Carers Worldwide is the only organisation working exclusively and strategically with unpaid family carers in the global South.
They see a carer as an individual of any age who cares for or nurses a relative, friend or partner requiring this help due to physical or mental ill health, disability, old age, substance misuse or any other cause.
The charity highlights how carers are an invisible army of people providing a vital service to society yet their own needs are routinely ignored.
In 2020 the Randal Charitable Foundation provided grant funding to cover the full costs of operating two existing Community Caring Centres in Savar sub-district of Dhaka, Bangladesh for 12 months.
Founded by Anil Patil and his wife, Operations Manager, Ruth Patil in 2012 after connecting with the situation of carers, a period of consultation funded by Andrews Charitable Trust took place with carers in India and South Africa.
Common themes emerged from this research, which found caring can have a significant impact on carers in relation to their social, economic, mental and physical wellbeing; and these findings were documented in the Report on Consultation on the Needs of Carers in India and South Africa.
Since their launch Carers Worldwide has been working in South Asia to highlight the important role played by carers and advocating for their inclusion into mainstream development programmes.
They partner with carefully selected local NGOs in their South Asian countries of operation which implement programmes and strategies that holistically transform wellbeing of carers. In addition, they are promoting a sustained period of advocacy, on behalf of and involving, carers in order to achieve long term changes in policy and practice.
The charity’s first project began in India, working with just 250 carers in partnership with three local NGOs. Since then they have worked on a total of 17 projects in India, Nepal and Bangladesh which have improved the lives of over 73,000 carers and family members.
For more information on Carers Worldwide visit here