2. Our theme this year is “Love your neighbour”.
The six stories your will hear during Lent show some of the ways peoples’ lives can be transformed when we follow Jesus’ instruction to “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt. 22:39).

3. For more than 50 years, Caritas Australia has worked together with our neighbours in Australia and over 30 countries around the world to combat poverty, promote justice and uphold the dignity of every person.
Photo: Domingas, Caritas Australia partner and Martina a program participant in Timor-Leste.

5. Philippines

6. Photos: Dinia harvesting rice with the help of her family and neighbours.
Dinia with a new baby piglet, provided to one of her neighbours through the Hog Dispersal Program supported by Caritas Australia.

7. Dinia lives in the Philippines
Dinia lives in the Philippines. In the Philippines millions of people only live on $1.90 a day. Dinia struggled every day to get food and enough money for her children to go to school.
Sadly, her husband died and this made things even harder for Dinia. Dinia heard about a program run by Caritas Australia's partner SPACFI (Socio Pastoral Action Center Foundation Inc.). When she joined, she learned lots of things that have helped make her life better.
Photo: Dinia working with a SPACFI representative, learning about a System of Rice Intensification (SRI) a methodology aimed at increasing the yield of rice produced in farming. It is a low water, labour-intensive, method that uses younger seedlings singly spaced and typically hand weeded with special tools. This method has increased Dinia and her families rice yield.
A staff member from SPACFI is teaching Dinia how to plant organic rice crops.

8. Through the Caritas program Dinia learnt how to grow rice and vegetables without chemicals, how to sell chips and make medicines from plants. Dinia also raises pigs. When the sow has piglets she keeps some but gives some to a neighbour. The whole community shares and learns together. Dinia is a leader in her community now. She says “My life is much better now. It is easier.”
Dinia’s neighbours.
Dinia with her family.
Photo credits: Richard Wainwright

9. Timor-Leste

10. Photos: Martina collecting her vegetables to feed her family of 8 and to sell. Martina says “Even though we were eight people, we only had half of a glass of rice for food for one day” . Now Martina, with her community, can provide more for her family. “I was happy other people came to help me”.
After Martina’s husband treated her poorly, and left her and their family, Domingas, a counsellor at Uma PAS women’s shelter, has assisted Martina to move on to a better life for herself and her family

11. Martina lives in Timor-Leste - one of Australia’s closest neighbours
Martina lives in Timor-Leste - one of Australia’s closest neighbours. Many years ago there was a war in Timor-Leste and this has made life hard for many people. Many families don’t have food all the time.
Martina was worried that her family of eight children did not have enough to eat. She was unhappy. Her husband was unhappy too. He was often angry. So Martina decided to leave. She went to a safe place run by Caritas Australia. It is called Uma PAS – which means “a peaceful home."
Photo: Martina smiling, “I’m very, very happy right now, compared with my past life, because of support of the other people”.

12. At the Caritas Uma PAS house Martina had somewhere safe to sleep
At the Caritas Uma PAS house Martina had somewhere safe to sleep. The helpers gave her food and also helped her learn new skills so she could earn money. Today Martina is much happier. She has a small home and works hard in her small business so she can send her children to school.
Photos:
After suffering through domestic violence, Martina and her family now have their own house and are able to be financially independent so her children can go to school
Martina’s village community have embraced and supported her transition to self-sufficiency from a life of hardship and violence. They all lift each others spirits and help each other to lead better lives.
Martina with her family in front of their house.
Martina with her neighbours.
Photo credits: Richard Wainwright

13. Australia

14. Photos: Kinchela Boys Home (KBH) Survivor, Uncle Richard working on his painting of the Good Samaritan at his art studio in Kempsey. Uncle Richard says “With the Good Samaritan, I believe a lot of indigenous people, over the years, during traditional times, helped a lot of people, helped a lot of non-indigenous people”.
Kinchela Boys Home (KBH) Survivors at the tree, near the site of KBH in Kempsey.

15. Uncle Richard is an Indigenous man- a First Australian
Uncle Richard is an Indigenous man- a First Australian. A long time ago, when he was just ten, Uncle Richard, was taken from his parents to live with other indigenous children in a special home.
He missed his family. He was not allowed to speak his language or use his name. This happened because of a law the Australian government used to have. Uncle Richard was sad and angry for a very long time. But he has found a way to cope. Uncle Richard feels better and Caritas Australia has helped.

16. Caritas Australia supports a group called KBHAC, where Uncle Richard meets others who were in the home with him. Together they help each other live happier lives. Uncle Richard and his friends tell their stories to young people and old people. Uncle Richard is also a painter. He tells the story of his life through his paintings. The men in KBHAC are also working to be good leaders and role models for Aboriginal children.
KBHAC- Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation.
Uncle Richard’s paintings.
The KBHAC men.
Photo credits: Nicole Clements, Peter Solness

17. Vietnam
Photos: Nguyet with her Teacher, Quynh. “The school doesn’t have enough facilities for children like Nguyet. I volunteered to come and teach her at her house,” Quynh says.
Nguyet and her family. Dad - Nhuan, Mum - Tim, Brother - Toan and Sister – Thuy. All of Nguyet’s family have thrived since joining the Caritas Australia supported Capacity Building for Parent Associations Supporting Children with Disabilities (CBPA) program.

19. Nguyet (pronounced new-yet) is fifteen years old and she lives in Vietnam. Nguyet has a disability. In Vietnam, a country near Australia, people with disabilities were hidden away.
There is not enough money for children with disabilities to go to school. They often need special teachers. Until now, Nguyet’s whole life has been spent inside her house. One of Nguyet’s neighbours called Quynh introduced her mum to a Caritas Australia supported program that has helped them a lot.
Nguyet- (pronounced) New-yet
Photos: Nguyet at home. For her first 14 years, Nguyet was confined to living behind closed doors, with her parents close by to take care of her many health needs. Then a neighbour’s kindness brought the outside world to Nguyet, and her life and the lives of her parents were changed forever.

20. Through the Caritas program mums and dads who have children with disabilities come together to learn and help each other. Nguyet’s neighbour Quynh is also a teacher and she comes to Nguyet’s house to teach her. Nguyet is learning to read and write and does well at maths. She loves to make colourful paper flowers and hopes one day to sell them.
Photos: Nguyet showing her neighbour’s how to design dolls clothes.
A meeting of the Capacity Building for Parent Associations Supporting Children with Disabilities (CBPA) in Nguyet’s community. Her Mum, Tim is talking to other parents about challenges and successes. The members of the Association rely on each other as neighbours, for advice, tips and encouragement to better the lives of their children with disabilities.
Nguyet sewing dolls clothes.
Nguyet’s mother at a Parent’s meeting.
Photo credits: Richard Wainwright

21. Fiji

22. Photos: Semiti, Director of the People’s Community Networks (PCN) and his family. Semiti, says, “Caritas Australia is the backbone of PCN … And without them, we cannot function”.

23. Semiti lives in Fiji. He is the Director of the People’s Community Network (PCN), which Caritas Australia supports. In Fiji, many people who live near the cities don’t have a home.
So they make shelters out of scraps they can find. These are called ‘squatter settlements’. Semiti grew up in a ‘squatter settlement’. These places don’t have roads or electricity or garbage collection. And if you don’t own the land, the government can take your shelter from you.
Photo: Semiti, Director of the People’s Community Networks (PCN) outside an informal dwelling, in an informal settlement.

24. But, Caritas Australia works with Semiti and his group called PCN
But, Caritas Australia works with Semiti and his group called PCN. Together, they tell the government that living in a squatter settlement is not fair. They have also learnt about different things like how improve their health and hygiene; take care of the elderly, how to go to school and get jobs. PCN helps people work together as neighbours to improve things for everyone. Slowly things are getting better, and the government is helping too!
Photos: The People’s Community Networks (PCN) providing training to community members. The community are learning how to successfully advocate for their rights such as land tenure, housing, sanitation, roads, education and a secure future for their children.
A PCN meeting.
Residents in the settlement.
Photo credits: Richard Wainwright

25. Philippines

26. Photos: As a member of the Disaster Risk Reduction Council and the People’s Organisation in her Barangay, Aloma feels confident that her community are doing all they can to prepare for future, climate related, disasters.
As a member of the Disaster Risk Reduction Council, Aloma’s role is to manage relief efforts and logistics in her community. She manages the budgets for medicines, food, communication and other logistical needs, in coordination with the barangay captain. In the event of a disaster, Aloma and her team are now in a position to be ready to help.

27. Aloma lives in village by the sea. Around the world weather is changing. There are more and stronger storms. Typhoon Santi destroyed Aloma’s home in 2009 and it was very frightening for her and her family.
Near Aloma’s village is a group of special friends of Caritas called SPACFI. Aloma joined the program and learnt many things that have helped her and her family. Caritas Australia works with friends across the world as they try to work out ways to deal with changing weather.
Photo: Aloma, her husband, two children and her extended family live in a coastal region of the Philippines, prone to the effects of climate change and natural disasters. Aloma says “I would like to say thank you to countries such as Australia for bringing the The ICDP (Integrated Community Development Program) to our community. This has had a great impact on our lives, on the whole community, especially on us, on my family”.
Aloma and her family.

28. When people cut down trees it is not good for the environment
When people cut down trees it is not good for the environment. In Aloma’s village the community cut down all the mangrove trees for firewood and houses. At the Caritas program Aloma learnt that the mangroves growing in the sea actually protected the villages. Aloma also learnt what to do if there is another Typhoon. The community is now making a plan to keep everybody safe if there is wild weather again.
Photos: Toto, a project officer for the ICDP (Integrated Community Development Program) supported by Caritas Australia, taught Aloma the skills to assist in Mangrove rehabilitation in her coastal community in the Philippines. The Mangroves protect her community from natural disasters and storm surges and provide a sanctuary for wild life, vital to the health of the ecosystem.
As a member of the Disaster Risk Reduction Council, Aloma’s role is to manage relief efforts and logistics in her community. She manages the budgets for medicines, food, communication and other logistical needs, in coordination with the barangay captain. In the event of a disaster, Aloma and her team are now in a position to be ready to help.
Aloma and Toto, SPACFI staff member, in the mangroves.
Aloma and her neighbours at a meeting.
Photo credits: Richard Wainwright

29. Photo: Dinia in the Philippines.

30. Photo credits: Philippines, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and Fiji: Richard Wainwright. Australia: Nicole Clements