Caritas Africa

Last updated
Caritas Africa
AbbreviationCA
Established1995 [1]
Focus Humanitarian aid, International development, and social service
Location
Coordinates 6°08′58″N1°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
Website caritas-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]

Contents

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

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

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

CountryMember organisation
(English name)
Member organisation
(Local or alternative name)
Established
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola Caritas AngolaCaritas de Angola1957
Flag of Benin.svg  Benin Caritas Benin Caritas Bénin 1958
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana Caritas Botswana1984
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso Caritas Burkina Faso Organisation catholique pour le développement et la solidarité (OCADES Caritas Burkina)1956
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi Caritas Burundi1962
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon Caritas CameroonFondation Caritas Cameroun1971
Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde Caritas Cape Verde Caritas Caboverdiana 1976
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic Caritas Central African RepublicCaritas Centrafrique1960
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad Caritas ChadCaritas Tchad1986
Flag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros Caritas ComorosCaritas Comores1979
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Republic of the Congo Caritas Congo Brazzaville ?
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  Democratic Republic of the Congo Caritas Congo 1960
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast Caritas Côte d'Ivoire1955
Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg  Equatorial Guinea Caritas Equatorial Guinea ?1980
Flag of Eritrea.svg  Eritrea Caritas EritreaEritrean Catholic Secretariat ?
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia Caritas EthiopiaEthiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission (ECC SDCO)1965
Flag of Gabon.svg  Gabon Caritas Gabon1967
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia Caritas GambiaCatholic Development Office (CaDO)2001
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Caritas Ghana1960
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea Caritas GuineaOrganisation Catholique pour la Promotion Humaine (OCPH) / Caritas Guinée1986
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau Caritas Guinea-BissauCaritas Guiné-Bissau1982
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Caritas Kenya1973
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho Caritas Lesotho1970
Flag of Liberia 23px.svg  Liberia Caritas Liberia1990
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Caritas Madagascar 1959
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi Caritas MalawiCatholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM)1985
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali Caritas Mali1986
Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius Caritas MauritiusCaritas Île Maurice1965
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique Caritas MozambiqueCaritas Moçambicana1977
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia Caritas Namibia1987
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger Caritas NigerCaritas Développement Niger (CADEV)1962
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria Caritas NigeriaCatholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN)2010
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda Caritas Rwanda1960
Flag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg  São Tomé and Príncipe Caritas São Tomé and PríncipeCaritas de São Tomé e Príncipe1981
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal Caritas Senegal1966
Flag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles Caritas Seychelles1975
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone Caritas Sierra Leone1981
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Caritas South AfricaSiyabhabha Trust Caritas South Africa1970
Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Caritas South Sudan2011
Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan Caritas SudanCaritas Sudan / Sudanaid1972
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania Caritas Tanzania1971
Flag of Togo (3-2).svg  Togo Caritas Togo Organisation de la charité pour un développement intégral (OCDI) / Caritas Togo1967
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda Caritas Uganda 1970
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia Caritas Zambia2001
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe Caritas ZimbabweCaritas Zimbabwe / Catholic Development Commission (CADEC)1972
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini Caritas Swaziland1977

Executive leadership

Office of Caritas Africa secretariat in Lome. Caritas Africa Office - Lome - 2024.jpg
Office of Caritas Africa secretariat in Lomé.

Presidents

Regional coordinators

References

  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.