Inspirational work of late Sr Mary Hayden from Inistioge, Kilkenny continues in Thailand

The annual Sharing Fair Crafts Sale and Coffee Morning will be held in Langton’s on Saturday from 10am to 1.30pm.
Sharing Fair Kilkenny is made up of volunteers who support the work of Inistioge nun Sr Mary Hayden among the poor in Thailand.
Sr Mary died last year and left behind a legacy of inspirational projects designed to help the poor out of poverty.
Instead of being lured to the streets and brothels of Bangkok, women and men participate in meaningful work in their own area, earning earn enough money to feed their families.
“While Sr Mary is no longer with us, the projects continue and they depend entirely on volunteers to sell their products,” co-ordinator Eileen Brennan said.
“In the past the crafts were sold mainly by religious sisters in the western world which is no longer available because of ageing and dwindling numbers in religious communities.
“People like the fact that there are no administrative costs and all the money goes back directly to the workers,” Eileen said.
Last year, as well as buying crafts, the people of Kilkenny donated almost €3,000 to support the work of Sr Mary.
The money was sent to the religious sisters in Nongkhai where Sr Mary lived.
In a letter of thanks, the sisters confirmed the money would be used for the most needy in their Outreach Programme. Families in remote rural areas can avail of a their milk programme for malnourished children.

Sponsorship is given to help children who cannot afford school uniforms, books or transport and nursing care is provided to those who have no access to health care.
The community also has a 16 bed care facility for those with strokes, TB and AIDS, who are often abandoned.
Palliative care is provided enabling poor people to die with dignity. Children who have been sponsored in their education, who then go on to university and get jobs, return a percentage of their wages to the Sponsorship Programme ensuring others can also be helped.
Sr Mary Hayden dedicated almost 70 years of her life to working among the marginalised in south-east Asia. Having worked in Sri Lanka, Macau and Vietnam, she spent the final forty years of her life in Nongkhai in the north east of Thailand. To find out more about Sr Mary’s community in Nongkhai, go to: www.goodshepherdnongkhai.com
This year Sharing Fair celebrates ten years of craft sales in Kilkenny. ‘We could not have achieved this without the support of our volunteers, the people of Kilkenny who buy the crafts and Langtons who have kindly hosted our events all the years.’ said the Co-ordinator.