Ejiro's Story

Ejiro Ohare Stratton has been living in Ireland for over 30 years and Drogheda is now very much her home. She has a high-pressure job in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, where she works as an Assistant Director of Nursing. In 2019 Ejiro volunteered at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the largest traditional Irish music and culture festival in the world, which was held in Drogheda. Despite the fact that she was working night shifts Ejiro still managed to make herself available across multiple shifts at Fleadh Cheoil and enjoyed it thoroughly. She spoke to a colleague down-town while on her volunteer shift:

“They thought I was crazy, they knew I had just come off a night shift. I told them the highlight of my day was putting on that volunteer t-shirt and I was having such a good time volunteering, I wouldn’t miss it.”

Ejiro spoke about how volunteering at such a big community event was a great leveller:

“We are all the same when we are wearing our red t-shirts, all are equal, it doesn’t matter what we look like or what we do, we are all volunteers together. The experience of inclusion and community integration was felt by everyone who came to celebrate this great festival. When I am in my volunteer t-shirt I am just a member of the team same, the same as everyone else, no matter what my colour or nationality, I am there to help the people who come up to me. I love it!”

Ejiro is the founder of Hands4Unity a community organisation seeking to empower women irrespective of their nationality, educational background or cultural differences. This group of enthusiastic volunteers recognise the power of event volunteering in bringing people together. They participate in a variety of community events and have organised a really successful intercultural event in Drogheda in November 2019 (in person) and in September 2020 via Zoom. Ejiro is passionate about community integration and is devoting all her spare time to Hands4unity as it reaches out to people from new communities and working closely with the Louth Volunteer Centre.

Click Here to search voluntary roles in your area!