Caritas Goa Makes a Mark in Its “Project HOPE”

Alfi Alex D Cruz

In this Jubilee year, the winner of the 2025 IVth Edition of the international award “Francis of Assisi and Carlo Acutis for an Economy of Fraternity,” was India, with an initiative entitled “Project HOPE” (Healing, Opportunities, Protection and Empowerment). The award was instituted by the Diocese of Assisi, responds to Pope Francis’s call for an “Economy of Fraternity.”

The €50,000 award was conferred to the Diocese of Goa and Daman, which serves approximately 642,561 Catholics with 365 diocesan and 351 religious priests across 174 pastoral centres and 39 missions.

Project HOPE was selected by six expert members of the evaluation commission out of 60 projects in five languages, from 30 nations and 4 continents. The secretariat noted an increase in projects from new, poorer, and war-torn countries.

The commission judged Project HOPE the winner for clearly and concretely addressing the nine evaluation criteria. First, Capital of Fraternity: the project supports abused and at-risk youth, including deafblind, by equipping them to produce handmade, eco-friendly items like soaps, biodegradable packaging, and hospitality kits. No underage children are involved. Second, Attention to the Poor and Fragile: the focus is on abused children, youth with disabilities, and marginalized women. Third, Credibility: implemented by youth, supervised by Caritas Goa, with endorsements from the Cardinal Archbishop and Panaji’s Commissioner. Fourth, Integration in the Local Territory and Community: outreach includes social media and helpline awareness campaigns. Fifth, Creativity: links five-star hotels with marginalized groups to use waste materials like banana fibre, coconut husks, and recycled paper. Sixth, Work/Labor: it provides not just skills but career paths, supported by partnerships with Taj Hotels and Goa’s tourism sector. Seventh, Sustainability: designed as a long-term, self-sustaining initiative, aiming to partner with 70 hotels in Goa and expand nationally. Eighth, Eco-friendly: reuses waste materials, saving trees and water, and promotes eco-awareness. Ninth, Timeline/Budget: presents a detailed plan with milestones and full financial transparency under Caritas Goa.

Caritas Goa previously managed a successful Childline rescue and rehabilitation program until the government took over in 2023. After service gaps emerged, seven young people under 35, some involved with Caritas’s deafblind outreach, created Project HOPE to empower survivors of abuse and disadvantaged women through protection, training, and dignified employment.

Previous winners: Seraphic Institute, Assisi (Italy, 2021); Eco Charcoal Briquettes, Diocese of Pasig (Philippines, 2022); “Bethlehem, the House of Bread” (Chad, 2023); “A Graça do Trabalho” (“The Grace of Work,” Brazil, 2024).