Caritas is Latin for love and compassion, two qualities which are essential to their work. For over 110 years, caritas has worked towards the creation of a just world and it grew to become one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies. It’s a Catholic Agency for International Aid Development and began in Australia in 1964. One major part that caritas works in is Latin America, they focus on Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Haiti and Peru.
Bolivia is one of Latin America’s poorest nations. It is landlocked in South America stretching from the central Andes to the Amazon basin. Bolivia has history of internal conflicts, dictatorship and tensions between indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Caritas Australia’s programs in Bolivia promote economic development, ecological sustainability and human rights in both urban and rural communities.
Life expectancy in Bolivia is 67; low compared to other countries in Latin America. The maternal mortality rate is the highest among countries in Latin America; it is more than three times higher than Brazil. The mortality rate in Bolivia sightly increased between 2008 and 2011; over this time rates in other developing countries saw improvement. The difficulties facing Bolivia’s indigenous and rural communities are widespread deforestation, erosion and poor land fertility. Yet the country’s varied geography makes it one of the most biodiversity countries in the world. The valuable asset represents an opportunity for the development of rural communities, so long as it is managed sustain-ably.
Caritas Australia implemented five projects in Bolivia through four local partners in 2010 and 2011. More than 340 000 dollars was spent on a variety of issues including disaster risk reduction, emergencies, food security and sustainable agriculture.
Brazil’s fast and very successful economic development has made it the center of Latin America. However, funding for health care and