Stories from the places where we help

 

Edeby promotes organic farming in Zambia
November 24, 2025 News

Edeby promotes organic farming in Zambia

Edeby heads Cassia Agro Enterprise Limited in the southern Zambian town of Monze. She founded the company in 2013 and today employs ten people. Thanks to training and support from Caritas, her business now focuses on organic agriculture. 

Aida’s story offers a look at Caritas Czech Republic’s activities in Gaza
November 18, 2025 News

Aida’s story offers a look at Caritas Czech Republic’s activities in Gaza

Although the recent ceasefire stopped the imminent danger in Gaza, the peace agreement itself cannot heal the wounds, allow people to return to their broken homes, nor chase away their recurring nightmares. Caritas Czech Republic, together with the financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, helped to maintain the operation of the clinic of Caritas Jerusalem. The facility provided people with basic healthcare and psychosocial support. This activity was concluded at the end of October, but our colleagues remain on site and continue providing assistance primarily in systematic psychosocial support and crisis intervention. The people of Gaza have gone through severe hardship and they need long-term, professionally-led help. The following story is one of many. 

Beauty from Zambia starts a new chapter as a seamstress with support from Caritas Czech Republic
November 3, 2025 News

Beauty from Zambia starts a new chapter as a seamstress with support from Caritas Czech Republic

At 47 years old, Beauty from Zambia has become a skilled seamstress and independent woman. But not long ago, she was a housewife with no job, entirely dependent on her husband’s income. After their divorce, she was left to care for five children alone, with no support from her former husband. Thanks to the training and support from Caritas Czech Republic, Beauty was able to change her life and start her own business. 

This shop is my dream come true, says Maha from Iraq, who opened a cosmetics shop thanks to support from Caritas Czech Republic
October 13, 2025 News

This shop is my dream come true, says Maha from Iraq, who opened a cosmetics shop thanks to support from Caritas Czech Republic

Maha, now 40 years old, runs a small but carefully arranged shop in the centre of the Christian town of Karakosh in northern Iraq. She sells cosmetics, scarves, accessories, and sometimes even clothing – and says she does not need anything more to be happy. “I opened the shop after we returned home from Erbil, after the city was liberated from ISIS. Back then, we were living in a caravan – now I have my own business. And I’m truly grateful for that,” says Maha, who now runs her business thanks in part to the support of Caritas Czech Republic. 

111 years of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees: Migration as a bridge between nations and cultures
October 3, 2025 Charita Česká republika

111 years of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees: Migration as a bridge between nations and cultures

The World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which this year falls on the weekend of 4–5 October, serves as a reminder that migrants are not a threat, but rather a bridge between divided communities. The message of Pope Leo XIV, stating that “migrants are missionaries of hope and peace,” points the way towards solidarity and the building of a more cohesive society. 

Nassim from Iraq was able to open his own blacksmith workshop thanks to support from Caritas Czech Republic
September 29, 2025 News

Nassim from Iraq was able to open his own blacksmith workshop thanks to support from Caritas Czech Republic

In the small town of Karamles in northern Iraq, the sharp clang of hammer on metal rings out from a modest blacksmith workshop. Inside, 41-year-old Nassim works with practiced ease, bending iron into shape, welding railings, and assembling doors that will protect homes and shops across the region. Thanks to support from Caritas Czech Republic, what started as a passion two decades ago has also become Nassim’s livelihood.  

Patrick from Zambia is showing that quality animal feed can be affordable and he’s helping other farmers in his community
September 22, 2025 News

Patrick from Zambia is showing that quality animal feed can be affordable and he’s helping other farmers in his community

 “I used to think only about keeping my own livestock alive. Today my goal is to help other farmers as well,” says Patrick, who turns crop residues into low-cost feed with help from Caritas Czech Republic. 

My family has been farming this land for centuries, says Wamedh, a farmer from Iraq concerned about the impact of climate change
September 15, 2025 News

My family has been farming this land for centuries, says Wamedh, a farmer from Iraq concerned about the impact of climate change

The fertile Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq have long been the heart of agriculture. For generations, families here have worked the land and relied on what they could grow. But today, that’s no longer easy – rainfall is scarce, the climate is changing, and farmers are worried about the future. One of them is Wamedh, a farmer from the Christian town of Qaraqosh. Caritas Czech Republic helped him adapt to the changing climate. 

Farmer Everisto in Zambia faces drought caused by the climate crisis. Caritas Czech Republic helped him cope with the challenges
September 11, 2025 News

Farmer Everisto in Zambia faces drought caused by the climate crisis. Caritas Czech Republic helped him cope with the challenges

Everisto has been farming in Zambia for several decades, providing for both himself and his family through his hard work. However, his crops have been increasingly threatened by drought. Thanks to training from Caritas Czech Republic, Everisto is now better equipped to cope with the effects of climate change. 

Caritas Czech Republic gave me the support I needed, says Mahmoud after completing job training program in Mosul, Iraq
September 4, 2025 News

Caritas Czech Republic gave me the support I needed, says Mahmoud after completing job training program in Mosul, Iraq

In the aisles of a shopping mall in Mosul, Iraq, Mahmoud moved steadily between shelves and deliveries, overseeing the sale of chips and snacks. Like many young people in Iraq, Mahmoud once faced unemployment and uncertainty. But thanks to an on-the-job training programme supported by Caritas Czech Republic, he found a stable job and a clearer path forward.