Minister Fleming launches 2024 Our World Irish Aid Awards
- Published on: 16 November 2023
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Primary schools around Ireland to mark 50 years of Ireland’s aid programme and efforts to tackle hunger and climate change.
Seán Fleming, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, joined students at Scoil Bhride National School, Portlaoise to launch the prestigious 2024 Our World Irish Aid Awards. This will see primary students across Ireland mark 50 years of Ireland’s aid programme and efforts to tackle hunger and climate change.
This year’s Our World Irish Aid Awards will focus on the theme of Food For Life, reflecting the work Ireland does to help end world hunger and poverty, tackle climate change and make sure everyone in the world has equal access to education, clean water and healthcare.
By taking part in this year’s Awards, primary school students will learn about Agroecology. Agroecology is a farming practice that helps to reduce the impacts of climate change, protect nature and wildlife while also helping local communities to work in a way that suits their area and environment, taking into account their social and cultural values.
Inviting primary school students to take part, Minister Fleming said:
“Everyone in the world needs healthy and nutritious food. Climate change is one of the factors that means too many people in the world do not have access to the food they need.
“Agriculture is part of Ireland’s DNA. Students taking part in the Our World Irish Aid Awards will learn how Irish Aid is working with villages in Uganda to promote sustainable agriculture. This helps people to grow enough food while also protect the environment for future generations.
“It is so important for young people to learn about the world they are growing up in and what they can do to make it a better place. I encourage schools across Ireland to enter into this year’s Our World Irish Aid Awards.”
Specially created curriculum-linked teaching and learning materials have been delivered to all primary schools in Ireland, helping teachers and students learn more about this year’s theme Food for Life, the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs), and Irish Aid’s focus countries. The materials include a colourful student magazine packed with information, quizzes and questions; lesson plans, activity sheets and online games. All materials are available in English and as Gaeilge in print and digital format.
Minister for Education Norma Foley added her endorsement, saying:
“The Our World Irish Aid Awards are a wonderful cross-curricular learning opportunity for our primary school students. The Awards help young people to discover more about the lives of people in other countries and how Ireland is supporting them.
“The Awards include a range of specially-created lesson plans, interactive games and an informative pupil magazine. This is a really important and inspiring learning opportunity that has the potential to change people’s lives for the better. I encourage our primary school teachers to include the Awards as part of their teaching plans.”
Schools are invited to express their ideas and understanding of the issues in writing, song, film, artwork or in another way.
This year’s Our World Irish Aid Awards will include a series of Global Goal Getters online multi-media magazines featuring projects submitted by students around Ireland as a way of showcasing learning, creativity and actions nationwide.
Submissions are now being accepted. The closing date for early submissions, which are in with a chance to win a box of sustainable art materials, is Friday 19 January 2024. The final closing date for entries is Friday 8 March 2024.
Notes
Now in their 19th year, the Our World Irish Aid Awards are the Department of Foreign Affairs’ flagship global citizenship award scheme for primary schools. The Awards form an important part of Ireland’s commitment to overseas development and global citizen education, helping to reinforce the importance of the global development work carried out by the government on behalf of the people of Ireland.
This year, students will learn about how 78-year-old farmer, mother of five and grandmother of 11 has been helped by Irish Aid, through Trócaire, to gain the skills to teach other people about the importance of wild plants grown on her smallholding. The programme has already seen 858 women and 533 men adopt agroecological practices which includes mapping, preserving and recovering wild and traditional foods as well as developing a seed bank.
Students will also learn about the pilot Gender Action Learning system which sees women come up with their own solutions to problems, empowering them as they make positive changes within their households. As part of the programme men participate in household chores and farm work and women have a greater say in decision making.
Irish Aid is the government’s overseas assistance programme that is marking 50 years of work to reduce global poverty, hunger and humanitarian need. Irish Aid funds programmes in over 130 countries, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. For further information go to the Irish Aid website.
For more information on how to take part in the Our World Irish Aid Awards 2024 and the Global Goals for Sustainable Development please visit the Our World Irish Aid Awards website.