Caritas Gambia Strengthens Development Efforts Through Strategic Planning
By Fatoumata Jaiteh
On Tuesday, 25th March 2025, Caritas Gambia took a significant step toward shaping its future contributions to national development by collaborating with local stakeholders to draft a comprehensive strategy. This initiative aims to identify priority areas and strengthen partnerships to drive meaningful change across the country.
During the engagement, stakeholders emphasised the importance of focusing on governance, education, climate resilience, and water and sanitation. The discussions reflected Caritas’ long-standing commitment to social justice and poverty alleviation.
"Our mission has always been to empower communities to overcome barriers to progress," a Caritas representative stated. "By refining our development plan, we can strengthen our efforts in key sectors and expand opportunities for those in need."
As part of the global Caritas network, the Gambian branch has played a crucial role in implementing initiatives that improve livelihoods. The organisation has invested in agriculture, small businesses, housing, and educational programs while advocating for systemic changes to benefit vulnerable populations.
Since its founding in 2001 under the Catholic Diocese of Banjul, Caritas Gambia has operated as a non-profit entity, working closely with government agencies and civil society groups. With this new roadmap, the organisation aims to build on past successes and create sustainable solutions for future challenges.
"Since its inception, CaDO has maintained relationships with Caritas Africa, Caritas Internationalis, and other member organisations. CaDO is also linked with other diocesan units, including the Gambia Pastoral Institute (GPI), the Diocesan Secretariat (DS), and the Catholic Education Secretariat (CES)."
