CAMEROON: Training program improves lives of youth
Bosco Global project provides educational support for at-risk youth
(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Yaoundé, Cameroon, completed the “Improving assistance to disadvantaged young people in Yaoundé through quality training” project in October. The project was carried out by Bosco Global in Spain and funded by the Municipal Council of Tenerife, Spain. The goal was to improve the lives of youth in vulnerable situations by supporting educational assistance at the Don Bosco Center in the Mimboman district.
Education in the district is important for youth given the challenging conditions they face. The area where they live is on the outskirts of the city and has no paved roads, precarious health services, overcrowded schools and a high crime rate among youth who do not see a better future.
Dr. Virginia Martín, technical consultant with Bosco Global for the project, said, “Fortunately, in this hostile environment the Don Bosco educational complex in Mimboman stands out. It consists of a primary and secondary school, a vocational training center, and the Don Bosco Youth Center that is open to all young people in the neighborhood.”
Martín added, “As a result of this project, the library at the center has been equipped with books, computers, a photocopier, and a librarian has been hired. There are extended opening hours to allow access not only to the students of the center but also to the rest of the neighborhood. A school canteen was also built and the vocational training workshops for aluminum carpentry, woodworking, and tailoring were equipped. In addition, teachers were trained in the correct use of the new equipment, and all the improvements were disseminated to the educational community and the neighborhood.”
After the project, Bosco Global highlighted the outcomes with a special presentation at the San Juan Bosco Salesian Secondary School in La Cuesta, Tenerife, to raise awareness of the situation of Mimboman’s youth and the importance of fighting for the right to education in any country in the world.
More than 30% of Cameroon’s population lives below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is the highest in the Far North, North, Adamawa and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger.
Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They in turn are able to give back to their families and communities.
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ANS – Cameroon – “Bosco Global” promotes quality education
