are so overjoyed with school equipment if we can get them stuff that they need, like shoes, a nice outfit for Christmas and a small present then it’ll have a massive impact.”

It was in one of the makeshift schools, operating out of a tent, where Daniel encountered another reason to return. He met Andrea, a young girl who lost her father and her home, and she asked him if he would bring noodles next time.

“When does a child ever ask for food you know,” Daniel said, recalling the moment that moved him deeply. “It just said everything really to be honest with you, because a child would always ask for whatever present or whatever latest toy or gimmick, and not be asking for food.”

Daniel accepted the upcoming trip will be “an emotional rollercoaster” but said he can’t wait to get back to Venezuela and try have a positive effect. He said this Christmas will be a difficult one for the children and he wants each one to have long lasting essentials and a present to open on the day. “The 24th is their kind of Christmas in Venezuela, same as in Spain,” he explained. “So, the 24th is when we’ll be handing out all of this.”

Donations can be made at GoFundMe.com/IrelandForVenezuela, where people can also see photos of Daniel’s earlier trip and how the money impacted the children of Venezuela. The final day for submissions is December 21.