ESPWA

[ess-puh-wah]

The creole word for hope. The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.

Project ESPWA is an Irish charity established in 2011 by a group of volunteers in response to the devastating earthquake that struck the Island of Haiti in 2010.  Project ESPWA helps people in need through shipments of relief aid and, where possible, on-the-ground construction projects.  The humanitarian aid we ship is sourced directly from our extensive network of Irish donors, made up primarily of private individuals and SME’s.   

Although we began our works in Haiti, our activities have expanded significantly in recent years taking in multiple jurisdictions including Honduras, the Dominican Republic and most recently, the relief effort in Ukraine.

Our team are all dedicated volunteers.  No one draws a salary, everyone gives their time for free, and fundraising comes directly from the general public.   This structure means every cent raised goes directly into our relief efforts.

Our focus at present is two-fold – our relief efforts in war-torn Ukraine and our continuing aid to the island of Haiti. 

Since the conflict began in Ukraine, our volunteer drivers have delivered a steady flow of food, medical supplies, clothing, and bedding to relief aid distribution centres across Ukraine, Poland and Romania. 

Haiti, following a second earthquake in 2021, continues to suffer constant social and economic hardship.  Once again, its people need even the most basic of supplies and families find themselves homeless and vulnerable for the second time in a decade.

Everything we do is made possible by the generosity of the Irish people.  Every donation, no matter how small is invaluable to the work we do.  If you would like to help please visit our secure donate facility and give whatever you can.

Sustainable Development

On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. With a target date of 2030, these goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.

We have called out a number of the UN Sustainable Development Goals that we actively align with, in particular:

1
No Poverty

Through our project and relief works, we seek to provide goods, services and housing that offer dignity and optimism to the most marginalised and vulnerable children and families.

2
Quality Education

We build, rebuild, repair and restore damaged and inadequate facilities, ensuring safe spaces to deliver care and education as well as delivering valuable skills-training to local team members.

3
Climate Action

Our consumption of material goods is widely regarded as a root cause of climate change. Extracting and harvesting raw materials, as well as the processing, manufacturing and disposal of the products made contributes to pollution and the venting of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

We maintain a regular supply-line of donated aid – everything from hospital beds to wheelchairs, construction supplies to first aid. We give these perfectly serviceable materials a new lease of life – conserving the energy and resources taken to make them in the first place.