The Difference You Make
Elizabeth in Malawi is the mother of Aida and Madaliso who received Christmas Shoeboxes all the way from Ireland last year!
They live in a small, rural home in Nantapo and like so many women in the area, Elizabeth works tirelessly to provide a better future for her children, despite overwhelming obstacles.
When the Team Hope team visited, it was pouring rain and the roof above them, made from worn thatch, was leaking. But inside, smiles lit the room. Aida and Madaliso had just received their Christmas Shoebox gifts! Their joy was visible in their wide eyes and huge smiles. Elizabeth, too, was beaming as she watched her children unwrap the thoughtful gifts sent by people they will never meet. They were overwhelmed by this kindness from afar.
Elizabeth is also part of a piggery project started by Team Hope’s in Nantapo. The piggery project is providing piglets to families who need support and training them in how to care for the piglets, breed them and start their own businesses selling the new piglets. Elizabeth explained, “I cannot afford school fees or uniforms for my children, but what worries me most is not being able to feed them even two meals a day.” Often, Aida and Madaliso go to bed hungry, while Elizabeth does what she can, working in neighbours’ fields for the price of a small bag of maize.
Her situation worsened in 2023 when Cyclone Freddy destroyed their home and wiped out the last of their livestock. Life has never been easy for the family, but that storm took what little they had left. Yet Elizabeth never gave up hope. “We pray together regularly as a family for God to intervene”, she told our team.
When she was invited to join the Piggery Project, she didn’t hesitate. The project is still in its early stages, but already it has brought renewed purpose and hope to Elizabeth’s family. She believes the profits will allow her to feed her children more regularly, buy small livestock, repair their home, and most importantly — send Aida and Madaliso back to school. They dream of becoming a teacher and a doctor.
Despite her own hardships, Elizabeth still looks outward, with empathy and compassion for others. “There are people with disabilities in the community who cannot help themselves and we should be helping them also”.
Stories like Elizabeth’s show us how connected our actions really are. Each shoebox sent from Ireland brings real joy — and each donation to our projects lays the foundation for long-term change. To everyone who supports the Christmas Shoebox Appeal or contributes to our sustainable development work: you are truly making a difference.
Pack a Christmas Shoebox or make a donation today — and help change a child’s life, just like Aida and Madaliso’s.
Every box brings joy. Every gift of support builds a future.