Deeply moved by the plight of street children he encountered on a trip to Kolkata (Calcutta), John O’Shea founded GOAL in 1977, and for over 40 years, GOAL has responded to almost all of the world’s major humanitarian crises since, working with vulnerable communities in more than 60 countries.
While GOAL continues to be an agile first-responder to humanitarian crises, it is also committed to working with vulnerable communities to help them survive crises and support them on the road to recovery.
GOAL’s purpose is to save lives and empower communities to develop resilience and greater control over their lives and livelihoods. GOAL aims to increase the resilient wellbeing of the world’s poorest people and focuses on those who are excluded or marginalised, particularly those who are vulnerable due to socio-economic status, gender or age.