Over the past five weeks, millions of people across Australia have participated in the nation's largest aid and development fundraiser – Project Compassion – standing in steadfast solidarity with those who bear the greatest burden of global poverty. With one week left in the annual Lenten appeal, Caritas Australia is hoping for a record final tally.
Caritas Australia's CEO, Jack de Groot, said: "As we enter Holy Week and prepare to celebrate Easter with family and friends, we are called to remember our own humility and reaffirm our commitment to one-another in the name of new life, new hope and new beginnings.
"This year, millions of Australians have embraced the Lenten spirit and humbly reached out to the most vulnerable communities in the furthest corners of the Earth. In this final week of our Project Compassion campaign, it's time to turn our sights back home."
Caritas Australia is part of the world's second largest aid and development network, working in over 200 countries and territories to help communities to tackle the structures of poverty and take control of their future. With a commitment to stand by the poorest of the poor, Caritas Australia supports long-term community development throughout Indigenous Australia.
From the outer suburbs of Sydney to stretches of desert in the top end, Caritas Australia supports community development initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people regardless of denomination. Programs in health, education, and livelihoods seek to address the underlying causes of the poverty and the marginal status many Indigenous Australians experience.
One Western Sydney resident, Judy says: "In joining the community program I gained more confidence and a stronger identity. I am healing I've been helped to establish my Aboriginal heritage/ancestry is Murrawarri and feel I have gained a healthier value of myself and an understanding of my feelings and where they come from. It has given me a great deal of respect for my Aboriginal people."
With the skills and confidence she gained, Judy is now completing her Certificate Four in Training and Development, and pursuing a her passion: a career supporting Aboriginal people with mental health difficulties.
"I hope that the gap between Aboriginal people and the wider community closes - that our youth have greater resources to overcome barriers that obstruct their education, which could lead to lower incarceration rates, better health and longevity."