Launch of Trócaire’s Lenten campaign. Photo: Mark Stedman More than 242 million students in 85 countries had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events in 2024 according to Trócaire as it launched it’s Lenten campaign this week.
Caoimhe de Barra, Trócaire’s CEO, says “The deep injustice of this is that those who have done least to cause the climate crisis, and who have the least capacity to absorb and recover from its impact, or adapt in response, are suffering most severely from its impacts. As many of these rural communities rely on growing and selling crops to earn an income, the loss of livelihood has knock-on effects for families. Often families can’t afford to pay for classes, books or transport. This is aside from the very direct effects when schools are destroyed by floods or cyclones and roads become unpassable for children travelling to school.”
A 12-year-old Guatemala girl, Miriam, features on this year’s Trócaire Box with her family. “Her mother and father, Ilma and Julio, grow cardamon and corn to earn money for the family. They used to plant crops twice a year but now only plant once because of the extreme weather conditions. A drought devastated their crops which meant they had no income. Miriam was due to go to secondary school, an hour’s drive away, but her parents now cannot afford the €5 a week for the bus that would take her there,” added Ms de Barra.
She added: “This Lent we are asking the public in Ireland to help us support communities like Miriam’s as they mitigate and adapt to the effects of the climate crisis so that they can continue farming, protect their homes from flooding, make a fair living from their crops, send their children to school and become more resilient,” said Caoimhe de Barra.
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Guatemala this week as the US Agency for International Development is being essentially dismantled. Guatemala has agreed an increase in deportation flights back to Guatemala from the US of illegal immigrants. He announced plans to invest in Guatemala’s ports and roads but the extent of the cuts to the USAID programme is not clear and how it will affect the 200 workers.
Donations can also be made online at trocaire.org or by calling 1800 408 408.