Caritas India, the social development arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), has launched yearlong programs to mark its diamond jubilee.
Although the foundation day was on October 1, the agency opened the jubilee programs with enthusiasm two days later.
Caritas India executive director Father Paul Moonjely said the organization has traversed through pragmatic and paradigm changes — from being a charitable organization to an agency that promotes inclusive and equitable development — during the past 60 years.
From its humble beginnings, the agency has grown into “a large family that believes in one motto: The joy of service,” he said.
“Caritas India consistently and significantly contributed to the sectors of humanitarian aid and disaster risk reduction, natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, health, education, anti-human trafficking, good governance, sustainable livelihoods, Peace and Social Harmony, urban poverty alleviation,” said the priest.
“While these accomplishments of Caritas India helped millions of poor to live a life with greater dignity, these also helped her become a respected development agency both nationally and internationally,” added Father Moonjely.
He also reiterated that “Caritas India’s commitment to integrated human development and her constant striving to be relevant to the needs and aspirations of the poor and the marginalized have greatly amplified our efforts in gathering a wealth of experience and expertise from the local communities in different sectors like community mobilization, risk reduction, climate adaptive practices, Preventive Health measures and Peacebuilding.”
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