An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir November / December 2025 www.military.ie/magazine 32 | An Cosantóir November / December 2025 www.military.ie/magazine C hildaid is run by a 5 man board of directors, including CS (Retd) Dermot Higgins and CS (Retd) Graham Tobin (AR), all of whom are volunteers. Childaid was founded by members of the Irish Defence Forces and friends who had first-hand experience of the dire conditions experienced by children in the slums of East Africa, especially Kenya & Rwanda. On their return to Ireland, these individuals collectively decided that they wanted to 'get off the fence' and do something constructive to help those who most need assistance. In order to bring focus to their efforts, and to ensure transparency and accountability, Child Aid Ltd. was registered on 8th February 2001 and was listed as a charity with the Revenue Commissioners in Ireland. Active members of the charity include Sgt (Retd) Gerry O'Brien, CQ (Retd) Nigel Cadogan and the author Sgt (Retd) Mick Dundon, with many other ex members of the DF participating in fundraising walks. Our Mission Childaid's mission is the eradication of extreme poverty, disease and hunger for children in the developing world, while ensuring that each child has the essential means to a productive life. Goals and Objectives The Goals & Objectives of Childaid are aligned strongly with the UN's Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the set of internationally agreed upon targets for reducing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women by 2015. The Millennium Development Goals are: Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Goal 5: Improve maternal health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development Childaid believes strongly in all the MDG's. However, Childaid's Mission shows that our work is focused on Goals 1, 2, 4, 5 & 6. By aligning our development initiatives with the MDG's we can ensure that we make best use of our donor's money in addressing the real needs of the developing world in a way consistent with international best practise. If the world achieves the MDGs, more than 500 million people will be lifted out of poverty. A further 250 million will no longer suffer from hunger. 30 million children and two million mothers who might reasonably have been expected to die will be saved. The world has made significant progress in achieving many of the Goals. Between 1990 and 2002 average overall incomes increased by approximately 21 percent. The number of people in extreme poverty declined by an estimated 130 million! Child mortality rates fell from 103 deaths per 1,000 live births a year to 88. Life expectancy rose from 63 years to nearly 65 years. An additional 8 percent of the developing world's people received access to water. And an additional 15 percent acquired access to improved sanitation services. 32 | The full climbing team and the local parish priest Retired members of the DFTC reaching Gilman's point, one of the three official points of the summit of Kilimanjaro CHILD AID CHILD AID BY SGT (RETD) MICK DUNDON

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