Independent candidate Jolly O’Rock
By Elizabeth Lee
A COMMUNITY activist who is at the forefront at the African community in Carlow town has thrown her hat into the ring for a local election seat.
Jolly O’Rock is running as an Independent candidate in the Carlow Municipal District and has been out canvassing since she recently launched her election campaign.
A social care worker who also works as a manual handling and fire safety trainer, Jolly is originally from Zimbabwe. She came to Ireland in 2000, when she lived initially in Athy before moving to Carlow town in July 2001, where she has worked within the community in several areas.
She’s a mother of four children and is a founding member of the Carlow Africa Support Group, which helps newcomers integrate into the community, offering advice on schools, accommodation, work and social interaction. The group has just formed a football club to give children and young people an outlet to play sport and to meet their peers.
Jolly is a member of Unity, an outreach group that works with young people and the more vulnerable in society, while she’s also the founder of Aha, a storytelling group that visits schools and community groups to inform people about African culture, using song, dance, storytelling and visual props.
Her mandate is to empower young people so they can reach their full potential.
She also wants to promote and maintain family and mental wellness through established facilities while working in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team. She believes in fostering community engagement by promoting social inclusion and integration, while supporting and protecting vulnerable people and their carers.
Jolly will advocate for a more comprehensive civic education to broaden children’s learning experience. She also wants to see more employment and work experience opportunities for young people and other community members.
