Stay up-to-date with Trócaire's work overseas, get news on key global social justice issues, and find out about our latest campaigns in Ireland and how you can get involved.
This year our Give it up campaign takes place on March 8-9. We're asking you to give up something you love for 24 hours to raise money for Trócaire's work. You can give up anything, it could be no Facebook or no internet for 24 hours, no texting, no music, no telly or no food!
You can give it up online by setting up your sponsorship page today and sharing it with your friends and family.
The face of this year’s campaign is Emmanuel, a 15 year old boy from Bar Kawach, northern Uganda. He’s the older brother of Daniel, the boy on this year’s Trócaire box. The things that Emmanuel and his community went through during northern Uganda’s war were truly horrendous. His father Joel was kidnapped twice by armed groups and neighbouring children were taken as child soldiers, many were killed or injured.
The family were forced from their home in 2004 when rebels attacked killing over 300 people. They moved back in 2006 but couldn’t grow food because their land had been left unused for so long. With support from Trócaire through our partner FAPAD the family were helped to rebuild their farms with seeds, tools, ploughs and livestock.
Joel and Betty, Emmanuel’s parents, can now afford the fees to send Emmanuel to Adwari Senior Secondary school where he lives during term time as the school is a seven hour cycle from the family home. He misses his family whilst he’s away but he is used to this as he was sent to live with his uncle so that he could attend school while his parents were living in camp after the atttack. Emmanuel likes to play and watch football and loves music. He plays the thumb piano at school. He also enjoys reading and debating. He’s a bright boy making excellent progress in 10 subjects. He wants to become a doctor and to continue to help his country heal.
Students from Mac Dara's community college cycled the distance from Ireland to Honduras last year on Grafton Street to raise funds for Trócaire's work overseas. A big thanks to them! Photo: Simon Burch.
Back in Ireland, students from St Mac Dara’s Community College in Templeogue Dublin loyally support our campaign every year, as do thousands of people across the country. This year St Mac Daras will take to their exercise bikes for a sponsored cycle on South King Street in Dublin, opposite the Gaiety where they’ll attempt to cycle the distance from Ireland to Uganda- over 8,000 miles!
If you’re inspired by their energy why not set yourself a challenge and Give It Up for Trócaire.
