(MissionNewswire) Radio Don Bosco (Radio Dom), an online radio station established by Salesian missionaries and students in 2017 in Curitiba, Brazil, has been awarded first place in the radio-journalism category at the Public Ministry of Ceará Journalism Awards. Sixty journalism programs participated in the competition. Radio Dom won for its news report entitled “Children of the Heart.”

The report, produced by journalists Roberta Farias and Jocasta Pimentel, focused on the Angels of Adoption project. Started in 2016, the project offers a legal alternative for women who are seeking to make an adoption plan.

According to Dr. Dairton Oliveira, with Ceará Public Ministry, “The Angels of Adoption project is very important because it means that some mothers have decided to preserve the life of the child they are carrying.”

Youth produce the majority of the content that is aired on Radio Don Bosco. In the first two months of broadcasting, 15 programs were launched and a loyal audience of more than 10,000 listeners was reached. In August 2018, the station rebranded to Radio Dom, which refers to Don Bosco (called Dom Bosco in Brazil).

Radio Dom is an integral part of the Salesian communication network of Brazil and is maintained in association with Vatican Radio and other broadcasters. Today, Radio Dom has expanded to 20 programs and has an audience of more than 150,000 listeners. The radio headquarters are in Lorraine with other centers in Curitiba, São Paulo and Piracicaba.

“The radio station is yet another avenue to reach youth and promote hope through education and social development,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students working at the station also have a chance to have hands-on work experience and gain the skills necessary for long-term stable employment.”

Salesian missionaries in Brazil provide education, workforce development and social services throughout the country. They specifically focus on children with disabilities within several programs. Missionaries help to meet the basic needs of poor youth, including street children, and provide them with an education and life skills to gain employment, break the cycle of poverty and lead productive lives.

The World Bank estimates that about 28.6 million Brazilians moved out of poverty between 2004 and 2014. But from the start of 2016 to the end of 2017, the World Bank estimates that 2.5 million to 3.6 million fell back below the poverty line earning less than 140 Brazilian reais per month. Economists blame high unemployment, near 13 percent, and cuts to key social welfare programs for challenges in the country.

Issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain the root causes for those in poverty. Inequalities also exist in access to education and educational efficiency. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education. Salesians working with poor youth and their families in Brazil develop programs and provide youth with opportunities for furthering their education and skills.

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ANS – Brazil – Radio “FM DOM BOSCO” wins 1st edition of MPCE Journalism Award

Salesian Missions – Brazil

World Bank – Brazil