CARIBBEAN: New facility for youth, families under construction
Expanded space will offer new programs
(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have laid the cornerstone for the new Lakou Bosco Village in Guadeloupe, a French overseas region in the southern Caribbean. The new village will provide support to youth and families in need.
The new Lakou Bosco Village will be a 280-square meter meeting place, including a large house with a living room, kitchen and workshop for handicrafts, a Lakou space (home in local Creole), a sports field and two multi-activity rooms that will house a multimedia space, work space, playroom, and place for sports. The building will be constructed with environmental impact in mind using thermal insulation and solar panels while ensuring comfort.
The association has a team of nine employees and 40 volunteers supporting more than 40 families and 70 youth. It is funded by the French Fund for Family Benefits, and since September 2023, the European Social Fund.
“We intervene in our neighborhoods and through the school and the family to provide continuous support,” explained Rose Berthe Sapotille, president of the association. “Our approach is not limited to young people. We also work with their parents to offer them adequate support and strengthen their educational role.”
During the cornerstone ceremony, Bishop Guiougou expressed his satisfaction with the presence of the Salesians in his diocese, which, he said, “demonstrates the Church’s support for the initiatives developed to help children and young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods.”
After the speeches by authorities, several people who are accessing services from the association expressed what it means to them. Particularly touching was the account of Pierrick, who has just turned 12. The community is looking forward to the expanded space and the new programs that will be offered.
Salesians from the Saint Francis de Sales Province of France-Belgium South have been in the region since September 2020.
A Salesian explained, “After a call from Bishop Philippe Guiougou, Salesians arrived in Guadeloupe. They took over the parish of Baimbridge in the municipality of Les Abymes. With a desire to serve young people, they created the Lakou Bosco Association to provide support for the most disadvantaged youth and families. Salesians provide education and support youth in their search for new opportunities.”
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Sources:
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ANS – Guadeloupe – Lakou Bosco Village: the Salesian work gets bigger
