Tradition of giving matters more than ever in a world in turmoil

A coin dropped in a Trócaire box becomes something powerful when we often feel so powerless now

Julio, Ilma and their four children, 13-year-old Miriam; 11-year-old Julio Jnr; four-year-old Deborah; and baby Gloria feature on this year's Trócaire Box.

As Lent drew to a close and Easter Sunday was celebrated throughout the country, families gathered to celebrate, eat chocolate, and enjoy the Bank Holiday. I reflected on the last six weeks of Lent. 

The tradition of giving something up still resonates with many — a guilty pleasure, a bad habit, maybe the morning scroll through social media - but this year, as I finish my first Lent working for Trócaire, the idea of “giving something up” carries a heavier weight. Because in Guatemala, children are giving up something they should never have to: their education.  

In March, I had the privilege of visiting the community and family featured in the Trócaire Box Appeal for Lent in Guatemala. Guatemala sits on the Central American Dry Corridor, which encompasses parts of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. This area exposes those living in these areas to heatwaves and unpredictable rainfall. The ecosystems and people of the Dry Corridor are some of the most vulnerable in the world to climate change.  

When we arrived in this small rural community in central Guatemala, we crossed a long wooden bridge connecting it to the outside world. Prior to 2020, when, with the help of Trócaire this bridge was built, the only way to get to the community and their land was by boat. We were welcomed into the community with a ceremony where they prayed for our safety travelling back to Ireland, “Mother Earth”, and for a strong, healthy crop. 

The people in this community are Mayan and are indigenous to their land, much like 40% of the population of the country, 6.5 million people. They know the importance of understanding the movements of 'Mother Earth', but recently, she has become less predictable than ever.  For them, uncertain weather means failed crops — crops they rely on for income. 

Julio, Ilma and their four children, 13-year-old Miriam; 11-year-old Julio Jnr; four-year-old Deborah; and baby Gloria feature on this year's Trócaire box. Ilma and Julio grow cardamom and corn to earn money for the family. 

Katie Drea: The whole world is experiencing the impact of the climate crisis, but what's happening in Guatemala is what climate injustice looks like: those who did the least to cause the crisis are paying the highest price. Children are losing their education, and with it, their chance at a better future.  

Julio showed us where he used to plant crops twice a year, but now only plants once because of the extreme weather conditions. This means they no longer have an income from their crops, something they could rely on in the past. The increasingly unpredictable climate, failed crops, and the negative effects that come with it are daily realities for people whose lives depend on the land and whose children’s futures depend on being in school.  

Unfortunately, education is often the first thing to go when a crisis strikes. In 2024 alone, 242 million students in 85 countries had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events.  In the community where Julio, Ilma and their family live there is a small school, a one-room wooden hut with a dirt floor. During the ever-increasing rainy season the roof of the school leaks and a bowed plank of wood is the only thing preventing the roof from caving, the dirt floor becomes muddy, but the children in the community are determined to learn.   

Their teacher travels an hour each day to teach them. She told me how the conditions for learning are not ideal, yet the school is full every day. This school serves the children of the community up to the end of their primary education. 

The teacher described Julio and Ilma’s eldest, Miriam, as the brightest student she has taught. She explained how Miriam has now become too old for this school and has begun to go to secondary school. That school is a two-hour drive each way and Miriam takes the local public bus service every day, costing about €5 a week. 

Miriam lives in a small community in Guatemala. She dreams of becoming a teacher.

I asked Miriam what she wanted to be when she grew up, and after some hesitation, she said her dream is to become a teacher. Miriam’s pause before answering this question was deafening because the reality is that she is aware that this dream may never become a reality.   Her mother, Ilma, explained that Miriam is happy to travel to school and is determined to continue her education. 

However, after another failed crop of cardamom, she and her husband, Julio, know the day will come when they will have to choose between feeding their family of six or paying for Miriam’s school bus — a choice no parent should have to make.  

The whole world is experiencing the impact of the climate crisis, but this is what climate injustice looks like: those who did the least to cause the crisis are paying the highest price. Children are losing their education, and with it, their chance at a better future.  

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of global problems like these. The climate crisis is complex. Education systems are under pressure. Poverty is deeply rooted. Conflict is ongoing. No one person can fix it all.  

Working at Trócaire, I have already seen the impact of our country’s generosity. We’re working with communities like Julio and Ilma’s to build resilience through sustainable farming, climate adaptation, and, crucially, by keeping children in school.  The iconic Trócaire box isn’t just a symbol of Lent. It’s a lifeline. Every coin dropped in one becomes something powerful — it becomes clean water, school bus fare, shelter during conflict, and healthcare during emergencies. It becomes hope. It becomes justice.  

Cut in global support

This year, that support is more critical than ever. One of the world’s biggest donors, the United States, has slashed 90% of its global aid budget, and the UK has followed suit. As funding disappears, we’re seeing devastating consequences.  

In Somalia, where Trócaire provides the only healthcare in Gedo — a region the size of Ireland — we lost €1.7 million in funding due to US cuts. Three health centres were forced to close. In just one of those centres, 100 babies were safely delivered in February. Maternal mortality rates had dropped significantly since clinics were opened — and now, mothers are being turned away.  

We are not as reliant on US aid as others, but our partners are, and when programmes collapse, the pressure falls on the remaining services. We’re now doing more with less, and stretched to the limit.  

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So yes, what starts as small change in a cardboard box can feel insignificant. But it’s not. It’s everything.  It’s the €5 that keeps a child like Miriam on a bus to school. It’s the coin that helps a community rebuild after a flood. It’s the difference between a closed clinic and a safe birth.  

And in a year where global compassion feels like it’s in retreat, our Irish tradition of giving, especially at Lent, matters more than ever.  This isn’t just a story about Guatemala. It’s about all of us. About the kind of world we want to live in, and the future we want to build. These are things Irish people have stood up for again and again.

• Katie Drea is Communications Officer at Trócaire