Dunshaughlin fundraiser for teacher"s work with Filipino street children

Dunshaughlin school teacher Ciara Lynch is fundraising to spend some time during the summer working with the People"s Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance (PREDA) organisation, founded by Columban Father, Shay Cullen. Fr Cullen was recently recognised at the Meteor Awards when he was presented with the humanitarian award at the ceremony. Ordained as a priest into the Columban Missions in 1969, Fr Shay was assigned to the Philippines shortly afterwards. The Preda organisation was born in 1974 while Fr Shay was working in the parish of St Joseph"s in Olongopo City in the Philippines. 'I would go out on the streets, and several times I was mistaken for a tourist, and these pimps actually offered me children for sex,' he said. 'Because I didn"t dress like a priest, they knew no different.' It horrified him so much to see what was going on around the streets of the parish. He decided he would start campaigning to highlight what most people seemed to be turning a blind eye to. PREDA runs many different programmes in the Philippines, dealing with several difficult and challenging issues. A lot of work is based around the humanitarian rights of women and children. 'We are working for the rights of abused and exploited children, especially street kids who are in constant conflict with the law. We rescue them from the jails and give them complete rehabilitation in one of our homes.' Up until recently, young children could be arrested and thrown into small cells in overcrowded jails, amongst adult prisoners. Fr Shay succeeded in getting the practice of imprisoning these youngsters made illegal, following a high-profile campaign. However, children of 15 years or above can still be held in Philippine jails. 'Many of these children would be abused and made to act as slaves for the guards,' said the cleric. 'They would be made to work, scrubbing the floors and toilets and washing clothes. Many were turned into 'girly-boys" and became the sexual objects of some adult prisoners.' Tomorrow (Thursday 2nd April), Ciara Lynch, who teaches in Dunshaughlin National School, will be hosting a fundraising table quiz and charity auction in An Sibin. Among the valuable items for auction will be signed pictures of golfer Padraig Harrington, boxer Bernard Dunne, singer Damien Dempsey and actors Martin Sheen and James Cromwell; a signed football jersey from Irish soccer player Shane Long, a Meath jersey signed by all the team and signed Irish rugby team memorabilia. The quiz starts at 8pm.