Caritas Africa

Caritas Africa
AbbreviationCA
Established1995[1]
FocusHumanitarian aid, International development, and social service
Location
Coordinates6°08′58″N 1°12′36″E / 6.14958°N 1.20992°E / 6.14958; 1.20992
Region served
Africa
Official language
English, French, Portuguese
Secretary General
Lucy Esipila
President
Pierre Cibambo
Main organ
General Assembly, Executive Board
Parent organization
Caritas Internationalis
Websitecaritas-africa.org

Caritas Africa is a confederation of Catholic social service, international development and humanitarian relief organisations operating across Africa. It is one of the seven regions of Caritas Internationalis.[3]

Caritas Africa refers to both the African network with its 46 member organizations, and its secretariat based in Lomé in Togo. The official languages of the organisation are English, French, and Portuguese.

Work

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The member organisations of Caritas Africa work to alleviate poverty and provide humanitarian responses in their countries. The regional secretariat is engaged in political advocacy at African and global level, and engages in capacity strengthening of its members.

Membership

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Caritas Africa has 46 member organisations spanning the sub-Saharan region, encompassing the islands in the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. Caritas Africa does not extend its coverage to the entirety of the African continent, as Caritas organisations in the Maghreb, Mashriq, and partially the Horn of Africa belong to a distinct region within Caritas Internationalis, specifically Caritas Middle East and North Africa.

The national Caritas organisations are the members of Caritas Africa. In most countries, each national organisation serves as an umbrella for various diocesan Caritas organisations. Diocesan and parish Caritas groups operate locally[4] but are not direct members of Caritas Africa. In addition, Caritas agencies from other regions sometimes run country offices in African countries, such as CAFOD, Caritas Czech Republic, Caritas Switzerland, CRS or Trócaire, which are also not part of Caritas Africa.

List of member organisations

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Country Member organisation
(English name) 		Member organisation
(Local or alternative name) 		Established
 Angola Caritas Angola Caritas de Angola 1957
 Benin Caritas Benin Caritas Bénin 1958
 Botswana Caritas Botswana — 1984
 Burkina Faso Caritas Burkina Faso Organisation catholique pour le développement et la solidarité (OCADES Caritas Burkina) 1956
 Burundi Caritas Burundi — 1962
 Cameroon Caritas Cameroon Fondation Caritas Cameroun 1971
 Cape Verde Caritas Cape Verde Cáritas caboverdiana 1976
 Central African Republic Caritas Central African Republic Caritas Centrafrique 1960
 Chad Caritas Chad Caritas Tchad 1986
 Comoros Caritas Comoros Caritas Comores 1979
 Republic of the Congo Caritas Congo Brazzavilla — ?
 Democratic Republic of the Congo Caritas Congo — 1960
 Ivory Coast Caritas Côte d'Ivoire — 1955
 Equatorial Guinea Caritas Equatorial Guinea ? 1980
 Eritrea Caritas Eritrea Eritrean Catholic Secretariat ?
 Ethiopia Caritas Ethiopia Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission (ECC SDCO) 1965
 Gabon Caritas Gabon — 1967
 Gambia Caritas Gambia Catholic Development Office (CaDO) 2001
 Ghana Caritas Ghana — 1960
 Guinea Caritas Guinea Organisation Catholique pour la Promotion Humaine (OCPH) / Caritas Guinée 1986
 Guinea-Bissau Caritas Guinea-Bissau Caritas Guiné-Bissau 1982
 Kenya Caritas Kenya — 1973
 Lesotho Caritas Lesotho — 1970
 Liberia Caritas Liberia — 1990
 Madagascar Caritas Madagascar — 1959
 Malawi Caritas Malawi Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM) 1985
 Mali Caritas Mali — 1986
 Mauritius Caritas Mauritius Caritas Île Maurice 1965
 Mozambique Caritas Mozambique Caritas Moçambicana 1977
 Namibia Caritas Namibia — 1987
 Niger Caritas Niger Caritas Développement Niger (CADEV) 1962
 Nigeria Caritas Nigeria Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN) 2010
 Rwanda Caritas Rwanda — 1960
 São Tomé and Príncipe Caritas São Tomé and Príncipe Caritas de São Tomé e Príncipe 1981
 Senegal Caritas Senegal — 1966
 Seychelles Caritas Seychelles — 1975
 Sierra Leone Caritas Sierra Leone — 1981
 South Africa Caritas South Africa Siyabhabha Trust Caritas South Africa 1970
 South Sudan Caritas South Sudan — 2011
 Sudan Caritas Sudan Caritas Sudan / Sudanaid 1972
 Tanzania Caritas Tanzania — 1971
 Togo Caritas Togo Organisation de la charité pour un développement intégral (OCDI) / Caritas Togo 1967
 Uganda Caritas Uganda — 1970
 Zambia Caritas Zambia — 2001
 Zimbabwe Caritas Zimbabwe Caritas Zimbabwe / Catholic Development Commission (CADEC) 1972
 Eswatini Caritas Swaziland — 1977

Executive leadership

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Office of Caritas Africa secretariat in Lomé.

Presidents

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Regional coordinators

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  • 2015–2023: Albert Mashika
  • 2023-now: Lucy Esipila[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Kenya's Lucy Espila Elected Caritas Africa Regional Executive Secretary". cisanewsafrica.com. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Caritas Africa". africaeuropemigration.org. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Caritas Internationalis | Catholic charity, humanitarian aid, social justice | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  4. ^ Pope Benedict XVI (11 November 2012). "Apostolic letter issued 'motu proprio' on the service of charity (Intima ecclesiae natura)". vatican.va. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Archbishop Buckle is 43 years a priest today". radioangelus.com. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Caritas em África sente-se impotente para responder aos desafios do continente". rtp.pt. 25 February 2013.
  7. ^ "Ghanaian Bishop Anokye is New President of Caritas Africa". archivioradiovaticana.va. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  8. ^ Aduloju, Sr. Titilayo (22 September 2023). "New Caritas Africa president chairs regional commission meeting in Nigeria". vaticannews.va. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  9. ^ Neliba, Arnold (23 June 2023). "TOGO: Caritas Africa Prioritizes Strengthening Role in Regional Coordination and Humanitarian Action". cisanewsafrica.com.
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