Concerned July Newsletter 2026

We started our work in Rwanda in 1994 in the aftermath of a genocide that would take the lives of more than 800,000 people, and have been working to support families in the East African country ever since.

By the 2010s, we began to see the green shoots of recovery in Rwanda and real transformation came with the launch of Concern's Graduation programmes, which provided people with the tools, training and financial support they needed to become economically secure.

In June of 2026 we left Rwanda, leaving local leaders and communities to continue on with the incredible progress they have made over the last number of years. This progress would not have been possible without you, our donors, and we thank you sincerely.

Charlotte and her husband, Joel, are just one family whose lives have been transformed through our Green Graduation Programme. 

“Before, our life was not going well,” Charlotte told us. “Then Concern gave us support to build a house.” With a new kitchen garden, Charlotte was able to grow and sell crops. 

She also received money to buy some chickens and a goat. Charlotte now has a sustainable supply of nourishing eggs and milk for her family, as well as more produce to sell. “We have made money to send both of our children to school. Other people learn from us. We are happy. This is a good change.”

Our email series, Shared Ground, explores the connections between people in Ireland and the communities we work with around the world, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

These connections are shaped by history, culture and our shared values such as resilience, care for the land - and hope for the future. 

As August begins, many of us recognise Lughnasa – an old Irish turning point of the year when the first fruits are gathered. Traditionally, it was a time for neighbours to come together; for gratitude, fairs, music and food. It also invites us to acknowledge something enduring – how deeply we depend on the land and on one another. 

For the farming families Concern works with in the DRC, this moment carries the same weight. Harvest is not symbolic; it is survival, determining whether children eat, whether seeds are saved and whether families can face the months ahead with dignity. But despite the country’s vast agricultural potential, many people rely on small plots and a narrow range of staple crops, just as Ireland once had. 

With the support of people like you, we have provided families in the DRC with seeds and agricultural kits, including essential tools, as well as climate-focused training to build secure, long-term livelihoods. This Lughnasa, as we think of shared fields and shared meals, we are recognising something deeper: across continents and cultures, people are guided by the same rhythms of soil, season and care. 

Thank you for being part of that shared ground.

If you’d like to receive our Shared Ground emails and other updates from Concern by email, please contact us and opt in at: preferences@concern.net

When we work together, we can help children flourish now and in the future. 

These snapshots are just a few examples of this work in action, made possible because of kind people like you.

None of our work in Concern would be possible without you, our donors. Once again, a heartfelt thank you for your support as we continue to work with people in some of the world's most vulnerable communities.