The technical department of the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Caritas Congo was established in 1960 and has had a legal personality since 1964. In accordance with its vision of a united and responsible Congolese society that is able to take care of itself, it sets about the task of “increasing, through reflection and action, the effectiveness of the Church’s contribution to efforts aimed at the integral promotion of the human person and community, with no exceptions, in accordance with the Social Teaching of the Church.”
Caritas Congo operates in a country where 70 per cent of the population suffers from poverty and the average per capita income is estimated at 220 USD (2012) and life expectancy at 48 years, despite the country’s vast natural resources.
Moreover, the government is struggling against armed groups, both Congolese and foreign, which have been responsible for many human rights violations and the displacement of 2.63 million people (end of January 2013) in the east of the country.
Caritas Congo also carries out various actions, primarily centred on its main areas of intervention, namely emergencies, healthcare, sustainable development and capacity building. In 2012, for example, these actions benefited more than 5,044,331 people who were assisted, cared for, supervised and trained in various ways.
Caritas Congo benefits from the support of various partners, including the Caritas network and the CIDSE group. At a local level, partners include government ministries and development agencies, United Nations organisations, pooled funds, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, the Department for International Development (DFID), and other bilateral and multilateral partners such as the Global Fund.
