January 4, 2024
All news
The past year was not an easy one. It was marked by devastating natural disasters and conflicts that affected the lives of millions of people. Caritas Czech Republic supported people in need in many places. Whether it was in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, in war-torn Ukraine, or in the reconstruction of post-war Iraq. Take a moment to look back at the past year with us and see what we have achieved thanks to your support.
1. We helped after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
The catastrophic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in early February last year killed nearly 60,000 people. Millions more found themselves without home. Caritas Czech Republic immediately started helping the affected people. We distributed drinking water, food, hygienic kits and warm clothes. We provided shelter in tents and containers for people who had lost their homes. We also provided much-needed psychological help, both for adults and children, for whom our colleagues prepared leisure activities to help them overcome the trauma they had experienced.
Aid after the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria continues to be much needed. Caritas Czech Republic is still helping people affected by the devastating shocks in both countries. Last year we also helped after the earthquake in Morocco, where our assistance to the affected people continues.
2. In Ukraine, we provided safe housing and helped people prepare for winter
Since the start of the war, we have been helping people who have taken refuge in areas in western Ukraine to secure safe housing. We have already built four residential areas with more than 30 modular houses. These provide decent accommodation for displaced people who have been living in gymnasiums and mass accommodation.
With the onset of winter, we have also helped people in Ukraine prepare for freezing weather. Together with our partner organisation, the charitable organisation New Dawn, we provided heating for the homes of residents of Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. We distributed fuel to more than 600 households and replaced windows with energy-efficient ones for another 200 households. We also distributed more than 12,000 winterisation kits with warm clothes and bedding to keep locals warm throughout the winter.
Caritas Czech Republic has been helping people affected by the war in Ukraine since the first day of the conflict. We have repeatedly sent humanitarian aid to the country. We are also helping refugees from Ukraine in Moldova and in the Czech Republic.
3. We have strengthened health and social care in Georgia
We have been supporting the Government of Georgia in strengthening the health and social care sectors since 2015 and continued last year as well. We focused on supporting primary care services, early detection and prevention of oncological diseases, as well as developing technological innovations in healthcare and assuring quality of maternal and child healthcare services. Last year, we also donated medical equipment to Zhvania Children's Hospital in Tbilisi to develop a long-term care service focused on the social and medical needs of children with severe disabilities in state care.
In Georgia, we also focus on supporting the deinstitutionalisation of social care for adults with disabilities. We have built several family-type houses to accommodate people with disabilities. Compared to the large institutions in which people with disabilities live, the houses built by Caritas Czech Republic represent dignified housing that takes into account the individual needs and wishes of the residents.
4. We celebrated 10 years of our work in Zambia
Last year, Caritas Czech Republic marked the 10th anniversary of its branch in Zambia. Over the past decade we have managed to build our largest ever country office in Zambia. In this sub-Saharan country, we help in a wide range of areas. Whether it is supporting refugees in education or setting up businesses, fighting malnutrition or adapting farmers to climate change. Zambian farmers are particularly hard hit by climate change. We support farmers to grow and harvest successful crops despite the changing climate.
Over the last ten years, Caritas Czech Republic has been able to roll out a comprehensive programme of assistance in Zambia. "We always base our assistance in Zambia on local needs. We involve traditional community leaders in our work and work with community volunteers, so we are able to help many more people," says Martina Havlíková, Country Director at Caritas Czech Republic in Zambia.
5. We provided home care for lonely elderly people in Moldova
Moldova has long faced a labour shortage in the health and social services sector. Young people in particular are leaving the country to work abroad, leaving elderly people in the country who suffer from inadequate health and social care, but also from loneliness. Caritas Czech Republic is therefore helping to develop these areas. Last year, we provided training for staff at home care centres so that they can provide quality health and social care.
The staff of the eleven home care centres that Caritas Czech Republic has opened in Moldova also help the elderly to overcome loneliness. They visit them in their homes and talk to them in addition to providing the care they need. Seniors are provided with telemedicine services, i.e. consultations with a doctor remotely, so that they do not have to make long and costly trips to the hospital.
Last year we also focused on the development of intergenerational groups in Moldova. We set up 8 intergenerational clubs where young people meet the older generation and spend their free time together, whether playing games, chatting or sharing skills such as embroidery or digital skills.
6. We have encouraged civic engagement among young Mongolians
In Mongolia, we have long been actively supporting young people. Last year, we organised an educational exchange programme to the Czech Republic and Belgium for eighteen young Mongolians to exchange experiences with governmental and civil society organisations. We also developed a strategy to engage youth in civil society over the next five years in collaboration with the Mongolian province of Bayankhongor. This will enable Mongolian youth to be involved in important decision-making processes in their home regions, and thus actively participate in the future of their country.
7. We provided job opportunities in post-war Iraq
Iraq's economy is still recovering from protracted conflict. Locals often struggle to find work and the only option is to open their own business. But without the necessary finance and knowledge, this is a difficult task. Caritas Czech Republic supports Iraqis to start their own businesses. We provide business skills courses and start-up grants.
"I needed to learn how to run and grow my business successfully," says Sarri, 28, from the Anbar region of Iraq, which was badly damaged during the war with the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Thanks to our support, Sarri learned how to open and run his own business, improved his communication skills and also decided to hire an assistant so he could stay open all day.
Last year we were able to do so much more. Keep an eye on our website for regular updates or sign up for our newsletter, which brings you interesting information from the countries we help in.
The help we provided to people in need last year would not have been possible without the support of our donors and partners, which we greatly appreciate. Thank you for joining us in helping wherever there is need.
