NEWS IN BRIEF
Irish nuns handed top award in Brazil
AN IRISH missionary order has won one of Brazil’s most prestigious
awards for their work to improve literacy skills.
More than 8,000 people in the state of Paraiba have learnt to read and
write since the project was set up 30 years ago.
Sister Kate Nolan from Wexford said it was a great honour to have won
the Paulo Freire trophy.
“We are more than aware that the project is not one that becomes
self-sustaining in itself but it helps individuals and families to become
independent by becoming employable and self-sustaining,” she said.
Her order, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM), works in
the favelas (shanty towns) in the state capital Joao Pessoa.
“Every year we have great difficulty in persuading some people that
they have to move on to public schools and make room for other people,”
added Sr Kate.
Childcare boost
MORE than 100,000 childcare places are to be created by 2016 under a new
social inclusion strategy to be launched by the Irish Government later
this month.
According to reports the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion also
promises to create 17,000 childcare training places to ensure there are
enough professionally qualified people in the system to teach and run
childcare centres.
The 10-year plan — which is an update of the National Anti-Poverty
Strategy — includes a package on education and commits to dramatically
improving literacy levels in disadvantaged areas.
Treatment change
ALTERNATIVE therapies are to be made available on the NHS for the first
time to patients in the North of Ireland.
Surgeries in Belfast and Derry will operate a £200,000 pilot scheme
described by the authorities as the first of its kind in Britain.
The initiative is intended to offer relief or help to people suffering
from musculo-skeletal problems as well as depression, stress and anxiety.
Patients will be offered a range of complementary and alternative therapies
including osteopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage
and homeopathy.
Northern Secretary of State Peter Hain said that the fund, which will
be administered by non-profit organisation Get Well UK, would give patients
the widest and safest possible choice: “This initiative puts Northern
Ireland at the forefront within the UK in exploring and delivering a model
that genuinely embraces complementary and alternative therapies within
mainstream healthcare. It will allow those in need to have it when they
could not easily afford it privately.”
|
