BUNBURY CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL PARISH

Project Compassion 2026

What is Caritas doing this Lent? How can we help? Many people in rural Fiji struggle to support their children on very limited incomes. Support from Project Compassion and Caritas Australia’s local partner, FRIEND (Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development), helps them to grow better quality food for their families.

Almost one quarter of Fiji’s population lives in poverty, and even more in remote villages. Low incomes mean families rely on what they can grow, and that often means producing plain, limited meals that lack nutrition.  And there is a wider health crisis across Fiji. Many low-income families are forced to buy cheap, high calorie foods, contributing to soaring rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Four out of five deaths in Fiji are now linked to these preventable illnesses.

Through Project Compassion and FRIEND’s food processing training, people learn to make flour from cassava, taro and breadfruit, turning leftover crops into nutritious meals and reducing household expenses. Seeds are provided to diversify home gardens.

People can bake cakes and pies from root crop flour to sell at roadside stalls, creating new income to support their families and their children’s education.

Find out about one Fijian woman’s experience and watch her story here: Manaini’s Story. Along with your generous support, this program is also supported by the Australian Government, through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

Learn more about Caritas Australia’s development programs and visit the Project Compassion website.

(Sr. Christine Clarke, PBVM)