Curia Christmas fundraisers
The Curia staff at the Irish Jesuit Provincialate office in Dublin have raised a total of €600 at their Christmas raffle, Thursday 12 December 2024 in aid of the Irish Jesuit Internationals ‘bike appeal’. The scheme helps to buy bikes for women farmers in South Sudan and gives them the chance to sell their produce in the local markets. The total sum of money raised will purchase four bikes for the charity. The IJI team says that when public transport isn’t available, a bicycle can turn an impossible journey into a new income generator for a family.
Yanira Romero and Emer Kerrigan from Irish Jesuits International attended the raffle on the day and were presented with the money at the end of the event. They were over in the Curia Office with their now annual Christmas stall of craft goods from the Mikono Refugee Workshop in Kenya.
There was a large display of arts and crafts items for sale, all individually handmade by refugees living in urban areas in Kenya. These included wood-carved bowls, cutlery, salad spoons, crosses, cribs, and Madonna and child carvings. There were hand-sewn cushion covers, bags of all sorts and sizes made of stunning multi-patterned fabrics, computer cases, and rucksacks all stitched to the highest standard. There were earrings, cards, aprons, tablecloths, placemats all of which were a great hit as Christmas presents with an ethical bent.
The money generated goes straight back to the refugees who made them, and Yanira and Emer say “It’s a tangible and enjoyable way to demonstrate solidarity with refugees while helping them to earn a much-needed and valuable income.”
The Curia staff and others from Cherryfield and Messenger Publications bought gifts totaling over €700. Many who had bought goods from IJI Mikono before came back for more, saying not only what good value it was but also commenting on the high standard of the craft work. Those for whom it was their first time buying were amazed that, for example, they could buy a hand-carved wooden bowl with matching spoon, fork, and scoop for under €20. Those items would have cost at least three times that in any commercial craft shop.
To round off Christmas week, the Curia -osities (the Curia Christmas choir) entertained the Jesuit residents in Cherryfield Nursing Home Christmas with their rendition of favourite Christmas carols. And whilst figgy pudding was not on the menu, mince pies and fresh cream made a lovely accompaniment to the refreshments offered at the end of the concert.
