Long-term investment can change hostile attitudes to girls in Ghana

MARIA Walsh is no stranger to charity work — the former Rose of Tralee has previously travelled to Calcutta, South Africa, Tanzania, and Chernobyl to support worthy causes.

But even with so much patronage already under her belt, Maria admits it was her latest trip to Africa, her first with the girls rights organisation Plan International, which served to truly hammer home the stark realities of life in a low-income country.

The Mayo woman returned from Ghana last week.