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THE PRESIDENT OF Rwanda has pledged to match a €50,000 donation to perfecting a robot built for Cork teenager Joanne O’Riordan.
Speaking in Dublin yesterday Paul Kagame told the UN Broadband Commission meeting that his country would match the funds being put forward by the International Telecommunication Union.
Robbie the Robot was unveiled on Friday, having been built by a team of Trinity College engineers in response to a challenge set down by Joanne two years ago.
He is designed to help Joanne, who was born without limbs, maintain her independence, picking up objects for the 18-year-old.
On Friday, engineers stressed that Robbie is a working prototype and not the finished product. He was built in €50,000 in funding in just three months.
The ITU pledged €50,000 to help fund the perfection of the robot, with President Kagame committing to match that amount.
More funding is expected to have been put forward by private firms at the meeting, which was hosted by billionaire Denis O’Brien.
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At last africa helping ireland !
Maybe they could send a few priests and nuns too, we’re running sort these days
yea, they could make that €5million, we’re owed it and millions more.
Why is it that the president of a foreign country decides to help this teenager but no sign or word from Mr. Kenny or Mr. Higgins, the two political leaders of this country?
Wow, reading the bulk of these comments is depressing. Forgetting that Rwanda is setting the bench mark for other African countries who have suffered massive atrocities in recent years, this article has nothing to do with Ireland’s foreign aid.
Good luck to Joanne. I hope that her robot improves her life dramatically. Nice to see people pitching in money from all sides.
Not to mention the water meters which Siemens offered free..
I’m delighted Joanne got the money but surely that money could of gone to an impoverished diabled Rwandan teenager
Jonathan or maybe just pay for jewellery for the Rwandan presidents wife. Not that I’ve knowledge he’s corrupt or anything just that the wealth the minority have in these war torn African nations does be staggering.
So 50k is probably buttons to him but a lovely gesture all the same.
So thank you Mr president
I don’t think Joanne should give the money back, but I’m sure there are people just as of in need of costly prosthesis in Rwanda, after all I’m sure you can find ample amount of innocent teenagers left without limbs due to rwanda’s recent genocidal conflict.
I think for Rwanda charity needs to start at home.
I’m not gonna accuse the Rwandan president of corruption, but the gap between the wealthy and the poor is huge in Rwanda
I’ll probably get a heap of thumbs down
That said, Joanne is huge inspiration and one of Ireland’s greatest ambassadors
sap
Not to worry its probably part of the 4 million that was resting in his account ted !
I wonder how much of our foreign aid money has already been pumped into Rwanda and how much more they will be getting in the years to come.
Just saw a copy of the Rwandan Proposal…sounds fishy to me…
“DEAR FRIEND,
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I KNOW THAT THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE.
I AM THE PRESIDENT OF RWANDA, PAUL KAGAME. I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT
EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT
TO REPOSE ON YOU FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF OUR FAMILIES.
I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF
EUR€50K TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 10 TO 14 BANKING DAYS.
THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT
CLAIM. I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU. I DON’T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURER
ACCOUNT AS AN ABANDONED FUND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY
I CONTACTED YOU.
PLEASE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP
SECRET AND DELETE IT IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED.
UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS ON
HOW THE BUSINESS WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU
WILL HAVE ALL OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SUM IF YOU AGREE TO
TRANSFER EUR€20K INTO MY ACCOUNT TO HANDLE THE ADMINISTRATION FEES AND
ANY EXPENSES THAT WARRANT ON THE PROCESS BEFORE THE FUND
GET INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT SUCH AS TELEPHONE CALLS BILLS
(ETC).
PLAESE REPLY ME TO THIS E-mail,
BEST REGARD.
MR P.KAGAME”
:D
How about everybody thinks about Joanna and how this will help her, she is amazing and a truly inspiration to the rest of us.
Surely a billionaire could fund this whole project himself
Denis is OK. At present he is rebuilding the Carribean after the earthquake a few years ago.
Beir bua ar do chuid oibre!
In return Ireland offers to send home 50,000 Rwandan’s
Three months? I hope there isn’t any dangerous bugs in its code.
Doubtless, there are some minor bugs at least.
Next weeks Journal headline: “Killer Robot on Rampage in Cork!”
Denis of brien is a billionaire?? We all know hes loaded but….a billionaire? Gotta be a typo….
His net worth in 2012 was estimated at more than €3 billion.
Wow….fairplay!
Helped along the way by an unfairly awarded Esat licence.
@Tony,
His interest in siteserv, and their relationship with Irish Water, is also interesting
And you never know he may be your boss one day
Jesus that’s awful kind of them, I’m sure the young girl will appreciate it, but surely Rwandan people are in more dire circumstances? Is he trying to sweeten us up?
Having said that, we give 623 million in foreign aid this year, not including voluntary charity. If I’m being honest, that 623 should be invested in our country first, and used to strip away at that godforsaken debt were paying in order to bail out French and German banks
charity for reputation washing
Fantastic gesture by Kagame; although it isn’t great for the national self-confidence that even Rwanda are sending us money at this stage!
Does he not play for Utd?
have your say