Caritas Seychelles was founded in 1975 by Bishop Felix Paul to help the most disadvantaged and excluded members of society by providing them with basic human needs: food, clothing and shelter. As it has grown, the scope of the organisation’s activities has expanded to provide emergency and humanitarian aid, assistance to Church projects and groups, support programmes for the sick, and activities for the elderly and disabled. The organisation’s work focuses on the real needs of society, namely young people and families.
The activities and services of Caritas Seychelles are as follows: emergency aid programmes that provide vital assistance to victims in a country prone to natural disasters such as drought and flooding. In January 2013, the organisation provided essential items and funding to families affected by various disasters.
Aid to the poor and to families in need of basic necessities such as food and clothing. Counselling and spiritual and moral support for families. Programmes that promote employment. Fundraising activities to help people in distress. Parish activities that collect and distribute donations to clients every day.
Training of members at parish level to enable them to run the organisation’s programmes as effectively as possible. Activities and services that encourage communities to participate in development and to take greater personal, professional, civic and collective responsibility. Among the past activities of Caritas Seychelles is a literacy project to help children with learning difficulties. It is currently organising a reading and writing programme and another to help the homeless.
Caritas Seychelles has a board of directors made up of the president, a chaplain, a vice-president, a consultant, a treasurer, a secretary and four ordinary members. The parish committees are made up of the parish priest, a president, a vice-president, a treasurer, a secretary and ordinary members. There is also a committee of presidents made up of all the presidents of the parish groups.
Caritas Seychelles is based in Mahé and its services are provided by 141 dynamic volunteers, including 2 youth groups with a total of 20 members. Caritas Seychelles is a member of Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Africa.
