Lent is not only a time to give something up. It is an opportunity to take up active citizenship, to kick start the changes we need and have a positive impact on our environment and society.
Check out Trócaire’s new one-stop-shop activist toolkit with great tips, ideas and information for campaigners, volunteers, cyber-activists, schools and church groups.
This Lent, the Trócaire team has been meeting people around the country who are bringing about change in their local school, university, parish, or community.
Our Water Project Officer from Malawi, Chitsanzo Kamawatima, visited Ireland recently to bring this year’s Lent story to Irish audiences.
Top left: Mary Friel (Trócaire), Canon Brown, Chitsanzo Kamawatima, Fergus Lambe (volunteer), Grainne Neeson, Orla Neeson at Newry Cathedral . Top right: Orla Quinn and Chitsanzo Kamawatima with students and staff from University College Dublin’s Volunteers Overseas programme . Bottom left: Eamonn Neeson,Coordinator of Mourne volunteer group with Chitsanzo Kamawatima. Bottom right: Trócaire volunteer Kizito Mutahi in Dublin Co-op with people signing the petition
He shared information about the impact of water scarcity on communities in Malawi and what we could be doing locally and globally to address the harmful effects of climate change, which is devastating lives and livelihoods his country.
Chitsanzo’s message had a strong impact on BA and MA students in University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Mary Immaculate College Limerick, NUI Galway, Dundalk Institute of Technology, University of Ulster and Water Engineering students at Queen’s University in Belfast. He also spoke to parishes in Ballyfermot, Dublin, Newry, Limerick and the Dominican Grammar School in Portstewart.
Trócaire volunteers around the country are mobilising people to take action. They are asking the Irish government to tackle the climate change crisis and encourage the public to live more sustainably.
Collective action is a powerful force to bring about change. Use our activist toolkit to become the change-maker in your community so that collectively, we can tackle the global water crisis.
Get involved
Many thanks to all the wonderful people who facilitated our visits around the country: Jane Mellot, Noirin Lynch, Zoe Liston, Ang De Marco (and Julia Shroer), Maurice Harmon, Kathy Reilly, and Ann Cleary. In particular a special thanks to Eamonn Neeson the Trócaire volunteer co-ordinator in the Mourne region who hosted Chitsanzo in Newry and organised an action packed morning speaking to crowds at Newry Cathedral.
