Irish charity Vita, (formerly Refugee Trust) is seeking support for its Spud Appeal project in Ethiopia. A street collection will take place on Saturday 2^nd April, at Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan. Funds raised from this collection will help to provide seeds, tools and training to families in Ethiopia to grow food for life.

About Vita

Vita is an Irish international development agency that is fighting hunger and climate change in Africa.  The mission of the agency is to bring an end to extreme poverty and reduce the vulnerability of people in Africa by helping them to build sustainable long-term livelihoods for themselves.

Vita, which means ‘Way of Life’, was originally called Refugee Trust International (RTI) when it was founded in 1989 by the late Fr. Kevin Doheny, a Holy Ghost priest who was born in Ballinakill, County Laois. Fr. Doheny, who was known internationally as an outspoken and radical priest, respected by governments throughout the world, worked for 46 years in various countries in Africa including Nigeria (during the war in Biafra) and Ethiopia.

Vita is supported by the Irish Government through Irish Aid - the international aid section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the European Union through EuropeAid, and by voluntary work and donations of the people of Ireland.  The annual budget of Vita is Euro 3 million (three million Euro).

In 2010, Vita has seven staff in Ireland supported by volunteers around the country, and 40 staff working on agricultural and community-led development projects in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya, helping more than 100, 000 people become self sufficient and less dependent on aid from the West.