Shoebox Appeal charity launches new ‘tea party' drive
The new initiative is marking 15 years of the charity Team Hope, which works to transform children's lives by tackling poverty and inequality in African and eastern European countries.
Best known for its Christmas Shoebox Appeal, the not-for-profit organisation has revealed that people in Ireland have donated two million euro in life-changing aid since 2010.
The Team Hope Tea Party has a €240,000 target to fund vital projects such as clean water, education and income-generation opportunities in countries including Kenya, Burundi, Malawi, and Rwanda, where many live on less than two US dollars a day.
The campaign, running from June 14-22, is not confined to schools.
Sports clubs, businesses and individuals across the country are all invited to take part.
Team Hope chief executive Deborah Lowry said: 'Over the past 15 years, we've not only delivered millions of Christmas Shoebox gifts but have also helped provide access to clean water, healthcare and support for communities that need it most.
'In June, we'd love if people can think beyond the box and host a tea party to help raise vital funds to support that work.
'In the five years to the end of this year, we will have improved the lives of 10,000 children in our sustainable development projects.
'The locally-based water projects in Kenya not only provide clean water to communities but also mean that girls, who previously spent hours collecting water every day, can go to school. There are multiple layers to the improvements our work makes to people's lives.'
Some of Team Hope's other projects include the creation of pineapple farms in Rwanda, an income generator allowing parents to support their families and send their children to school.
'We know that we are impacting hundreds of people in their own communities and thousands of children as a result of this work,' Ms Lowry said.
'While the shoebox appeal opens the door so we can help the poorest communities create their own future, we want to tell a different story; that these children are well loved, that they are full of hope. We are only the little seeds that helps them build a better future.'
Participants in the Team Hope Tea Party can access a digital pack of downloads, including recipes and party ideas, as well as a donation page for their individual event through teamhope.ie.
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