UK Aid Match takes CAFOD Lent Appeal to £18.6 million

Tens of thousands of families in the developing world will get access to clean water and improved sanitation to help prevent life-threatening diseases thanks to the match funding from the UK government for all public donations to CAFOD’s annual Lent appeal.

A total of £9.4 million was donated to CAFOD’s appeal between February 17^th and May 17^th to expand access to safe water and sanitation in the developing world. Virtually all of the money raised – £9.2 million in total – is eligible for match funding, raising the total value of the Lent appeal to £18.6 million and shattering previous records.

Chris Bain, Director of CAFOD, said:

“Our supporters usually donate around £2 million to our Lent appeal, so – at a time when budgets are tight – it is wonderful to see so many schools, parishes and individuals respond with compassion and generosity to the simple needs of those in the world without access to clean water.

“The donations we have received will make a massive difference to those poor communities, whether it is building dams, boreholes and new sanitation facilities, improving the management of water resources, or helping women to have a greater say in the decisions affecting their lives.

“We have valued working in partnership with the government on the UK Aid Match scheme, and we are delighted that they are matching the donations of the Catholic community – a huge shared effort to help those in the world who have the least.”

Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development, said:

"The record-breaking response to this year’s appeal shows the extent of support for CAFOD’s work and UK taxpayers through DFID are helping this go even further by matching pound for pound all public donations. This will allow CAFOD to double its impact working to improve water access, sanitation and hygiene for some of the world's most vulnerable and neglected people, including those affected by war, climate change and disease.

"CAFOD can now continue its work to help tens of thousands more families have access to clean water and sanitation, providing life-saving items such as water purification kits and soap. I am particularly pleased that CAFOD's work will continue to help girls attend school rather than having to fetch water and help all children learn about hygiene and waterborne diseases."

Since the Lent appeal concluded, programme staff in countries where CAFOD is operating have been developing project proposals alongside local partners to introduce or expand water, sanitation, water resource management and gender projects over a 3-year period. Some examples of these projects include:

• Expanding CAFOD’s work to increase access to clean water and sanitation in South Sudan, as a result of which over 35,000 people will be reached with projects such as the construction of boreholes, training in hand pump mechanics and the building of latrines;
• Expanding CAFOD’s work in Kenya, which includes funding the establishment and training of water associations where local communities come together to agree how their water supplies should be managed, distributed and made sustainable for the long-term. More than 40,000 people will benefit from these expanded projects; and
• Expanding CAFOD’s women's empowerment programme in Ethiopia to reach 10,000 women, helping them to access the support and resources they need to take more control over their own lives, including establishing saving and lending groups so that women can access the credit they need to start or grow their own businesses.

Money has also been allocated to support CAFOD’s humanitarian and emergency response work across the world, particularly to tackle those 'silent emergencies' where communities are living in a state of constant crisis due to shortages of water and other basic needs. For example, in Darfur, an additional £300,000 will be invested over the next year to help the Caritas effort to reach the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people still living in refugee camps in the region.

Notes for Editors

• For further information please contact:  Ellie Wilcock on 020 7095 5451
• CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development which works with communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America, working to fight poverty and injustice. The agency works with all people regardless of race, gender, religion or nationality.
• UK Aid Match is an initiative that allows the UK public to have a say in how some of the Government’s international aid budget is spent.  The Government will match, pound for pound, public donations to a charitable appeal which aims to tackle poverty in developing countries.  More information on www.dfid.gov.uk/ukaidmatch