What's it like where you come from?, a video for schools devised by the Louisburgh Community Project in Mayo, has been nominated for an award from Metro Éireann magazine. As reported recently in this column, Seun Agboola, who participated in making the video, has been deported to Nigeria.
Four children who knew him and the enormous contribution he made to his immediate community in the west from the time of his arrival in May 2000 wrote the following letter to this newspaper in response.
"We are children in Louisburgh National School and would like you to publish this letter whenever possible. This is a story of a Nigerian man called Olawaseun Agboola (22), known to us as Seun or Seán. He came to Mayo in 2000 and was sent home (last month).
"We want to know why this man was firstly put in jail and then sent back to his own country after doing so much for Mayo schools. We think it is an outrage that a man that has done no harm should be jailed and sent back to his own country.
"This man came to Ireland with no job, no money, no house and had to live in a hostel in Cong for one year until he found temporary accommodation in Castlebar.
"This man worked voluntarily with children and adults. He participated in parades and intercultural events. He even came to west Mayo national schools to teach us about the African culture.
"We hope that you can find it in your hearts to publish this and we hope that the Irish Government will find it in its heart to let this man free to become an Irish citizen."
Yours faithfully,
Eoin Torphy (12),
Joseph Navin (12),
Carmel Keane (12),
Orla Prendergast (11)
Louisburgh National School, Co Mayo.