CaritasNews CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU #164 | WINTER 2021 The Emergencies Edition SURVIVING AND THRIVING BEYOND THE CRISIS COVID-19 SURGES: OVERCOMING THE INDIGENOUS BACK LOCAL GIVING: How your support drives FLOODS: BURNING: Project Compassion makes resilience in Papua New Timor-Leste and Indonesia First Australian led fire a global impact Guinea and India recovering and rebuilding prevention 1 – ISSUE 164 | SURVIVING AND THRIVING BEYOND THE CRISIS GLOBAL EMERGENCIES THANK YOU CONTENTS CARITAS IN THE LOOP As I write this letter, the shocking pictures and footage #164 | WINTER 2021 A MINISTERIAL VISIT TO INDIGENOUS CARBON ECONOMIES, coming out of India, which is battling a massive surge CARITAS AUSTRALIA OFFICE NEW OPPORTUNITIES in COVID-19 cases, loom large in my mind. It has been HAVE YOUR SAY deeply saddening to see and hear reports of hospitals 4 Raising your voice for For Reconciliation Week 2021, we celebrate one of our having to turn patients away. These reports are common marginalised communities First Australian partners and their innovation during across Asia, where vaccine and ventilator shortages have challenging times. left vulnerable people in a dire situation. INDIA The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation supports carbon It makes for a tough year for many of our neighbours, 5 Surviving a global pandemic farming projects to help protect environmental, social dealing with the pandemic on top of increasingly regular through healthcare and cultural values. investment and ferocious weather events. Earlier this year, Tropical To reduce damaging bushfires, rangers and Traditional Cyclone Seroja killed over 180 people in Indonesia and 45 Owners generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) people in Timor-Leste, destroying essential infrastructure 6 TIMOR-LESTE AND through the savanna burning methodology. ‘Cool burns’ and leaving thousands homeless across both countries. INDONESIA at the beginning of the dry season reduce greenhouse All this after Cyclone Ana tore through Fiji’s northern Sowing seeds of resilience gas emissions. The ACCU generated can be sold to against disasters The Hon Zed Seselja visited Caritas Australia’s islands in February, displacing over 14,000 people. Head Office in Sydney earlier this year. companies who want to be carbon neutral, address Photo: Daniel Nour. their Reconciliation Action Plan and corporate social Caritas Australia is a beacon of light – through your COVID-19 SPREADS responsibility goals. support and our local church networks and partners, 8 ACROSS PAPUA NEW We were thrilled to have the Minister for International “The rangers and Traditional Owners are very proud we are able to support in building resilience in the most GUINEA Development and the Pacific, Senator the Hon Zed of the work that they’re doing in terms of looking after vulnerable communities so they can better prepare for Battling contagion through Seselja, visit our Alexandria office. country, but also knowing that it’s a viable carbon emergencies. education economy,” says Rowan Foley, Chief Executive Officer of During his time in the office, the Minister learned By prioritising community development programs, we the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation. about our programs in the Pacific and Asia, and can strengthen communities before the emergency OUR COMMUNITY 10 voiced his support for Caritas Australia’s investment strikes, as well as help them to recover better afterwards. New ways of giving in challenging circumstances in the development of our nearest neighbours. Visit www.caritas.org.au/firstaustralians In Timor-Leste and Indonesia, emergency water, food and to find out more, today! sanitation provide relief for communities immediately, It was wonderful to hear of the minister’s long whilst sustainable agriculture programs enhance personal involvement in the work of Caritas Australia. resilience in the long-term. Project Compassion “Caritas Australia has been a part of my life for I’d like to thank Catholic Health Australia and its is an important part of a long time. What I love about Caritas is how it members for partnering with us at this urgent time. To Caritas Australia’s work generates a grassroots movement in which millions rise to the pressing challenge in Papua New Guinea, to empower the most of people are able to put in a few dollars, or more, our two agencies are working together, leveraging our vulnerable members of our global and they can trust that Caritas Australia will use it networks to get essential Personal Protective Equipment for good.” family. Thank you for your support this Rangers conduct controlled back burning as part of the Aboriginal Carbon to 1,462 health workers and 247 healthcare facilities year to end poverty, promote justice and Foundation’s fire prevention measures.Photo: Aboriginal Carbon Foundation. across the nation. uphold dignity all over the world. This issue of Caritas News highlights these kinds of solutions, which are only made possible through your generosity. Thank you for your unwavering support, In the last edition of Caritas News, we noted the $500 million FORGING A WAY THROUGH raised for the work of social justice globally by Caritas before, during and after the emergency strikes. Australia’s supporters. The figure is the cumulative result of FLOODS, A PANDEMIC AND public donations as well as Government funding. CONFLICT With gratitude, Simultaneous crises, including an unprecedented Writer/Editor: Daniel Nour global pandemic, flooding and cyclones have left Design: Ellie Wong vulnerable people in dire straits. In this magazine, Production Manager: Rory O’Callaghan you’ll learn about how your support builds resilience in Reporting: Cassandra Hill, Daniel Nour and Jessica Stone communities before, during and after the emergency Kirsty Robertson Cover: In India, your support is empowering communities with strikes. Chief Executive Officer poor healthcare systems with the essential personal protective In Bangladesh, midwives offer essential medical care to vulnerable equipment needed to save lives. Photo: Caritas India. women such as Salma. Photo: Caritas Bangladesh. Thank you for standing with us. Caritas Australia All photos belong to Caritas Australia unless otherwise stated CATHOLIC Look out for Dignity of Care for The Promotion Subsidiarity and Participation and Solidarity Economic the CST icons the Human Our Common Common of Peace Participation Preferential Option Justice SOCIAL throughout Person Home Good for the Poor 2TEACHING – ISSUE 164162 | SURVIVINGONE HUMAN AND FAMILY THRIVINGthis edition. BEYOND THE CRISIS Awareness raising of COVID-19 prevention strategies across India is saving lives. RAISING YOUR VOICE FOR Photo: Caritas India. MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES Sending prayers for those impacted by floods in the Northern Territory & Timor Leste HAVE YOUR - Cristelia Da Costa Duffy SAY Dear Cristelia, Thank you for your support of Caritas Australia’s work to empower communities in Timor-Leste, with essential medical equipment and support. I use a Project Compassion box to - Caritas Australia remind me that people matter. - Thomas Horgan SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES WITH RESILIENCE Dear Thomas, I would like to know if Caritas is doing anything in India to send money/ MASSIVE COVID-19 The Project Compassion box is the ‘little box that makes big change.’ equipment there to help with COVID-19? Thank you for bearing witness to - Margie Beck the place of the PC box in our lives SURGE ACROSS INDIA and communities. - Caritas Australia Dear Margie, The kindness of our generous supporters COVID-19 crisis is still in short supply due to shortages healthcare system is is enabling our partners on the ground, Aunfolding in India with more of materials and a slowdown in overwhelmed.” including Caritas India, to bolster than 29 million recorded cases manufacturing. community resilience against COVID-19. and over 340,000 deaths. Through your support of our India You can find out more atwww.caritas.org. “Now, more than ever, it’s vital COVID-19 Appeal, Caritas Australia au/support-india The country of nearly 1.4 billion that we provide support to India has been able to help Caritas India people currently contracts over to prevent even more lives being -Caritas Australia with: 100,000 cases per day, although lost,” said Bernice Sarpong, • Information and treatment experts warn that actual numbers Caritas Australia’s Emergency centres that provide isolation could be five to ten times higher Program Coordinator for Asia. during quarantine, than those reported. “We are working with our local • Ongoing awareness raising in “People are flooding hospitals, partner, Carita India, to support communities hardest hit, the hospitals have no beds and marginalised communities to people are just dying. We are prevent the spread of the virus • Support to families to care distressed and worried as we and also educating on how to for their loved ones at home, Mangrove plantations in Kiribati are improving community readiness see in front of our eyes hundreds look after loved ones with with so few places at public by bolstering low-lying areas up against the threat of flooding. Photo: Boore Moua, Caritas Australia. of our own near and dear ones COVID-19 at home, while the hospitals. dying or not getting a place in the hospitals,” said Fr Paul Moonjely, the Executive Director of Caritas India. Leave a legacy of love “We are equally worried about When you include a gift in your Will, you the protection and safety of our create a life-changing legacy which can help health workers.” transform the world for generations