“In Portugal, policies have not been able to reverse situations of poverty, says Márcia Carvalho, from Cáritas Portuguesa, on the day that marks World Day of the Poor.
Cáritas calls for more coordination in anti-poverty policies. On World Day of the Poor, the church organization highlights that there are more and more young people living in difficulties. In an interview with SIC Notícias, Márcia Carvalho, from Cáritas Portuguesa, highlights the importance of the role of society as a whole in helping those who need it most.
“There is a lack of poverty alleviation policies in Portugal, what we perceive and feel is that there is a real lack of policies that can reverse these situations (…) That there are people who manage to stop needing support from different organizations, that is evidence”, he states Márcia Carvalho.
“In fact, in Portugal, policies have not been able to reverse poverty situations”, he adds.
Regarding what each person can do as a citizen to be able to help the most needy people, Márcia Carvalho highlights the importance of “concreteization in gestures, concrete gestures” and explains that it is in this sense that Cáritas works.
“The commitment can be individual, regardless of your orientation and practice. Supporting an organization, a person, a neighbor, gestures that are sometimes very simple”, highlights the Cáritas representative.
To mark World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis will have lunch this Sunday at the Vatican with more than a thousand people in need. The meal will be provided by the Italian Red Cross. At the end of lunch, each person will receive a backpack with food and personal hygiene products.
This morning, the leader of the Catholic Church will also bless 13 keys that, symbolically, represent 13 countries where houses will be built for people with low incomes.
