This episode of Sparks of Hope features friends, Paul Hanrahan and Pat Murphy, chatting about how a diverse group of Tralee locals, with little or no development experience, decided to set up an NGO when they learned about the suffering of the Basotho people who lived halfway around the world.
Action Lesotho, founded in Kerry in 2003 by this group of ordinary people, nowadays provides food, education and training in the tiny, land-locked country of Lesotho, in Southern Africa. Paul and Pat’s conversation explores the development of the organisation and the many lessons learned along the way. Paul muses on the fact that, though they did make mistakes, they also, luckily, did enough, ‘right things’ in order to keep going and keep developing.
Nowadays, while Action Lesotho does supply food and emergency aid when needed, their guiding principles are sustainability and capacity building. While the work in Ireland is entirely voluntary, the work in Africa is carried out by paid local workers. Paul explains how they have developed a skilled team of local people who are rapidly acquiring the skills needed to sustain the work on the ground.
Action Lesotho has benefitted from grants from Irish Aid and other funders, but it is mostly funded by the efforts of a stalwart group of supporters in Kerry and Cork. A team of more than 30 dedicated volunteers runs the Action Lesotho bric-a-brac and book shops in Tralee. Many of these locals have been working with, and supporting, the organisation since the beginning and share Paul’s view of service as an opportunity rather than a burden.
Close contact with people on the ground in Lesotho has given Paul a deep understanding of the inequalities in the world and how these are currently being magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. He describes how a country like Lesotho may well end up waiting years before its people have access to vaccination and the potential consequences for all of us if we choose to ignore the welfare of our fellow human beings.
This story of the Kerry people who founded and support Action Lesotho bears out the famous statement by anthropologist, Margaret Mead,
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.