CARITAS
Promoting, supporting, and sustaining the development of the whole human being.
Caritas Chinhoyi is a developmental arm of our diocese handling socio-economic development programmes.
Our programmes are designed to transform & empower local communities to engage in productive and self-sustaining activities in consonance with the call of the church be a dispenser of God’s Love.
We mainly focus on: capacity building, humanitarian work, livelihoods, women and gender development and information, research and advocacy.
Our Story
A community in which the ecological conversion, peace and dignity results in the common good and common responsibility.
Toachieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived and vulnerable communities in the Diocese of Chinhoyi, through promoting, supporting, and sustaining the development of the whole human being as part of the evangelism mission of the church. The mission of Caritas is to make God's love visible in the church.
Dignity of human beings | Solidarity/sharing | Compassion | Service | Subsidiary Transparency and Accountability | Preferential option for the poor
Our History
Caritas was founded in 1972 as the Commission for Social Services and Development (C.S.S. D). It was renamed to Catholic Development Commission (CADEC) in 1984. In 2014 the organisation was legally registered as a Private voluntary Organisation in line with PVO Act, chapter 17.05 of Zimbabwe.
Our mandate includes integral human development, relief and welfare, small- scale, self-reliant local development, sustainable systems development, advocacy, peace building, respect for human rights, and support for proper stewardship of the environment and resources.
We work with existing community-based structures from which a pool of volunteers have been trained and organized in different fields such as HIV mitigation, sexual and reproductive health and rights, child protection, gender, water and sanitation, to cascade the interventions to peer community members.
Caritas Chinhoyi is a member of Zimbabwe Aids Network (ZAN) and HOSPAZ.
Our Partners
Caritas capitalizes on the existing Church and community structures to access the communities and other stakeholders. It participates in activities from the community (village and ward) to national level.
Along with our partners, we have engaged in capacity building programs ensuring sound program implementation and accountability.
Our main touchpoints include: disabilities, children, elderly, gender, HIV/AIDS, protection and environment.
Our Projects
Nazareth Shelter
_JPG.jpg)
Nazareth Shelter is a home for the destitute elderly who have no one to care for them in their old age. These are relatively unusual cases as Zimbabwean culture dictates that families care for their elderly.
However, every so often, an older person becomes orphaned from their family and, in a very poor society with no social protection, they fall on hard times and in most cases, the government and non-governmental organizations will intervene and provide care.
At our entrance is a beautiful, black granite plaque with hand inscribed images and text in Shona, Irish, and English on a plinth unveiled by SSVP Zimbabwe to honour the late Mary Toole and Michael O’Keefe. The two are remembered for the tireless effort they made to renovate the home and for assisting in sourcing resources needed at the home.
The home currently has 18 elderly residents, with a staff complement of six, full-time volunteers.
Weir Dam Construction
The Weir Dam construction project is being conducted In partnership with Misereor.
Located in Chiswiti Ward 4 (Kamutsenzere), Mt Darwin, the dam will provide a sustainable water source that will benefit over a thousand villagers and their livestock. The area is historically associated with a minimum rainfall of below 400mm per year.
The goal is to complete the project before the rainy season.
To aid in the goal of creating sustainable sources of income for community members, Caritas will target at least 540 poor resource smallholder farmers to participate in climate-resilient agricultural practices.
The community will select lead farmers who are hardworking and have the capacity to cascade knowledge to other peer farmers. The farmers will also be capacitated in value chain development to link production and markets, thus improving household income and sustainable food security.
Chapinduka Vegetable Project
In a bid to empower the marginalized people in the country, Caritas Chinhoyi ventured into a solar-powered micro-irrigation scheme in Mashonaland Central province, at Rushinga district Ward 2 Chapinduka.
This is a dry region and the project will improve the communities' livelihoods and nutritional diet. Initially, the project will have 100 direct beneficiaries as they are plot holders involved in the various horticultural value chains.
The selection process was guided by agreed selection criteria. Active farmers were chosen to lead farming activities demonstrating good agricultural practices. The selected farmers were given a minimum 150m2 plot area.
A 7-member gender-sensitive committee was appointed to lead all garden activities. The committee ensures all workers contribute towards the production goals of food and nutritional security.
The project is funded by Misean Cara and operated by Caritas Chinhoyi Diocese.