The people of Clare, through Trócaire, supported 260 families around the world with Christmas gifts last year. People in the county spent almost €8,000 on Trócaire gifts last year, which supported families with livestock, school books, water and healthcare in some of the poorest and most isolated places on earth.
The charity said that people from across the country continue to show incredible generosity at Christmas. Since its beginning Trócaire’s gifts campaign has sold nearly 900,000 gifts. The campaign has raised over €37 million in total for Trócaire’s work to eradicate poverty in more than 20 countries in the developing world.
Kilmaley man Eamonn Meehan, executive director of Trócaire, said, “I have seen the difference these gifts make on the ground. It is no exaggeration to say that they are having an immediate, practical impact on families throughout the developing world. For example, millions of people in east Africa are still fighting for survival in the face of drought and crop failures. The gift of chicks for families in Kenya and Ethiopia can give them a critical extra source of income from their eggs and it is also a vital source of protein for the family. A simple gift like chickens can help parents to keep their children in school even during difficult months and give them important nutrition.
“Last year’s donations from Clare have meant that families are able to earn an income, refugees fleeing conflict are receiving support and people suffering the impacts of drought have access to clean water.”
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.