A little bit better every day
We might not be able to fix the world overnight, but we can make it better than yesterday.
Priscilla holds millet from this year’s harvest in her storeroom at her home in Hwange district, north western Zimbabwe. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Thandolwayo
With the right support, we can make things a little better
Thandolwayo walking to collect water. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
1
In Zimbabwe, Thandolwayo walks over 3km to collect water every day before school.
Thandolwayo collecting water at the river. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
63
The walk is physically exhausting and carries the constant risk of crocodile attacks.
Thandolowayo Filling A Water Can. Photo: Richard Wainwright.
Day
197
Thandolwayo’s village participates in a program that installs solar powered water pumps, supported by generous people like you.
Thandolwayo's life changed when she could access clean water in her village. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
210
Thandolwayo gains access to clean, accessible drinking water.
Thandolwayo at her primary school in the Hwange district in rural Zimbabwe. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
537
No longer tired from dangerous walks, or sick from unsafe water, Thandolwayo can focus on her education and her dream of becoming a nurse.
Ronita
Ronita's story is one of determination and grit
Ronita with her son Egzy in their home in the Philippines. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
1
Bullied at school, a teenage mother, Ronita has left her education behind.
Ronita (22) does homework for her senior high school classes while her sons Egzy Grey (3) and Clark (5) sleep in their home in Quezon City, Philippines. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
2
Living in poverty with two young children in a 10m2 room, Ronita’s hope for a better future seems impossible, trapped in the cycle of poverty.
Ronita is 22 years old and lives in Quezon City, Philippines. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
17
But Ronita never gives up. With the support of generous people like you, she begins to rebuild her life, a little bit better every day.
Day
34
Ronita participates in a program run by our partners in the Philippines, resuming her education, one day at a time.
Day
371
Ronita earns her Senior High School Diploma, opening the door to a steady job, a steady income, and a brighter future for her family.
Sakhina
Small acts of support helped Sakhina in the world's largest refugee camp
Sakhina, a Rohingya refugee, carries a vessel of water as she looks at the camera. The vessel and tap water access was provided by Caritas Australia's partners, Caritas Bangladesh. Photo: Caritas Australia
Day
1
Sakhina fled her home under gunfire to save her daughter.
Day
10
After days and nights hiding in the forest, they reached the world's largest refugee camp.
Sakhina with her daughter Noor and Rehena from Caritas Bangladesh. Photo: Caritas Bangladesh
Day
45
In Cox's Bazar, clean water was scarce. A safe toilet was hard to find.
The support of people like you helped Sakhina access clean water so that she and her family can stay healthy. Photo: Caritas Australia
Day
34
With the help of people like you, Caritas Australia provided clean water and safe sanitation.
Priscilla
With the right support, Priscilla learned to grow food even in times of drought
Day
1
Priscilla's crops are her only source of food and income.
Priscilla inspects her drought affected fields of millet next to her home in Hwange district, north western Zimbabwe. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
2
Drought destroys her harvest, leaving no food for her family.
Priscilla, Zimbabwe, learned conservation farming to produce drought-resistant crops. Photo: Richard Wainwright.
Day
90
With support from Caritas Australia, Priscilla learns how to grow drought-resistant crops.
Priscilla walking her grandchildren to school. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Day
321
Today, she can sell food at the market and afford her grandchildren's school supplies.
How your generosity changes lives
700 million
people are living in extreme poverty
828 million
people are experiencing food insecurity
2.2 billion
people are living without access to clean water
Impact of our generous donors in 2024-25
In this video, Caritas Australia staff share the powerful impact of your generosity. In 2025, with your support, we reached over 2.3 million people across 34 countries, providing access to clean water, nutritious food, emergency aid, and climate-resilient livelihoods.
Help make the world a little bit better, every day. Donate Now
Donate NowOur community-led approach empowers vulnerable communities
Real, lasting change happens when it’s led by the people themselves. That’s why, with your support, we invest directly in community-led solutions and work hand-in-hand with local leaders to eliminate poverty, focusing on their strengths and supporting solutions that will last for generations.
A Caritas worker walks through the destruction in Gaza. Photo: Caritas Jerusalem
Humanitarian Aid
Caritas is a world leader in emergency responses. We coordinate with the international Caritas network and our partners on the ground to bring emergency relief in the form of food, clean water, emergency shelter, hygiene kits and cash assistance. We share our resources and technical expertise to help communities receive long-term support to recover and rebuild stronger.
Janice is a traditional dancer who tells stories through movements handed down over generations. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
First Australian Partners
We support programs in Australia that are designed and led by First Australians. We believe in subsidiarity: that the people best placed to make decisions are those who will be most affected by them. We walk alongside First Australian communities to strengthen their cultural identity, support intergenerational healing and keep culture alive for future generations.
Monoranjon and Anita live in a coastal region in Bangladesh that is affected by climate change. Photo: Caritas Australia
International Development
From walking alongside First Nations communities in Australia to improving access to food and water in Zimbabwe, we work with communities around the world to create sustainable change. Our development programs cover communities through the Pacific, Asia and Africa.
Why your donation matters
When you donate to support Caritas Australia, you are helping fund life-changing programs that use local knowledge to create lasting and sustainable change.
We work in partnership with local communities on-the-ground, so that they can take control of their future and forge their own path out of poverty.
Our Strengths-Based Approach identifies and builds on the existing collective strengths of communities. This approach leads to more sustainable change, and allows everyone in the community to participate in building a better future together.Â
Laxmi using a water tap that she advocated to have installed as a member of the Child Club at her old school in Jajarkot district, western Nepal. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Where the funds go
80%
of funds are spent on implementing Local and International Programs, including important education and advocacy in Australia to amplify the voice of our partners.
17%
of funds are spent on Fundraising, so that we can maintain and expand the scope of our humanitarian and development partnerships and work across the globe.
3%
of funds are spent on infrastructure, systems and people that make the work we do possible.
