Caritas Bangladesh Newsletter (September-December 2009 Issue)

A national branch of Catholic relief and development network Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Bangladesh works to support human resource development, social justice and human rights, health care, and ecological sustainability. Their goal is to support youth, female, elderly, disabled, and impoverished populations. Originally the eastern branch of Caritas Pakistan, the group became a national organization in 1971 and assumed the name Caritas Bangladesh in 1976. Based in Dhaka, Caritas Bangladesh also maintains eight regional offices around the country. The organization’s annual reports detail projects and initiatives; most recently, Caritas implemented regional technical schools to provide vocational training for underserved areas. The group has also worked on microfinance programs to support regional small businesses, initiatives to expand basic education for underprivileged children, food security projects, and programs to address leprosy and reproductive health. Caritas often supports and collaborates with Muslim, Hindu, and Christian religious groups in the country.