Caritas Switzerland Annual Report of Activities - CARITAS - Schweiz

Answers 2011
Caritas Switzerland Annual Report of Activities
1

2011
2
was marked by growing uncertainties in both eco­
nomic and social terms: The banking and finan­
cial crisis, monetary turbulence and an overvalued Swiss franc,
confusion over the European project, and the difficult position of
Switzerland in this changed international environment. Added to
this were the signs of a recession, manifested in a slump in demand
and cutbacks in jobs.
These difficult developments meant that another fundamental crisis,
which was the focus of Caritas’ involvement in the past year,
was pushed out of the headlines and forgotten: Drought and hunger
in East Africa. According to UN estimates, around 13 million
people were affected.
Times of crisis also carry with them a challenge to focus on the
essential in one’s own actions. In its position paper «For a viable
and social Switzerland», Caritas formulated three policy guidelines,
to coincide with the elections to the Federal parliament.
Firstly, the decision by parliament that Switzerland’s development
aid budget should be 0.5% of gross national product must not
be reversed. The famine in the Horn of Africa shows how essential
and urgently needed these funds are. Secondly, the policy regarding
foreigners and refugees must be based on competence
and objectivity. It is unacceptable to stir up nationalist sentiments
while at the same time failing to come up with practical solutions.
Finally: Two years ago, Caritas adopted the declaration to «halve
poverty». We showed that in Switzerland, every tenth person is
affected by poverty. Politicians must act to change this. Educa­

tion policy and the introduction of additional benefits for families
are key ingredients in a sustained policy to fight poverty.
Without a secure livelihood for all, a stable and open society is
not possible. This is what Caritas must constantly remind people
of – through its practical involvement as well as its contribution
to the debate on social policy.
Dr. Fulvio Caccia Hugo Fasel
President Director
3
Being accountable
Caritas Switzerland Annual Report of Activities:
With this annual report, we want to highlight the
main areas of our aid work. We want to show who
benefits from our aid, and what this aid consists of.
The detailed financial report, as well as the list of
our numerous partners and donors, is published on
our Website www.caritas.ch/annual_report
Contents
Editorial 2
International
Our work to ensure access to water 4
Our commitment to assist the victims
of the East African drought 8
Human rights for all 12
Caritas projects worldwide 14
Switzerland
Our work in the fight against debt 16
Assisting asylum seekers with legal advice 20
Supporting mountain farmers in emergency situations 22
Facts and figures
Finances 2011 24
In brief 26
Strong partnerships 28
Organs 30

Why do
we need
ever more
water?
The importance of water for human development is reflected
in the fact that water consumption grows twice as
fast as the world’s population. In many places, however,
the basic need for water remains unmet. According to the
UN, 900 million people still have no access to clean drinking
water. The wrong or too intensive use of water, the contamination
of worldwide water resources, urbanisation, but
also poor management and waste are all barriers to efficient
and sustainable water supplies. This leads to dire hygienic
conditions. 2.6 billion people have no access to sanitary
facilities. More than eighty per cent of diseases and
a quarter of all deaths in developing countries are due to
contaminated water. The inequitable distribution of water
can also lead to hunger and conflict.
5

Our work to ensure
access to water
Just as there are many different reasons for the lack of clean
water, so differentiated responses are needed to address the
problem. In its projects, Caritas Switzerland works with partner
organisations and those directly affected to find the appropriate
solution. It builds wells, spring catchments, cisterns, water retaining
basins and irrigation systems for agriculture. Water committees,
on which both women and men are represented, ensure
equi table access and the necessary maintenance of the supply
systems. In each water project, Caritas pays special attention to
hygiene, for example by constructing latrines and organising
hygiene courses.
In the Cochabamba region of Bolivia,
drinking water systems were constructed
in 4 villages, with 165 water tap stands
for 520 families, 3 schools, 3 health posts
and 3 nurseries.
6
In South Sudan, 3,000 people in the
federal state of Eastern Equatoria gained
access to rain water from rock pools
and were trained in hygiene measures.
Thanks to a low-cost water cleaning
system, around 500,000 litres
of water were treated
in Bangladesh. In 3 villages,
648 households, 20 cookshops
and 1 school benefited.

Caritas water projects in figures
Number of beneficiaries
of the Caritas water
projects per continent
7
350 000
300 000
250 000
200 000
150 000
100 000
50 000
0
Africa
In 2011, Caritas Switzerland invested CHF 3 million in the
construction of drinking water supply systems, sanitary
installations, irrigation systems for agriculture as well as
hygiene programmes. In total, it reached around 725,000
children, women and men with its water projects in Africa,
Asia, Europe and America.
Last year, the Federal government increased the
budget for development cooperation with the goal of
improving the water supply of the poorest regions in
particular. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
(SDC) awarded a total of CHF 12 million to a
consortium of eight Swiss aid agencies, coordinated by
In 2011, the fight against cholera in
Haiti helped to raise 450,000 people’s
awareness of hygiene and preventive
measures. 11,200 hygiene kits were
distributed. 5,700 pupils benefited from
new or repaired school latrines.
Asia
Europe
America
Helvetas and Caritas Switzerland. Of this, CHF 2.65
million go to projects managed by Caritas Switzerland to
assist more than 200,000 people in Ethiopia, Mali, South
Sudan, Somaliland and Bangladesh.
Caritas Switzerland stages hygiene training sessions
using a programme developed by the World Health Organisation
(WHO), which it has elaborated further to use
specifically with children. The recently patented «Children
Hygiene and Sanitation Training» (CHAST) is used by
Caritas in Somaliland, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
and now also in Haiti. 108,000 children benefited
from it in 2011.
In the mountain villages of T. Rahimov and
Kubunion in Tajikistan, Caritas connected
around 1,200 people to decentralised
water systems operated by the village
community.
On the Dogon plateau in Mali,
Caritas has supported the construction
of 2 dams a year for the
last 15 years. The water from one
dam irrigates 3 hectares planted
with onions.

How can
East Africa
be helped
effectively?
Around 13 million people were victims of the famine in East
Africa in 2011, one of the most severe droughts in 60 years.
How could this humanitarian tragedy happen? The disastrous
food shortages in the Horn of Africa cannot be explained
by the drought alone. The fact is that the extreme
climate affected those regions already characterised by a
weak and backward agriculture.
8

Aid agencies have shown with their projects that agricultural
production could be improved in many regions in
Africa – through terracing, reforestation or with small dams
which store the water in the rainy season. However, governments
must introduce an agricultural policy that places the
small producers and food security at the centre. That is
how aid to East Africa would have a lasting effect.
9

Our effort to assist
the drought victims
For Caritas, the central concerns of emergency and humanitar­
ian aid are to provide secure access to clean drinking water, mea­
sures to promote hygiene and health, and the supply of food to
particularly vulnerable sections of the population such as infants,
pregnant women and breast­feeding mothers, or sick and old
people. In the second phase of humanitarian aid, the rehabilitation
phase which follows the emergency aid, the focus is on
repairing and extending water supply infrastructures – wells,
pipelines, water storage systems and dams. A further aim is to
promote sustainable agricultural production.
In Kenya’s north-eastern region of Wajir,
20,000 people gained access to clean
water as well as fodder for their livestock.
In addition, they were able to earn a
small income by working in community
projects.
10
In the Somali region of Gedo, 3,800
farming families received seeds to prepare
for the next planting period.
In the Ethiopian region of Borena,
Caritas supported 775 households
with food items and provided
fodder for 1,302 cows.

About the projects in the Horn of Africa
An overview of emergency aid
Caritas Switzerland implemented eleven emergency aid
projects in 2011 to help the drought victims in East Africa,
namely in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somaliland and Somalia. The
financial volume of these projects amounted to CHF 7.4
million. They reached a total of 280,000 people. For the
second phase of humanitarian aid, the recovery phase,
ten projects amounting to CHF 7.3 million are planned.
Caritas funded its famine relief through its own donations
and donations from the international Caritas network.
It also received contributions from Glückskette
(Swiss Solidarity), the Swiss Confederation’s Humanitarian
Aid (SDC), and UN Humanitarian Aid.
The examples of Ethiopia and Somaliland
Access to water, improvements in hygiene and medical
support were the main foci in Somaliland (Hargeisa,
Burao), where Caritas has been active for many years.
In the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia, a large proportion
of the rural population lost its livelihood due to
the severe drought. As part of an employment programme,
the farmers built 18 dams that greatly improve
the water supply. Households that have lost their livestock
were provided with sheep and goats. Finally, pupils
were given extra food in schools, ensuring that they did
not stop attending lessons.
Kenya – Help for refugees and local people
Wajir, Garissa, Turkana (Lodwar), Kericho, Kitui and
Marsabit are the regions in the north and north-east of
Kenya where Caritas provided emergency aid. The main
focus was on three areas: In Wajir, 20,000 people were
given access to clean water as well as fodder for their
livestock. People also had an opportunity to earn money
to buy food, by working in community projects – for
example repairing dams and water reservoirs. In Marsabit,
Caritas also provided drinking water for 25,000 people. In
Turkana, 3,000 malnourished children were given food
supplements, and 12,000 school children were provided
with a hot meal for 60 days. In the refugee camp of
Kambioos near Garissa, which gave shelter to families
from Somalia, Caritas Switzerland erected 1,500 hygiene
stations with toilets as well as washing and shower facilities.
24,000 people benefited from this aid.
11
Lodwar
Kericho
Marsabit
Kenya
Adigrat
Ethiopia
Borena
Moyale
Wajir
Garissa
Kitui
Hargeisa
Gedo
Merka
Burao Sool
Somalia
Somaliland
The tragedy of a failed state
Humanitarian work faced particular difficulties in Somalia,
which is considered a «failed state». Inside the country,
Al Shahab Islamists, regional warlords, clan leaders and
soldiers of the transitional government are engaged in a
power struggle. As a result, the famine crisis in Somalia
worsened considerably. While the country urgently needs
a political solution and an end to violence, it is clear that
the starving population depends on outside aid.
That’s why Caritas worked actively with its partner
organisations in the Gedo and Merka regions. Hungry
families were provided with food, drinking water and
medical care. To prepare for the next planting period,
3,800 farming families in the Gedo region were given
seeds.

How do
people achieve
their rights?
Every person has the right to a life in dignity, irrespective
of religion, gender or nationality. This is now accepted in
principle by virtually all countries. And yet, countless people
live in poverty and suffer discrimination. Human rights
will only become effective when governments incorporate
them in their laws and all citizens can meet their basic
needs and claim their rights.
12

Our support for human rights for all
With its projects to promote human rights and social
justice, Caritas works on behalf of poor and disadvantaged
population groups to enable them to participate in
society and live their life in dignity and peace. Caritas
supports groups that are particularly vulnerable, including
women, children or indigenous groups and minorities. In
2011, the Caritas projects around the world enabled
190,000 people to gain access to social institutions, and
460,000 people benefited from health services. 220,000
people learned in workshops about human rights and
peace promotion which rights they could claim and how
to participate in political life. Thanks to education projects,
120,000 children and young people were able to
attend primary school.
The example of Guatemala: In the Petén and Ixil
regions, Caritas helps indigenous communities who are
victims of discrimination, so that the truth about the civil
war is uncovered and the people receive compensation
from the political authorities. For example, in the Ixil
region, 28 indigenous communities have submitted their
truth list to the National Compensation Programme. Many
of them were forcibly displaced from their land and their
villages by military and paramilitary forces.
The example of Palestine: Thanks to Caritas, 3,500
children traumatised by war were given access to therapy,
psychosocial care, leisure activities and special
tutoring. This helps them to regain their confidence, and
to make a contribution to peace when they become
adults.
The example of Ethiopia: Although 80 per cent of all
children now have access to a primary school, the infrastructure
in the rural areas is still poor, and working in the
In the Republic of Moldova, 150 disadvantaged
young people gained access
to education and were able to start
an independent life, thanks to work, an
income and accommodation.
13
Access to
social
institutions
19,2
Access to primary school
In the Guatemalan region of Ixil, 28 indigenous
communities who were victims in
the civil war have called for truth finding
and reparations.
12,1
Beneficiaries of Caritas
human rights projects by
topic
%
46,5
22,2
Access to health
services
Attendance at
a workshop on
human rights and
peace promotion
home and in the fields is often seen as more important.
Caritas helped to ensure that a total of 6,750 children
were able to attend school or nursery school in 2011.
The example of Myanmar: On its difficult road to
greater democratic participation, the country needs
educated leaders who can organise and build links with
the population according to democratic principles. In
2011, 66 women and men from the most disadvantaged
population groups, as well as 144 high school graduates,
were given training to enable them to take on a key role in
the country’s development and its civil society.
In 2011, 300 Indian maidservants
were given training in their basic
rights regarding working hours,
minimum wage and health insurance.

Caritas projects
worldwide
1 In Bangladesh, Caritas and a
partner organisation informed 100,000
female migrant workers about how they
can protect themselves against human
trafficking and indebtedness.
2
In Bolivia, Caritas strengthened 12
municipalities in La Paz so they are able
to offer social assistance to the poorest
people. In 2011, 138 volunteers were
trained, the municipalities were given
organisational advice, and are now
well-equipped for the future.
3
The peace promotion programme of
multi-ethnic communities in the Srebrenica/Bratunac
region in Bosnia was
extended to 2 more municipalities in
2011. In total, 16 village communities are
involved in small-scale democratic projects.
4
In Chad, 5,800 farmers were able to
take out a loan in 2011 from a non-profit
making microfinance institution in order
to buy seeds, improve their production
and thus increase their income.
5
In Columbia, Caritas and 10 other
organisations jointly manage the peacepromotion
programme SUIPPCOL. 350
women’s organisations in 9 regions are
now part of «Ruta Pacífica», a network
to promote peace.
6
In northern Ethiopia, 22 water
points were built in 2011, with the
involvement of the local people. This
gave more than 10,000 people access
to clean drinking water. Newly formed
water committees are responsible for
maintenance and for hygiene issues.
14
31
20
7
In Haiti, Caritas enables children and
young people to attend school both in
the north-eastern town of Gonaïves and
in Trou Sable in the south-west. In total,
7,080 children and young people benefited
from the school programme in the
past year.
18
11
17
7
5
2
15
21
8
In the Indian state of Bihar, 858
casteless Dalit families developed 600
acres of land by levelling and clearing it
and installing irrigation systems, enabling
them to cultivate it.
10

43
24
34
30
3
14
4
47
38 32
9
40
29
19
12
9
29 Roma families from Kosovo, who
had been living next to a rubbish dump
in the town of Gjakova, were provided
with new homes. The project also
enabled the Roma children to go to
school and created 20 new jobs.
15
23
36
6
41
46
26
44
39
35
13
27
8
42
1
33
28
45
16
48
22
37
25
10
In Mali, around 3,000 prostitutes
were able to improve their lives thanks
to being part of the association «Danaya
So» (House of Trust). One of the benefits
is a free monthly health check.
11
In northern Nicaragua, 200 farming
families were able to substantially increase
the agricultural yields on their
plots thanks to the introduction of
various soil protection measures. They
also developed protection plans against
flooding.
12
In South Sudan, Caritas completed
the construction of an agricultural training
centre in 2011. In future, the centre
will provide training for advisers from the
local agricultural authority, farming cooperatives
and farming families.
13
In Muminabad, Tajikistan, 450
women generated new income from
milk processing, vegetable cultivation
and drying of medicinal herbs and fruit.
As a result, household income rose by
30 per cent on average.
14 Albania
15 Brazil
16 Cambodia
17 Chile
18 Cuba
19 Egypt
20 Guatemala
21 Ivory Coast
22 Indonesia
23 Iraq
24 Italy
25 Japan
26 Kenya
27 Kyrgyzstan
28 Laos
29 Lebanon
30 Malta
31 Mexico
32 Moldova
33 Myanmar
34 Niger
35 Pakistan
36 Palestine
37 Philippines
38 Romania
39 Russia
40 Rwanda
41 Somalia
42 Sri Lanka
43 Switzerland
44 Tanzania
45 Thailand
46 Uganda
47 Ukraine
48 Vietnam
■ Priority countries
■ Other countries of operation
Emergency aid in 2011
On conformal world maps, the
countries of the north are shown as
much larger than they actually are.
The Peters world map reproduced
here shows the correct proportions.
In return, it accepts a distortion in the
equatorial region.

Does debt
counselling
help to tackle
poverty?
If people cannot repay their debts they only have themselves
to blame. This commonly held opinion falls short of
the mark in many cases. Because a financial commitment
entered into in good times can suddenly become an existential
problem if unforeseen events occur: losing one’s
job, a serious illness, a divorce. Suddenly, bills pile up that
cannot be paid on time. Caritas’ experience shows that
16

many people’s lives today do not progress in a straight line,
and are often characterized by breaks. So it is not surprising
that in Switzerland, 570,000 people have substantially
overdrawn their account or fallen into arrears with payments.
It is high time that society addresses this issue. An
effective recipe against sliding into excessive debt and
poverty is early debt counselling.
17

Our involvement in
the fight against debt
The sooner debt counselling starts, the greater are the chances
of success. The service provided by Caritas makes access to help
as easy as possible. A Website dealing with questions about debt,
online advice, a telephone debt hotline as well as a decentralised
network of easy­to­access debt advice centres offer quick and
uncomplicated assistance. In addition, Caritas Switzerland trains
migrants as course tutors who then talk to their compatriots in
their mother tongue and raise their awareness about money,
consumption and debt issues. Finally, Caritas also campaigns at
the political level for better conditions in the fight against overindebtedness.
The telephone hotline Caritas debt counselling
at 0800 708 708 meets a great
need. A call is received every 15 minutes.
18
The course tutors trained by Caritas
conducted 172 courses on money,
consumption and debt issues with a
total of 1,186 participants.
In the past year, the Caritas
Website in 10 languages,
www.caritas-schuldenberatung.ch
(Caritas debt counselling), was
visited 5,000 times.

Caritas debt projects in figures
Caritas debt counselling is integrated into the broader
social counselling service, which also allows social and
family problems to be addressed with the people concerned.
In 2009, Caritas established a long-term cooperation
with the Aduno Group and Pro Juventute under
the name of «Plan B». In cooperation with the regional
Caritas organisations and other specialist agencies, it has
significantly expanded the service provision of debt
counselling and prevention.
Telephone hotline and Website
The Caritas dept counselling hotline is free of charge and
can be accessed anonymously. In 2011, 2,482 telephone
consultations were conducted via the hotline. The Website
www.caritas-schuldenberatung.ch (Caritas debt
counselling) provides answers to the most important
questions, tips for everyday life, and online advice. The
main contents and a debt test are available in ten languages.
In 2011, a total of 713 people made use of the
opportunity of online counselling. The feedback is positive:
91 per cent of the Website visitors found the information
useful, and 98 per cent were satisfied with the
telephone advice.
19
Personal advice
Online advice
17
25
Debt counselling in percent
according to type of advice
%
Telephone
advice
Debt counselling
Caritas was able to extend the debt counselling service,
which is available throughout Switzerland, by ten per cent
as part of «Plan B». This enabled it to offer comprehensive
personal advice last year to an additional 1,058
households. The legal advice service offered by Caritas
Switzerland supported the regional debt counselling
centres in 444 cases.
Prevention and public relations work
Caritas trained 65 course tutors to conduct courses on
money, consumption and debt. It publicised its debt
counselling and prevention service, and worked to increase
public awareness of the problem of overindebtedness.
With success: Around 150 media reports were
published in 2011 about Caritas’ involvement in the issue
of debt. In addition, Caritas commented on political
initiatives about the debt issue, and staged a joint seminar
with the University of Applied Sciences North-Western
Switzerland on the subject of «Fighting poverty through
debt counselling», with 125 participants.
58

Third-class
citizens?
Headlines about high numbers of immigrants, demands that
restrictions be imposed, as well as housing problems all
sensationalise asylum policy. Asylum seekers face harsh
conditions in Switzerland. What gets forgotten is that every
person has the right to apply for asylum in another country.
Based on this basic principle of human rights, all asylum
seekers have the right to a fair and proper process.
20

Assisting asylum seekers with legal advice
Africa
Ethiopia 3%
Eritrea 18%
Somalia 8%
Other Africa 16%
Origin of the individuals
given advice by continent
Other, stateless or no
details: 1 %
With its two legal advice centres in Central Switzerland
and in the Canton of Fribourg, Caritas Switzerland advocates
and supports an asylum procedure that is based on
human rights and the rule of law. The aim of its advice
sessions is to explain the legal provisions and the procedures
to asylum seekers. In a first interview, Caritas’ legal
advisers assess their clients’ chances of success. Caritas
only takes on the legal representation of asylum seekers if
there are concrete chances of success: if the conditions
of qualifying for refugee status were not correctly assessed
or insufficiently examined, if a removal order was
made unjustly, or if grave procedural mistakes were
made.
At the same time, Caritas operates a repatriation
advice centre on behalf of the central Swiss Cantons
of Obwalden, Schwyz and Zug, which supports asylum
seekers willing to return home with reintegration in their
country.
Last year, Caritas carried out 963 legal
consultations for asylum seekers.
Of the persons receiving advice, most
came from Eritrea.
21
Europe
Kosovo 4%
Turkey 4%
Other Europe 5%
Asia (incl. Middle East)
Afghanistan 7%
China 4%
Iraq 5%
Iran 6%
Sri Lanka 9%
Syria 3%
Other Asia incl. Middle East 7%
In Zug and Nidwalden, Caritas also supports unaccompanied
minor asylum seekers on behalf of these
Cantons. Finally, Caritas operates accommodation centres
in the Cantons of Schwyz and Obwalden.
In the past year, Caritas conducted a total of 963 legal
advice sessions for asylum seekers. The persons seeking
advice came from many different countries: Most advice
seekers were from Eritrea (18 per cent), Sri Lanka (9 per
cent), Afghanistan (7 per cent) and Somalia (8 per cent).
In 85 cases, Caritas filed a complaint. Two thirds of the
petitions to the Federal Administrative Court were approved.
By comparison, the Federal Administrative
Court’s general approval rate in recent years has only
been around 15 per cent. In practical terms, these individuals
gained the right to further investigations, an order
to entertain an application (Eintretensentscheid), or the
right to asylum. This high success rate is attributable in
particular to the strict selection criteria when taking on a
case.
99 individuals were able to receive
professional legal representation thanks to
Caritas Switzerland taking on their case.
In 86 cases, the persons
receiving advice involved families
with children, and in 877 cases
individual asylum seekers.

Why do
mountain
farmers
need help?
The Swiss mountains are a part of our homeland that is
looked after by mountain farmers. But the farmers are
under pressure: They have to become competitive entrepreneurs
and survive in the market. It is important to shape
structural change so it is socially acceptable. Solidarity
between the regions must not be called into question. And
it pays off: The mountain farmers preserve a rich and
varied cultural landscape that everyone can enjoy.
22

Volunteers support mountain farmers in emergencies
Every day, the mountain farmers work hard on steep
slopes. But the strenuous work is spread across ever
fewer shoulders, and at the end of a long day, there is not
much income to show for it. It doesn’t take a lot for a
mountain farmer’s family to find itself unable to cope with
the workload. An accident, an illness or a pregnancy
are enough to seriously reduce a family’s labour resources.
A landslide, an avalanche, a fire or just a fairly
major repair on the house or a necessary new building
can mean extra work for which there are not enough
hands. Sometimes, this relentless pressure, without the
chance of a break, leads to a situation where help with
childcare, in the household or in the field is urgently
needed.
To provide support in such situations, Caritas recruits
volunteer helpers for mountain farmers in emergency
situations via its Website www.bergeinsatz.ch (in German
and French). They can provide temporary relief to those
in need, and help to keep the farm going in difficult situations.
Conversely, the temporary work is an opportunity
for the volunteers to have active time out from their
normal life, and at the same time do something meaningful
for themselves and others – from haymaking via
childcare to building a new stable. Working together
builds bridges, and creates the kind of solidarity that is
necessary to ensure the long-term balance between
the city and the countryside.
In the past year, Caritas recruited around 900 volunteers
aged between 18 and 70 to assist 123 mountain
In 2011, Caritas volunteers carried out
mountain missions with 123 families.
In total, volunteer work was carried out
on 6,330 days.
23
Illness and
accident
20
Construction work
on the farm
17
Reasons for the use of a
volunteer in a mountain
farmer’s family
In the last year, Caritas recruited 890
volunteers to work with mountain
farmers in German and French-speaking
Switzerland.
%
Excessive workload
Care and
supervision of
family members
farmers’ families throughout Switzerland. The reasons for
these vital mountain missions were: Construction work on
the farm (17 per cent), illness and accident (20 per cent),
excessive workload (45 per cent) and care and supervision
of family members (18 per cent). With these actions,
Caritas contributes to solving social problems as well as
maintaining natural livelihoods. It also encourages voluntary
work.
18
45
The most frequent reason (45 per
cent) for a volunteer mission
was the excessive workload of
the mountain farmer’s family.

Caritas in figures
Balance as per 31 December 2011 2011 2010
Assets CHF CHF
Liquid assets 11’861’577 13’656’154
Securities 23’593’162 24’515’032
Accounts receivable 4’827’002 3’650’204
Inventories 2’242’968 2’275’551
Other current assets 4’403’150 588’514
Fixed assets 13’116’559 12’841’318
Total assets 60’044’419 57’526’773
Liabilities
Short-term liabilities 1’611’037 1’934’910
Long-term liabilities 3’546’071 4’317’387
Value fluctuation funds 274’916 274’916
Funds capital (earmarked funds) 54’118’961 50’496’172
Organisational capital 493’435 503’389
Total liabilities 60’044’419 57’526’773
Consolidated operating account 2011
Operating income and operational performance
Donations 27’953’091 30’147’533
Contributions from third parties 33’501’916 35’492’447
Total income from donations and private contributions 61’455’007 65’639’980
Contributions from the public authorities 24’139’325 20’901’835
Other operating income (income from services) 8’849’510 8’723’988
Total operating income 94’443’842 95’265’803
International cooperation 53’268’289 55’346’023
Work in Switzerland 19’661’984 18’992’227
Fair Trade 4’242’241 4’785’020
Clothing Centre 1’791’640 1’600’858
Research and other project contributions 620’880 899’710
Information and communication (education and information work) 1’997’021 2’020’454
Direct administrative project support (evaluation, IT, rents etc.) 1’650’686 1’697’830
Total project expenditure 83’232’742 85’342’120
Collection and fundraising costs 3’758’621 3’820’255
Other administrative costs 3’696’456 4’267’677
Total administrative costs 7’455’077 8’087’932
Total expenditure for operational performance 90’687’819 93’430’052
Operating result (corresponds to EBIT) 3’756’023 1’835’750
Financial income and other result
Total financial income (securities, interest; net) 124’595 989’366
Total other result (extraordinary) –257’829 –496’825
Annual result (change in funds) 3’622’789 2’328’291
The detailed financial report is available on the Internet at www.caritas.ch/annual_report
24

Sources
of Caritas income
Donations
Own
revenue
25
Public sector contributions
and private contributions
from third parties
Thanks to financing alliances with Swiss Solidarity, the Federal Government as well as other partner organisations at home
and abroad, Caritas is able to more than triple the effect of each donated Swiss franc.
Use
of revenues
International
cooperation
Administrative
support
29,6
9,4
58,7
Depreciation 0,4
5,3
Information and communication
%
%
6,9
35,5
6,6
25,5
21,7
Public sector
contributions
Private
contributions
from third
parties
Inland
and
Network
Fairtrade and
Clothing Centre
0,4 Research
Cantons
and communes
Federal go -
vernment
other
Fundraising
and administration
Projects
These figures have been collected in conformity with the rules of Swiss GAAP FER 21 and in accordance with the
requirements of the ZEWO Foundation on the determination of administrative expenses of non-profit organisations.
2,1
91,8
%
4,1 4,1
International
Caritas-
Network
SDC
18,4
Swiss
Solidarity
24,1
Other
organisations
21,4
11,2
%
22,8
Fundraising
and public relations
Other administrative
expenses

In brief
26
Almost free holidays for poor families
Since October 2011, poor families have been able to book a holiday
simply by presenting a Caritas pass, the so-called KulturLegi, and travel
almost free of charge, without undue bureaucracy. Every year the Swiss Travel
Fund (Reka), in cooperation with Caritas, offers 100 holiday arrangements. At
a solidarity price of only CHF 100.00, a holiday apartment or accommodation
in a youth hostel can be booked for one week. Reka also contributes CHF
50.00 to the travel costs per family member.
650 tons of clothing
Young people get involved
The Caritas Clothing Centre in Waldibrücke collected and sorted around 650
tons of well-preserved clothes and shoes in 2011. 280 tons were sent to
Caritas partner organisations around the world. In Switzerland, 4,000 socially
disadvantaged people were provided with clothes, including 1,300 at the
request of Winter Aid Switzerland. In addition, 1,500 asylum seekers and
refugees received basic clothing. The social enterprise employs around 25
people, some of them in the framework of projectsfor unimployed people.
Ten projects, implemented by 150 young people, were entered for the young-
Caritas award 2011. They were active in campaigns for children in Haiti, for
example, or for vegetarian and fair-trade food in the student cafeterias. The
prize went to the rapper «Cyphermaischter» for his song «Sai» against child
prostitution. The audience prize was awarded to the apprentices of the vocational
college Polybau in Uzwil, who renovated school building roof in the
Bosnian town of Olovo. Other project examples are at www.youngcaritas.ch.
Caritas markets in Baar, Biel and Baden
Three new Caritas markets were opened last year. People suffering financial
hardship can now also buy basic food items, fresh produce and hygiene
artic les at greatly reduced prices in Baar, Biel and Baden. There are currently
23 markets throughout Switzerland. The first one opened in 1992 under the
name of «Carisatt» in Basel. The Caritas markets are usually social enterprises
– a large proportion of people working there are unemployed: they can enhance
their prospects in the job market through this temporary employment.

27
Inequality is on the increase
The lower income groups, the poor and needy in Switzerland, were scarcely
able to benefit from the improved economic situation, as the Social Almanac
published by Caritas at the end of 2011 noted. Thus, the number of individuals
earning more than a million Swiss francs a year rose fivefold between
1997 and 2008, while average gross income, adjusted for prices, has barely
risen since 1998. Figures released by the Federal Statistical Office show that
between 8 and 14.6 per cent of the Swiss population are at risk of poverty.
Recycling of old vegetable oil in Bali
Scapa draws for Caritas­Fairtrade
Hotels and restaurants in Bali produce large quantities of used vegetable oil
which until now was dumped in the environment. Caritas, in cooperation
with the charity MyClimate and the travel company Kuoni, has found a sustainable
solution for the problem: A Balinese social enterprise processes
the waste into bio diesel and sells it to local hotels for their minibuses. The
income from the sales covers the operating costs.
The artist, author, publisher and designer Ted Scapa put his trademark cartoons
on traditional mugs to support Caritas-Fairtrade. The porcelain cups are filled
with fairly traded honey from Guatemala and are available in three designs:
Happy bears, clowns, and animal get-together. With his involvement, Ted Scapa
is supporting disadvantaged bee-keepers in Guatemala.
Caritas personnel statistics 2011
At the end of 2011, Caritas Switzerland had 284 employees. This corresponds
to 195 full-time equivalent posts. 60 per cent of employees are female,
and around 75 per cent of all employees work part-time. The proportion
of employees with a foreign passport is 13.6 per cent. In addition, Caritas
Switzerland had 134 employees paid on an hourly basis, mainly interpreters.
Finally, around 220 locally employed staff work for Caritas Switzerland in
international cooperation projects.

Strong partnerships
We thank our donors for their generous support. They are the
partners who make our work on behalf of disadvantaged people
possible. Diogenes Verlag AG, Zürich; Azienda elettrica comunale,
Ascona; Riccardo’s Oeko Reinigungs­Service, Giswil;
Equipe pastorale du Vallon de St­Imier et Corgémont; Gemeinde
La Punt­Chamues­ch; Augusto Ostini; Xamas Associated Corporations,
Wettingen; Mirko Tomaszewski; Gemeinde Guttannen;
3. Klasse Primarschule
Beatrice Conrad Frey, nutrition
adviser and trustee of the SV
Zentrum, Egg; Fondation Er­
Foundation:
«We support the reduced prices for
nest Matthey, Pully; Blauring
fruit and vegetables at the Caritas
markets because we care about the
Bütschwil; Kanton Basel­
health of people experiencing poverty.»
Stadt; Lions Club Murten;
Monastère Saint­Joseph des Capucines Montorge, Fribourg;
Parrocchia cattolica Sacro Cuore Lugano; ALDI SUISSE AG,
Schwarzenbach SG; Mirabaud & Cie banquiers privés, Basel;
Barbara Fellmann; Comune di Lamone­Cadempino; Gemeinde
Verena Buschle, Manager of the Adliswil; Hans C. Klauser­
Travel Fund Reka, on the co-operation
between Reka and Caritas: Humbel­Stiftung, Meilen; An­
«A week’s holiday for CHF 100.00:
with this offer, families can make drea Allemann; Emil und Rosa
a dream come true. For many, this
is their first holiday as a family for Richterich­Beck Stiftung, Lau­
many years.»
fen; Mireille Louradour; Migros­Genossenschafts­Bund,
Zürich; Hrvatska Katolicka Misija
Zürich; Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit (DEZA);
Fondation de bienfaisance Jeanne Lovioz, Basel; Rekrutenspiel
16­3, Aarau; Jean Simond; Lisebeth Gmür; Infotreu GmbH,
Würenlos; Peter Lohri; Les Résidences Emma SA, Orbe; Commune
de Pully; Kolping Grenchen­Bettlach; claro Weltladen
28

Schwyz; DE Planification SA, Neuchâtel; Kinderkleiderbörse,
Seuzach; Kath. Kirchgemeinde Oberkirch LU; Kumarathas Thar­
malingam; Kanton Uri; Katholische Albanermission Aarau; Aduno
29
Franziska Wenzinger, secondary
school teacher and sponsor of
eight Caritas children’s projects:
«It is terrible to imagine that children
are in a hopeless situation. That’s
why we support the Caritas child
sponsorships.»
Gruppe, Zürich; Verein Poly­
bau, Uzwil; Stadt Bern; Gilbert
Pasquier; Angehrn Chocola­
tier SA, Lausanne; République
et Canton du Jura; CERN Fit­
ness Club, Cern Cedex; Mösching Gipser & Maler AG, Saanen;
Stiftung Heinrich & Julie, Zug; Schindler Management AG,
Ebikon; Kath. Seelsorgeverband Pfäfers­Valens­Vättis; BASAID
Verein für Basishilfe, Basel; Ville de Neuchâtel; 5./6. Klasse
Primarschule Hagen, Illnau;
Rapper Cyphermaischter, winner
of the youngCaritas-Award 2011:
Stepp dekor AG, Teufen AR;
«I want to use my music to draw
attention to the scandal of child
Ev.­ref. Pfarramt Matzingen;
prostitution and raise money. That’s
why two francs from each sold copy
Oggier Haustechnik GmbH,
of my solo album ‹Regaboga› go to
Caritas.»
Varen; Commune de Plan­les­
Ouates; Tschalèr Schneider Treuhand AG, Ilanz; Swiss Life,
Zürich; Beat Odermatt; Juan Antonio Alvarez; Société de la Loterie
de la Suisse Romande; Walter Ackeret; Sanitari e riscal­
The long-term donor Elisabeth damento Francesco Bettelini,
Becker, who died in the autumn of
2011, was a loyal supporter of Caslano; Singer Jean & Cie SA,
Caritas’ work. She once said:
«The burial shroud has no pockets. La Chaux­de­Fonds; Chœur
One should be aware of that every
day, and so leaving a legacy to Cari- mixte St­Nicolas, Villars­surtas
makes sense.»
Glâne; Kreisschule Bünz, Bünzen;
Clariden Leu SA, Lausanne; ASSiDU SA, Lugano. A detailed
list of the institutions, municipalities, cantons and companies
that have supported Caritas Switzerland in 2011 is available at
www.caritas.ch/annual_report.

Organs
Fulvio Caccia Michèle
Berger-
Wildhaber
Steering Committee
Steering Board
President: Fulvio Caccia, Dr. sc. techn. ETH, Camorino TI
Vice President: Michèle Berger-Wildhaber, Pharmacist,
Neuchâtel
Felix Gmür, Dr. phil. and Dr. theol., former General Secretary
of the Swiss Conference of Catholic Bishops (SBK),
Fribourg, (until 16 January 2011); Markus Kappeler,
dipl. phil., Publishing Director, Swiss Catholic Youth
Organisation (SKJV), Lucerne; Ada Marra, lic. ès sc. pol.,
National Councillor VD, Lausanne; Pierre-Alain Praz,
lic. ès. sciences économiques et sociales, Director of
Caritas Vaud, Lausanne; Erwin Tanner, Dr. iur./lic. theol.,
General Secretary of the Swiss Conference of Catholic
Bishops (SBK), Fribourg (from 8 September 2011); Felix
Walker, Dr. rer. pol., St. Gallen; Mariangela Wallimann-Bornatico,
lic. iur., Wabern BE
30
Markus
Kappeler
Caritas helps in Switzerland and worldwide
Caritas Switzerland is an association with its head
office in Lucerne. The aid agency helps people in need
in Switzerland and worldwide in more than 40 countries.
Together with the Regional Caritas Organisations,
Caritas Switzerland provides practical help where
people in wealthy Switzerland are affected by poverty:
Families, single parents, the unemployed, the working
poor. Caritas organises volunteer support and looks
after asylum seekers and refugees. Globally, Caritas
provides emergency relief in disasters and helps with
reconstruction. Development cooperation helps people
to help themselves in such areas as food security,
water, the environment, human rights and education
for children and adults. Caritas Switzerland is a member
of the international Caritas network, which consists
of 165 organisations in more than 200 countries.
Ada Marra Pierre-Alain
Praz
Erwin Tanner
Felix Walker Mariangela
Wallimann-
Bornatico
Additional Committee Members
Franco Angeli-Busi, Locarno; Eva Maria Belser Wyss,
Prof. Dr. iur., University of Fribourg, Marly FR; Alois Bissig,
Cantonal councillor, Roman Catholic Central Conference
of Switzerland (RKZ), Ennetbürgen NW; Christoph
Bossart, Director Caritas of both Basels, Basel; Sr. Nadja
Bühlmann, lic. iur., Convent Baldegg, Sursee LU; Verena
Bürgi-Burri, nurse, Dallenwil NW; Tiziana Frassineti,
lic. ès sciences économiques et sociales, Villars-sur-Glâne
FR; Beatrice Inglin-Buomberger, Professor North-West
Swiss Polytechnic – HSA Basel (FHNW), Basel; Markus
Köferli, dipl. theol., Head of Section, Special Pastoral Care
Central Commission Zurich, Zurich; Eric Monneron, lic. ès
lettres, Deacon, Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg,
Coppet VD; Robert Moser, Deacon and graduate
mechanical engineer HTL, Steg VS; Sr. Annemarie Müller,
General Procurator, Convent Ilanz, Ilanz GR; Hubert
Péquignot, Director Caritas Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel; Traugott
Rüttimann, Koppigen BE; Margrit Santschi, Catechist,
Büron LU; Stefanie Schalcher, Ethnologist, Zurich;
Dr. Peter Schmid, Official of Sea Basel, Solothurn;
P. Markus Steiner, dipl. math. ETH, School Principal Monastery
Einsiedeln, Einsiedeln SZ; Thomas Studer, Director
Caritas Bern, Bern; Joseph Thali-Kernen, Deacon, General
Director Pastoral Care Association Allschwil-
Schönenbuch, Allschwil BL; Bruno Tresch, Deacon,
Diocese Chur, Altdorf UR; Daniel Walker, lic. phil., MBE
HSG, Entrepreneur, St. Gallen

Head Office Caritas Switzerland
Executive Board
Director: Hugo Fasel, lic. rer. pol.
Research and Policy: Hugo Fasel (until 30 November
2011); Marianne Hochuli, lic. phil. (from 1 December 2011)
Inland and Network: Dr. Carlo Knöpfel
Finance and Administration: Hans Krummenacher-Wüest,
Business Economist FH, cert. Public Accountant
Human Resources: Dr. Albert Schnyder (until 31 August
2011); Alice Mäder-Wittmer, lic. rer. pol. (from 1 September
2011)
Communication: Dr. Odilo Noti
International Cooperation: Norbert Kieliger, lic. rer. pol. (until
31 March 2011); Dr. Albert Schnyder (from 1 April 2011)
Imprint
31
Hugo Fasel Marianne
Hochuli
Quality management system
ISO 9001, Reg.-No.14075
Cover photo: Yann Arthus-Bertrand/Altitude.
Boats of sand workers in Kalaban Koro, on the edge of Bamako,
capital of Mali. The workers collect the sand from the river
Niger. The material is used for building houses in the rapidly
growing city.
Pictures: Julie Bergamin, © blackfoto/Fotolia.com, Susi Bodmer/
Ex-Press, Bettina Bühler, Caritas-Bergeinsatz, Caritas Schweiz,
© Jürgen Fälchle/Fotolia.com, Karl Gähwyler, Heike Grasser/
Ex-Press, Beat Hähner/SRF, Daniel Kunz, lauperzemp.ch, New
Ways in Somalia, Gerry Nitsch, Franca Pedrazzetti, Reka,
Andreas Schwaiger, Urs Siegenthaler, Elma den Toom, ©
Traveler/Fotolia.com, Alex Voets, Silvia Voser, Pia Zanetti, zVg.
Editors: Stefan Gribi, Odilo Noti, Dominique Schärer
Translation: Barbara König
Concept: Spinas Civil Voices, Zurich
Typeset: Evelyne Bieri
Carlo Knöpfel Hans
Alice Mäder-
Krummenacher-
Wüest
Wittmer
Odilo Noti
Supervisory Board Clothing Centre
Walter Brogli, President, Weggis LU; Christoph Bossart,
Director Caritas both Basels, Basel; Dr. Carlo Knöpfel,
Member of the Executive Board Caritas Switzerland,
Lucerne
Business Audit Committee
President: Josef Truttmann, Swiss cert. Public Accountant/Controller,
Horw LU; Dr. Guido Käppeli, Entrepreneur,
Schwyz; Ursula Muther-Guntern, lic. phil., Director, Roman
Catholic State Church Bern, Biel; Dr. Isabelle Zuppiger
Ritter, Department for Youth and Vocational Guidance,
Canton Zurich, Rufi SG (until 31 May 2011)
Statutory Auditors
BDO AG, Lucerne 2011
Albert
Schnyder
Caritas Switzerland
Communication Department
Löwenstrasse 3
P.O. Box
CH-6002 Lucerne
Telephone +41 41 419 22 22
Fax +41 41 419 24 24
E-mail info@caritas.ch
Post Office account 60-7000-4
You can find detailed information about current projects
on Caritas Switzerland’s Website: www.caritas.ch

We help people.
32