Thank you for supporting the 21st Annual Jesuit Mission Golf Day on 28 February! With a record 120 golfers and 160 dinner guests, we raised over $41,000 for Jesuit Mission’s Clean Water Project in Timor-Leste, helping bring clean water to thousands.
Maria’s journey is a testament to the spirit of International Women’s Day with this year's theme, 'For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.' By breaking barriers, uplifting others, and advocating for emotional well-being, she is striving to create a more compassionate world where young women have the opportunity to thrive.
Maria has always been determined to build a better future—not just for herself, but for others. Growing up in Taibessi, Dili, in a hardworking family, she saw firsthand the struggles people face, particularly when it comes to mental health. With her father working as a seasonal worker in Australia and her mother employed at an NGO in Dili, Maria was encouraged to take her education seriously.
As the eldest child, Maria shoulders many responsibilities at home. She wakes up early to help with house chores, prepares meals, and ensures her younger siblings are ready for the day—all while managing her own demanding schoolwork.
In 2022, she joined Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loiola (CSIL), a decision that opened her eyes to new ways of thinking. It was here that she first began considering psychology as her future path.
“Thanks to what I’ve learned here, the teachings of St Ignatius, I’ve become more compassionate and mindful of how I treat others," said Maria.
At CSIL, she has developed a deeper awareness of how people’s challenges shape their actions, and she wants to be someone who can help.
“I’m a good listener, and I help my friends with their personal problems. I want to help others understand their emotions and overcome mental health challenges."
Her leadership at school has also strengthened her belief in the importance of emotional well-being. As the elected leader of her batch in junior high school, she has learned how to support her classmates through stressful times.
“The teachers here are very good because they use effective teaching methods. They encourage us to grow—not just academically, but as whole people."
Last year CSIL provided quality education to over 800 students, many from rural areas, guided by Ignatian values of service, compassion, and commitment.
Maria knows the road to becoming a psychologist will be long, but she is ready. With the values of St Ignatius and a supportive family guiding her, she is not only building a future for herself—she is preparing to transform the lives of others.
On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate young women like Maria, who are shaping a brighter, more equitable future for all.
Europe’s largest humanitarian crisis since World War II continues, with over 8.8 million people—or nearly one in three Ukrainians— fleeing their homes, leaving behind memories and hopes for the future.
As Ukraine marks three years of conflict, Jesuit Mission Australia alongside the Xavier Network, have been supporting project partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe to help provide life-saving support to over 127,000 refugees.
Since the war began, Jesuit organisations have delivered over 612,000 essential services—ranging from emergency aid and shelter to education and psychosocial support.
“As another grim milestone passes and some decision-makers waver in their support, our commitment to accompanying those forcibly displaced remains as steady as the first day," said Fr Alberto Ares SJ, Regional Director of JRS Europe and project partner of Jesuit Mission Australia.
“Even in a context marked by pain and uncertainty, we see daily examples of solidarity and integration—people extending a helping hand and walking together."
JRS Europe has expanded their response to adapt to the evolving needs of displaced people. Initially focused on emergency aid, the coordinated programmatic response now primarily supports long-term integration—providing education, psychological support, legal assistance, and employment opportunities.
Thanks to JRS, just a few kilometres from their home in Ukraine, 10-year-old Nadja and her grandmother Natalia (62) have found refuge in a shelter on the outskirts of a small village in eastern Moldova.
“Nadja and I were shopping when we heard the first explosions. The child was so frightened that all she wanted was to leave,” said Natalia.
In a moment of urgency, Nadja’s parents made the painful decision to send their daughter and Natalia to safety.
“My daughter told me: ‘Go to Moldova; you'll be safe there. We'll stay here to defend our home, and you'll come back when it's all over.’”
The Jesuit network’s support extends across Ukraine, neighbouring countries, and further afield—reaching as far as Portugal and Spain.
“Even in the darkest times, hope persists. We see it in every refugee who finds a new home, a new job, a new future – made possible by the generosity of those Australian supporters who have stood alongside the Ukrainians during this time,” said Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission Australia
Jesuit Mission Australia stands in solidarity with families like Natalia’s. Donate to the Emergency Action Fund below to support refugees of the Ukraine crisis and beyond.
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We invite you to join Ignatian Spiritual Director, Frances Tilly, to guide you through a Spiritual Reflection Exercise.
Over the past five years, the Vietnam Water Project has successfully provided safe, clean water to over 149,000 people throughout Central Vietnam. But with hundreds of thousands of lives still at risk, we need your help to reach more people in the central provinces.
To learn more or donate to our February Appeal - Vietnam Water Project, you can click the links below.
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On 24 January, the U.S. government froze nearly all foreign assistance, abruptly halting critical humanitarian, development, and education programs. The decision has left millions of vulnerable people worldwide facing an uncertain future, with essential services suspended due to funding gaps.
Jesuit Mission Australia is responding urgently to support its partner, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), which has been forced to suspend nine vital programs across nine countries, directly impacting over 100,000 refugees. The 90-day funding freeze affects JRS initiatives in Thailand, India, Chad, Colombia, Ethiopia, Iraq, South Africa, South Sudan, and Uganda—placing over half a million of the world’s most at-risk people in limbo.
Tragically, on Friday, the U.S. Department of State Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) announced the termination of funding agreements for JRS programs in Thailand, Chad, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Uganda. This devastating decision means that five lifesaving projects serving more than 77,000 people—providing psychosocial support, education, emergency aid, and healthcare—have lost all U.S. government funding.
One of the hardest-hit programs is a large education initiative in a volatile region of eastern Chad, where JRS has been providing schooling to over 10,000 students and employing 450 teachers. Without immediate funding, many of these vulnerable children will drop out, facing an increased risk of persecution, exploitation, and trafficking.
Closer to home, in Thailand, more than 12,000 refugees—many fleeing brutal conflict in Myanmar—are suffering severe trauma. The programs offered by JRS Thailand, which provide counselling, education, and basic support, are now critically underfunded.
"More than 100,000 refugees in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border are at risk as NGOs, including those delivering healthcare, have been forced to scale back or shut down," said Fr Joe Hampson SJ, Regional Director of JRS Asia Pacific Region and project partner of Jesuit Mission.
The global Society of Jesus, including Jesuit Mission Australia, is urgently seeking to fill the immediate funding gap to prevent irreparable harm.
"Now, more than ever, we are called to walk alongside our refugee brothers and sisters, embodying Christ’s love and ensuring they are not abandoned in their time of greatest need," said Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission.
Jesuit Mission, as part of the Xavier Network—a global coalition of Jesuit organisations working in faith to promote justice—is working alongside its partners to raise urgent funds to support JRS programs affected by the aid freeze.
“These cuts aren’t just numbers—they represent lives in limbo and lifelines on hold: children missing school, desperate parents losing income, traumatised mothers without psychosocial and medical support, and communities without access to vital care,” said Ms Forde.
Refugees cannot wait. Every day without action means more suffering. Donate now to ensure they receive the support they urgently need.
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"My life before was very tough. I had no activity that could help me generate any income. My family and I were really suffering," says Joseph, a participant in the Pathfinder Digital Inclusion Program, Malawi.
"Now my life has changed completely. With the money that I earn online, I can cover our daily needs."
Joseph, 24, is one of 56,000 people living in the Dzaleka camp in Malawi. Life in Dzaleka is extremely challenging for our sisters and brothers. Resettlement takes an average of 21-26 years, and during those long years, movement is restricted with very limited opportunity to leave the camp to earn a livelihood. As a result, many people live in poverty, forced to rely on food rations to survive.
To help create income streams for camp-bound refugees, our local partner Jesuit Refugee Service Malawi runs the Pathfinder Digital Inclusion Program.
With the kind support of people like you, this innovative program trains over 400 participants each year in marketable digital skills.
Comprehensive courses empower students to compete in the global online job market and earn valuable income from freelancing and remote work.
Joseph first became involved in the program in 2021, and has become a top-earning freelancer, consistently making enough money to support himself and his family.
Over the last three years, Joseph has worked hard to hone his skills and expand his online services, frequently engaging other community members to work on projects.
"I receive contracts in Data Management with Artificial Intelligence companies that require native people who can speak local languages. I hire people to work with me, and the money I pay them helps my community to live a better life," he explains.
As graduates like Joseph harness their skills and uplift their community, there is a new feeling of hope for the future within the confines of the Dzaleka camp.
"With Digital Inclusion, all our dreams become true," he says.
This month's eNews stories are part of our Reflections Summer publication #634.
Click here to read the latest edition of Reflections to see how your compassion is empowering lives around the world.
Until recently, 9-year-old Kabir lived in a silent world. He was unable to hear, speak or socialise, and couldn’t look after himself like other children his age.
Kabir, who is autistic, lives in a small village in Karnataka Province in southwest India. He belongs to an Indigenous tribal group, Vaddar, which suffers ongoing discrimination. Living with autism, Kabir was pushed even further into the margins.
Without intervention, he was facing a future with very limited opportunities.
But, with the compassionate support of people like you, our local partners North Karnataka Jesuits and Loyola Vikasa Kendra (LVK), have launched a Sustainable Development project that’s helping marginalised Indigenous people – like Kabir – realise their full potential.
This three-year project is fostering social inclusion in a range of ways, including Jesuit run tuition centres that offer early intervention training and workshops on disability and inclusion for health and pre-school workers.
For Kabir, the support he's received has been life-changing.
Kabir is now learning to speak and, thanks to a scholarship, he’s attending school for the first time.
At the special-needs school he attends in Mundgod, Kabir and his peers receive the guided support they need to thrive.
For Kabir, who’ll continue at the school until Year 10, tutors are helping him to socialise, develop his basic literacy and improve his communication and living skills. Although still a little shy, he is an eager learner and, during his time at the school, will build the skills he needs to become independent and self-reliant in future.
This inspiring project also empowers village leaders to become effective advocates for their communities, working towards more sustainable development and bringing hope and opportunity to Indigenous people living with discrimination.
This month's eNews stories are part of our Reflections Summer publication #634.
Click here to read the latest edition of Reflections to see how your compassion is empowering lives around the world.
Bikaun is a widow who lives with her children and grandchildren in a village in the Dili Municipality of Timor-Leste. Until recently, the family's living conditions made it challenging to maintain good hygiene and sanitation.
"Previously we relied on my eldest sister's toilet nearby, before that, we used open spaces in the woods or grass, which was very unhygenic,” Bikaun said.
Supported by people like you, our local partner Jesuit Social Service Timor-Leste (JSS), is helping to improve basic sanitation and access to water for families like Bikaun’s.
The project constructed a new toilet for Bikaun’s family and they are accessing the new community water station.
For Bikaun the change has been transformative, enabling her and her family to live healthier lives with greater dignity.
"I am very happy and thankful to JSS,” she says.
As a result children are now using proper sanitation facilities, which has led to a decrease in diseases related to poor waste management.
This month's eNews stories are part of our Reflections Summer publication #634.
Click here to read the latest edition of Reflections to see how your compassion is empowering lives around the world.
With over four million people displaced from the escalating political crisis in Myanmar, our sisters and brothers there are seeking new ways to build a better, more just society. Jesuit Mission has long stood in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, and we continue to pray for strength, hope, and healing in this time of deep struggle.
For those who aspire to lead Myanmar into an era of peace and hope, the Myanmar Leadership Institute (MLI), run by our local partner Myanmar Jesuit Region, offers courses that provide a new vision of leadership built on social justice, critical thinking and compassion.
Your compassionate generosity is helping MLI educate over 500 students every year from all walks of life. These leaders-in-training study a well-designed curriculum that includes nation building, ethical principles, social inclusion, leadership and strategic thinking.
Sister Margaret, who oversees a kindergarten in Yangon, was nominated by her parish to participate in an MLI ‘Religious Life and Leadership Skills’ workshop. The workshop, which includes a mix of exercises, activities and group discussions, empowers participants like Sister Margaret with leadership techniques that help them make a meaningful contribution in their individual workplaces and the community beyond.
"Before the program, I was not sure how to guide my teachers. Now I understand how to create a positive learning environment,” Sister Margaret says.
"I've also learned that to be a good facilitator it means to work with local people and know how to approach the local leaders."
MLI alumni like Sister Margaret are already proving to be inspiring, creative leaders who are actively building a more peaceful and harmonious society in Myanmar.
For supporters like you, Sister Margaret has this heartfelt message:
"I would like to thank you, who are responsible for our learning experiences. I found meaning in this course, and believe I can bring a little hope and make the future brighter for the education of our generation in Myanmar."
This month's eNews stories are part of our Reflections Summer publication #634.
Click here to read the latest edition of Reflections to see how your compassion is empowering lives around the world.
"We never had clean water since the time of our parents and grandparents," says Leocardia, one of the 204 residents from a small village in Dili, Timor-Leste.
For decades, the locals have had to seek out water. With no clean sources available, they’d risk drinking slightly salty water from a source on a nearby hill. Often vulnerable families would be forced to choose between buying clean water or paying for food or education.
Your kind support has helped make a vital change. Thanks to you, our partner Jesuit Social Service Timor-Leste has worked alongside community members to bring clean water to over 6,524 people since 2018.
Women and children no longer face the exhausting daily task of walking one to two kilometres to find water.
"This year, our children will focus only on their studies rather than taking buckets to fetch water from other places,” says Floriano, the project's Community Coordinator.
This month's eNews stories are part of our Reflections Summer publication #634.
Click here to read the latest edition of Reflections to see how your compassion is empowering lives around the world.
