Since then, it has continued to provide a beacon of hope for hundreds of thousands of women, men and children in times of hardship and contributes to the development of social justice in times of peace. The organisation belongs to an international confederation called Caritas Internationalis (CI) (www.caritas.org), a network of 165 Catholic relief, development and social service organisations working to build a better world, especially for the poor and oppressed, in over 200 countries and territories. Caritas is one of the largest international humanitarian networks, working with people regardless of their religion, race, gender or ethnicity.

 Caritas Zimbabwe’s approach is based on Catholic Social Teaching, which focuses on the dignity of the human person. We believe that the weak and oppressed are not objects of pity, but agents of change leading the struggle to eradicate dehumanising poverty, unacceptable living and working conditions, and unjust social, political, economic and cultural structures.

What makes Caritas Zimbabwe unique is its on-going presence in communities, before, during and after crisis situations. Important, too, is that being part of civil society and incorporating the perspective of the poor, we can continuously adapt our strategies to an ever changing environment. Caritas Zimbabwe fights poverty, exclusion, intolerance and discrimination. More importantly, it empowers people to participate fully in all matters affecting their lives, and advocates with and/or on their behalf at national and international forums.

For Caritas Zimbabwe partnership is critical. We value local autonomy in ensuring effective teamwork for the good of all. In this regard, Caritas Zimbabwe interventions are implemented through a network of 8 Diocesan Caritas Offices. These are Caritas Bulawayo, Chinhoyi, Gokwe, Gweru, Harare, Hwange, Masvingo and Mutare and coordinated by a National Office based in Harare. By pooling expertise and resources, we are able to identify issues at the grassroots, analyse them at district, provincial, national, regional and international levels, and then take action locally, regionally and globally.