Who's going and whats the story?

Cycling:
1. Iain Hatton
2. Neil Gillespie
3. Niall Cusack
4. Paul Keappock
5. Declan Sexton
6. Terry Butler
7. Danny Walsh
8. Eddie Barrett
9. Mary Feighery
10. Eilish O' Sullivan
11. Conor McDonald
12. Ian O'Sullivan
13. Martin Malone
14. Dessie Mullet
15. Gillian Finan
16. Barry Whyte
17. Sean Whyte
18. Nicky Corcoran
19. Robert Grant
20. Geoff Cheasty
21. Conor Gorey
22. Peter Hatton

Support Team:
Freddie Hatton
Fionnuala Hatton
Eadaoin Mackey
Mike Ashmore
Charlotte Hill (Physio)
Eimear Atkins
John Hourigan
Bryan Ronan
Trish Mathews (1st Aid)
Paul Mathews



We will be meeting at 7:30am outside the RSC in Waterford and leaving at 8am for Cork city. Everyone going will get a Friends of Londiani t shirt, and there will be a support team consisting on a camper van and a number of cars with drinks, energy bars, first aid, etc. If people wish to bring anything, i.e. a change of clothes, towel or whatever the support team will bring them in the cars.

We will be able to transport the bikes back between the camper van and the cars if people wish to come back to waterford.

When you sign up for the cycle I will give you a sponsorship card (s).

We will be finishing in the Silversprings Hotel just outside Cork City, where showers will be available. Some people are staying in the Hotel and the plan is to get some food in the Bar or Restaurant before the Ireland match.

Thank you in advance for your support.

The Journey

Directions from Waterford City to Cork City, Ireland
116 km –
Waterford United F.C
Cork Road
Co. Waterford, Ireland
1.
Head northwest on Witches Ln toward Cork Rd/N25
0.4 km
2.
Turn left at Cork Rd/N25
Continue to follow N25
Go through 1 roundabout
40.1 km
3.
At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Coolagh Rd/R675
0.2 km
4.
Turn right at R675
0.9 km
5.
Turn right at Mitchell St/R675
0.2 km
6.
Turn left at R675
1.0 km
7.
At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto N25
Go through 2 roundabouts
66.2 km
8.
Continue on N8
Go through 1 roundabout
4.9 km
9.
Turn left at N8/Water St
Continue to follow N8
1.2 km
10.
Turn left at R614/Summerhill
84 m
11.
Turn right at Merchant's Quay
0.3 km
12.
Turn left at N22/St Patrick's St
0.2 km
13.
Turn left at Robert St
95 m
14.
Continue on Morgan St
94 m
Cork City

Click on the link below to see a map of the journey:

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Waterford%20city,%20Ireland&daddr=Cork%20city,%20ireland&ie=utf-8&v=2.2&cv=5.0.11337.1968&hl=en

A History of Friends of Londiani

In July 2000, Maria Kidney travelled to Kenya on a climbing expedition. While shopping in Nairobi with some friends Maria was mugged and so sought refuge in the Kenyan Girl Guide's Headquarters. During her time there she learned of the many projects that the Kenyan Girl Guides are involved in, and so on returning to Ireland a proposal was drawn up to turn this dream into a reality for the Irish Guiding Associations. A group of 20 Adult Leaders from the Irish Girl Guides and the Guide Association, Province of Ulster travelled to Londiani in August 2002 to complete a project there.

On returning home from Kenya, the Friends of Londiani was set up to maintain the link with the projects in Kenya, and to increase awareness of the projects.

In April 2003, two twin boys were born in the village of Kebeneti. Their Mother died during childbirth. The twins were brought to the children's home. Lucy Kirui, the Manageress of the Bethel Children's Centre rang Maria in Ireland to name the boys. She called them after her late Father, William and David.

Due to the circumstances of David's birth, he was a weak child and so sadly passed away soon after arriving in the home. The story is a sad one, but worth telling. The twins mother gave birth to David first on her own. When he was born she wrapped him in a blanket and put him outside the hut. The women of the village heard her screaming and so came to help with William's birth. The Mother died in childbirth, and the other women didn't realise that David was born until the next morning when they found him outside. Unfortunately his little lungs never recovered from the cold.

Lucy brought David home to be buried. She was appalled at the conditions that people were living in. Soon after FOL Ireland began renting a building in Kebeneti as a medical centre for the village.

In August 2003, Maria and her husband Martin travelled to Kenya on honeymoon. While they were there they opened the Bethel Medical Centre. They decided to purchase an acre of land in Kebeneti so that FOL Ireland could help to build a permanent hospital for the people in the area.
The land has been purchased, and FOL Ireland have funded a new medical centre in Ndubusat. Members of FOL Ireland travelled to Kenya in November 2004 to officially open this centre. A new permanent hospital was built in June 2005 as part of the Harambee 2005 project. The existing medical centre will be used as clinics, outpatients etc once the new hospital is complete.
FOL Ireland is now an official registered charity (CHY16505), and will continue to work with development projects in Kenya. Friends of Londiani Kenya is now a recognised NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) in Kenya.

What does the Charity do?

The work of Harambee 2009 will be modelled on the development of ‘Healthy Villages’ and will include the following tasks which will all be done in partnership with the local communities:

Installing rainwater collection tanks in homes and villages.

Running organisational trainings and health related courses for communities.
Organising Activity Camps for children and teenagers.
Constructing school classrooms, dormitories and refurbishing existing community/school buildings.

Assisting the local Public Health staff with Health Promotion Open Days.

Teaching literacy skills to adults.

Visiting people in their homes to conduct health surveys.
Developing HIV/AIDS Awareness through peer-education courses.

Assisting in the local medical clinic and conducting Child Assessments in the Bethel Children’s Home.
Working with income-generating community groups e.g. bee-keeping, production of handcrafts, carpentry, tailoring.

Working with schools interested in improving their hygiene and sanitation.

The Harambee 2009 Team has now been selected and have begun preparing for the projects in Kenya.

If you would like to receive more information please contact Friends of Londiani 9 Cois Cuain, Mosestown, Whitegate, Co. Cork ; Telephone: 021/4662730 or email harambee2009@friendsoflondiani.com

Friends of Londiani

Friends of Londiani, Ireland is a registered charity (CHY16505) which was set up in 2002. The mission of Friends of Londiani is to work in partnership with the people of Londiani, and its surrounding villages to develop and complete sustainable community projects to enable the people to achieve an improved quality of life based on their values and become the authors of their own development.

The Friends of Londiani will endeavour to achieve these goals in a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect with one another and with the people of the area. This partnership will enable members of Friends of Londiani to further develop skills and a deeper cultural understanding.
Friends of Londiani has a sister charity - Friends of Londiani, Kenya which is an official NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) in Kenya.