Despite its rich mineral resources, Bolivia is still one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Bolivia has made huge economic and social progress in recent years, such as increased governmental expenditures on education, health and pensions. Nevertheless, many people in Bolivia live in poverty and the country is extremely vulnerable to natural...

Ten months after Hurricane Matthew made landfall, more than 1,4 million people in Haiti are still in need of humanitarian assistance. The food situation is still worrisome. Caritas Switzerland is providing emergency aid and survival assistance and is supporting the population in restoring their livelihood.

The Caritas Country Program 2012-2016 tackles the domains of food security, human rights / social justice and climate protection/disaster risk reduction. Caritas Switzerland has a broad experience in these domains and belongs to the three leading organizations in B&H in the sectors agriculture, minorities and energy efficiency. Caritas has been act...

In Bali, a social enterprise collects waste vegetable oil from hotel kitchens and restaurants and processes it into biodiesel. The project is an example of how Caritas Switzerland combines carbon emissions reduction with providing a stimulus to local development. This is done in cooperation with MyClimate and the travel agency Kuoni.

Brazil's policy on poverty and social issues is progressive by international comparison. However, social inequality remains the key challenge, due to ethnic, regional and gender-specific disparities. According to government figures, one third of the population lives in poverty. Caritas Switzerland has supported marginalised children and young peopl...

Cambodia has achieved significant economic development gains at a national level in recent years following two decades of conflict and civil war. However, around 20% of the population remains below the poverty line and economic development has come alongside rapidly increasing inequality. Increasing pressure on natural resources, poor land use and ...

Syrian refugees living outside the camps in northern Jordan lack everything. The local population too is suffering increasingly as the refugee crisis puts ever more pressure on the already limited resources of the country. In this situation, Caritas is helping over 2 500 people to secure their basic needs such as food and warm, safe accommodation. ...

The current country programme Chad (2012-2016) aims to contribute to improving the socioeconomic conditions of the poor population supported by Caritas Switzerland's partner organisations.

In the mountainous hinterland of Prizren, many people can only make a living from small-scale farming. The project supports 250 families in berry and honey production and gathering of herbs, and provides advice to four producer organisations.

15 schools in the communities of Gros Morne, Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite and Grande Saline get access to clean drinking water, as well as new toilets. The pupils receive lessons about the most important hygiene rules to ensure improved hygiene practice. 

More than 1,250 waste pickers in the greater Recife area earn an income from the recovery of improperly discharged waste. Many of them live on the streets in precarious conditions. In cooperation with the local partner organisation, Caritas Switzerland supports five cooperatives of waste pickers in the recycling of used cooking oil by converting it...

In Bolivia, 30,000 children die each year as a result of diarrhoea, caused by the lack of access to clean drinking water and poor hygiene practice. Caritas Switzerland supports the partner organisation Caritas Corocoro, which provides twelve communities in the Sapahaqui and Patacamaya municipality with access to water. People participate in worksho...

In the provinces of Ha Giang, Hanoi and Quan Binh, Caritas increases awareness of the needs of children with disabilities and is able, through educational work, early recognition and intervention, to enhance their quality of life. The aim is to enrol all disabled children between the ages of three and fourteen in school.

Many young women leave their home villages to work in Delhi as domestic workers. There, they are often exploited or even abused. Caritas has built a self-help organisation with 4,000 members and offers training and legal advice.

After six years of civil war, more than 11 million people from Syria have been forced to flee their homes, approximately half of them children. Since 2012, Caritas Switzerland has provided emergency relief and long-term support amounting to 35 million Swiss francs in Syria, but also in the neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. 

The current country program 2013-2016 of Caritas Switzerland focuses on the Chocó region, one of the poorest areas in Colombia.