THERE was a Christmas gathering put on for the volunteers of Kerry Action Lesotho in the Brogue Inn on Thursday night.

Action Lesotho is a Tralee based NGO, they work with the poorest of the poor in Lesotho. The group’s bookshop in the Tralee Shopping Centre is run by volunteers.

“This is billed as a Christmas party, but what it is is a very modest gathering,” said Paul Hanrahan, Chairman of Kerry Action Lesotho.

“Our volunteers give up their time every week, this is a way we can just say thank you to them. We have nothing lavish, our volunteers wouldn’t allow it because the funds we raise are too valuable,” said Paul.

“Our goal is to break the cycle of poverty in Lesotho,” said Paul.

“Some of the people we deal with, it’s hard for us to comprehend how poor they are. An example is there is one family we deal with, there’s a mother, a 13 and a 4 year old child. In that family, the 4 year old looks after the older ones because they have disabilities, they live in a tin shack with no furniture,” Paul said.

“We work with these people and get them to the point where they can earn a living for themselves,” he said.