Article by Pat Flanagan
Irish Mirror
30 Dec 2024
30 Irish drivers will begin the New Year with a gruelling 2,000km road trip through Africa to raise funds for a charity while delivering emergency vehicles.
The group will make the trek from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Kampala in Uganda.
The convoy, which includes several members of An Garda Siochana, will deliver 10 ambulances and five fire engines gifted by Japan to the Ugandan Government.
Along their journey, the group aims to raise awareness and funds for Hospice Africa Uganda, a charity with strong Irish ties that has been providing compassionate care to critically ill and impoverished people in Uganda for over three decades.
So far, the group has raised €75,000 for HAU, with a goal to reach €100,000 by the time they arrive in Kampala on January 8. John O’Kelly, a successful steel engineer who is originally from Carlow but who is now based in Dubai, is one of those leading the convoy.
He previously organised a similar mission delivering emergency vehicles to Uganda five years ago. Mr O’Kelly’s involvement began through his friend Willy Ngoya, who runs an import-export business in Japan.
Explaining the mission, Mr O’Kelly said: “Willy asked me to gather a group of volunteers to deliver vehicles to Uganda just before Covid-19. One of those on that trip was a dear friend, Ambrose Blaine from Co Mayo, who tragically died in a road accident three years ago.
“This journey is dedicated to his memory. He was a passionate supporter of HAU and Dr Anne Merriman, so we decided to raise funds for this incredible cause.”
The group will fly into Dar es Salaam on New Year’s Day and set off in convoy with the emergency vehicles on January 3. They aim to reach Kampala on January 8, concluding their extraordinary journey by delivering the vehicles and the funds raised.
Fellow organiser Tom Doyle from Tullamore, Co Offaly said they face many challenges ahead as some of drivers have no experience of African roads.
He said: “Many of our team are first-timers to Africa. It’s an incredible undertaking, uniting people from diverse backgrounds to deliver life-saving vehicles and support a cause that transforms lives.”
Malahide-based Detective Garda Ken McGreevy described the trip as “an adventure” in aid of a good cause.
He added: “This adventure is as much about the mission as the journey. Delivering these vehicles and supporting Hospice Africa Uganda’s inspiring work is deeply fulfilling for all involved. We are delighted to have members of the Gardai taking part.”
Hospice Africa Uganda’s work extends beyond Uganda, spreading palliative care throughout the African continent through its Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care which trains healthcare workers from across Africa in palliative care, sharing the vision of accessible, compassionate care.
The charity was founded 31 years ago by Professor Dr Anne Merriman, a Liverpool native of Irish descent who studied medicine at UCD in the 1950s.
During that time Hospice Africa Uganda has provided pain relief and palliative care to nearly 40,000 patients, many suffering from undiagnosed cancers.
Supported by Hospice Africa Ireland, HAU has become a beacon of hope for patients and a training hub for healthcare workers across Africa through its Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care in Africa.
Often called “the mother of palliative care in Africa,” Dr Merriman expressed her gratitude for the drivers’ efforts to raise funds for this worthy cause.
She said: “This support is a game-changer. It will allow us to expand our outreach services and help more patients in need. In Uganda, over 90 per cent of cancer patients never access treatment due to cost or remoteness.
“Hospice ensures they have a pain-free, dignified end of life. This initiative beautifully honours our late friend Ambrose Blaine, a steadfast supporter of hospice care.”
While Dr Merriman spent her childhood in Liverpool she went to Ireland in 1953 and was enrolled in the UCD Medical School in 1957. After qualification in 1963, she completed an internship in the International Missionary Training Hospital in Medicine in Drogheda which is now Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
She has spent 33 years working in Africa, including 10 in Nigeria as a missionary doctor and 20 in Uganda, seven in Southeast Asia, eight in the UK, and five in Ireland.
For her contribution to health in Uganda she was conferred with an MBE in 2003. Anyone wishing to help the group reach their €100,000 target can make a donation at here.
You can learn more about UCD School of Medicine alumnus Dr Anne Merriman by listening to her MGA Clinical Influencers Podcast episode here (Episode 5, Series 4).
Photo: A group of 30 Irish drivers will start the New Year with an extraordinary 2,000 km road trip delivering emergency vehicles from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Kampala in Uganda, raising vital funds for Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU) at the same time.