---

Caritas Zimbabwe was founded in 1972 by the then Rhodesian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (RCBC) as the Commission for Social Services and Development (C.S.S.D) to carry out the social work of the Church. The organization was renamed the Catholic Development Commission (CADEC) in 1984, due to a shift in the direction of its work from welfare to development.

Today, the organization is known as Caritas Zimbabwe to identify it with other Catholic development agencies, and gives hope to tens of millions of women, men and children in times of need. It also contributes to the development of social justice in peacetime. It works with people to bring about positive change in some of Zimbabwe’s poorest provinces.

The organization’s mandate includes integral human development, emergency aid, peace building, respect for human rights, and support for good stewardship of the planet’s environment and resources.

What makes the work of Caritas Zimbabwe unique is its omnipresence in communities before, during, and after a crisis situation. It encourages people to become more involved in matters that affect their lives, and organizes advocacy work on their behalf in national and international forums.

The success of its programs lies in its partnership with the global Caritas network and eight dioceses. The combination of skills and resources enables the organization to identify grassroots issues, analyze them, and take action at the local, regional, and global levels.

The organization’s activities include: water and sanitation projects that have increased access to clean water and hygiene practices for approximately 70% of the community; safe and healthy living conditions for families.

Caritas Zimbabwe’s agriculture and food security programs improve families’ livelihoods and increase their incomes through initiatives such as establishing community gardens, donating seeds and equipment, and improving coping techniques to increase crop production.

Caritas Zimbabwe’s emergency and humanitarian aid provides vital assistance to those affected by natural disasters or suffering from poverty and hunger. During a severe drought in the early 1990s, the organization helped prevent widespread famine by providing food to those who needed it most.

Caritas Zimbabwe focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention and organizes awareness campaigns about orphans and the two million people living with HIV and their families.

Caritas Zimbabwe implements its activities through its national office in Harare and eight diocesan offices, namely the archdioceses of Harare and Bulawayo, and the dioceses of Gweru, Masvingo, Gokwe, Chinhoyi, Mutare and Hwange.

At the national level, the political body that makes decisions is the national executive committee composed of the president, who is a bishop, the national office staff, and the diocesan coordinators.

At the diocesan level, there is a similar body composed of local ordinary members by right, the diocesan coordinator, the field development team, and elected representatives of the communities with whom the commission works on development.

The organization’s employees and volunteers carry out its initiatives in 8 Caritas dioceses and 97 Caritas parishes so that the local population can control the process of setting up, and thus, of their own development.

Caritas Zimbabwe works in partnership with other Caritas organizations to implement its emergency and development programs. Examples include Caritas England & Wales-CAFOD, Catholic Relief Services USA, Caritas Ireland-Trócaire, Caritas Australia and Caritas Denmark.