What We Do

When disasters strike—whether natural like earthquakes and floods, or man-made like civil conflicts—CRS is on the ground to provide immediate, life-saving aid. We prioritize dignity, speed, and safety in our response.

Our emergency efforts include:

• Distribution of hygiene kits, blankets, cooking utensils, and clean water.
• Provision of emergency shelters and materials for temporary housing.
• Setting up cash transfer programming so families can purchase what they need locally, supporting the local economy.
• Long-term agricultural and housing recovery support.

Poverty is deeply rooted in agricultural fragility. CRS helps smallholder farmers adapt to shifting climate cycles, increase their crop yields, and connect to local markets to secure stable household incomes.

Our agricultural programs include:

• Soil and water restoration (restoring landscapes to absorb rainfall).
• Training on climate-resilient farming methods and drought-resistant seeds.
• Developing farmer savings groups and cooperatives to increase market power.
• Agro-enterprise development to help families start secondary businesses.

Good health is a prerequisite for human development. CRS works to strengthen existing local health systems, prevent infectious diseases, and ensure that mothers and infants receive critical prenatal and pediatric care.

Our health initiatives include:

• Supporting diocesan clinics and community health centers.
• Coordinating large-scale malaria prevention and net distributions.
• Combating pediatric malnutrition through educational cooking circles.
• Caring for orphaned and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Clean water is life. Without it, communities cannot grow food, children cannot go to school, and disease runs rampant. CRS builds infrastructure and community capacity to ensure sustainable access to clean water.

Our WASH projects include:

• Drilling boreholes and installing solar-powered water pumps.
• Building handwashing stations and latrines in schools and clinics.
• Establishing local water management committees to handle repairs and maintenance.
• Teaching sanitary practices to reduce waterborne diseases.

Education breaks the cycle of poverty. We work to keep kids in school, train teachers in modern pedagogy, and ensure that children are fed, healthy, and ready to learn.

Our education programs include:

• School feeding programs (providing hot, nutritious meals at school).
• Developing high-quality bilingual reading programs.
• Training teachers and building safe school environments.
• Promoting girls' enrollment and retention in primary and secondary schools.

Human development cannot occur in the midst of violence. CRS integrates peacebuilding into all of our program areas, helping fractured communities heal, reconcile, and resolve conflicts constructively.

Our peacebuilding work includes:

• Training local leaders and youth in dialogue and conflict mediation.
• Supporting interreligious committees to build trust across faiths.
• Promoting post-conflict reconciliation and trauma healing.
• Advocating for the rights of marginalized and indigenous communities.