By Amanda Murthy
Caritas Australia’s new Chief Executive Kirsty Robertson believes everyone is capable and has the power to contribute and play some part (whether big or small) to make a difference in the world.
Kirsty officially commenced her role on 25 September 2019, with a Liturgical Commissioning Ceremony.
She recently spoke to The Record on how her journey with Caritas Australia, which began as a student, led her to realise the crucial need to play a part in eradicating poverty within Australia and globally.
“When I was 10, Project Compassion came to my school. It was there that I first realised that there was a whole world outside of where I was living, where there was injustice and where people did not have the opportunity to realise their dignity,” Kirsty explained.
“This was a big wake up call for me, because I had a good family life, good education, but hearing that others did not have the same privileges that I had, was a big turning point in my life.”
Kirsty first started working at Caritas at the age of 23, gaining the opportunity to witness the work of Caritas Australia first-hand and to see the impact on the life of marginalised communities globally, was a life-changing experience for her.
“My first ever overseas trip was with Caritas Australia to East Timor where I saw a Caritas livelihood project that taught women how to make tofu,” Kirsty said.
“I found it inspiring that these women’s lives were changed through the generous supporters in Australia.
“It was powerful to see that through this good work, the women and communities had more opportunities to educate their children and build the most basic necessities they could not have afforded otherwise, such as toilets,” she added.
Caritas Australia has been working with marginalised communities for over 55 years, and from 2018 to 2019 have impacted 1.52 million people worldwide in 23 countries.
“When I reflect on what it is that I bring into a role like mine, I have to say that it has been the conversations I’ve had along the way – whether they have been with people in villages, people in remote villages in Zambia, farmers up in East Timor or donors and supporters here in parishes and schools across Australia – that have led me to the Caritas role that I now have,” Kirsty cited.
“I’d like to think of my role as being who I am called by God to be and I continue to pray that through this vocation, I will be able to set fire to the world that would burn in the hearts of others and create a more just world.”
Kirsty added that besides working with Caritas, her son gives her purpose for the work she carries out.
“When I gave birth to my son, that was a moment in time when I began to think; what is the world that I want to leave my son, how do I want to see his place our world,” Kirsty said.
“I want my son to be proud of my contributions one day, and therefore, he is one of my biggest inspiration for why I do what I do.”
As Project Compassion approaches, Kirsty shared some words of encouragement to those in the community who are thinking of ways that they can contribute to the cause.
“I would tell them firstly, to always believe that they have it within themselves the ability to make a difference in the world,” Kirsty continued.
“If think of just one person or one family that we can help and if we can just reach out and help those people and make that human connection, put the statistics aside and think this is a person who was born in the image of God and who deserves the right to have their dignity.
“The second step is just to do something. You can donate, sign a petition, you can help by offering prayers, or you can reach out and contribute in cash or kind.
“There is always something we can do, let’s start now,” she concluded.
Find out about how you can get involved in Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion at lent.caritas.org.au or phone 1800 024 413.