Thank you to the people of Ireland for supporting Self Help Africa

By Ronan Scully — Self Help Africa

I recently attended a Christmas charity dinner by Self Help Africa—the organisation I work for—with many of our supporters to raise much-needed funds. Let me tell you how your donations are helping our work in 14 countries in Africa, and specifically in East Africa.

I have worked with charities endeavouring to end poverty for most of my adult life, 38 years in total so far. It is sometimes a case of ‘two steps forward, one step back.’ Not long ago, we were reporting great economic growth in parts of Africa, particularly East Africa. However, this region is now on the cusp of a major food crisis. The reasons why are complex, but the main causes are a combination of devastating floods and unseasonal drought along with conflict.

The Global Hunger Index reports that people in 42 countries worldwide do not have enough food to eat, and looming famine in Sudan, Somalia, parts of Northern Ethiopia, Northern Kenya and Gaza. Another 281.6 million people in 59 countries and territories face “crisis-level or acute food insecurity”. The report also states that progress in tackling hunger has slowed notably in recent years due to Covid, conflicts, higher living costs and climate change.

The longest drought in recorded East African history recently gave way to rains and flash flooding. Conflicts are ongoing in places, while food and energy prices remain stubbornly high. Approximately 25% of the region’s population experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024. In Sudan, northern Ethiopia, Somalia, parts of Kenya and South Sudan, this amounts to 45.9 million people, including approximately 10.8 million children under five.

Self Help Africa is so thankful to Irish Aid and the Irish public for their continuing support. However, particularly in East Africa, people have one plea: "Please don’t look away. Please help. Our children are suffering; our children are dying. We feel forgotten. Everyone is suffering."

Addressing climate change is a human rights issue for everyone. We, the generation with the most powerful technological tools in history, have the capacity to respond.

Across East Africa and many parts of Africa, Self Help Africa is implementing agricultural production improvement programs. As any Irish farmer will tell you, there are no guarantees when producing on the land. Yields fluctuate, depending on the weather, and prices for farm commodities depend on the seasons and numerous other factors. In Africa, it is no different.

Self Help Africa, with help and support from Irish Aid, is introducing new crop varieties to small-scale farming households in East Africa, promoting alternative drought-tolerant crops and supporting irrigation development. New and improved breed livestock and “climate smart” farming techniques are being promoted. For example – leaving grain crop stalks in the field after harvesting to retain moisture in the soil, or “zero tillage” planting, in which just a small hole is dug for each seed rather than tilling an entire field.

East Africa's request for help could not come at a worse time, as other humanitarian crises unfold in places like Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. But we cannot turn our backs on East Africa — we must learn from its history.

In the 2011 Horn of Africa drought, which affected 13 million people and led to more than 250,000 dying from hunger, the early warning signs began to emerge a year earlier, yet the international community took until the peak of the crisis to act. A range of preventive measures were put in place afterwards, including large-scale drought resilience programs and strong policy commitments from donor countries.

But here we are again. The current drought is forecast to be the worst in Ethiopia and Malawi in 30 years, yet funding commitments from international donors are worryingly low. 2024 is no ordinary year in Ethiopia: it is a “code red” year and needs to be treated like one. Ireland must play its part again, as it did in 2011 when it gave funds and was commended for its leadership in galvanising other donors to act.

Despite the challenges, there are glimmers of hope. Nationally, climate action policies need to prioritise food security and sustainable farming. Many countries, including in sub-Saharan Africa, have made public commitments to improve food access. For instance, Ethiopia has committed to allocating 10% of its budget to agriculture.

International change requires reforming international finance to reduce debt burdens, and allow governments to invest in agriculture and direct support through innovative and effective partnerships.

The Irish Government, through Irish Aid’s Africa Agri-Food Development Programme, for example, offers matched funding to Irish businesses seeking to partner with companies in sub-Saharan Africa, which is vital in addressing food insecurity and helping African farmers scale up production.

Over the last four years, Self Help Africa partnered with the EU in Kenya and Zambia to invest €70m in small and medium-sized enterprises, connecting over 300,000 farmers to new markets, introducing climate-smart farming practices and creating more than 2,600 jobs.

My lasting impression of Kenya and Ethiopia from my most recent trips was not the scale of their poverty, but the spirit of their people. Thank you for helping us to help them.

To make a donation, please either phone ((01) 6778880 visit our website www.selfhelpafrica.org, or simply send whatever you can afford to Self Help Africa, Westside Resource Centre, Seamus Quirke Road, Westside, Galway.