Aoife Hegarty

The Catholic Church and Church of Ireland are teaming up as part of an ecumenical charity effort to help AIDS stricken families in Swaziland.

The mission agency, USPG Ireland is in the process of shipping a jeep to the South African country which they will then present to the local Catholic Salesian order for use in their relief efforts in the Manzini region under the supervision of Drogheda native Fr Larry McDonnell who's been working in Swaziland for 37 years.

Most effective

''It is widely accepted that the aid and development programmes delivered to the poorest nations through Churches have been the most effective,'' said Jan de Bruijn, volunteer director for USPG Ireland. ''The Churches can reach out into the most remote areas, and have the structures already in place to deliver aid effectively.''

The jeep is one of four donated to USPG Ireland by Donnelly Motors, a motor dealership in Northern Ireland and an Irish delegation will travel to Swaziland in autumn to see firsthand the difference the shipment is making locally.

''We're delighted to able to take this important step of beginning to work also with the Roman Catholic Church in one of the neediest areas of the world,'' Ms de Bruijn said.