Garden designer Diarmuid Gavin, along with students from Scoil Aoife Community National School, Dublin, helped to launch Trócaire’s Christmas ‘Gifts of Love’ for Christmas 2019 in Citywest, Dublin.
Encouraging people to support this year’s Christmas Gifts range, Chelsea Flower Show and RDS Gold Award medallist Diarmuid said, “I’m delighted to support Trócaire’s Gifts of Love. I think they make a lovely Christmas gift for family and friends, knowing that they will help numerous families who are living in really testing conditions.
“Considering my own work, I’m particularly enthused to see that Trócaire have added a gift of trees this year. Trees can do so much to protect and preserve farms and land – they provide nutrients to the soil, which allow crops to grow, they can prevent landslides during rainy season and they help to reduce flooding.
“Trees are also a vital source of shade for crops, they retain moisture to help prevent droughts during the dry season and their leaves provide essential fertiliser for the soil. The wood from trees can be used for firewood and buildings. Trees allow food to grow, protect crops and allow people to build homes. They are essential for daily life in rural communities around the world.”
Trócaire CEO Caoimhe de Barra said, “Families across Africa, Asia and Central America will benefit from the new Gift of Trees. About 70% of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas and they depend on farms and the land to survive. Trees are a lifeline in rural communities in many countries where we work like Guatemala, Rwanda, Malawi and Myanmar.”
“More than €683,000 was raised last year through our gift range. This has allowed us to support more than 25,000 families living in some of the world’s poorest countries. Your support provided families with clean water, essential tools, livestock and help with education.”
Trócaire’s Christmas Gifts campaign has sold more than 945,000 gifts since 2000 amounting to a total of €38m to support families overseas affected by long-term poverty and denial of human rights.
There are 15 Trócaire gifts to choose from this year, such as chicks, beehives and solar lamps ranging in price from €5 to €1000. New additions for 2019 include the ‘Gift of Trees’ for €85.
For the full range see www.trocaire.org/gifts.
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