AMERICA/PERU - Caritas Peru presents Social Assessment 2008: “the integral promotion of the participants in our programs will succeed only insofar as they are architects in their own history, of their personal growth, and community," says Bishop Irizar Campos

Lima (Agenzia Fides) - Caritas Peru has released its Social Report for 2008, which reports the results of operations under the classification of social responsibility and the results of partnerships with private businesses, local government and other national bodies and international. With the presentation of this Social Report, Caritas of Peru gives an account, in a transparent way, of its integral human development initiatives in partnership with 79 companies, 34 public and 36 agencies: this allowed to run a budget of over 80 million "new soles" (equivalent to 27.7 million U.S. dollars). 50% of the partner organizations of Caritas Peru are private companies. Thanks to the contributions of its members, in 2008, Caritas Peru has supported more than 684,860 Peruvians. It also described the practices that have already begun in district, provincial, and regional governments in 12 departments; it has continued the work of reconstruction in areas hit by earthquake in 2007 and renovated 14 schools.
Jorge Lafosse, Secretary General of Caritas Peru, noted that "in recent years, our institution has gone from being just an aid organization to becoming an institution which calls, executes, and monitors projects to promote integral human development, social progress, and poverty reduction for the 24 Departments of Peru. This is done under four lines of action: social development, economy and production, microfinance, and humanitarian assistance."
The social importance of this activity that comes from the Church, is seen in the words of the President of Caritas Peru, Bishop Miguel Irizar Campos of Callao, "In this past year we have strengthened our conviction that the integral promotion of the participants in our programs and projects will be successful only insofar as they are architects in their own history and personal growth, as well as in their community. At the same time, this awareness is what encourages us to play an important role as an institution, to coordinate efforts in favor of the common good in the different sectors in which we work: civil society, business, cooperation agencies - and the State at a national, regional and local level."(CE) (Agenzia Fides 30/11/2009)