Sydney French Roman Catholic Charities

Our charitable association began 1998, when His Grace Maurice PIAT, bishop of Mauritius while in Sydney asked our French speaking community, especially the Mauritians, for help to support the educational program in Mauritius.

At the beginning our efforts were undertaken in association with the Australian Catholic University (to help education in Mauritius) through the formation of qualified teachers for the education of poor children there. Since then, the “Mauritian Night” became a “Charity Night” taking place every year on the last Saturday of October.

From 2005 in association with Caritas Australia we have alternatively helped Mauritius and Madagascar sending our help through Caritas Mauritius and Caritas Madagascar.

In Mauritius our goal was to provide help to the poor living in slums in form of a micro project for accommodation. People could borrow money without interest for their home construction from the Caritas Mauritius on condition that they were employed and making repayments in accord with their financial situation.

In Madagascar our help has gone to the holistic social development of the poor through support of education for children and adults, health care in the bush through mobile dispensaries as well as small hospitals looking after lepers and TB sufferers on the south-east coast of the Island.

In 2007 our charitable association was registered with NSW government as the “Sydney French Roman Catholic Charities” (CNF/20467) and recognised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

The official committee is made of 11 persons (including Fr Jan Chrzczonowicz as a chairman).

Our association is based on voluntary membership, has wider committee made up of about 30 members, meeting twice a year for planning/organisation and evaluation of activities.

In 2011 we started helping Fr Pedro OPEKA of Madagascar with his endeavour on the outskirts of Antananarivo. His NGO organization called “AKAMASOA” (which means ‘Good Friends’) with the help of thousands of paid professional teachers, health & social workers and many volunteers, provides for around 20000 people (60% children under 15; including orphans and abandoned) jobs (brick homes construction, hand crafts, agriculture, carpentry, mechanics, welding) and education. More details maybe found on: http://www.perepedro-akamasoa.net/.

In 2013 the SFRCC joined the ‘Catholic Mission’ in partnership in order to improve its fundraising activities through the tax deductibility offered for the personal donations going to the ‘Akamasoa’ activities.

For more information go to www.australiansformadagascar.org

Financial and donation expectations: Amount raised to date: since 1999 until 2017: over $982,510.00. Number of donors to date: average 500 Fundraising goal for the last five years: $50,000 to $70,000 each year.