2021 Gratitude Report

The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic was one to listen, learn and ask questions. As the pandemic continued to wreak havoc around the world, women and girls spoke up and told us what they needed.

They want to be safe in their communities, to access reliable health services, and to have access to dignified work that allows them to provide for their families.

Last year, CARE Canada introduced our new strategic plan—a plan to unlock the leadership potential of women and girls. This work starts with ensuring women’s basic rights and access to safety, health, and work.

And thanks to your kindness and generosity, women and girls are building the foundation they need to continue to lead in their homes and communities.

You helped make sure families had warm blankets, waterproof jackets and wool socks while seeking refuge in the cold winter months. Your support helped girls attend school, women start businesses, and families grow kitchen gardens so they could have access to healthy food.

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, you helped provide emergency shelter, food, and clean water to thousands of people. And your support sent oxygen and emergency medical supplies to India after the second wave of COVID-19 overwhelmed the health system.

We have a lot of work to do. But as we begin this new year, I’m filled with optimism that’s buoyed by gratitude for your generous support for our powerful mission to help build a more equal world for everyone. Thank you.

Barbara Grantham
President and CEO, CARE Canada

HOW CARE CANADA’s MONEY IS SPENT

“Before EVC came to our village, I used to stay at home. I didn’t have any money and I didn’t have a say in anything….Now I am speaking out…and people of all tribes are listening.”

Hawa Abdalnabi has many roles. She’s a wife and mother, and after taking part in CARE’s Every Voice Counts (EVC) program, an influential leader in her East Darfur village.

A safe heaven in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

This year, your support helped CARE open 12 Women & Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. The safe spaces help CARE respond to gender-based violence in the area by providing confidential psycho-social, legal, and medical support. They also enable women and girls to build support networks and learn or hone skills like sewing and embroidery so they can earn an income.

Women leading change

In 2021, a team of photographers documented the stories of women working in the garment industries of Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam. They interviewed eight women, including Mukta (pictured below right), vice-chair of the sexual harassment committee in the factory in Bangladesh where she works. Mukta ensures the committee investigates all claims of sexual harassment so that management can take appropriate action and build a safer workplace for women.

Keeping girls in school

The lack of access to menstrual products deeply affects girls. Some girls stay home from school while menstruating because they lack access to menstrual hygiene products. Others drop out altogether. With your help, CARE gave 100 girls in the Imvepi refugee camp in Uganda reusable menstrual cups and training on managing menstruation. Now the girls can attend school with confidence every week of the month.

Building resiliency

With your support, the Growing is Learning project teaches women farmers to grow nutritious soya beans. By growing this resilient crop, women boost their farming productivity, income, and savings. Soya beans are not only helping women support their families, but often learning to prepare and cook soya beans has improved their overall heath as well.

Creating meaningful work

Noor is a 28-year-old mother of four who lives in Azraq refugee camp in Jordan where work opportunities are scarce. She participated in a one-month training on hydroponic farming, which is perfect for Jordan’s desert climate. Now Noor trains others as a CARE volunteer. This income enables Noor to support her family and provide medical care for her daughter who has epilepsy.