By Nelson Manneh
Caritas-The Gambia on Tuesday, 25 March 2025 engaged its local partners to develop its National Development Plan.
The National Development Plan, according to stakeholders, will outline some of the intervention areas of Caritas and how the institution can partner with others to bring development, among other activities, to humanity.
Caritas, a global Catholic organization, aims to serve the poor and marginalised, promote charity and justice, and foster integral human development, striving for a world where everyone can live in peace and dignity.
The Catholic Development Office (Caritas Gambia), was established on January, 1st 2001 as the Development Unit of the Catholic Diocese of Banjul and registered with the Ministry of Justice as a charitable, non-profit organization with Reg. No. 469/2001.
Mr. Francis Dominick Mendy, the Director of Caritas Gambia, said Caritas focused on overcoming divisions among human beings, eliminating the climate of injustice and selfishness, opening channels of communication, and fostering attitudes of compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation, and brotherhood/sisterhood.
As its name indicates, Mendy said, Caritas strives to bear witness to the world over and be rooted where the neediest are, at the base of society, in the poorest communities, and to make itself available to render help where the need is greatest; not to dominate, not to teach, not to sit in judgment, but to give a testimony of God’s love and human dignity, to serve in charity, to animate the community process of caring and solidarity.
“The ultimate drive of Caritas is to enable people to develop themselves and to overcome the difficulties that life and circumstances have put in their way,” he outlined.
“Its member organizations work to transform lives all over the world through their programs. These range from investment and training in agriculture and business to building homes and schools. Caritas advocates for fair and just systems to allow vulnerable people to escape the tyranny of poverty,” he noted.
Mr Padro Mendy, a senior official with Caritas Gambia, said his institution has implemented a lot of projects in the Gambia and has positively impacted the life of many in the country.
“Since inception, Caritas intervention areas include governance, education, climate change, water and sanitation among others,” he said.
