Africa

Africa is a continent of profound cultural richness and resilience, yet it faces some of the most urgent challenges of our time. These include a severe food crisis, with 307 million people affected by hunger and 1 billion people unable to access a healthy diet. This is driven by conflict, climate change and fragile economies in the region.

CAFOD has worked with local partners in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1970s. Today, our work continues to span diverse cultures and environments across the continent with programmes in West Africa and the Great Lakes Region, as well as Horn, East Africa and Southern Africa.

CAFOD’s partners are working closely with local communities to strengthen their resilience in fragile and conflict situations. We work with both Church and secular partners at local, national and regional levels to bring about positive and long-lasting change for the people and communities we serve.

Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’, CAFOD and our partners are responding to the inseparable 'cries of the poor and the Earth' with a focus on the poorest, most vulnerable and excluded communities across Africa – especially women and girls.

Our integrated programmes enable the most vulnerable and excluded communities to prepare for and recover from shocks and humanitarian emergencies, build peace, secure sustainable livelihoods, and achieve gender justice in ways that protect and regenerate the environment. We are committed to promoting local voices and supporting our partners and communities to lead the way in their own development.

Where we work in Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Ethiopia

Kenya

Liberia

Mozambique

Nigeria

Sierra Leone

South Sudan

Sudan

Uganda

Zimbabwe

Why CAFOD works in Africa

Africa is the poorest region in the world. Over 60 per cent of Africa’s population is facing extreme poverty and those that live in conflict-affected and fragile states are even more at risk.

Communities in the region are very vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis and are facing ever-increasing extreme weather events (such as droughts, floods and extreme heat) leading to reduced crop yields that threaten the livelihoods of many farming communities.

Africa faces several armed conflicts across the region, leading to violence, displacement, food insecurity and a violation of human rights.

Patriarchal gender norms mean that it is very challenging for women and girls to have access to an education and formal employment. Gender-based violence continues to be a significant challenge, especially in conflict settings where violence against women is often used as a weapon of war.

Many African nations are experiencing political instability and rising authoritarianism, leaving many citizens with limited freedom of expression.

The Catholic Church is recognised as being rooted in African communities and its long-term presence means the Church is well trusted. The Catholic Church provides an alternative voice to the prevailing political systems and plays an important role in speaking out against injustice.

Our impact in 2024

Over 3,000 women and 6,176 people working through the Church (including priests, religious women, young people and school leaders) from Catholic institutions across Africa have strengthened their climate action and environmental understanding through CAFOD’s Africa Church Advocacy Programme.
CAFOD’s regional partner AMECEA (Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa) and partners have planted over 80,000 trees across the Africa region and established 200 school environmental clubs.
We’ve strengthened peer-to peer learning and deepened knowledge among CAFOD partners across the Africa region on the importance of seed sovereignty, agro-ecology and sustainable food systems through CAFOD’s Food Systems Global Advocacy Programme, as well as our partnership with the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.

Our priorities in Africa

Our partners are supporting local communities, civil society and Church leaders to have a greater say in political and economic life. CAFOD’s Africa Church Programme supports the regional Church to have a strong prophetic voice and engage in evidence-based advocacy - pushing for free, fair and credible elections - and supporting peacebuilding, conflict prevention and reconciliation at the national and regional level.

CAFOD partners are supporting women and girls to live in dignity and safety, supporting them to flourish socially, politically and economically in society. Our partners are supporting women to earn a living, learn more about women’s rights, adapt to the climate crisis and learn more about caring for the environment.

We work with our local partners to ensure women and girls are safe, respected and included in shaping the future of their communities: supporting their economic empowerment, amplifying their voices in peacebuilding and standing up for justice on issues that affect them the most. Together, we are building a future where women and girls can thrive – because when women and girls thrive, entire communities flourish.

CAFOD’s partners are supporting local communities, especially in rural areas, to improve their incomes, access markets and better adapt to the climate crisis, as well as respond to man-made and natural disasters. Communities are learning more about managing their natural resources like water, as well as protecting and regenerating the environment.

Our partners are responding to emergencies such as droughts, floods and armed conflict across the region, reaching those in need with timely, appropriate, inclusive and ecologically sustainable long-term recovery. We support our partners and communities to prepare, plan and deliver effective humanitarian programmes, and to recover from disasters effectively, as well as to help families be better prepared for the hazards they face.

As well as supporting country partners, we’re working with regional Church partners, through the Africa Church Advocacy Programme (ACAP), to ensure that the Church’s prophetic voice remains a force for positive transformative change rooted in faith, justice and care for creation.

Caritas Africa

We are supporting our regional partner Caritas Africa to strengthen their systems and procedures, resources and knowledge, particularly in their advocacy work on climate justice, food security, democratic governance and fundraising. Through regional campaigns like 'Turn Debt into Hope', Caritas Africa is amplifying the Church’s voice on social and economic justice.

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM)

CAFOD is working alongside SECAM to strengthen their coordination role and support their advocacy work on peacebuilding, climate justice, governance and natural resource management. SECAM's advocacy work includes campaigning against land and resource grabbing, engaging with the Africa Union to mitigate the impact of the climate crisis in the region, and supporting national, regional and international efforts to reduce irregular migration and human trafficking, as well as developing solutions to end conflicts across the region.

Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA)

CAFOD’s partner is supporting advocacy, coordination and learning among Eastern Africa’s episcopal conferences, with a strong focus on environmental policy, climate adaptation, peacebuilding and the implementation of Laudato Si’.

Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA)

CAFOD’s partner CYNESA is equipping young people across the continent with the knowledge and tools to become active agents of climate advocacy rooted in Laudato Si’. Through youth-led initiatives such as the Green Lent campaign, environmental toolkits, tree planting, clean-ups, and advocacy training, the network empowers young people to take personal and collective responsibility for caring for creation.