Caritas Spain aid worker shares experience

In brief

Manuel Gutiérrez Chaparro, a Caritas Spain aid worker serving in Colombia and Venezuela, shared his experiences to mark Aid Workers' Day on September 8. Caritas Spain released his testimony to highlight how its staff works with local organizations and communities facing poverty, conflict, displacement, and emergencies.

Gutiérrez Chaparro has completed twenty years of service in international cooperation. After studying pedagogy and volunteering at a school in Nicaragua, he began working with Caritas Spain in 2005. His career has included project management and field work in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia.

The Caritas Spain worker explained that his approach involves listening to communities and strengthening local capacities rather than replacing local leaders. This method aims to support processes where the communities themselves lead the development and humanitarian efforts. According to 2025 data from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, more than 2,300 Spanish professionals work in this sector abroad.