No 131 summer 2012
The well of hope Water is life Let us reflect and rejoice This season of Advent Give the gift of water Christmas Global Gifts Living our mission Annual Report snapshot
1800 024 413 www.caritas.org.au
FROM THE CEO Christmas is a precious time of year and one I cherish personally. As we herald the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ, many of us spend time with our families. We are all members of multiple families – God’s family, our home family and our local community. But you are also part of another very special community – the Caritas family. It is your compassion, your willingness to help the poorest of the poor that has drawn you into the Caritas family. Through our Caritas programs, which are only made possible with your support, we are fulfilling Christ’s command when he said that whatever we do for the least of God’s family, we do unto him. Over the past century, unclean water, poor sanitation and unsafe hygiene practices have claimed more lives than anything else. Our global community has made significant inroads to improving people’s access to clean water. In fact, this year on 6 March 2012, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the world had met the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water, three years ahead of the deadline. Nevertheless, today 2.5 billion people, including almost one billion children, still live without even basic sanitation. In this summer edition of Caritasnews we explore our life-giving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) work in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malawi. The delivery of clean water and sanitation is an integral part of our holistic development strategy. Working with local partners, we support communities to access safe drinking water, develop adequate sanitation facilities and implement better hygiene practices. We are also working with a local partner in Bolivia to assist the community of Pasorapa, a small agricultural town. With the current state of drought in this region, the locals are learning about producing nutritious food using minimal water. All these initiatives not only lead to better health, they change lives. As Christmas approaches, we take time through Advent to reflect on the past, present and future. In this Year of Grace, I wish you, and all the Caritas family, a safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Jack de Groot, CEO
From all at Caritas Australia, thank you for your support in 2012. May the spirit of Christmas bring you joy this festive season.
thank you This issue of Caritasnews is based around our precious lifegiving resource: water. Thank you for helping us create better futures through our water projects – water gives life, water brings hope; Christ used it to represent spiritual renewal because of these qualities. Thank you to the volunteers and attendees of our Walk As One forum at St Aloysius, Sydney in August. A major focus for Caritas Australia in 2012-13, join our campaign and walk in solidarity with our world’s Indigenous Peoples.
Last Christmas we developed an Advent calendar based on the ancient Christian symbol of the Jesse tree. Our popular calendar has been redesigned and helps you to reflect, pray and act in solidarity with the world’s poor this Advent. Available as an iPhone app, online and in PowerPoint at www.caritas.org.au/advent.
For the latest news, events and updates head to: Twitter: www.twitter.com/CaritasAust Facebook: www.facebook.com/CaritasAU YouTube: www.youtube.com/CaritasAustralia Website: www.caritas.org.au Phone: 1800 024 413 (toll free) 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday Cover: Young sisters collecting water from a communal village well in rural India. Photo: Peter Saunders All photos Caritas Australia unless otherwise stated.
Caritas Australia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land.
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03 WATER: THE WELL OF HOPE 04 The gift of water: Malawi 06 A self-sufficient future: Bolivia 07 FRESH WATER BENEFITS: INDONESIA 08 MAKING WATER SAFE: BANGLADESH 09 GIVE THIS CHRISTMAS WITH GLOBAL GIFTS 10 ANNUAL REPORT 2011-12 SNAPSHOT
WASH: WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE
WATER: THE WELL OF HOPE Recognising that access to water is a human right, and along with sanitation, is a necessary precondition to other forms of development, Caritas Australia often integrates Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities into our holistic community development programs. economy, and provide income through It is extremely distressing that the supply of water to other villages. most infant deaths globally are caused Other initiatives include building by diarrhoea. It is heartbreaking for covered latrines (toilets), pot racks many reasons, but perhaps mostly and sanitation facilities such as simple because the vast majority of these Tippy Taps for hygienic hand washing, deaths are preventable with around as well as education programs about 88% of diarrhoeal deaths due to watersanitation, and the facilitation of related problems such as inadequate education around microavailability of water for irrigated food production hygiene, unsafe drinking In 2011-12, and security. water, and a lack of In 2011-12, Caritas access to sanitation Caritas Australia worked with facilities. Australia local communities to According to the World worked build or rehabilitate Health Organization with local over 3,000 water supply (WHO), more than one communities points and 3,000 in six people worldwide to build or latrines, and to educate do not have access to communities who are improved water sources, rehabilitate benefiting from these while over a third over 3,000 facilities. worldwide live without water supply Together, all these even basic sanitation. It points and initiatives offered is these injustices that 3,000 latrines clearly observable and our WASH programs self-sustaining benefits (toilets). directly target. to many villages and people worldwide. Water is a They are essential to living healthily; human right growing healthy nutritious crops and Recognising that access to water keeping illness at bay. They have also is a human right, and along with provided marginalised communities sanitation, is a necessary precondition with self-determination, self-reliance, to other forms of development, Caritas and a sense of hope for the present Australia often integrates WASH and future. activities into long-term community Caritas Australia’s mission is to work development programs. towards a world that God desires to Initiatives include drilling boreholes be just and compassionate. Thanks that provide clean water inside villages. to your support, our WASH programs These eliminate the dangers of direct help the poorest of the poor break contamination through dirty water, barriers and transform their lives. This provide increases in food production is something to rejoice in. and free time to engage in the broader
Washing hands with soap and water can reduce diarrhoea by over 40%. A Tippy Tap is a simple device for hygienic hand washing and consists of a container mounted on a simple frame; water is tipped from the container by tapping a foot lever. Photo: Sean Sprague in Uganda
Dates for your diary 1 DECEMBER: WORLD AIDS DAY Did you know: the majority of the 34 million people infected with HIV/AIDS live in developing countries. WASH initiatives are especially important for the world’s most vulnerable. Find out about our work at www.caritas.org.au/HIV-AIDS 10 DECEMBER: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY On 10 December every year, the United Nations’ (UN) Human Rights Day is observed to mark the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since 2010, access to water and sanitation is recognised as a fundamental human right allowing all people to enjoy an adequate standard of living.
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AFRICA: MALAWI
The Gift of W The Bua River was the main water source for Nkhungulu, also shared with wildlife such as hippos, snakes and crocodiles.
It is easy to forget how important water is. Across most of Australia, at the turn of a tap we have instant access to clean drinkable water. My visit to Africa earlier this year reminded me how much water, in more ways than one, is fundamental to life and to living. Angela Ford, Communications Group Leader, Caritas Australia
The human body is made up of roughly 70% water; without it, it is only a matter of days before we expire. Water is constantly cycled through our bodies. When we are in perfect health we need to replenish the water we use and lose daily. When we’re sick we lose more fluids than usual and need to rehydrate even more. These physiological conditions contribute to a cruel and paradoxical cycle that occurs across much of the developing world. In many places the only available water is riddled with bacteria that cause sickness. When, as a result of drinking it, people become sick, this in turn depletes vital fluids and causes the need for further water. It’s a vicious cycle. I’ve been aware of this injustice, in abstract, for much of my adult life; it was not, however, until this year that I witnessed its impact personally. A lesson in humility In July, I visited Malawi and Tanzania as part of our five-year Australia Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES) where AusAID and Caritas Australia support integrated community development programs that focus on food security and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). With support from our national
Caritas offices in Tanzania (Caritas Tanzania) and Malawi (CADECOM*), the AACES programs are implemented by the local diocese programs staff in nine rural communities across six dioceses in both countries. It was in the small village of Nkhungulu in Malawi where I received a first-hand lesson in humility. Women make up over 50% of the approximately 200 people in Nkhungulu. Like most communities in Malawi it is the women and children who are responsible for fetching the water every day. This village, and others from surrounding areas, used to collect their water from the Bua River, which flows into Lake Malawi. Cases of abdominal pain were a common occurrence and the people had to share their drinking water with wild animals. The people of Nkhungulu have never had safe drinking water; even when the quality of the water in the Bua River may have been good, collecting it has always been unsafe. The river is home to a range of aquatic animals, including hippos, snakes and crocodiles; anytime a villager collected water she risked her life. It was a common phenomenon for women from Nkhungulu and surrounding villages to be attacked by
crocodiles. Water is essential to life. Sourcing it and collecting it is not an option. How terrifying to have to collect water a number of times a day from a river where you knew people had been attacked. I met with the village Chief’s wife, Regina Gumalia, who had survived such an attack 15 years ago. She described how up until recently the women used to collect the water as a group, calling and shrieking toward the water to alarm the crocodiles, armed with buckets of stones. Regina was attacked by a crocodile while she carried her youngest daughter on her back. She is ‘grateful’ that her friends were able to help her save her child and beat the crocodile away. While showing us her scars she explained how relieved she was that women and girls in the village don’t have to rely on the river for their water supply anymore. Supported by the AusAID-funded AACES program, CADECOM and the local Lilongwe Diocese have been working in the village since the end of 2011. No other organisation had ever worked with this community. Yet in this short time into the five-year project, the program has already transformed community life.
*CADECOM: Catholic Development Commission in Malawi
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Water
Water is essential to life. Sourcing it and collecting it is not an option.
The women of Nkhungulu no longer have to walk long distances to collect water, like these women in a neighbouring district.
Helping a community A borehole has been drilled, the pump is now right in the heart of the village, and the community has taken full ownership of it including maintenance and servicing. This borehole provides Nkhungulu and six surrounding villages with safe access to clean water and saves the women many hours a day in water collection. Time that can now be spent learning new skills, tending to crops and livestock, caring for children and earning an income. In the short time that the AACES program has been running in Nkhungulu, there have been other WASH initiatives that have also already changed lives and set the community up for future development. The community has improved sanitation practices in many ways including households making their own plate and pot drying stands; digging of rubbish pits; use of toilets; covering toilet pits; building and using hand washing facilities, and other general community cleanliness. Nkhungulu’s community members already attest to improved health, less illness and feelings of improved quality of life. All of these WASH initiatives along with other programs such as agricultural developments, livelihood training, and
Regina (with bucket) and two other community members reenacting how they used to collect water from the dangerous Bua River.
savings and loan schemes stem from the community’s own vision. Our AACES programs are framed on a strengthsbased approach so it is the community members who assess their resources, assets and skills and with the support of our local field staff they visualise what their community will look like in five years’ time. This ensures all development initiatives are community-led and owned, culturally and environmentally appropriate, and sustainable. The future for Nkhungulu Life is still not easy in Nkhungulu, but two significant burdens have been erased. The people now have clean drinking water and they no longer have to collect their water in fear. Since returning home I have been challenged by just how easy it is for me to get the water I need. When I hear people grumble about the rise in water
rates I reflect on the lessons learned from the women in Nkhungulu. Water means health. Water means food security. Water means safety and security. The ‘gift’ of water helps to reduce the horrors that attack people’s dignity. Water gives life and water is life. I have also been able to reflect on aid and development. This project has changed lives and changed the future for this community. What I saw in Tanzania and Malawi were undeniable examples of how development projects can support communities and provide practical opportunities for people to help themselves out of poverty. It is a shame these good news stories don’t make the headlines. Too often, criticisms of aid grab the public’s attention. Right now, for me, the antidote is simple – I just have to think about which way I would prefer to get a drink.
LEARN FOR MORE ABOUT OUR AACES WORK IN MALAWI, HEAD TO WWW.CARITAS.ORG.AU/MALAWI
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LATIN AMERICA: BOLIVIA
A Self-Sufficient Future Caritas Australia is working with local partner, INDEPO*, to produce olive trees and sustainable food in Pasorapa, Bolivia. This program is providing an alternative to traditional dairy farming which is no longer viable due to changing rain patterns. A small agricultural town in Bolivia, Pasorapa is home to 6,560 people and a six hour drive from Cochabamba, the country’s third largest city. A naturally dry area with a subtropical climate and a dry period of five months annually, the locals are accustomed to being resourceful. However with the current state of drought and limited access to water sources, life in Pasorapa is challenging; and with a lack of job opportunities available, many young people are leaving for the big cities. The program To restore employment and assist with nutritional needs, in July 2010 Caritas Australia and INDEPO began the Olives and Sustainable Nutritional Food Security program. With dairy farming no longer offering a sustainable livelihood, this program is training 200 children and youth (12-18 years), and 302 families in practices of dry farming, food production, small animal
Other benefits
This program is helping children and their families grow nutritious food with minimal water. Photos: Richard Wainwright
breeding and marketing techniques for olive growing and vegetable/fruit gardens. Due to the climate in Bolivia, dry farming is essential to producing crops and consists of planting droughtresistant crops and using mulch to prevent moisture evaporating through the soil (among other techniques). With a long, proud history in Bolivia, this program is particularly important as it is helping to achieve a self-sufficient and secure future for Pasorapa. Vegetable and fruit gardens In many areas of Bolivia there are optimal soil and climate conditions to cultivate high-yield and high-quality crops such as potatoes, corn and barley. In Pasorapa, lack of water means that fast growing crops, as well as species that require minimal water, such as
• Healthcare, hygienic food handling and prevention of disease are promoted. • Families with home gardens don’t need to spend as much of their income on food. They can use it for other means, such as health and education. • A seed bank for future planting is being created. • Olive cultivation and industrialisation means olive producers can earn an income and care for their families. • There are improved varieties of fresh produce available in local markets and stores.
olives, grow well. In fact, over the past two years we have witnessed important transformations in fruit and vegetable gardening, with many new varieties now being produced in commercial and family gardens including tomatoes, onions, herbs, apples, pears and plums. Although many farmers still use the traditional method of cattle to plough the land, new technologies such as tractors and water drip feed systems, where the water is pumped directly from a communal water tanker, are now in production. The water system means farmers no longer spend hours each day carting water on the backs of their bikes. Instead they can spend time working on their land and with their families.
Local farmers in Pasorapa, Bolivia, surrounded by their crops and young olive trees which require minimal water to grow. The community is looking forward to the 2015 crop when the olives will be processed as virgin olive oil for sale in the domestic market.
LEARN Thanks to your support, farming communities in Bolivia are learning more about growing and selling nutritious food using minimal water. *INDEPO: Instituto de Desarrollo Popular (Popular Development Institute)
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SOUTHEAST ASIA: INDONESIA
Fresh Water Benefits Caritas Australia works with local partner, Laz Harfa, to increase community access to clean safe water and improve basic sanitation in villages across Indonesia. Kath Rosic, Group Leader, Southeast Asia
years this community had limited access to government infrastructure services, so the villagers walked to the local river or spring to collect water in buckets, wash their clothes or bathe. This had meant a lack of privacy for women; a need to closely accompany younger children to prevent drowning; and heightened risks of contaminated water at certain times of the year. However, thanks to this program the community now has access to a fresh Environmental Services water supply, plus the local school has Program (ESP) a toilet; made possible Accompanying me was by digging a well and Terry Russell, Partnerships Thanks to the installing a water pump. Coordinator Indonesia, program, the The community supplies a who works in Caritas villagers now small amount of money to Australia’s Jakarta office. have access to maintain the water system; Together we spoke with a fresh water ensuring ownership and a the communities and supply, plus the sense of pride. witnessed first-hand the In Sumur Laban village, Environmental Services local school Terry and I attended a Program (ESP) in action. has a toilet. water supply inauguration In Bojonggenteng, a ceremony. We were asked to cut the sub-village in Majau, most of the locals ribbon as part of the inauguration are landless labourers or leasing land for ceremony, which was a great honour. farming. Many of the houses have dirt Before the water supply was installed,the floors and, as the roads are rough and community had carried out extensive boggy, access to other communities is mapping to ascertain where and how limited. Due to their isolation, for many they could provide clean water. Diagrams of houses and cluster groups were drawn-up, community groups established and a water committee organised to manage the maintenance of the new water system. We are very pleased to see that women are well involved in the program and play an active role in the Walking though the SRI (system of rice intensification) water committees. fields to conduct an inspection of the crop. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of visiting the friendly people of three villages in Banten Province, Indonesia – Majau, Cipinang and Sumur Laban. What excites me about visiting communities that Caritas Australia assists is how welcoming the local people are. It really brings home the good work that our agency and local partners do.
Thanks to this program, many children like this young boy in Cipinang Village, now have access to clean water.
Food security Laz Harfa is also providing technical assistance for a new system of rice intensification (SRI). One principle of SRI includes applying a minimum quantity of water instead of continuous flooding used in traditional rice cultivation. Using less water is advantageous where communities have a lower or less reliable water supply, enabling the community to have increased food security. There are great results to be seen in a small village in Pandeglang. By the end of the 2011-12 financial year, rice production was 5930kg/ha; resulting in a 20% increase in production and a 43% increase in profit for the farmers (compared to the old system). Many children and families now have better health and nutrition; and more rice means farmers can earn an income, send their children to school and look after their families.
DONATE When you donate to Caritas Australia, you can help provide marginalised communities with access to clean water and better hygiene.
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South asia: Bangladesh
Making Water Safe Across rural Bangladesh, naturally high concentrations of arsenic in ground water is affecting people’s rights to safe water. We are working with local partner, Caritas Bangladesh, to improve access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation. Eleanor Trinchera, South Asia Program Coordinator
In many parts of rural Bangladesh, villagers drink, bathe and cook using water sourced from shallow tube wells. What many local communities don’t realise is that this water, which is pumped from sources 20m to 100m below the surface is heavily laden with naturally occurring arsenic. Since the wells were installed in the 1970s, an estimated 77 million people in Bangladesh have been exposed to arsenic contamination. In the 1990s, the World Health Organization (WHO) called it “the largest mass poisoning of a population in history” and WHO estimates that as many as one in five deaths in Bangladesh are caused by arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis. To improve access to safe water and increase awareness of hygiene and sanitation in the rural regions of Mymensingh, Dhaka and Khulna, Caritas Australia and Caritas Bangladesh started the Arsenic Mitigation Program in July 2004. This program reduces the use of water sourced from contaminated wells and helps communities plan alternative safe water sources, such as ring wells and deep tube wells, rainwater harvesting tanks and sand filter systems. Over the past two years, through workshops, community discussions, training and use of traditional songs from village to village, we have improved hygiene practices and access to safe water for over 477,000 people in Bangladesh. This program also helps people who are suffering from arsenicosis to access government facilities for treatment.
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There are estimated to be three million tube wells across Bangladesh, and according to WHO, 27% of shallow tube wells in Bangladesh have high levels of arsenic (above 0.05mg/l). The government took action by painting wells red if they recorded dangerous levels. Safe pump wells, like this one in Kakarkandi village, Mymensingh, are painted green.
Over the past two years … we have improved hygiene practices and access to safe water for over 477,000 people in Bangladesh. We encourage villagers to get involved at a community level by joining Ward Arsenic Mitigation Committees (WAMC). At the WAMC, we assist the members to become advocates and leaders in their own communities by analysing, planning, implementing and monitoring water, sanitation and
hygiene practices, and taking their results to local government. So far, 198 volunteers (over 90% women) have joined these committees across the three regions. We are committed to helping the people of Bangladesh have access to safe, clean water.
LEARN THIS CHRISTMAS, FOR $10 YOU COULD GIVE THE GIFT OF CLEAN WATER TO PEOPLE IN A COUNTRY SUCH AS THE SOLOMON ISLANDS: WWW.CARITAS.ORG.AU/GLOBALGIFTS
This year for Christmas you can help us build a world where everyone lives in dignity and peace. At Christmas we are more acutely reminded of God’s love which is a love that knows no bounds. It’s a love above all for those who are poor, excluded and marginalised. Through our work in vulnerable communities, we put that love into action. This year, you can play your part in our work by offering your family and friends a Caritas gift. There are six gifts to choose from: 1. For $10 you could give the gift of Clean Water to people in a country such as the Solomon Islands. 2. For $25 you could give the gift of Food to nourish a family in a country such as Uganda. 3. For $50 you could give the gift of Sustainable Agriculture to help improve farming practices and food security in a country like South Sudan. 4. For $75 you could give the gift of Healthcare to those in need in a country like Bangladesh. 5. For $100 you could give the gift of Education to benefit women and children in a country like Laos. 6. For $200 you could give the gift of Emergency Relief to provide food, water and shelter to people in urgent need.
Global Gifts Become a part of the global village this Christmas. To order your Caritas Global Gift, please see the back cover or visit www.caritas.org.au/globalgifts
Our Annual Report In 2011-12, Caritas Australia aimed to respond more effectively to injustice and poverty, increase Australians’ engagement in our social justice and development work, secure more resources to increase the impact of our work, and build our organisation’s capacity to realise our vision and live our mission. • Our staff and volunteers worked with 143 partners, responded to 26 worldwide emergencies (natural disasters and conflict) and implemented 195 long-term programs in 35 countries around the world. • Project Compassion 2012 soared to new heights and raised over $10.7 million. • The Australian Indigenous Program celebrated their 40th year with five new partnerships and an increased focus on the Northern Territory. • In August 2011, we launched A Just Climate, a campaign that seeks to include the most vulnerable communities affected by changing climate. • Our new website was launched in February 2012. For 2011-12 the total visits to our website grew 39% to over 400,000 and online donation income increased 30% to $2.5 million.
our financial results
Caritas Australia’s financial results for 2011-12 reflect our greatest ever financial contribution to changing the lives of those impacted by poverty and injustice, with $28.6 million of funding for international and $1.4 million to First Australian programs. This represents a $3.8 million or 14% increase on the 2010-11 year.
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Rachana Chaudhari, 28, lives in Bardiya District, Nepal and is from the Indigenous Tharu community. She completed our Integrated Pest Management training and is now successfully selling her surplus vegetables. Any extra income buys clothing, medication and educational materials for her children. Photo: Marden Dean
eport A Somali refugee girl stands in a refugee camp in Kenya near the border with Somalia. In 2011, thousands of Somalis fled drought, famine and armed conflict in their country. Hundreds of thousands now live in Dadaab camp in Kenya. Caritas Australia and Baptist World Aid Australia are improving water and sanitation for recent arrivals in Dadaab. Photo: Laura Sheahen/CRS
Fundraising and appeals
Caritas Australia relies on donations and support from the Australian public. This funding helps us commit to long-term development projects, and assist communities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. In 2011-12, our fundraising programs raised more than $26 million. Excluding bequests and emergencies this total represents a 5.4% increase on the previous year.
These funds support our work with the world’s poor and most marginalised. Learn more about our effectiveness and the great results you have helped us achieve over the past financial year at www.caritas.org.au/annualreport.
act Join our Caritas online community and be part of our social justice conversations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/caritasAU.
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we are one global family
Become a part of the GLOBAL VILLAGE this Christmas
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This Christmas, you can help change lives by giving a Caritas Global Gift. It is a wonderful way to make giving meaningful and help vulnerable communities at the same time. In return for your donation toward your chosen gift, you receive a beautifully-presented card to give to your loved one which explains how you have made a contribution on their behalf.
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