Caritas News

The theme of Project Compassion 2022 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and it is inspired by the biblical story of Noah’s Ark. More specifically, when the flood waters subsided, a rainbow appeared in the sky and the dove returned with an olive branch indicating a new beginning.

‘For All Future Generations’ implies a ripple effect, and in the context of Project Compassion, that the common good extends to future generations. The generosity and compassion we show today is the pebble that creates ripples that will improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, supporting them to flourish for generations to come.

It is an open invitation for everyone, as one human family, to do our part in making the world a better place by working together and finding solutions to global issues.

Visit the Project Compassion 2022 website to find out more.

This year, Project Compassion brings to you the story of a Wagilak woman working to pass down the traditions of her culture.

Janice is a traditional dancer who tells stories through movements handed down over generations. Her commitment to pass down Indigenous traditions has led her to become an integral member of Djilpin Arts and a leader in her community.

Like many other Artsworkers, she feels strongly about the important role that Djilpin Arts plays in keeping culture alive and strong in the community.

Janice believes that the cultural activity that Djilpin Arts promotes and facilitates can actually decrease marginalisation in her community.

According to the United Nations, traditional knowledge is communicated between generations through stories, songs, dances, carvings, paintings and performances.

Through the years, and as different cultures continue to blend in together, many of these traditions have been lost or are at risk of extinction.

With your generous support, Djilpin Arts works with Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory to help them gain new culturally appropriate skills that will
not only provide financial stability to the community but preserve Indigenous traditions.

Djilpin Arts advocates for remote communities while also protecting and sharing indigenous traditions. It supports cultural enterprises, all while supporting artists in the community with an income.

Elders run workshops and share their knowledge with the younger generation and with visitors. Local guides run bush cultural tours and architect-designed tourist accommodation is available.

Program Snapshot

54 Farmers harvested and sold approximately 37 tons of crops.

202 People were trained in sustainable agriculture irrigation practices.

180 School students were able to continue their education.

Anatercia's story

Anatercia, a 12-year-old girl living in southern Mozambique, was struggling to cope with adult responsibilities after her father passed away. She had to walk nearly five hours every day to collect water, leaving her with little time to focus on her education. Thanks to your generosity, Anatercia and her family participated in the Integrated Rural Development Program, supported by Caritas Australia’s partner, Caritas Regional Chokwe, which provided them with water, food, seeds, school supplies and a school uniform for Anatercia.

The program has changed the lives of members of Anatercia’s community by providing knowledge and information around children’s rights and girls education, access to safe and clean water, as well as sustainable agricultural production skills.

Now, Anatercia can easily access clean drinking water, community members are able to grow healthy crops all year round, sell excess vegetables to earn a small income to pay for school fees, and there is enough nutritious food to eat. Anatercia has more time to study and do her homework and hopes to fulfil her dream of becoming a nurse.

Rosalie's story

When Rosalie was only 15 years old, she was forced to join the army and made to transport munitions to soldiers on the battlefield.

Upon leaving the army she was eager to start a new life, free from violence, but like many ex-combatants, Rosalie found the challenge to adjust to civilian life overwhelming.

With her childhood and education cut short by the war, she had missed out on developing skills that would help her to find secure employment.

With your support, Rosalie was able to participate in the Protection and Re-Integration of Ex-Combatants program, where she learnt business and social skills. Supported by Caritas Australia’s partners, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Caritas Bukavu, the Protection and Re-Integration of Ex-Combatants program supports ex-combatants to integrate back into society and deal with the trauma they have faced.

Program Snapshot

600 Ex-combatants received business skills training.

35 Saving and Internal Lending Community (SILC), groups were provided with start-up kits.

People were provided post trauma counselling to help them reintegrate into society.

Biru's story

Biru lives in a rural village in India. He lost mobility in one of his legs after contracting polio as a child, which makes it difficult for him to walk.

A member of India’s Ho ethnic minority population, Biru started to work as a shepherd from a young age, looking after other people’s cattle.

He continued this work, after he married his wife, Budhni and had four daughters, even though keeping up with the cattle was a challenge.

Over 26 million people who have a disability in India also live in poverty. A further 69 percent of the population living with a disability reside in rural areas which makes access to support services, education and employment an even greater challenge.

Discrimination can further limit job opportunities and lead to social exclusion. In 2016, Biru joined the Community Led Development and Governance program, which is supported by Caritas Australia.

Through your generosity, the program works with tribal communities and vulnerable groups, such as people living with a disability, women and the elderly. It supports the development of small businesses; to improve farming and financial management skills, which helps increase incomes. Undertaking the program helped Biru to realise his potential.

Although Biru had taught himself to repair bicycles by watching other people, Biru never dreamed of using his skills to start his own business. With your generous support, Biru was able to gain the skills and support he needed to establish his own bicycle repair business.

Shaniella's story

BShaniella grew up in a small village in the Solomon Islands. In 2020, she moved away from home to study at the Rural Training Centre outside Honiara.

The vocational school is supported by Caritas Australia Solomon Islands (CASI), through the Happy, Healthy, Holistic Community Development program. Shaniella chose to study hospitality and tourism, in addition to compulsory subjects, like life skills, cooking, sewing and agricultural production. However, not long after she commenced her studies, the school was hit by a landslide, flooding, and a cyclone, all in quick succession.

Girls’ and women’s participation in secondary education, training and employment in the Solomon Islands is significantly lower compared to male students. Limited opportunities in remote areas, few live-in facilities at colleges and community attitudes relating to the traditional roles of women, all contribute to lower participation rates of women.

With your ongoing support, the Happy, Healthy, Holistic Community Development program, delivered by CASI, helps young women learn vocational skills like cooking, sewing, agriculture and livestock, as well as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) training.

With the help of supporters like you, CASI was able to assist the school by installing eight water tanks.

This restored students’ access to clean drinking water and the tanks also supplied water to nearby schools, health centres and the wider community.

CASI also provided the school with improved planting materials, 200 chickens, and training in agricultural skills and poultry management, to help boost food security.

Now, Shaniella can complete her skills training, with enough water and food to eat, as well as better hygiene and sanitation. She is improving her ability to earn an income, learning skills which will expand her job opportunities.

The school community has increased and diversified its crop supply and its number of poultry has quadrupled. Students are also better prepared to respond when disaster strikes.

Pancake Tuesday Extravaganza

During Lent, Caritas Australia invites everyone in our community to host their own fundraising events and donate to Project Compassion.

Each year, members of schools and parishes across Australia are brought together in the name of generosity, to help improve the livelihoods of people living in vulnerable and marginalised communities.

Activities kick off with Shrove Tuesday which gets its name from the ritual of shriving, which Christians used to undergo in the past.

In shriving, a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them. When a person receives absolution for their sins, they are forgiven and released from the guilt and pain that they have caused them. You may be wondering ‘what does this have to do with pancakes?’.

Shrove Tuesday was the last chance for a spot of indulgence before commencing the traditional 40 days of fasting. It was also an opportunity to use up food that couldn’t be eaten during Lent. This included eggs, fat and milk, which were made into pancakes and eaten on that day.

As part of their fundraising efforts, parishioners at St John’s, Numurkah flipped pancakes to raise money for communities in need.

Rosary School in Prospect, South Australia also held their own Pancake Tuesday, with pancakes for everyone. Parents volunteered to prepare more than 450 pancakes. Students were asked to bring a gold coin donation for their classroom prayer table Project Compassion box. Through the school’s social justice initiatives this year, they took this opportunity to “Awaken their Minds” on how to let our light shine and live out their Gospel values.