Caritas Madagascar is a Catholic development and relief agency in Madagascar, established 1959. It is a member of the global Caritas Internationalis confederation, as well as of Caritas Africa.

Caritas Madagascar
Established1959
TypeNonprofit
Purposesocial work, development aid, humanitarian aid
HeadquartersLot IV G, 199 Antanimena[1]
Location
OriginsCatholic Social Teaching[2]
Region served
Madagascar
AffiliationsCaritas Africa, Caritas Internationalis
Websitecaritasmadagascar.org

History

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In 1947, one year after its own creation, the French Secours catholique opened an antenna in what was then French Madagascar. A year after the declaration of the Malagasy Republic, in 1959, the country was affected by large-scale floods after which the antenna of Secours catholique became Vonjy Aina Katolika, the organisation currently known as Caritas Madagascar.[1][3]

In 1970, the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar founded another structure, the Bureau de liaison pour les actions sociales et caritatives ("Liaison Office for Social and Charitable Actions"; BLASC) to be in charge of development programmes. However, it merged with Caritas in 1977. The organisation was restructured several times and registered as an NGO in 2014.[4]

Structure

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Caritas Madagascar has a presence in the entire country through its local structures. A national office based in the capital of Antananarivo is coordinating and supporting a network of 22 diocesan Caritas structures, which in turn coordinate the work of multiple parish Caritas organisations.

The diocesan Caritas organisations are:

Work

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Some of the main areas in which Caritas Madagascar are active is agricultural development and production, healthcare and WASH.[3][5] In addition to these development programmes, the organisation also implements basic social welfare activities, by for example providing food supplies to those most in need, and acts as relief actor after natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, or droughts, providing humanitarian aid and post-emergency rehabilitation.[6][7][8]

To implement this work, Caritas Madagascar collaborates with different national ministries, as well as with a range of international partners, including the World Bank, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and multiple NGO partners.[5]

The national office of Caritas Madagascar is also involved in advocacy activities towards local and national authorities.[9][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Member organisation in Madagascar". caritas.org. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Catholic Social Teaching". Caritas.org. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Country Profiles Madagascar". migrants-refugees.va. March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Historiques de Caritas Madagascar". caritasmadagascar.org (in French). 28 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "La Iglesia catolica rn Madagascar una Iglesia viva en un pais en crisis". sanchoamigo.wordpress.com (in Spanish). 23 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Disaster Case Report: Madagascar Cyclone" (PDF). USAID. 1986. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Madagascar : le Secours Catholique renforce son aide aux victimes des récents cyclones". ReliefWeb (in French). 4 May 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  8. ^ "AFRICA/MADAGASCAR – Caritas network offers emergency assistance following worst cyclones in 20 years with a project costing 522,000 Euro". Agenzia Fides. 20 April 2004. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  9. ^ "CARITAS MADAGASCAR – Prêt à œuvrer pour le plaidoyer sur la sécurité alimentaire" (PDF). sun-hina-madagascar.org (in French). Akon'i Hina. March 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  10. ^ "La situation des classes les plus pauvres de la population est proche de la catastrophe, essentiellement en milieu urbain". ccfd-terresolidaire.org (in French). 15 September 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
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