Concern Worldwide

Concern was founded by John and Kay O’Loughlin-Kennedy in 1968, as a response to the famine in the Nigerian province of Biafra. The famine was largely precipitated by the conflict that followed Biafra’s attempt to secede from Nigeria.

John’s brother, Father Raymond Kennedy, a Holy Ghost Priest, had returned to Ireland from Nigeria with news about the plight of people in Biafra where widespread famine was becoming a reality due to the Nigerian blockade of food, medicines, fuel and basic necessities.

John, Kay and Raymond held a press conference in the Shelbourne Hotel to raise awareness and funds. This allowed them send the first ‘mercy flight’ to Biafra.

But much more was needed,  some weeks later a larger meeting was called in the home of John and Kay, Africa Concern was formed and the fundraising continued.

Concern Worldwide has been working in Pakistan since 2001. Our work there focuses primarily on improving livelihoods, improving access to water and sanitation and responding to emergency situations.

Vision
A world where:

No-one lives in poverty, fear or oppression
All have access to a decent standard of living and the opportunities and choices essential to a long, healthy and creative life
Everyone is treated with dignity and respect
Mission
We work in partnership with the very poorest people in these countries, directly enabling them to improve their lives, as well as using our knowledge and experience to influence decisions made at a local, national and international level that can significantly reduce extreme poverty. In 2015, we positively impacted the lives of 22.5 million people.

Objective
Education
Concern Worldwide focuses on providing basic education to those who need it most. Access to education is not only a basic human right, but also a key factor in reducing poverty and child labour.
Emergencies
We work with vulnerable communities in countries prone to disaster helping them prepare as much as possible to deal with the next one.
Health
Today, there are an estimated 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty, most of whom regularly experience health problems. Malnutrition causes illnesses such as diarrhoea, tuberculosis and malaria, HIV and AIDS to worsen. By tackling undernourishment we can improve the health of entire communities.
Livelihoods
We have been supporting the livelihoods of the world’s poorest people for over 30 years. Put simply, “livelihoods” doesn’t just mean a person’s ability to earn a living, it’s about everything that makes an impact on a person’s life. This includes whether they have enough food to sustain themselves.
HIV and AIDS
Millions of people living with HIV and AIDS are also suffering from malnutrition. This can stop anti-retroviral drugs from working effectively and increase the complications brought on by these already debilitating illnesses. Tackling malnutrition improves the lives of those living with HIV and AIDS.