DUHAMIC-ADRI, in partnership with TROCAIRE CJC progrm activities to Gisagara District officials. On Thursday, 5 March 2026, DUHAMIC-ADRI, in partnership with TROCAIRE, organized a workshop for the official handover of the Climate Justice Communities Programme "CJC" activities to the leadership of Gisagara District marking an important step toward the sustainability of the programme at the district level. The workshop brought together the programme partners, the Mayor of Gisagara District, Jerome Rutaburingoga Jerome Rutaburingoga, & District team from district to cell level and key stakeholders to reflect on the achievements, lessons learned, and the impact of the programme within the community. Main activities handed over includes: Retrofitted and constructed houses, improved cookstoves, bench terraces and progressive terraces, solar-powered irrigation kits, a groundwater harvesting & irrigation system, tree nurseries with forestry, fruit and agroforestry trees, Saving groups, Planted forestry trees, distributed small livestocks to vulnerable households, etc. in Muganza, Ndora, and Kibirizi sectors. During this handover, the DUHAMIC-ADRI Executive Secretary Benjamin Muhigirwa expressed his gratitude to Partners, Districts officials, and Project participants for their participation during the project implementation and requested them the ownership for long-term sustainability. CJC Programme is implemented by DUHAMIC-ADRI, in partnership with TROCAIRE ,with funds from the Scottish Government, through Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, and CBM Global Disability Inclusion.

Trócaire urges government to fulfil climate obligations and halt state-led LNG plans. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, the Environment and Energy, yesterday (26 February 2026) released its report on the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve bill, which aims to accelerate the development of a state-led Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Ireland with bespoke legislation. Trócaire is deeply concerned about these plans to introduce a state-led LNG facility in Ireland, because of its global justice implications. The incoherence of introducing new fossil fuel infrastructure in the midst of a climate emergency cannot be understated. The climate crisis is a deep human rights crisis and a crisis of injustice and inequality and progressing with this facility would further entrench climate injustice in Ireland's policies. Sinéad Loughran, Climate Justice Policy & Advocacy Advisor, at Trócaire said it is imperative that the government re-considers the fundamentals underlining this proposed development: "The Government must urgently halt their Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve bill and the approval of a state-led LNG facility, given the numerous oversights and flaws highlighted in the committee report. Of particular note, it points clearly to failures to consider climate obligations and existing secondary backup fuels in the Government's analysis which has been used to justify this new, expensive and risky infrastructure that will create fossil fuel lock-in. This is an unacceptable omission for such significant decisions in a climate emergency" "In approving the state-led LNG terminal the Government's analysis assumes that Ireland's 2030 energy demand reduction obligation, mandated under EU law, won't even be met a full 10 years later in 2040. It is wholly indefensible to pursue legislation that actively accepts ongoing failure from Ireland on its climate action. The committee's recommendation to reassess this analysis is evidence of the flawed approach which claims to justify introducing state-led LNG. "The Government must now act on this recommendation that the Department carry out an immediate and updated Energy Security Review including an examination of alternatives and Ireland's obligations under the Energy Efficiency Directive and limiting the growth of energy demand by big energy users. Transboundary impacts While recognising the necessity of considering transboundary impacts fully and the risks of facilitating commercial LNG terminals through this bill and the state-led LNG development, the report fails to set out any meaningful safeguard in relation to fracked gas. The introduction of an LNG terminal will commit Ireland to further fossil fuel lock-in increasing reliance on polluting and harmful fossil fuels, when Trócaire Head Office, Maynooth, Co. must urgently phase out. "The human rights and environmental impacts of fracked gas are devastating. The idea that Trócaire Head Office, Maynooth, Co. could then import fracked gas that causes untold damages to other communities is at odds with Ireland's own recognition of the harms of fracking which was banned in Ireland in 2017. On the risks of Commercial LNG... "The report rightfully highlights the risks state-led LNG would have on facilitating commercial LNG operations in Ireland. To ignore this threat would be an alarming oversight and neglect of responsibilities given that the approval of this state-led development removed the mechanisms used to reject commercial LNG planning applications previously and has now re-opened the door for such applications. "It is long past time that Ireland got honest about its climate obligations. Ireland has a domestic and international duty to reduce gas demand urgently. Introducing new fossil fuel infrastructure with the promise that this will not increase gas demand simply does not add up to its responsibility to reduce gas demand significantly by 2030 and phase out all fossil fuels urgently. No justification can be given to continue to ignore its obligations under climate law, and those obligations have been expressly ignored in the approval of this development.

"Now I can sell a surplus and keep my children in school without struggle" A three-year programme which has just come to an end in South Sudan has changed thousands of lives for the better, Trócaire has said. The programme was made possible by donations during Trócaire's Lent Appeal 2021 from the public here at home which were matched pound for pound by the UK government through the UK Aid Match initiative. This resulted in an extra £2 million in funding. The programme provided vital support for families to rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient in a country that has been plagued by conflict and the effects of climate change. Families who didn't have enough food to eat are now able to grow enough to feed themselves and sell the surplus, have improved access to clean water and have been supported to start the psychological recovery from the effects of the conflict. One of the people who have seen the benefits of taking part in the programme is Mary. Mary is a mother with nine children and before the programme she lived each day wondering how she would feed her family. Her life was a constant battle against floods, drought and conflict. One year, heavy rains washed away her crops and the next was a devastating drought, with a boiling heat that burned away her farm. As communities were repeatedly displaced because of the conflict, the struggle for survival intensified. Women and children bore the heaviest burden. There was limited access to clean water and malnutrition was common, especially among mothers and young children. Traditional farming methods failed in the face of the changing climate and food became scarce. Insecurity and displacement limited movement and access to basic services, while early marriages, domestic violence and child labour became common in a community struggling to survive. "I remember sometimes my children went to bed without eating anything, there were no seeds to plant, no tools to use and no money to buy either," Mary said. Hope arrived in 2022 through the UK Aid Match programme which began working in Mary's community. The project aimed to strengthen families' recovery from years of crisis by improving livelihoods, food security, access to clean water and protection for women and girls. Through the project, Mary received agricultural support training on modern farming techniques and was provided with seeds and tools to help her restart her life. Programme workers visited her farm regularly, demonstrating improved planting, soil management and water conservation methods. ary and her children harvesting their groundnut crop. Photo: Kade Betty Kenyi /Trócaire Her community handpumps were rehabilitated, giving access to clean and safe water for the first time in years, which reduced water-borne diseases for children and the burden of long walks to distant water points for women and girls. Mary joined a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), where she learned how to save, borrow and manage money. The VSLA became a platform for women like Mary to build confidence, share ideas and support one another. Her group has established a social support fund to pay school fees for orphaned children in the community, a powerful act of solidarity born out of empowerment. "I didn't know anything about saving before, but now, I save every week and take small loans to pay school fees for my six school-going children." Beyond farming and finance, the project also established Women and Girls' Safe Spaces where Mary participated in psychosocial support and life skills activities; she learned about gender equality, gender-based violence prevention and how to speak up for herself and other women. "I used to be quiet about my struggles, but I have confidence now to talk about my rights, and I support other women to know theirs too," Mary said. The sessions also facilitated survivors of violence receiving support services, restoring their sense of safety and self-worth. Through continuous community engagement under the UKAM programme, life has slowly improved. Early and forced marriages have reduced replaced by a growing enrolment of girls in schools. Cases of diarrhoea and waterborne diseases have dropped as families adopted better hygiene practices and constructed latrines. Women have gained business and leadership skills, allowing them to take an active role in community decision-making. "Since the start of the project, my farming skills have improved, and my harvest, especially groundnuts and sorghum, has increased. Now I can sell a surplus and keep my children in school without struggle," said Mary. "I am grateful to the programme for helping us find our strength again. We can now feed our families and support each other to make a better future." Peter Heaney, Head of Region for Trócaire in Northern Ireland, says that this amazing programme was only possible through the collaboration between Trócaire, the public in Northern Ireland and the UK government. "We are so grateful to people here at home who donated to the Lenten Appeal in 2021. This programme has shown the positive change that can be possible if only people in countries like South Sudan had support as they face the huge challenges of conflict and climate change and which results in amazing stories like Mary's." Trócaire Christmas Appeal is this year focusing on 'Children in Conflict' in places including South Sudan, Somalia, Gaza and Ethiopia. Click here to donate.