A nationwide cookery challenge has been launched by World Missions Ireland as part of a drive to highlight its campaign to provide one million dinners for children in the developing world and promote its many mission projects.
Missionary Children is its’ dedicated children’s charity and every cent raised under its fundraising division goes to children’s projects in Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Soprano Celine Byrne, GAA sports star Dermot Earley, RTE Rugby pundit Brent Pope and Mary O’ Rourke, former government minister, are supporting the cookery challenge for contestants to devise a dinner menu to feed a family of six for €5.
The entries will be whittled down to just five and a cook off will take place between the finalists in October, the traditional month of mission.
Jackie Pallas, national secretary of Missionary Children, said it is one of the huge global injustices that so many people are dying from food poverty every day.
“Millions of people are going to bed hungry every night and millions more are dying from hunger. It is heartbreaking and though I’ve worked in this area for the past 14 years, I can never become immune to this terrible reality. While €5 may indeed be a very limited amount for people in this country, despite our own economic difficulties, it is a lot of money for impoverished families in so many parts of the world. During my mission trips to India, Uganda and South Africa for instance I have seen families prepare meals for just 20 cents, they stretched that money in the most incredible ways”.
Celine says she is delighted to take part in this initiative.
“ As a Mother, as a human being, it pains me to think of people, irrespective of age, going hungry and suffering, so hats off to World Missions Ireland for this drive. I want people to get their thinking caps on and get busy with the pots and pans. Yes, it will be quite challenging and will take a bit of thought as the budget is very small but it’ll be worth it”.
Well used to the challenges of the playing pitch in the past, and having gone on a charity Mission to Swaziland, Army officer, Dermot Earley said, “It is a great idea and while it may be difficult to come up with ideas for recipes, it is nothing compared to the difficulties people in the developing world have to face every single day of their lives.”
Recipes can be sent to pr@wmi.ie or posted to World Missions Ireland, 64 Lower Rathmines Road, D6. Telephone 01 4972035. The closing date is September 26.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.