“I’m extremely proud of my grand-uncle. His memory lives on”
Carrie Peach
By Margaret Rooney
Packie Lee’s family remember him as a man who was always looking out for others. So when he passed away in 2010, they were not surprised to find that Packie had left a gift to Trócaire in his Will – a way for his values and commitment to others to live on.
I had the privilege of travelling to Ethiopia with Packie’s grandniece, Carrie, to see the impact his gift has had.
In Hosanna, four hours south of the capital city, we saw Packie’s legacy at work. This is an area where climate change has made rainfall less predictable. For farming families who rely on the rain to grow crops, this has made life even more difficult. Hunger is on the rise.
We met two women farmers, Bizunesh Ayule and Aster Lucas, who welcomed us into their homes. Bizunesh and Aster used to face regular food shortages due to drought. Their children would find it difficult to concentrate at school because they were hungry.
Thanks to Packie’s legacy, Trócaire has built irrigation systems that have transformed their once barren plots of land into real working farms, where they can produce enough nutritious food for their families. They also share what they can with their neighbours.
As a life-long farmer himself it is wonderful to think that Packie’s gift is helping families in Ethiopia to live off the land and grow enough food to support their children.
At a nearby health clinic we saw what happens when the lack of rain means that families are unable to provide for themselves. We met Sr. Celine and her team who provide health care and feeding programmes to children under the age of five. These children are from families whose crops have not grown and who are struggling to survive.
Packie’s gift to Trócaire helped to fund the work of the health centre. Sr. Celine and her amazing team give sick children a drink that provides all the nutrients they need to recover. Usually children stay in the clinic for two to three weeks.
Both Carrie and I were deeply moved by the work of the clinic. It was upsetting seeing children hungry and in poor health but we could also see the incredible work being done to help them.
Sr. Celine told us how painful it is for parents to have to take their children to the clinic. She showed us the symptoms of malnutrition and showed us charts that outlined the progress being made by the children currently under their care.
There is so much life-changing work being brought about in Ethiopia because of kind people like Packie. For Carrie, the visit to Ethiopia was an emotional journey to see the impact her grand-uncle continues to have on people at risk of hunger.
“It was a really special experience to see the projects Packie has helped to support through his will,” she told me. “I’m extremely proud of my grand-uncle. His memory lives on.”
Trócaire works with incredible people around the world to deliver lasting change to people living in poverty or injustice. We work with local communities, building partnerships and enabling people to take the steps needed to improve their own lives.
You can be assured that leaving a gift of any value in your Will can make a lasting difference to the people that Trócaire works with for generations to come.
