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The technical department of the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Caritas Congo was created in 1960 and has had a legal personality since 1964. In accordance with its vision of a Congolese society in solidarity and responsibility that is capable of taking care of itself, it sets out to “increase, through reflection and action, the effectiveness of the Church’s contribution to efforts aimed at the integral promotion of the human person and the community, without exception, in accordance with the social doctrine of the Church…

Caritas Congo operates in a country where 70% of the population suffers from poverty and the average per capita income is estimated at USD 220 (2012) and life expectancy at 48 years, despite the country’s vast natural resources.

In addition, the government is fighting armed groups, both Congolese and foreign, who have been responsible for numerous human rights violations and the displacement of 2.63 million people (as of the end of January 2013) in the east of the country.

Caritas Congo also carries out a variety of actions, mainly focused on its main areas of intervention, namely emergencies, health care, sustainable development and capacity building. In 2012, for example, Caritas Congo’s actions benefited more than 5,044,331 people were assisted, cared for, supervised and trained in various ways.

Caritas Congo is supported by various partners, including the Caritas network and the CIDSE group. At the local level, partners include United Nations development ministries and agencies, pooled funds, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, the Department for International Development (DFID), and other bilateral and multilateral partners such as the Global Fund.

In terms of organization, Caritas Congo has a national coordinating body, called the Executive Secretariat, 47 diocesan offices, 1,500 parish offices, and over 10,000 volunteers.

The Executive Secretariat, composed of 131 staff members with different types of expertise, coordinates all Diocesan Caritas activities and representation, capacity building and advocacy, and resource mobilization and promotion of responsible partnership.