Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Honiara (Agenzia Fides) - Caritas Solomon Islands has just concluded a three year period of intense activity. In a country which has experience ethnic tensions and is still besieged by pockets of endemic poverty and underdevelopment, Caritas puts all its human and economic resources in the field to meet the needs of the people, especially the poorest and marginalised sectors.
After assessing the past three year's activity Caritas was able to plan future interventions. The three year programme completed included “capacity building”, with professional training for young people, many in isolated villages to increase their chances of finding work; interventions on the psychological field to heal trauma caused by violence or natural disasters; support for micro-projects and business undertaken by women to improve their social, economic and cultural situation. Caritas staff said these efforts had a good percentage of success and saw the active participation of members of parish Caritas groups, thanks to which it was possible to reach all over the territory.
The assessment concluded recently with a meeting with representatives from the dioceses of Gizo, Auki and Honiara and experts from Caritas Australia and NGOs. Caritas Solomons works closely with other Christian aid agencies and NGOs. Caritas Solomons confirmed, updated and re-proposed the programatic lines of the three year period just concluded, re-launching the Church's social assistance through awareness-building among the laity and the idea of helping people to promote their own social-economic growth. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 5/12/2007 righe 24 parole 240)
