Irish Aid is the Government of Ireland’s overseas development aid programme. Through the five-year Irish Civil Society Partnership for a Better World funding scheme, the Irish government supports long-term humanitarian and development programmes in ten of GOAL's countries of operation.
GOAL and Irish Aid
Irish Aid supports our work in Colombia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe. We help communities in conflict-affected and fragile states overcome crises and achieve greater resilience. We receive funding under Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership (ICSP) for A Better World funding scheme, which began in 2023 and will run until 2027.
Under this stream, there are four distinct, but complementary, funding streams: long-term development, chronic humanitarian crises, acute humanitarian crises, and Global Citizenship education.
GOAL recognises that building resilience helps to ensure the sustainability of our programmes by enhancing communities' ability to absorb, respond and recover from shocks. This is crucial to preserving well-earned development gains in the face of sudden-onset and protracted humanitarian crises. Thanks to the support of Irish Aid, GOAL has established the Programme Innovation Fund. We are now increasingly recognised as being a key player in disaster resilience measurement.
GOAL's partnership with Irish Aid also enhances our public engagement by focusing on development education in schools. Funding from Irish Aid allows us to cultivate a broader understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals, and how humanitarian aid and development supports vulnerable communities around the world. GOAL is committed to providing evidence that will inform, engage and inspire the Irish public to become active global citizens - building their commitment to global justice, equality and a fair world for all.
Our Impact
In 2023, GOAL reached 1,067,000 people under the Irish Aid ICSP programme.
This includes:
- 222,800 people reached by emergency response and resilience building interventions.
- 588,300 people reached by resilient health programmes.
- 211,800 people reached by food and nutrition security projects.
GOAL achieved these outcomes throughout the rollout of Strategy 2025 titled, From Crisis to Resilience. Using a systems approach, we developed humanitarian response programmes tailored to the varying contexts of acute, chronic, and prolonged crises.
We also empowered communities to prepare for crises and take anticipatory action, thereby reducing humanitarian need.
Key Achievements
Irish Aid's ICSP programme funds our work in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Niger, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.
In 2023, 2,150 households in Ethiopia were supported in becoming Open Defecation Free (ODF), thanks to generous support from Irish Aid.
Under the ICSP programme, GOAL also supported 30,000 refugees and returnees in South Sudan with access to primary healthcare services.
In Sierra Leone, the ICSP-supported Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) plant in Freetown treated 15.8 million litres of faecal waste. It now processes 21% of the city's liquid waste.
Meanwhile, 400 households from 22 villages in Niger received cash transfers, funded by the ICSP programme. This has enabled them to apply climate smart agricultural techniques, regenerating 142 hectares of degraded land.
And in Sudan, 225 households displaced by conflict received multi-purpose cash assistance, funded by the ICSP programme. 71% of households used a portion of the money to purchase food for their families, and 52% used a portion of the money to purchase clean water.
Irish Aid's ICSP programme funds our work in Honduras, Colombia, and Haiti.
In 2023, GOAL and Irish Aid supported the installation of a hydrometeorological monitoring system in Colombia. This enhanced the area's early warning systems and now benefits 83,000 people in Bucaramanga.
Meanwhile in Honduras, 280 local fishers received training in organisational regulations, with support from Irish Aid. 98% of the fishers have applied at least three sustainable resource management best practices.
In Haiti, following a community consultation process in Cité Canada, Irish Aid's ICSP programme funded the construction of a retaining wall to prevent loss of life and property during periods of heavy rain.
In Cité Lucien, a 12,000-gallon reservoir was also constructed to store rainwater for community use.
GOAL also replanted a mangrove forest in Haiti to promote the climate resilience of marine ecosystems and act as a significant carbon sink, with funding from Irish Aid.
Supporting Our Work
Humanitarian Innovation Fund
GOAL's approach to innovation is rooted in our commitment to finding new perspectives and processes that lead to transformative solutions for critical challenges.
To support and encourage promising innovations within GOAL programmes, the organisation launched the GOAL Programme Innovation Fund in early 2022. This fund is specifically designed to foster innovations that have the potential to be scaled up, with the ultimate aim of reducing and overcoming humanitarian crises.
Irish Aid has partnered with GOAL on the Humanitarian Innovation Fund since 2022 and is providing €150,000 to the 2024 fund. Of this amount, €50,000 has been allocated to ongoing innovations previously selected and €100,000 has been allocated to support new innovations.
Global Partnership Centre
Our Global Partnership Centre (GPC) is a cornerstone initiative aimed at strengthening GOAL’s Partnership portfolio and steadfast dedication to the localisation agenda. Established in mid-2023 with generous support from Irish Aid, the centre marks a pivotal milestone in our journey.
Collaborative partnerships foster innovation and drive efficient solutions. By empowering permanent local actors to lead locally-driven humanitarian responses, we empower local communities to effectively enact lasting change.
The GPC has also established the Organisational Development Fund (ODF), with support from Irish Aid, with the recognition that identifying areas for support is only meaningful if accompanied by flexible funding.
Global Citizenship
Our Global Citizenship Education workshops, resources and programmes explore how global justice issues interlink with children’s daily lives, challenge stereotypes, and encourage critical thinking.
Our Irish Aid-supported public engagement work also includes the GOAL NextGen Youth programme, which brings young people together from all over the world to deepen their understanding of Global Citizenship.
The programme helps to support a generation of young people who are passionate about a fairer and more sustainable future. In 2023, the GOAL NextGen Youth Programme welcomed 30 new members.
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