The story of Christmas begins with a mother
Your support has helped mothers like Maria to create a brighter future for their family.
Maria is a young mother living in a small village in northern Tanzania; a region affected by long-term food and water insecurity.
For years, Maria struggled to earn an income and provide enough food to feed her family. Unable to read, write or count, her opportunities to make a living were limited. Her small farm often produced poor harvests due to water scarcity, and Maria was forced to travel long distances to collect water.
Thanks to the generosity of people like you, Maria was able to join the A+ program and participate in training about sustainable farming, literacy and numeracy, gender awareness, hygiene and sanitation.
With her newfound knowledge and skills, Maria is now able to produce enough food to feed her family, earn a sustainable income, and has even become a leader in her community.
When you support a mother like Maria, it has the power to not only uplift her family, but her entire community.
Along with your generous support, this program is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
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How your donations helped
Education
If children do not attend school, their employment opportunities down the track become severely limited. Adults without an education often lack the confidence and skills they need to earn a sufficient income. Your gift has helped people like Maria to enrol in literacy and numeracy classes so they can break the cycle of poverty.
Food Security
World hunger is currently on the rise, with between 118 and 161 million more people facing hunger this past year. Food insecurity and hunger increase people’s vulnerability to disease, malnutrition and poverty. Your donation has helped vulnerable families like Maria's to put food back on their table.
Access to clean water
Around the world, over 2.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. Clean water, hygiene and sanitation are essential to life, livelihoods and a community's development. Your charitable gift has helped give families like Maria's improved access to clean water.
"Caritas Australia’s program has had a very positive impact on my life. Now, I am feeling proud because my community respects me. It is a good lesson that anything is possible when you put some effort in.”
Around the world:
690 million
people in the world suffer from hunger
1 in 3
people globally do not have access to clean drinking water
773 million
adults around the world are illiterate, most of whom are women
Thank you from children around the world
This year, we asked children from around the world to illustrate what Christmas means to them.
Your generosity this festive season has helped bring hope and joy to vulnerable people across the globe, including children like those who have created these beautiful drawings.