Adigrat Diocese Catholic Secretariat The Diocese of Adigrat serves an area of 73,600 square kilometres. It is located Northern part of Ethiopia and includes the whole regional state of Tigray, and part of Afar regional state. A combination of factors have led to serious and growing problems of food insecurity and social crisis. More than sixty percent of households are food insecure and for much of the year they depend on external food aid. Farmers work very small plots of land, dependent on erratic rainfall in an area with recurrent drought, chronic soil erosion and deforestation. Many people have poor access to potable water. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high, and is aggravated by the internal movement of people because of poverty and the border conflict with Eritrea. From the time of its foundation in the area in 1837, the Diocese has been committed to the promotion of integral human development, based on the values and principles of the Catholic Church's social teaching. For the past two decades this commitment has been realized through various socio-pastoral programs including pastoral promotion, education, health, soil and water conservation, emergency and relief, water supply, and so on. These socio-pastoral activities are provided for people of all faiths and denominations. (The total population of the Diocese is about 4,337,000 of which 20,000 are Catholics.) The Social and Development Commission of the Diocese works for the development of the people of the area in order to alleviate the problems they face. Our work includes: Education (both formal and informal education programs) Environmental rehabilitation Integrated rural development and household food security Agriculture and natural-resource management Water resource development Health and sanitation Community based health care (including infrastructure development) HIV/AIDS: awareness creation and care and support for the infected & affected Income generation and the development of cooperatives Access road construction and maintenance Women promotion and development Welfare and child sponsorship (including street children) Relief, emergency, livelihood recovery and rehabilitation Human dignity and common good Promoting a just social order and authentic development Care for the poor and marginalized Subsidiary Solidarity with the poor and those most at need Stewardship Enculturation Ecumenism