With its “One million stars” campaign, NGO Caritas expressed solidarity on Saturday to the more than one million people in Switzerland who do not have enough to live on.

Oceans of light with up to 2,000 candles were lit in around a hundred locations, Keystone-SDA reported.

The events, which were open to all, began at dusk. The action took place in big cities and small towns alike, and also offered a programme for families and for reflection.

Poverty is often invisible, says the NGO, which is why Caritas invited everyone to come along and light their own candle as a sign of support.

According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), 745,000 people are affected by poverty in Switzerland. Almost as many live on the minimum subsistence level. In total, around 1,240,000 people - one person in seven - do not have enough money to live on. Their income is well below that of the population as a whole. …