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Elizabeth in Malawi is the mother of Aida and Madaliso who received Christmas Shoeboxes all the way from Ireland in 2024! 

They live in a small, rural home and 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! Elizabeth  was beaming as she watched her children unwrap the thoughtful gifts sent by people they will never meet. They were overwhelmed by kindness from so far away.

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Elizabeth is also part of a piggery project started by Team Hope’s partners in her area. The piggery will provide piglets to families who need support and they are also being trained in how to care for them, breed them and start their own businesses selling 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. 

The project is still in its early stages, but already it has brought renewed purpose and hope to Elizabeth’s family. The profits will allow her to feed her children 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. 

Elizabeth says “There are people with disabilities in the community who cannot help themselves and we should be helping them also.” Despite her own hardships, Elizabeth still looks outward, with empathy and compassion for others. 

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.