Concern Worldwide

Education is a fundamental human right for everyone and has proven to be key for ending the cycle of extreme poverty. Unfortunately, 250 million children are out of school worldwide and women account for two-thirds of people who cannot read, according to UNESCO. We want to change this. Student Hadjé Mahamat Idris is pictured during a lesson at Tcharaw primary school, in Eastern Chad. This education programme is co-funded by the generous support of Concern’s corporate supporter Mason Hayes & Curran LLP. The whole programme, made possible through broader donor funding, aims to provide quality primary education to 4,000 students across the Sila province. Tcharaw school has received essentials like furniture, pencils and books to help their students thrive ✏️ 📖 🎓 Headmaster Gabdibe Keumaye said: “In this school before we had no benches for the students to sit on, it was hard for the students, and it was hard for us to conduct class. Since we got the funding from Concern, the registration of pupils at the school has increased... they now have all the necessary items to study well.” Gender equality is a key part of Concern’s mission, and we will be celebrating some of the incredible females we work with at the sixth annual Women of Concern event on October 18 in Dublin, sponsored by EY Photo: Eugene Ikua/Concern Worldwide #WomenofConcern24 #genderequality

In response to today's budget, CEO David Regan said: “The increase in ODA does not reflect the reality of humanitarian need in the world in 2024...Ireland should be seeking to do proportionately more and not proportionately less to assist those in need around the world." https://lnkd.in/eRh4MxQK

Food is one of the necessities of life, but sadly millions of people around the world don't have enough to eat. Kenya is a nation that is extremely vulnerable to climate-related shocks, including droughts and floods. Concern, with the support of our corporate partner Kerry, is working with smallholder farmers in Tana River County to adapt practices that will make their farms more resilient against climate change and create sustainable futures 🌾 ❤️ Milcah Njeri stands in front of her rice farm in Tana River County, Kenya. She is part of a group of smallholder farmers who have received support under this programme. She says that her business has helped her to provide for her family and pay for her children's education. The annual Women of Concern event will be held at The Round Room at The Mansion House in Dublin on October 18, it is an exciting opportunity for us to celebrate some of the incredible females we work with. We are grateful that this year's event has been sponsored by EY. Photo: Eugene Ikua/Concern Worldwide #WomenofConcern24 #genderequality

We've come to the end of season one of Concern's podcast Pod Worldwide - so why not revisit the best moments of the series? In this special episode, we hear about climate change deniers, what it's like to be a street fundraiser, and how Dublin football legend Michael Darragh MacAuley had his first ever cup of tea in Iraq! And if you haven't listened to the pod yet, this is the perfect intro! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://spoti.fi/4d8ciyU

This is the most inspiring story you will hear today! Meet Rebecca Agoot, who has trained as a farmer and is now running her own business so she can feed her family, send her children to school and tackle the impact of climate change head on 👏 She lives in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan, which has been badly affected by floods over the past few years. This resulted in Rebecca having poor harvests from her farming, leaving her with difficult choices to make. She said: "When any of my children falls sick, it’s extremely difficult for me to afford treatment. It breaks my heart to choose which child can go to school when I can’t afford to send them all." Rebecca excelled in a Concern agriculture programme, which is funded by our corporate partner Dawn Meats, and she has learned new climate-smart agriculture skills and methods to improve biodiversity. She also received some essentials, such as seeds and tools, to help her to grow her farm. She has been able to produce groundnuts and vegetables, which she sells at the market year-round, and is now looking to the future. "These skills have transformed the way I farm. I’ve seen first-hand knowledge of improving crop yields. I’m confident that I can continue using these methods long-term to increase my income. “I have more money and I feel empowered. I can now produce my own food with seeds saved from last year's production. I understand the value of growing vegetables for the market, especially during the dry season when demand is high. "I am hoping that things will continue to improve, I look forward to providing for my needs and those of my children. I am grateful for the support we have received from Concern through this project, which has truly transformed our lives." Gender equality and climate change are a key part of Concern’s mission, and we will be celebrating some of the incredible females we work with at the sixth annual Women of Concern event on October 18 in Dublin, sponsored by EY. Photo: Concern Worldwide #WomenofConcern24 #genderequality

As the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 20th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food, international law and the universal right to adequate food are blatantly disregarded in many parts of the world. Conflict, climate change and economic crises converge to exacerbate structural inequalities and fuel the hunger crisis. Widespread gender inequality increases vulnerability to food and nutrition insecurity, and to the impacts of climate change. Join us as we discuss the findings of the 2024 Global Hunger Index and explore how advancing gender justice can create a climate-resilient world where all people are guaranteed the right to adequate food to lead healthy, productive lives. The event will be held on October 10th over Zoom (in English with simultaneous translation into French and German) at 4pm-5.30pm (Berlin and Zimbabwe time)/ 10am-11.30am (Washington DC and La Paz)/ 8.30pm-10pm (Dhaka). Register for the launch of the 2024 GHI on Zoom below: https://lnkd.in/e8NnX7Hs #GlobalHungerIndex Welthungerhilfe (WHH) Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV)

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Before the ground dried and hardened, Amburo and her husband were farmers. They grew enough maize to sell at the local market, and to provide for their four children. Life was hard, but a life all the same. There were times of joy. But in Somalia, the distance from survival to crisis is paper thin. For a family living in extreme poverty, without savings or valuable assets, a failed crop can be fatal. "Our cattle perished,” Amburo says, “the ground dried out, and we couldn't grow crops. There was no rain. We had to go." Nearly four million people are internally displaced in Somalia, forced from their homes by a combination of conflict, drought, and flooding. In search of food and water, they travel to displacement camps; sprawling settlements of makeshift shelters, dotting the outskirts of Mogadishu and other urban centres. When forced to leave land, livestock, and livelihoods, parents struggle to feed their children. In Somalia, about 1.5 million children under the age of five are expected to face acute malnutrition in 2024. To save their children, Amburo and her husband left their village behind, and set out for Mogadishu. Their life in displacement had begun. "I couldn't find work when I arrived in Mogadishu. Even now, bits of my body, including my legs and chest, hurt from the journey and the stress. Even if I could go to work, I have nobody to watch over my kids," Amburo says. "My husband does what he can. He works as a log cutter. On a good day, he could make between 3 USD and 7 USD, but that is insufficient." If they could not survive in Mogadishu, where else could they go? Amburo does not even know where her family and siblings are; "I have no idea where they are today; probably in another camp going through something similar." Amburo was losing hope. From a friend in the camp, Amburo heard of a group that sends cash to displaced families, with no strings attached. That group is the Somali Cash Consortium (SCC), funded by the European Union, and led by Concern. Directly giving cash is an effective way to support people experiencing a crisis or disaster. If there are functioning markets within reach, cash provides a family the opportunity and agency to meet their self-assessed needs. Amburo’s face lights up when she describes her first payment: "A month ago, I received 180 USD. The first thing I did was pay my children's school fee. I also bought them maize, since it was my favourite food growing up, and clothes to wear. The cash has improved my life, and my children look healthier today." From April 2023 to April 2024, the SCC sent the equivalent of 9.3 million Euro to nearly 40,000 Somali households, benefitting approximately 300,000 people. The cash has given Amburo space to breathe. "I'm less anxious than before and hopeful about the future." #somalia #europeanunion #concern #drought #idp #malnutrition EU in Emergencies

Sudan is suffering a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions. We must come together to end the crisis. There is no time to lose.

“What is happening in Sudan is appalling, but what’s even more appalling is the lack of the world’s attention.” These are the words of former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, who yesterday joined Concern Worldwide and other organisations to call for an urgent scaling up of the response to the crisis in Sudan. As part of Dóchas, the Irish Network for International Development and Humanitarian Organisations, Concern’s CEO David Regan joined the former President, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and representatives from Trócaire, GOAL Global and World Vision Ireland to highlight the situation in Sudan, which is experiencing the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. 26 million people are in need of urgent assistance. 9 million children are food insecure. 755,000 people are on the brink of famine. An immediate ceasefire is required to provide vital support and humanitarian access to millions of people in Sudan. There is #NoTimeToLose.