Welcome

Samoa may be surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas. As a result, many families face extreme hardship and an increased risk of waterborne disease.

Leaia lives with her five children, husband, brother, and sister-in-law on the island of Upolu.

Their home is resourcefully constructed from scrap materials collected from a nearby recycling facility. But with no connection to a piped water system, they used to rely solely on rainwater collected in old fridges.

In recent years, the uncertainty in rainfall has become an increasing worry for Leaia and her family, as they face longer dry seasons and briefer rainy seasons.

When their water ran out, Leaia had to walk with her young children to collect water in buckets from a neighbour down the street.

“When it was very hot, there was not much water. It became difficult for me to collect, plus it was far. Without water, we can’t do any of our daily activities. We rely heavily on water to live.”

Thanks to kind supporters like you, our local partner, Caritas Samoa, installed a water tank for Leaia and her family. They now have a steady supply of clean drinking water. Next year, they will also have a toilet built, which will further improve their health and living conditions.

“We are very thankful and grateful for the water tank. It has helped us so much and made our daily life easier.”

For Leaia and many other families around the world, the gift of access to essential clean water can be life changing.

POVERTY IS NOT JUST ABOUT LOW-INCOME

The World Bank defines poverty as living on less than $2.79 a day. But poverty is not just about low income—it is often about a lack of access to essential services, goods, and support.

Your generous support of Caritas Australia means you stand alongside people facing the most challenging of circumstances—including natural disasters, extreme weather, armed conflict, displacement, and more. You stand with our local partners to put your compassion into action.

You are helping to provide the resources and support people need to overcome adversity and alleviate suffering and poverty. You are empowering individuals, families, and communities to lift themselves from poverty and build a better future.

For 60 years, Caritas Australia has worked hand in hand with the most marginalised communities around the world to confront and overcome the challenges of poverty.

We are the international aid and development agency for the Catholic Church in Australia and we work for all people, anywhere regardless of religion, race, or political beliefs.

Wherever the injustice of poverty needs to be addressed and where the need is greatest, you will find Caritas.

Through the generosity of our broad community of supporters, we partner with local communities in need. In times of crisis such as natural disasters or conflict, we work with our local partners to bring urgent aid to where it is needed most.

In the longer term, we support programs that help communities build on their own strengths and resources to drive transformative and sustainable change. Change that can help people rise out of poverty. This is compassion in action.

Caritas Australia is part of Caritas Internationalis, one of the largest humanitarian networks in the world with over 160 Member Organisations. Working through this global network of local partners and Church networks is what enables us to reach where need is greatest.

As we work together for a just future, we take inspiration from the Catholic Social Teachings. While these are shared by Catholics everywhere, they give universal purpose to our vision of enabling justice, dignity, and hope for humanity.