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Caritas Botswana, known as the Tirisanyo Catholic Commission, was founded in 1984 with the aim of working with the local population to lift them out of poverty. The organization is the development arm of the Catholic Church in Botswana, with a mandate to serve as the coordinating body for the development and humanitarian organizations of the Catholic Church in the country. The vision of the organization is to foster integral human development through outreach work that fights pandemics, poverty eradication, infrastructure improvement in communities, and social services for people with disabilities.

Caritas Botswana’s activities improve the standard of living of the poorest people through measures on education, better access to health services, more efficient use of resources, and by involving the community in all stages of development.

In a country where many people are living with HIV infection and AIDS, the intervention of Caritas Botswana is crucial to fight the spread of the disease. Her work educates, raises awareness, and transports HIV patients to treatment.

Caritas Botswana focuses on vulnerable children and orphans by working in over 20 pre-schools. It trains kindergarten teachers, and provides education, nutrition, social and medical assistance to over 700 orphans and vulnerable children.

Finally, Caritas Botswana helps communities develop long-term sustainable solutions for socio-economic development through microfinance and agricultural equipment. In addition to distributing seeds and agricultural equipment to improve food security, the organization also facilitates the establishment of savings and credit schemes to increase income.

Caritas Botswana’s headquarters in Gaborone guides and conducts its services through two diocesan Caritas offices in the country. To carry out its activities, the organization employs 10 people, and receives the help of 30 volunteers.

Caritas Botswana is a member of Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Africa.