In a world grappling with myriad challenges, Catholic organisations like Caritas Australia lead the charge in addressing critical global issues. Our focus extends to empowering vulnerable communities, where poverty and injustice often compound problems like conflict, disease, and natural disasters.
By emphasising education, health, women’s rights, and environmental sustainability, we aim to uproot the causes of inequality. Our approach is collaborative, working closely with local men, women, and children to build resilience and foster sustainable development. This strategy is pivotal in transforming the lives of those in need, ensuring they have the tools to overcome adversity and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Poverty and injustice can hinder a community’s progress leaving it vulnerable to more harm in the form of conflict, disease, natural disasters and inequality. We are working alongside women, men and children in vulnerable communities around the world to overcome these challenges. By focusing on significant global issues, such as health, education, women’s rights, food security and water security and other critical world issues in vulnerable countries around the world.
Vulnerable communities face significant challenges to their health and ability to access affordable medicine and basic health care – and burden a community’s development for years on end. Poor health, hygiene, sanitation and access to safe drinking water can significantly affect all aspects of life. We’re working with communities on the ground to improve health, wellbeing and access to health care.
Children without an education lack the confidence and skills they need for a secure future leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and neglect. Our programs support the education of children regardless of their situations because of how it can transform their lives and communities.
Women’s rights in developing countries are still far behind the rest of the world. Every day, women and girls experience inequality, exploitation and gender-based violence. We’re working closely with vulnerable communities to uphold women’s rights and advocate for gender equality.
Multiple factors impact food security in marginalised communities causing widespread hunger and malnutrition that can threaten lives and livelihoods. We work with families to help ensure that they are prepared by having reliable and sustainable sources of food all year round.
Every day we’re supporting Indigenous communities across Australia with improved access to skills training and employment opportunities, cultural healing and inter-generational support programs. Standing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders for their rights and culture is the core of our First Australians program.
Clean water, hygiene and sanitation are essential to life, livelihoods and a community's development. Without access to water, livelihoods, health care and even education are at risk. We work with vulnerable communities to improve access to clean, safe water for drinking, washing, cooking and irrigation - supporting communities in improving water infrastructure and sanitation systems and awareness-raising.
Environmental changes and recurring natural disasters have a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities around the world, which are already living with poverty and inequality. We are working with our local partners to develop programs to assist vulnerable communities to adapt and to tackle the challenges of a changing climate.
For people living with a disability in vulnerable communities around the world, the challenges of poverty, limited access to health, education and services are amplified. A lack of awareness about disability in their communities often leads to discrimination, social stigma and exclusion. We work with our local partners on programs to enable people living with disabilities and their families to access education, training, employment, as well as supporting community education.
Causes of poverty are complex and interlinked with injustice, inequality, ethnicity, gender, age, economics, social systems and cultural attitudes. We work with local communities and our partners to address issues that affect poverty, supporting communities in improving access to health, education and in preparing for natural disasters - building strengths, resources and resilience.
Vulnerable, marginalised communities around the world, already living with poverty are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, with health and hospital systems under severe pressure. We’re working with our local partners on the ground to reach these communities through the distribution of masks, PPE, water and food kits, working to improve hygiene and sanitation as well as awareness-raising programs about preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Many of the communities we work with rely on agriculture for food and livelihoods. Events such as natural disasters and conflicts can have a severe impact on agriculture. We’re supporting farmers with sustainable agricultural methods to help strengthen food security and build resilience against environmental changes and adverse weather events.
Communities already living with poverty are at increased risk from natural disasters which can have long-term effects on their lives and livelihoods, making them more vulnerable. During emergencies, we work with our local partner organisations to reach some of the world’s most remote communities with emergency aid when they need it the most.