Page 36 - Aidlink AR 2021

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
2021 was yet another challenging year for fundraising as Covid-19 restrictions limited our ability
to engage in events such as
the Vhi Mini Marathon, music concerts and immersion trips. To all donors who continued
to support us – thank you from everyone at Aidlink.
We would like to say a special thank you to the staff and students from Blackrock College and St. Mary’s College Rathmines who participated in their Rock Run and 5km sponsored run. In the context of Covid-19, these fundraising events were a huge support to Aidlink.
Events
Despite being locked in a digital space, we continued to link communities and engage with our partners and the public. Highlights include our International Women’s Day webinar in March 2021. Panellists included Mercy Musomi CEO of Girl Child Network (Kenya), Agnes Mirembe, CEO of ARUWE (Uganda) and Oonagh Kelly, HR Leader and Executive, Bank of Ireland (Ireland). They discussed the next steps for gender equality in the global north and south and the importance of women’s empowerment as we emerge from the global pandemic with an audience of friends and supporters in Ireland.
In June 2021 Aidlink and Girl Child Network facilitated a virtual stakeholder meeting on the theme of Programming in communities: Covid-19 Recovery – an Opportunity for Gender Equality. Participants included the Ministry of Education Kenya, the Kenya Institute of Special Education, the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO, Sustainable Approaches for Community Empowerment (SAPCONE), National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya (NACONEK) and PELUM Kenya. Participants presented an overview
of the impact of Covid-19, coupled with the prolonged drought within target communities. Following a morning of lively discussion and learning all participants agreed that ongoing collaboration is critical in addressing the considerable challenges facing women and girls post pandemic. The stakeholders agreed to strengthen engagement and committed to bi-annual learning and sharing meetings.
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