Herdwatch team climb Devil’s Bit

Adi Roche, Voluntary CEO of Chernobyl Children International (CCI), visited Herdwatch in Roscrea recently to collect a donation of more than €10,500 for the victims of the Ukraine conflict.

The money had been raised by Herdwatch following a recent climb of the Devil’s Bit mountain in Tipperary by 25 members of their team. Some members of the Herdwatch team are based in Ukraine and their Irish friends and colleagues wanted to raise funds in recognition of the difficulties they are experiencing at present.

Speaking about the donation, Ms Roche said, “Thank you for your most generous donation to Chernobyl Children International. We are deeply grateful to the whole team at Herdwatch and FRS Network for the incredible amount raised of €10,535, which will make a very impactful difference in supporting the work we do.

“We are heartbroken at the crisis in Ukraine, but people’s desire to help and respond to the crisis has been overwhelming and we are so grateful for everyone’s generosity and goodwill.

“As in all wars, we cannot lose sight of the human horror – massive displacement, trauma, refugees, destruction of homes, hospitals, and infrastructure. We aim to work with all those forgotten people. In the magnitude and scale of this war, it is difficult to see any shard of light, but our philosophy has always been heartbeat by heartbeat, breath by breath, one by one, we try to make miracles happen, so we don’t become overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis we face every day.

“I am personally very grateful to you and everyone at Herdwatch and FRS Network, for your generosity during this dark time. Your donation is very timely and will have an immediate impact on Ukrainian families who are suffering. Despite having been liberated and able to leave their bunkers after being under Russian occupation for five weeks, the children in Ivankiv, in the Chernobyl region of Ukraine, are deeply traumatised and are still suffering.

“CCI has partnered with a humanitarian organisation in Ukraine to provide help and support to the families in this region. Thanks to your kindness, we will be able to provide children of the Chernobyl area with a haven away from their war-torn homes.

“In the midst of the horror, it is so reassuring to see so many people come together and offer their help and support. We are faced with so many obstacles and challenges in this crisis but when generous acts such as yours come, it truly lifts our day, as it is so easy to be ground down by the enormity of this tragedy,” she said.

Speaking following the climb, Herdwatch Founder and CEO Fabien Peyaud said: “Since the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine, the entire Herdwatch team has been worried about the wellbeing of our colleagues who are based over there. They are experiencing an illegal war that is destroying lives and that is wreaking destruction across that beautiful country. Yet this is what our friends with are living with on a daily basis.

“The team was very keen to come together and find a way of showing some act of solidarity with those in Ukraine so we decided to organise this fundraiser. All 25 of us made it to the top of the Devil's Bit and we were able to proudly wave the Ukrainian flag at the summit. We hope this small gesture shows our colleagues in Ukraine that they continue to be at the forefront of our thoughts.

“I am very grateful to the Herdwatch team and all the generous donors, including many farmers and FRS colleagues, who supported this initiative. We managed to raise over €10,000 for a very worthy cause. We hope we will be able to provide further support to our friends and colleagues in whatever way we can.”

Herdwatch, headquartered in Roscrea, is the number one livestock management software provider. They are part of FRS Network, the social enterprise co-operative. In March FRS Network donated a further €20,000 towards the victims of the Ukraine conflict via Irish Red Cross.