Community Action for Resilience & Empowerment (CARE) Programme
Strengthening community care, preparedness, and healthy ageing across the Maldives, in partnership with the Ali Fulhu Thuthu Foundation.
About the Programme
The Community Action for Resilience and Empowerment (CARE) Programme is a three-year, community-based Programme delivered by MRC in partnership with the Ali Fulhu Thuthu Foundation. It strengthens Community First Aid and Psychosocial Support alongside Healthy Ageing and Social Inclusion, building on the achievements and lessons of the Healthy Ageing Programme the two partners delivered together between 2023 and 2025. Rooted in an integrated, community-centred approach, CARE recognizes communities as the first point of care, support, and early action, in everyday life and in times of emergency.
As the Maldives faces an ageing population, a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, and limited access to timely care in many island communities, the Programme works to strengthen local capacity to reduce preventable harm, improve access to early care, and protect the dignity and wellbeing of older persons. By expanding community-level First Aid and Psychological First Aid alongside sustained healthy ageing initiatives, it reinforces the social support networks that help communities act early and look after one another.
Project at Glance
2026 - 2028
A three year Programme
15,000
Target Reach across the duration of the Project
10 Islands
communities targeted across the project period
An integrated approach
CARE works through three connected thematic areas that reinforce one another, linking preparedness, wellbeing, health, inclusion, and public engagement into a single pathway of community resilience.
Strengthening community First Aid and Psychosocial Support
As one of the country's leading providers of community-based First Aid and Psychological First Aid, MRC will expand both, training volunteers and community members across island communities and investing in a larger pool of qualified trainers. Grounded in IFRC global standards, this builds the skills and confidence people need to act early and reduce preventable harm, reinforced by public events on World First Aid Day and World Restart a Heart Day.
Healthy ageing and social inclusion
Building on MRC's healthy ageing Programme, CARE strengthens the dignity, inclusion, and wellbeing of older persons through regular home visits, the annual Israhvehinge Haveeru community events, and a sustained Patient Transport Service in the Greater Malé Region for those who need extra support. The aim is straightforward: that older persons remain connected, valued, and supported members of their communities.
Awareness, outreach, and advocacy
CARE invests in clear, trusted, and culturally grounded communication, multi-language materials, broadcast-ready content, and community stories, to raise awareness of First Aid, psychosocial support, and healthy ageing, and to encourage early action and shared responsibility for care across communities.
From established Units to new island communities
CARE is anchored in MRC's three regions, the North (Kulhudhuffushi City and N. Velidhoo), the Central region (the Greater Malé Region), and the South (Gdh. Gadhdhoo, Fuvahmulah City, and Addu City), where established Units, volunteer networks, and community partnerships provide a strong foundation. Each year, the Programme aims to extends it's reach to new island communities without an existing MRC presence, chosen for where the need is greatest, broadening its reach across the country.
About Partner
About Ali Fulhu Thuthu Foundation
Ali FulhuThuthu Foundation (AFTF) is a Maldivian charity organization founded on 23rd of November 2000 in memory of late Moosa Ali (Ali FulhuThuthu). The foundation was formed with the aim of providing equal opportunities for Maldivian citizens to build a productive generation. With this aim, AFTF has been funding several study abroad scholarships through the international organization “United World College” since its formation. Year by year, after listening to the public needs, AFTF have expanded their areas of assistance to include community development. From 2009 onwards the foundation started working with the local communities across the country, assisting in their social development projects. As we believe that such social development needs should arise from the grassroot level, our community projects are open to all and any area that the community feels the need to.
Learn more about the foundation