A coalition of Australian church-based aid agencies has reached over 4.4 million people affected by disasters across 19 countries, marking a decade of coordinated humanitarian action through the Church Agencies Network Disaster Operations (CAN DO).
The ten-year anniversary was celebrated at a reception at Parliament House Canberra and was attended by event sponsors the Hon Tim Watts, MP and Mr Luke Gosling, MP, as well as representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and several INGOs including CAN DO members.
Established in 2015 and operational since 2017, CAN DO brings together nine faith-based organisations under the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, leveraging deep community ties and trusted church networks to deliver life-saving assistance and build long-term resilience.
Over the past ten years, CAN DO has responded to cyclones, floods, landslides, epidemics and conflict, prioritising the most vulnerable and ensuring inclusive, locally-led solutions. The consortium has implemented 50 humanitarian and disaster risk reduction projects in partnership with 95 local churches and community organisations.
“Churches are often the first to respond and continue to support communities long after disasters” said Chey Mattner Director of CAN DO. “Their presence in remote and disaster-prone communities makes them uniquely positioned to deliver timely aid and foster recovery.”
Key achievements include:
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Reaching 2.2 million people with water, sanitation and hygiene programs.
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Supporting 1.3 million people with livelihoods recovery.
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Delivering education programs to over 110,000 children affected by conflict and disaster.
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Strengthening disaster preparedness through the Safe n Redi program, shortlisted for the 2025 UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction.
CAN DO’s work spans the Indo-Pacific and beyond, with responses in Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Laos, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo and more. Its faith-rooted approach, including the Theology of Disaster Resilience program, has helped communities overcome belief barriers and embrace proactive disaster preparedness.
“As CAN DO looks ahead to its next decade, we intend to deepen local partnerships, expand our use of geospatial technology, and continue to lead by example in locally led, inclusive humanitarian action” concluded Chey Mattner.
Caritas Australia is the lead consortium partner in the CAN DO network, which includes Act for Peace, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Anglican Board of Mission, Anglican Overseas Aid, Australian Lutheran World Service, Global Mission Partners, Transform Aid International and Uniting World.
