BIG HIKE BY KOSTAL STAFF PAYS OFF FOR TANZANIAN COMMUNITIES

WORKERS at Abbeyfeale car-parts plant Kostal have just manufactured a fantastic outcome for impoverished communities in Tanzania as they raised more than €20,000 through a fundraising hike.

It was organised by Kostal worker and Listowel native Billy Keane who, along with his father Willie, has helped raised an incredible amount of money for the work of the Medical Missionaries of Mary in recent years in Tanzania - a Catholic order dedicated to improving medical and educational care for the impoverished of rural Tanzania.

Now their work is being further supported by the Keanes and their Kerry and west Limerick friends thanks to the €21,270 raised through the fundraising hike which took place in June. €5,000 of the sum was generated from workers at the Kostal plant alone with the rest brought in from the fundraising efforts of Billy and his friends Seamus Heffernan, Des Martin and Mike Herlihy and his brothers Don and Paddy Keane.

They worked tirelessly as the Uisce4Africa team to make a success of the hike and the work paid off in style as the 50 participating hikers enjoyed a fantastic day over 26kms of rugged terrain in the foothills of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks before making it back to Kate Kearney’s Cottage, where they were welcomed by mountaineer Pat Falvey, for a brilliant night’s celebrations.

The Uisce4Water team know exactly how important the hike was having seen first hand the fruits of earlier fundraising efforts on a trip to Tanzania earlier this year. In a number of villages they supported, people no longer have to undertake gruelling treks each day for water as the team installed special water reservoirs keeping rain water safe and clean for months.

And The Black Valley hike is already paying off for other poor rural communities with building starting this month on housing for nurses and another vital water project.

Billy Keane with Eamonn Brehony (MMM) and Des Martin presenting the cheque in Kostal last week. Also pictured are Paddy and Willie Keane, Kostal managers Paul Morris and John Mangan. Missing from picture are organisers Seamus Heffernan and Micheal...