International Day of Charity is observed every year on 5 September as a United Nations observance highlighting the importance of charity, philanthropy and voluntary service in addressing poverty, humanitarian suffering and other forms of hardship.
The day was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2012 through Resolution 67/105 to encourage charitable activities, philanthropy and volunteerism worldwide.
Why Is 5 September Observed as International Day of Charity?
The date was chosen in memory of Mother Teresa, who died on 5 September 1997 in Kolkata.
The UN selected her death anniversary to recognise both her humanitarian contribution and the wider role that charitable action can play in helping people affected by poverty, illness and human suffering.
Mother Teresa and Her Humanitarian Work
Mother Teresa, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, devoted much of her life to serving people living in poverty and those who were sick, homeless, abandoned, orphaned or dying.
She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta in 1950, and the organisation subsequently expanded its humanitarian work to several countries.
Her work received international recognition, most notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She died in Kolkata on 5 September 1997, aged 87.
Who Was Mother Teresa?
- Birth name: Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
- Born: 26 August 1910, Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire and now in North Macedonia
- She was born into an Albanian Catholic family.
- At the age of 18, she joined the Sisters of Loreto, a Catholic religious congregation that operated schools for girls.
- She arrived in India in 1929 and began teaching at a convent school in Calcutta.
- While continuing her religious and teaching work, she took her final religious vows in 1937 and adopted the name Teresa.
- She later became widely known for her work among poor and vulnerable communities, particularly in Kolkata.
Major Awards and Recognition
| Award | Year | Significance |
| Padma Shri | 1962 | Awarded by the Government of India for her service to society |
| Nobel Peace Prize | 1979 | Recognised her humanitarian work, particularly among poor and suffering people |
| Bharat Ratna | 1980 | India’s highest civilian honour, recognising her humanitarian contribution |