Humanitarian Aid

Donation of Humanitarian Aid for the Irish Defence Forces Battalion in Chad – May 2009.

In 2008, Dr Tim Campbell of the Friends of St Patrick in County Down, approached Col Harvey Bicker, a Director of the Trust, to see how the Trust could facilitate the supply of humanitarian aid to schools in Chad.
The Trust met with Maj Gen Dave Ashe, Defence Forces Deputy Chief of Staff (Support), who, subject to administrative protocols, offered to transport such material with the routine rotation of Defences Forces personnel serving with the European Union’s Force in Chad.

The Friends of St Patrick, County Down collected over £6000 and once they knew that educational material and sports equipment were most in need, set about sourcing this material and supplying it to the Logistics Section, Defence Forces Headquarters.

Within a short time, all was on its way, and on the 19 May 2009 notebooks, pens, school bags, jerseys and footballs were distributed to 12 community schools in Goz Beida and the Dar Sila region of Chad by troops from the 99 Infantry Battalion.

The Friends of St Patrick are to be commended for this most generous offer, which was much appreciated by the children, families and teachers in Chad. The Trust was pleased to be of assistance in this matter and also wishes to note their appreciation of the quick response by Maj Gen Dave Ashe and Defence Forces personnel in transporting and distributing the humanitarian aid items.