Project Compassion Lenten Appeal
Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things, with great love.
Teresa of Calcutta
For All Future Generations
Project Compassion is the Caritas Australia annual Lenten fund raising and awareness raising appeal. With Project Compassion, millions of Australians come together in support of the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. Project Compassion brings thousands of supporters together to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world.
Project Compassion reminds us that the good we do today extends to impact the lives of generations to come. Support for Project Compassion is helping empower our world’s most vulnerable communities to grow stronger and share their strength with their communities to lift themselves out of poverty.
Together, we can all help to break the cycle of poverty and injustice.
Please take home a Project Compassion box and/or a set of donation envelopes and support Caritas Australia this Lenten season.
You can donate through the parish boxes and envelopes, or by visiting the Caritas link below.
Caritas Project Compassion Lenten appeal
Envelopes and boxes are available at the back of our churches.
Sisilia's story - Tanzania
Sisilia is a 13-year-old girl living in remote Tanzania. Every day she had to walk long distances to collect water. Thanks to Project Compassion, Sisilia’s school and village now have safe clean water close by and she can spend more time studying so she can fulfil her dreams of one day becoming a pilot.
Life was not easy for Sisilia growing up. Her father passed away when she was one, leaving her mother to care for her and her four siblings on her own. Sisilia lives in a small, overcrowded house with only one bed, poor ventilation and no toilet. One of the main difficulties she faced was access to clean and safe water. Sisilia fetched water three times a day, walking nearly 30 mins each round trip to collect water from a dirty canal. The water was not treated and Sisilia and her family would often get stomach problems like diarrhea. She would also often be late for class because she had to fetch water for home.
Sisilia was getting very tired. Carrying heavy water containers every day and walking long distances is not easy. Sisilia was also getting piercing back pains.
With the support of a Caritas partner in Tanzania, the Diocese of Mbulu Development Department (DMDD), Sisilia and her school joined the A+ Successor Project. The project has helped improve access to clean water at Sisilia’s school by installing clean water taps at the school. With these taps children can wash their hands, drink clean water and water the school garden to grow food that they can eat for lunch.
Through the project, Sisilia participated in a SWASH (School Water, Hygiene and Sanitation) Club where she learnt about the importance of handwashing at critical times, boiling unclean water before drinking and keeping the toilets clean. The SWASH Clubs use a child-to-child approach to empower students to become advocates for change. Sisilia’s active involvement has turned her into a confident leader in her community, using her knowledge to promote hygiene, sanitation and rights awareness in her community. As part of the club, children take part in public demonstrations where they teach their parents and other adults how to maintain good hygiene through the use of songs, dance, games and interactive handwashing demonstrations.
The A+ Successor project has also helped establish a domestic water point in Sisilia’s village. Sisilia now only needs to walk two minutes to collect water.
Sisilia’s dream is to one day become a pilot and she hopes the time she saves collecting water can be used to focus on her studies.
“When I grow up, I would like to be a pilot. I'd like to fly to different countries and pass through the sky.”