Thank you parishioners for your continued support for Project Compassion during this
Lenten period. Here’s a letter from one of the recipients of your generosity:
Dear friends, My name is Psyche Mae and I’m a Filipino woman. I grew up in a squatter
settlement on the edge of a giant rubbish dump in the Philippines. My family and I spent
our days picking through the rubbish and selling what we could to make a living. It was
the only way we could survive. But today I am very proud to tell you that I am employed as
a social worker for the Philippines government. Thanks to Project Compassion, my family
and I learned skills participating in the Caritas Australia Livelihood Program and through
this we found a way to leave our life of poverty behind. In my job, I support women who
experience domestic violence and help them leave their abusive relationship and start a
better life. I decided to work with women because I’m wearing their shoes, I feel what they
feel. And because, sadly, women and children living in poor conditions are more vulnerable
to gender-based violence because they have less awareness and less power. So many
women and girls continue to experience injustice, poverty and abuse. Your donations go a
long way in the Philippines. Just $200 can provide a roof and basic building repairs for an
urban squatter family living in rough housing in Manila. Thank you for supporting Caritas
and for sharing what you have in life. I believe we have the power to change the world.
Psyche Mae – Integrated Human Development Program – The Philippines
