Team Hope: “Children are truly amazed when they receive Christmas gift shoeboxes from Ireland”

"For some, this is the first time in their life they will be gifted something to call their own."

Vestine Kanyamuneza first got involved in the Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal in 2005. After meeting members of the charity during a presentation to Arm-Burundi, a ministry she works with, Vestine witnessed first-hand the differences Christmas shoeboxes made to vulnerable children in East Africa. "Everyone was really touched by this wonderful work and immediately thought of Burundian children who never get the chance of receiving gifts in their life," she tells Her. "The shoebox appeal offered the opportunity to make a difference, so Arm-Burundi partnered with Team Hope. We have been working together since then and still appreciate the charity work of Christmas shoeboxes.” Vestine wanted to continue to help the less fortunate through her ministry's projects. She got involved with Team Hope not just to supply local children with presents at Christmas, but to give "hope, joy, and opportunity to the hopeless." “I like to serve others," she says. "Our charity work serves vulnerable people in different ways and I like that - I’m happy when I make someone happy. “Many Burundian families are very poor, so they dream of a Christmas day where they can get access to good and sufficient food for their children. "This is why children are truly amazed and surprised when they receive beautiful Christmas gift shoeboxes from Ireland - they cry but their eyes are full of joy. It is a very special event for them." But the importance of a shoebox isn't just grounded in its contents. According to Vestine, the appeal has had a wider societal impact, particularly with education. "We distribute shoeboxes through a number of schools," she says. "For students who abandon school, they often return so that they can receive a gift the following year. It is good to encourage them to be in school and have ambitions." Each year, Team Hope delivers thousands upon thousands of shoeboxes filled with toys, sweets, and clothes to children in need across Europe and Africa. This year, things are going to be a little different due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of filling a shoebox at home, the charity is asking people to get involved online and fill a virtual shoebox that will then be delivered directly to a child in need. Despite this change, Team Hope remain hopeful that this year's drive will be a success, and Vestine remains hopeful that shoeboxes will continue to bring a smile to Burundi children's faces. “We cannot overstate the value of a shoebox," she says. "It is an opportunity for children to receive gifts that their parents would love to give them, but cannot provide them with. "In most cases, children don’t have items of their own and share everything with their siblings. For some, this is the first time in their life they will be gifted something to call their own. Can you imagine what that feels like?" You can find out more about this year's Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal here.