Let's remember to celebrate the 'Global Mammies' this Mother's Day

Nenagh native, Michelle Hoctor from Trocaire is calling on people to remember the extraordinary mothers across the developing world this Mother’s Day.

This weekend people across Ireland will celebrate the mothers in their families and honour the women in their lives. The ‘Irish Mammy’ is a blessing to be cherished, but having worked and lived in the developing world I always also remember the ‘Global Mammies’ I have met who, despite struggling against unimaginable poverty and injustice, are making sure their children have a brighter future. Mothers across the developing world are struggling to feed their children and earn enough money to send them to school. The sacrifices mothers and families are making is extraordinary and highlights their strength and determination.

This week Trocaire is celebrating the women the organisation has been able to support thanks to donations from county Tipperary and across Ireland particularly during the Lenten campaign. The Trocaire Box is our biggest fundraising campaign and provides the organisation with funds which are critical to our programmes overseas. Last year Trocaire’s work supported 2.4 million people across the developing world. 75,000 women found specific support from our women’s empowerment programme, which is building women’s incomes and reducing their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation. This work would not have been possible without the generous support we receive from communities across Ireland.

Mothers across the developing world are regularly skipping meals so that their children can eat. They are undertaking dangerous, life-threatening work so that their children can go to school. Across Ireland this weekend we will be celebrating the wonderful ‘Irish Mammy’ and Trocaire is asking us to also remember the wonderful ‘Global Mammies’ who are working tirelessly to make sure their children have a better future.

This Lent the Trocaire box is box is very different, because it is covered with pictures of people across Ireland, who do so much to support the organisation’s work each year. The people featured on the box are school children, teachers, grandparents, the clergy and volunteers who support Trócaire’s work. All of these people have something in common- they cannot ignore injustice and poverty. They all want to make a difference in whatever way they can. Sometimes it is easy to look at the scale of global poverty and think ‘what can I do?’ This year our Trocaire box is dedicated to the thousands of people across Ireland who say “I’ll do what I can”.

800,000 people support the Lent campaign each year through the Trocaire Box. Thanks to people across Ireland we are supporting mothers to grow enough food for their children and earn enough income to send them to school. They are working hard and their strength and determination is incredible.

With the loyal support from county Tipperary they will build a better life for their families so be sure to pick up a Trocaire box and get involoved today!

For further information go to www.trocaire.org