THE Lenten Appeal is Trócaire’s biggest annual fundraising appeal. Telling the story of one family and community, the appeal highlights the challenges facing at-risk communities around the world. This year’s appeal focuses on a family and community in Guatemala where the impacts of climate change are posing massive challenges to their livelihoods. But climate change is impacting many other communities that Trócaire works with and donations from the people of Belfast are making a huge difference to these communities.
In 2023/24 Trócaire supported 2.2 million people across 20 countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Trócaire supports poor and marginalised rural communities to sustain their livelihoods and to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. Trócaire’s climate and environmental justice work supported 288,200 people in countries including Guatemala, DRC, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Malawi, Rwanda, Honduras, Zimbabwe and Syria.
An example of the difference that can be made is in Ethiopia. In the dry regions of this east African country, most farmers are pastoralists. The open grazing of animals across large areas of land has been central to the way of life for many in the Horn of Africa for millennia. But as climate change is causing deep droughts, this way of life is in jeopardy.
From 2020 to 2023, a ferocious drought, driven by El Nino and accelerated by climate change, devastated Ethiopia’s pastoralist regions. Most pastoralists’ entire lives are dependent on their livestock and it will take years for them to recover from the devastation. A concerted effort, led by the Government of Ethiopia and supported by humanitarian partners, is helping pastoralists to build resilience.
Mortikana Arero’s story is a reminder that life for many pastoralist women has always been challenging. “My daily life was very hard. I would wake up at 5am, milk my cattle then head off with the other women to fetch water. Six hours later I would return and then carry on with my household chores. Then I would head out to collect firewood, carry it to the local village to sell and return home again to cook dinner for my family, our first meal of the day. With water collected I could wash myself and my children and then put them to bed before finishing my chores. I would usually sleep at about midnight. I did this all my life.”
Because of her experience, Mortikana was nominated by her community to represent them to Trócaire, where she outlined the need for a closer water source. With support from Trócaire, the Oromia Pastoralist Organisation, a development organisation working in rural areas of Ethiopia on women’s empowerment, excavated a water structure next to her village, installing a cement cistern with enough capacity to hold water for her entire village. The cistern fills every rainy season and is protected from evaporation due to being underground with a cement roof.
The change has been transformative: “Us women have more time to care for our families now that the water source is next to our village. We no longer have to walk for six hours every day. I can look after my children at home and send them to school with water to keep them hydrated and focused. They are clean every day now. We all are. When I went to the local market, I would have to return in the evening when it was dark. It was very dangerous to do this, but now I can go during the day and return before night. I feel so much happier and safer now.”
Mortikana is part of a programme, supported by Jersey Overseas Aid, that aims to improve the economic opportunities of over 5,000 women and youth in Borena Zone, Ethiopia. “I think that our future is certainly brighter now. With water secured, I can focus on income generation. My children’s life will be better than mine, more stable and happier,” she said.
To find out more about Trócaire’s work or make a donation to the
Lenten Appeal visit www.trocaire.org
