The 50th annual Trócaire Lenten Appeal has officially been launched today, with this year's milestone appeal focusing on the millions facing hunger in Somalia.
Over the past five decades, the Trócaire Box has become one of the most identifiable charity collection methods in Ireland, and is familiar to almost every parish in Ireland.
To reflect its 50th anniversary, today’s launch also showcased Trócaire boxes from the past, while this year's box will feature a Somalian family.
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The cardboard boxes, distributed to homes across the country, have raised millions for the world's poor.
The charity was established by Catholic bishops in 1973, to respond to famine and flooding in Bangladesh.
The initial campaign raised £250,000 and started a long-running bond between the public and the organisation.
This year, it aims to aid those facing a protracted drought in Somalia, which has left almost half the population at risk of starvation.
Trócaire CEO Caoimhe de Barra said the box "remains resilient in a digital era".
Speaking at the launch of this year's Lent campaign, she said Irish people continue to donate generously, despite the cost-of-living crisis here.
"The donation online is proving to be extremely popular and very easy to do," she said, adding that the Trócaire box is critical to raise funds.
"It is actually the core income we raise every year that enables us to do our life-saving work in up to 20 countries."
While the boxes have traditionally been available in churches and most primary schools, people can also call Trócaire and have one sent to their home, or choose to donate online instead.
She said the generosity of Irish people has resulted in positive change to a huge number of lives over the last 50 years.
This "unyielding solidarity" has helped individuals, families and communities in countries at risk of conflict, climate change and poverty, she added.
Trócaire has worked to promote human rights in Latin America; assisted famine relief work in Africa and helped victims of the Asian tsunami of 2004.
More recently, it has focused on the effects of climate change and the impact it has in several parts of the world. It also works as part of a global network to provide humanitarian relief in the aftermath of events like the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
This year's collection box features a Somali family who had to flee their home due to the ongoing drought there.
They are the latest in a long line of people whose stories have resonated with the Irish public, in the lead up to Easter each year.
Among them is Josiane Umumarashavu, who was featured on the 2004 Trócaire box. She was photographed skipping near her home in Rwanda, as her family came to terms with the aftermath of the genocide there.
It had resulted in the death of Ms Umumarashavu's father, sister and two brothers a decade earlier.
The image of the 12-year-old girl featured on over one million collection boxes.
As a direct result of the donations that followed, Trócaire was able to assist the Umumarashavu family in securing education and growing crops.
Now, 19 years later, Josaine Umumarashavu is married with two children and works for Trócaire in Rwanda as a finance assistant.
She said the support provided by Irish donations changed her life irrevocably and that without it, things might have been very different.
The 31-year-old said she is proof of the transformation that collected loose change can bring.
"It is a lifeline to millions of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. I was so blessed to have your support, it is something I will never take for granted," she said.
Caoimhe de Barra explained that the organisation focuses on a different country every year.
"We highlight a particular family because it's important that people understand that behind all the statistics there are human beings whose lives are impacted," she said.
"In Somalia this year we are responding to a humanitarian crisis of huge proportions. We are providing emergency healthcare, emergency food and access to education for families.
"We are doing similar work in up to 20 countries worldwide, and that is funded by the Trócaire campaign."
Mohamed Mohamud Nuh from the Gedo region in Somalia arrived in Ireland in January and attended today's event after recently joining Trócaire as a volunteer.
Familiar with the charity's work since his childhood, he said everyone is aware of what Trócaire has done for communities for many decades.
"Trócaire was in my region from 1993, from my childhood," he said. "It has never exited from the region."
He said it is amazing that it is "part and parcel" of the community and helps provide basic services like healthcare and education.
Mohamed said they appreciate that money donated has allowed Trócaire to provide education materials and food to schools, and has also led to the construction of schools.
"I remember in 1998 when in one of the primary schools in the Gedo region Trócaire was giving food to the students so they had food to bring to their homes as there was a drought and conflicts," he said.
"Trócaire was there throughout."
Additional reporting by Karen Creed
