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WHEN Castlederg lady Deborah Lowry signed on as CEO for Team Hope just over a year ago, she knew she was stepping into something special – but she couldn’t have imagined how deeply the role would touch her heart.
Having previously managed Lough Derg in Donegal for 12 years (2001 to 2013), Deborah says her path has come full circle as she prepares for the fifteenth year of the Team Hope’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal, a project that delivers joy and dignity to children in some of the world’s poorest communities.
From the tranquil shores of Lough Derg to the dusty villages of Africa, Deborah Lowry’s career has been anything but ordinary. This week the local lady reflected on her journey, as well as revealing what inspired her to take on such a fulfilling role with Team Hope.
“I have always said that my time at Lough Derg was the most graceful period of my life both professionally and personally,” she said.
“As the first manager of a 1,500 year old pilgrimage sight, and as a Presbyterian woman, to recruit me was a brave step.”
Since leaving Lough Derg in 2013, Deborah went on to spend four years as a manager in Omagh Leisure Centre before moving to England where she spent a further five years working for the National Trust.
Having returned home during the Covid-19 pandemic, she continued working for the National Trust but following the death of an old friend, she was inspired to rethink her career path, a decision that ultimately inspired her to join Team Hope.
“The Prior of Lough Derg passed away two years ago, out of the blue, and that hit me hard,” she explained.
“We had a very special friendship and I started rethinking and recalling my time there and the difference I was making.”
It was then by chance that Deborah was approached by a recruitment company in Belfast, offering her the chance to take on her current role with Team Hope.
“It’s great to work for a Christian charity who, whilst small in stature, do amazing work and are locally based,” she said.
“The fact that we can make such a difference in some of the most impoverished communities throughout the world is just amazing.”
Since taking on the role of CEO, Deborah has had the chance to visit some of the countries in which Team Hope’s work has made such a difference, including Romania and several parts of Africa.
Recalling her first visit to Romania as part of last year’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal, she spoke of some of the horrific scenes she witnessed.
“It was winter and it was very cold,” she recalled.
“There were children living in abandoned villages in primitive and desperate conditions – conditions that no child should have to live in.
“While we were able to bring some joy to them with the shoebox appeal, it was very difficult to witness.”
Having also visited Africa in March, Deborah described the contrast of joy and poverty that she and her colleagues experienced.
“Things were much deeper in terms of poverty and hunger,” she said.
“But at the same time, many of the children were brimming with joy, full of so much hope, and are so loved by their parents and their communities.”
As well as the positive impact of the Christmas Shoebox Appeal, Deborah was able to see the impact that Team Hope has had throughout Africa, with the charity having helped set up practical amenities throughout the continent, including a pig farm in Malawi, a borehole project in Kenya, and a pineapple farm in Burundi.
A little closer to home, Deborah also spoke of her delight in seeing so many local children doing their bit for the charity.
“The joy of it all is seeing kids in Ireland taking part, particularly in the shoebox appeal,” she said.
“It’s extremely heart-warming to see them actively helping children thousands of miles away who they may never meet, and teaching them about the importance of kindness and empathy in the process.
“Too often, we only see bad things on the news these days about how awful the world is, but there is still absolutely amazing things happening and it’s a wonderful way to practice kindness, especially at Christmas.”
Deborah said that last year alone, Team Hope sent out 180,000 boxes to some of the poorest countries in the world, and this year, as they approach their fifteenth anniversary since the Christmas Shoebox Appeal first began in 2010, they hope to send out their three millionth box.
“That would mean three million children we have made a difference for,” she reflected.
“We have stories from every single community they go to, which just fills us with joy – especially when we see the kids clapping, singing, shouting, and parents crying tears of joy.”
As Team Hope prepares for the fifteenth year of their Christmas Shoebox Appeal, they have asked local schools, businesses, families and individuals to get involved to support children living in poverty around the world. For more information visit www.teamhope.ie
The fact that we can make such a difference in some of the most impoverished communities throughout the world is just amazing
