‘Break the Cycle of Poverty’, the new festive appeal from Tearfund in partnership with SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO stores across Northern Ireland, will aim to raise £350,000 through shopper donations this year.

What’s more, the retailer will match every £1 raised by shoppers, meaning an incredible £700,000 could go towards people living in extreme poverty around the world, like Malich and her family.

Malich’s family live in northern Kenya, in a community where, traditionally, they relied on livestock farming to survive. Constant cycles of droughts and floods mean that is no longer possible. Malich must search for water or rely on water trucks to refill tanks which they eke out, little by little. Her family also survives on little more than wild fruit to eat.

Chris Thompson, Tearfund’s Director in Northern Ireland says it’s often women that bear the brunt of this; “Women like Malich are walking tens of kilometers in search of jerry cans of water and fruit to pick, which leaves them vulnerable to attacks while they seek to keep their families alive.

“Tearfund exists to empower individuals like Malich, and the communities they live in, to break the cycle and lift themselves out of extreme poverty. We’ve been working in communities in this area of Kenya for three years enabled by our supporters’ generosity, including SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO shoppers. Our partners have also been supporting drought recovery through a resilience-building project, helping people explore viable alternative livelihoods, such as crop and chicken farming.”

Passionate about helping families thrive through food security, Chef Stephen Jeffers, who runs Belfast’s Forestside Cookery School, has come on board to support the festive appeal for 2024.

Stephen adds; “As a chef, I’m passionate about food and its power to bring people together. I love getting family and friends around the table to enjoy some good grub and it breaks my heart that around the world, families are having to travel so far in search of the very basics. That’s why I’m delighted to be supporting Tearfund’s Christmas Appeal this year, helping to break the cycle of poverty for families around the world. Please give what you can.”

Over the past 12 years, fundraising by shoppers in SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXTRA and ViVO Essentials stores in Northern Ireland, matched by the retailers, has positively impacted over half a million people living in extreme poverty around the world.

Bronagh Luke from SPAR NI continued; “Food security can often be something we can take for granted when we walk to our local store to pick up our essentials, however our shoppers are so generous every year, donating to this appeal to help build communities up that are thousands of miles away from their own.

“We are delighted to match every pound raised throughout this appeal, and helping Tearfund’s partners to build resilience throughout communities like Malich’s so that the cycle of food poverty can be broken once and for all. Early next year, a group from SPAR NI will visit some of those projects in Rwanda, where funds from our previous appeals have helped families rebuild their communities and provide for each other after devastating floods and droughts. We are so proud to be a small part of making such a big difference.”

Chris Thompson finished; “Around the world, we see the impact that donations have on the most vulnerable. Thank you to the SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO staff, as well as to all who will donate to help families thrive and break the cycle of poverty for good.”

Break the Cycle of Poverty is now live, with donation boxes in SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA stores throughout Northern Ireland, running until 31st January 2025. Shoppers can also donate online and find out more via tearfund.org/spar.

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