BRAZIL

(MissionNewswire) Students with Don Bosco Institute’s CEDESP Vila Paulistana unit visited the LOGA Logística Ambiental de São Paulo S.A., which is responsible for the collection, transportation, treatment and final disposal of household and health waste in São Paulo, Brazil.

The 49 students who participated in this event were from the logistics and marketing classes. Lucas Borba, technical analyst at LOGA, gave the students a tour and taught them how sorting is carried out. Diogenes Pereira led the training with a focus on environmental impact.

Fabiana Santello, communications educator at Don Bosco Institute, said, “During the presentations it became clear that the organic waste collected each day is much more than the recyclable waste collected during the month. While the organic waste varies from 6,000 tons per day, the recyclable waste is 2,000 tons per month. What is really lacking is public awareness of the environmental, economic and social importance of this process.”

Both the staff and students enjoyed the visit and learned much from their time there. Thiago B. Santos, a logistics student, explained, “I thought the visit was very good, informative. We have to leave here with a different mindset now, tell our friends and family that you don’t throw your garbage away.”

Salesian missionaries in Brazil provide education, workforce development and social services throughout the country. 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.

According to the World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on Brazil with poverty tripling in 2021. Nearly 17 million people fell into poverty in the first quarter of the year and the poverty rate now is higher than it was a decade ago. Researchers estimate that 12.8% of Brazil’s population, some 27 million people, are now living below the poverty line.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Don Bosco Green Alliance

Don Bosco Green Alliance – CEDESP Dom Bosco Vila Paulistana students in Brazil receive sustainability training at LOGA

Don Bosco Institute

Salesian Missions – Brazil

World Bank – Brazil

The post BRAZIL: Students learn about waste disposal and recycling first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Children are very often working with their parents which prevents them from regularly attending school and receiving an adequate education. Due to the unsanitary conditions of the dump, the hygiene of these children and their families is precarious and negatively impacts their health.

Since March, Salesians missionaries have been teaching courses to children, between the ages of 4 and 13, to read and write and to refine their calculation skills. Upwards of 70 students attend these lessons. Courses are also organized for older children who want to specialize in welding or manufacturing or work in the hotel sector. To date, there have been about 25 applications to participate in these lessons.

The Salesian courses are aimed at raising awareness among parents so that they understand the importance of giving their children a proper education and are motivated to send them to school instead of working in landfills.

In order to help the families replace the income that the children made while working, the Don Bosco Technical Institute has also created a program aimed specifically at mothers which allows them to use the institute’s land to grow vegetables which they can then sell back to the market.

The Don Bosco Technical Institute has been providing education and skills training in the electrical, automotive, carpentry and machine fitting maintenance trades as well as life skills training and employment assistance for more 250 students over the last 16 years.

While the majority of students are male, the institute has been working to increase the enrollment of female students by encouraging them to take courses in more typically male-dominated trades as well as providing opportunities for those who previously left school due to marriage or pregnancy. Currently, most young women begin at the institute with life skills training followed by courses in teaching and nursing.

“Most of the students at the Don Bosco Technical Institute are from poor families and many have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “There, they are getting a second chance by learning skills that will enable them to find employment to support themselves and their families.”

About 12.7 percent of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to healthcare and other social services is very limited and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Solomon Islands – A project with teens and children of Ranadi dumps

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

Salesian Missions – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Don Bosco Technical Institute launches new program providing education to youth living near the Ranadi dumps in Honiara first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The school in the village was built in 2011 but was seriously damaged in 2017 by a hurricane. After almost two years of immense difficulty, Salesian missionaries are now working to renovate the building to give the 128 elementary to middle grade students attending a better school environment. Currently, students are divided into three shifts – morning, afternoon and evening – to be able to accommodate all of them.

A new project, backed by the Salesian Mission Office (Missions Don Bosco) of Turin, Italy, is providing the funding to enable Salesian missionaries in Marauià to renovate the school roof which was torn apart during the 2017 hurricane, and reinforce the foundation, floor and exterior facade. The project is making the school safer for the students and is meaningful for the community.

“Attention to ethnic minorities is a fundamental element of the Salesian mission and is more than ever in the limelight because it was chosen as a topic of reflection for the special assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region,” explains Salesian Brother Giampietro Pettenon, president of Missions Don Bosco. “Supporting the project of this small school means guaranteeing a better future for the young Yanomami who are future custodians of the Amazon.”

The Amazon today is the home of 1 million indigenous people who are divided into close to 400 tribes. According to data from the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), 63 percent of indigenous people live in Brazil and out of the 400 identified ethnic groups, close to 100 are the most fragile who have chosen to live in complete isolation. Salesian missionaries support them through education and formation, but also by concerning themselves with the protection and appreciation of their culture.

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 have fallen 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.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Brazil – Safe school for young Yanomami

World Bank – Brazil

Salesian Missions – Brazil

The post BRAZIL: Salesian missionaries repairing school attended by 128 students in remote Marauià village first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Typhoon Lekima hit Cambodia as a tropical storm and caused coastal flooding in several areas. Before the storm, Cambodia’s Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology issued a statement urging citizens to prepare for this serious natural event.

Salesian Brother Roberto Panetto, economer of Don Bosco Technical & Hotel School, said, “On the night of Aug. 8, I checked the front of our school because of the heavy rain. I then advised some our staff, families and guests on the ground floor of our guesthouse to watch for water that may come in. The level of the water on the main road in front of our school started to rise and in a matter of few minutes, it was overflowing the dam-wall we had just built to prevent flooding.”

Brother Panetto added that a large amount of water destroyed the gate and the ground floor of the buildings. Machinery and equipment used in the workshops for the mechanical, welding, automotive and electrical classes were heavily damaged. Salesian teachers and staff were also affected. Many had their homes destroyed and have nowhere to go. They have asked Salesians for a place to stay.

“It is too early to estimate the damage, but I presume it will be close to 1 million dollars (US),” added Bro. Panetto. “However, we are happy to see that many Salesians, past pupils and friends are ready to help and encourage us in this difficult time. Thanks to all that have helped us with their prayers and sympathy. We are hoping that benefactors will aid us in replacing the damaged items and help us in preventing future floods.”

Brother Panetto also reflected on the environmental conditions in Cambodia noting that deforestation is one of the main causes for similar floods. Many trees have been uprooted to build hotels, skyscrapers and shopping malls and numerous waterways have been reduced to exploit the land on their banks. In addition, garbage is thrown everywhere and obstructs the already strained drainage system.

The Don Bosco schools in Cambodia are providing technical education for poor youth in subjects including electrical, mechanical, welding, automotive, electronics, computer and information technology, printing, media communication, hospitality and tourism.  After students graduate, they are qualified for jobs that offer a living wage, allowing them to support themselves and their families and break the cycle of poverty.

According to the World Bank, poverty continues to fall in Cambodia. In 2017, the poverty rate was close to 14 percent compared to 47.8 percent in 2007. About 90 percent of the poor live in the countryside. While Cambodia has achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving poverty in 2009, the vast majority of families who escaped poverty were only able to do so by a small margin. Around 4.5 million people remain near-poor, vulnerable to falling back into poverty when exposed to economic and other external challenges.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Cambodia – A flood affects Don Bosco Sihanoukville

World Bank Cambodia

Salesian Missions – Cambodia

The post CAMBODIA: Salesian buildings flooded in the wake of Typhoon Lekima that affected coastal cities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

When Bosco Boys program participants complete their primary education, they are then assisted with secondary education or are advised to choose technical training in sister institutions. The secondary education is most often provided at Don Bosco Technical Secondary School in the town of Embu, northeast of Nairobi, but can also be at another school close to a student’s home where they can be easily monitored.

Two-year technical training programs are offered through Bosco Boys in a wide variety of vocational skills including tailoring, car engineering/mechanics, carpentry, electrical work and welding as well as secretarial skills and a full spectrum of computer-related job skills. After graduation more than 80 percent of graduates are employed in their fields of study. Many students go on to attend university or establish their own businesses and become entrepreneurs in Nairobi.

Mutemi describes his experience at the school by saying, “I had been to both Salesian school and public school. What surprised me at the Salesian school is the fact that we as learners could actually play soccer with our principal and other teachers, something I had not experienced at a public school. At a Salesian school, there is interaction between learners and teachers. Salesian schools offer learners the opportunity to approach teachers without fear because the teachers are so friendly. At a Salesian school, it’s not just about academics, but we learn about life experiences.”

In addition to the education provided, youth in the Bosco Boys program are given professional counseling to help them overcome any difficulties they may face in their lives. Through counseling and other activities, the program gives youth the tools to develop a positive healthy outlook on life and the education and training necessary to find stable employment.

Mutemi is very involved in cycling and has used the sport as a way to relax and cope with stress and imparts this strategy to his students. He says about cycling, “You feel the freedom when you are on the open road with or without other cyclists. It nourishes you and you feel refreshed.”

He also adds, “The other reason for me being involved in cycling is that I am part of a charity cycle group called Miles of Hope which helps poorer youth with education, especially youth who cannot afford school fees. Every week we cycle as a group and each member must contribute 200 Kenyan shillings which goes towards funding poorer youth.”

Mutemi teaches his students about welding in addition to teaching them about life, how to handle their responsibilities and work hard to achieve their dreams. He says, “I tell youth that we must remember that nothing comes to us on a silver platter. Nothing comes for free unless you put hard work into it. Have a passion for what you do and you will see things moving. I coped with peer pressure when I got involved with cycling because there is no time for idling around. When you are idle, then that is when things like drugs and drinking take over your life.”

It’s a message that Mutemi passes on to his students in the hopes they will value their studies and succeed in life.

Despite the steady growth of Kenya’s economy, according to UNICEF, more than half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line on less than $1 a day. UNICEF also notes that Nairobi is home to 3 million residents, most of whom endure lives of extreme poverty in the city’s slums. The most vulnerable are families and children live in these urban slums and in areas of the country most affected by HIV/AIDS. Many do not have access to healthcare, nutrition, sanitation or education.

Youth living in Nairobi’s slums are at risk for exploitation, forced labor and other abuses. Few attend the later stages of school as compared to those living in Kenya’s more rural areas. The few schools serving this disadvantaged community are beyond the financial means of most families. UNICEF noted that while Kenya has free and compulsory education, youth in poverty still cannot afford to attend school. Close to 90 percent of children from poor households fail to complete their basic education.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Kenya – “At Salesian school it’s not just about academics but we learn about life experiences”

UNICEF – Kenya Statistics

The post KENYA: Salesian teacher encourages his students to do well in school and prepare for a healthy life first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to statistics from the Foundation for Higher Education, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15-29 in El Salvador is 11.8 percent which is much higher than the national unemployment rate of 7 percent. Programs at FUSALMO are targeted to help youth, often at risk of gang violence, to find and retain employment.

“The young people who currently attend this new course are already in the process of connecting with call center human resources departments with which we collaborate. They come to visit our facilities and carry out interviews and English language knowledge assessment with the kids. More than 80 percent of the participants are already eligible for work,” explained Jazmin Cuellar, coordinator of the project.

FUSALMO offers traditional and non-traditional educational opportunities for at-risk youth. Through recreational programs, enrichment opportunities in the arts and music, vocational training and more, youth are encouraged to stay off the streets, learn to cooperate and co-exist and gain the skills they need to become productive, contributing members of a more peaceful society. Founded in 2001, the organization has positively impacted the lives of more than 265,000 children and their families.

“I learned things I didn’t know before,” says Denis Campos, a 19-year-old student attending the call center course. “I improved my English and I have the chance to get my first job, thanks to the alliances that FUSALMO has with call centers. I am very grateful to FUSALMO for giving me the opportunity to participate in this course. They are in solidarity with young people. It doesn’t matter if they have much or little money, they give us the opportunity.”

Katherine Hernández, an 18-year-old student, adds, “When I started the course, I didn’t have many expectations. I just came to pass the time. But then I realized that I liked English. There are good opportunities that FUSALMO offers because they do not waste time and because elsewhere to learn English you have to pay a lot, but here, regardless of the economic resources you have, you can come to learn.”

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014 when compared to the same time period the year before. In 2016, San Salvador was named the murder capital of the world, seeing more murders and violent crime than any other city. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country, and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

Crime is often associated with poverty and close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty, but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in El Salvador is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – El Salvador – “FUSALMO” promotes youth employment in one of Salvador’s most violent municipalities

FUSALMO

Salesian Missions (USA) – FUSALMO

World Bank – El Salvador

Salesian Missions – El Salvador

The post EL SALVADOR: FUSALMO launches new course that teaches skills and English language for call center employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Every year, this new project will be able to provide shelter for up to 20 underage single mothers. Once at the shelter, they will be able to access medical and psychological assistance and vocational training courses. Family reunification will be made possible when appropriate.

“There are many barriers to education for young girls, especially underage single mothers, but Salesian programs around the globe work to eliminate those barriers and provide supportive services and education to all,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries have seen that young girls who are able to access safety, shelter and education are more often able to achieve financial independence and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

Salesian missionaries began their work with street children in the 1990s when groups of children fleeing the war that tore the country apart for almost 30 years flowed into the capital. Today, long after the war has ended, children are still fleeing their homes for a variety of reasons. Many run away from home because of parent neglect, some as a result of abuse and others because they are thought to be sorcerers or witches who bring misfortune to their families.

Once on the street, these children wander from neighborhood to neighborhood, sleep wherever possible and survive thanks to small jobs like shining shoes, washing windows and carrying bags. Many girls end up prostituting themselves and virtually everyone inhales gasoline and glue to calm the pangs of hunger and find relief from solitude and a sense of emptiness.

Salesian missionaries create shelters and programs where street children are safe and can receive the care they need including rehabilitation and reunification with their families when possible.

Salesian missionaries in Angola have been rebuilding infrastructure that was damaged during a civil war in the country that lasted from 1975 to 2002. Much was destroyed during the conflict including schools, medical buildings and churches. Living within the communities in which they work, Salesian missionaries have been perfectly positioned to respond to local needs and lead projects for community betterment.

During the civil war, educational disparities were widespread but recent reforms have paved the way for more youth to have better access to education and social equality. According to UNICEF, more than 36 percent of the population lives in poverty. In addition, more than one in 10 children under the age of 14 has lost one or both parents and 43,000 are separated from their families. As a result, nearly a third of these children are working and child trafficking has become an emerging problem in the country.

With a 67 percent illiteracy rate, the educational opportunities provided by Salesian programs can be truly life changing. Through these programs, both youth and adults have access to schools and educational programs. Classes range from simple lessons in reading and writing for adults in refugee camps to shelter and education for street children. Students are also able to access life skills training, workforce development opportunities and nutrition programs.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Angola – In support of Luanda’s underage mothers

UNICEF – Angola

Salesian Missions – Angola

The post ANGOLA: Salesian missionaries are developing a new shelter for young single mothers in Luanda first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Given the number of refugees fleeing to European cities, youth in Salesian programs are working to help those who have remained in Syria and need assistance. The goal of the Suriya Project is to promote awareness and collect material aid for those still in conflict regions. From the start, youth involved in the project have held various awareness-raising, support and fundraising activities.

They have also organized the potential needs of youth in Syria into several categories: basic necessities; materials for education and psychological training for Salesian teams; and materials for recreational activities at the Syrian Salesian youth center. The project is carried out in collaboration with the National Commission of the Youth Centers of Spain, the Delegates for Youth Ministry of the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Syria.

The Suriya Project also focuses on exchange experiences for youth. Participants from Aleppo and Damascus in Syria are engaging in a number of summer activities at Salesian youth centers in Spain. The aim for this exchange experience is to help youth in Syria and Spain share experiences in a tangible way. Syrian youth will visit Salesian youth centers in Seville, La Rioja, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela.

Benjamín Morales, one of the youth working with the Salesian Francisco Míguez Youth Center in Malaga, Spain, will take a trip to Damascus in August. There, he will meet with friends he befriended during a gathering of Salesian volunteers from Europe and the Middle East. Benjamin explains, “The impatient desire to go there and see things directly with my eyes was born in me.”

“This project, which started three years ago with a vigil for peace, is more than a solidarity initiative because it seeks to unite children and young people from both countries,” explains Father Santiago Domínguez, the project’s promoter. “Through festivals, street markets and solidarity parties, the Spanish youth centers have collected around 20,000 euros in three years which have been earmarked for the needs of young people in Syria – money with which the Syrian Salesians have been able to buy school supplies and organize various activities.”

In the coming months, the Don Bosco Confederation of Spain intends to expand the project. Father Domínguez notes, “We want to reorganize the project to support a youth business plan developed by the local Salesians. In this way, every center in Spain would commit itself to financing the business plan of a young person in Syria and with this procedure we could have a direct contact between the centers and the young people we will help.”

Despite ongoing conflict and instability, Salesian missionaries have continued their work with youth in Syria. Over the course of the last eight years since the outbreak of civil war began in March 2011, Salesian missionaries have operated three centers in Kafroun and the particularly high conflict areas of Aleppo and Damascus.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Spain – “Suriya Project” unites children and young people from Aleppo and Spain

Salesian Missions – Syria

Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post SYRIA: Suriya Project provides exchange experiences for youth in Syria and Spain first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Cagliero Project fosters cooperation and support among the different Salesian provinces with volunteers having also worked in East Timor, Thailand, Samoa and Zambia. The project gives volunteers an opportunity to contribute to local Don Bosco missions and serve the poorest and most disadvantaged children in their programs.

The immersion group started with a hands-on project to create cement to help with drainage around the football field. One student noted, “After coming from a very cold Australia, this work left us dirty and tired but with a great feeling of satisfaction. What was best about this project is that we participated with the local students and were able to start building relationships right from the outset of the immersion.”

The group had the opportunity to stay with a local Khmer family. They were also welcomed into the homes of local Don Bosco teachers and were able to experience day-to-day life in Cambodia.

After spending time learning about Cambodia’s brutal history, the group turned their attention to facilitating a three-day youth leadership program. Salesian youth travelled from around Cambodia to Phnom Penh to be part of this special program. The weekend event culminated in an activity day for the school that was run by the program participants.

“It was incredible to see all the young people empowered to take ownership of being a young Salesian leader and to see them put this into action. Although the day was exhausting, everyone was buzzing with excitement at the end of the day for all they had achieved,” said Lauren Hichaaba, director of the Cagliero Project.

The immersion group departed from Phnom Penh to spend their final days visiting the temples in Siem Reap. They also took the opportunity as a group to reflect, debrief and pray about all that they learned and experienced.

Hichaaba added, “We are so grateful for the very special relationship that we have with the Salesians in Cambodia. And now, we have yet another group of young people who have been captured by the Salesian spirit and by the wondrous Kingdom of Cambodia.”

According to the World Bank, poverty continues to fall in Cambodia. In 2017, the poverty rate was close to 14 percent compared to 47.8 percent in 2007. About 90 percent of the poor live in the countryside. While Cambodia has achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving poverty in 2009, the vast majority of families who escaped poverty were only able to do so by a small margin. Around 4.5 million people remain near-poor, vulnerable to falling back into poverty when exposed to economic and other external challenges.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Cambodia – Cagliero Project Immersion Experience 2019

UNICEF – Cambodia

Salesian Missions – Cambodia

The post CAMBODIA: Students with the Salesian Cagliero Project in Australia have immersion experience at Don Bosco Technical Center in Phnom Penh first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Nataly was born premature, and as a result, her feet were disfigured. She didn’t start walking until she was 4-years-old so was delayed in her play and development with other children. Early in her young life, her mother had taken her for rehabilitation but when Nataly was 2-years-old, her mother passed away. She was sent to live with her father who left to live with another woman so Nataly was entrusted to her grandmother, a very poor older woman who could not take her to rehabilitation.

It was just two years ago that Nataly’s aunt took her to the Salesian clinic in Mitad del Mundo. There she had an x-ray and met with a traumatologist. She had a tumor on her left leg and had to undergo surgery. The family struggled with the funding for the surgery so Salesian missionaries helped. After the surgery, she started rehabilitation at the Salesian clinic and grew stronger and stronger each day. Today, Nataly credits and thanks Salesian missionaries for the help they offered her to start a new life.

“Education is always our primary focus, but we know youth are dealing with much more than just needing access to education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries also meet basic needs like shelter, food and medical care. This helps to ensure that youth are healthy and able to more fully participate in the education that’s provided.”

Salesian missionaries in Ecuador focus on providing education, social programming and workforce development to help the country’s most vulnerable citizens. Technical and vocational education is also provided to help youth gain the skills needed to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Ecuador’s poverty rate was 36.7 percent in 2007 and dropped to 22.9 percent in 2016. These results show that 1.4 million Ecuadorians escaped poverty within nine years. However, many Ecuadorians still live in impoverished conditions. Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20 percent of the population receives almost 50 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives only 5 percent. According to the World Food Program, almost 26 percent of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population are people of indigenous heritage. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Salesian missionaries have been providing education and other social programs for disadvantaged youth across Ecuador for more than 125 years.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ecuador – Nataly’s willpower to overcome her serious physical problem

UNICEF – Ecuador

Salesian Missions – Ecuador

The post ECUADOR: Salesian medical clinic provides rehabilitation so young woman can walk without pain and discomfort first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2018, Salesian missionaries restructured the physical location where the project training is held. They constructed a new greenhouse, launched the production of aromatic plants, modernized the apiary and build the infrastructure for an educational laboratory and tool room. Soon after, they launched the courses.

“Salesian missionaries are faced with challenging economic conditions in Rodeo del Medio and are implementing ways to expand the scope of training offered so graduates can more easily find employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesian missionaries work where they live, they know the local employment landscape. They develop training that meets the market need so Salesian students can successfully find employment.”

Rodeo del Medio is mostly rural with 72 percent of its population relying on farming for income. There is a lack of employment opportunities which creates a culture of non-work and has led to many students leaving school early. Often, out of work youth make choices that put them at-risk of violence and addiction.

The Don Bosco Institute has expanded its educational offerings over the years and currently includes primary and secondary schooling and technical-vocational training. A goal of the Salesian missionaries operating the institute is to provide courses of study that motivate youth and give them a sense of pride in their work.

Salesian programs across Argentina are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country prepares youth for technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help meet the basic needs of poor youth and their families by providing shelter, proper nutrition and medical care, helping youth to engage in their education and have hope for the future.

More than a quarter of the people in Argentina live in conditions of poverty with no formal employment and poor-quality education, according to the World Bank. The country’s high school dropout rate is close to 37 percent and youth account for a third of those unemployed. Almost 12 percent of children aged 5 to 17 are working instead of in school and 20 percent need government assistance. Many face malnutrition, a lack of clean water and sewage and inadequate housing.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Argentina – “Germinating young entrepreneurs”: offering vocational training

World Bank – Argentina

Salesian Missions – Argentina

The post ARGENTINA: Salesian missionaries launch new Germinating Young Entrepreneurs project in Rodeo del Medio first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In July 2018, Núñez was accepted into NASA’s Space Camp program at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. To be selected to attend, Núñez had to present numerous documents and reference letters and highlight an experiment that he had done documented by photographs and videos.

“It was a goal we achieved because I’ve always dreamed of being part of a NASA program and even working there,” says Núñez. “As difficult as it may seem for those who have always dreamed of being an astronaut, it seemed such a distant objective, yet I went ahead to achieve it. The experience of the Space Camp was a further step forward that brought me closer to what I had always dreamed of doing.”

After completing his experience at NASA, Núñez had the opportunity to speak as part of the TED Talks this July. He says, “At home I had no internet, but I had a collection of encyclopedias and books, and I would spend my time drawing planets and comets. At night I spent hours looking at the sky and the stars. As a child I cultivated this dream of becoming an astronaut. I’m happy to share my personal experience, to show that it is possible, with the utmost dedication, to fulfill one’s dreams.”

At the TED Talks, Núñez not only narrated his experience, but also listened to the stories of other young people. Once he had completed both Space Camp and the TED Talks, Núñez emphasizes that the future of nations is in the hands of the new generations.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Paraguay since establishing a church in Asunción in 1896. Through the years, missionaries have operated educational programs to help advance the skills and knowledge of the indigenous population in the area while promoting strong cooperation with leaders of the indigenous culture. Local Salesian programming supports laws in favor of the indigenous populations, the recovery of original lands, sustainable development, the appreciation of cultural values in each ethnic group and the fostering of internal leadership.

Paraguay is among the poorest countries in South America. According to UNICEF, almost 23 percent of its population of 6.5 million people live in poverty earning less than $1 per day. The gap between the small upper class and the large lower class is extreme and offers virtually no social mobility.

Conditions of poverty drive youth into early labor and a lack of literacy, in addition to a weak educational foundation, compounds the problem. Those in poverty face overcrowding, low quality housing and a lack of access to basic household services. Paraguayans who only graduate from primary school are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who have access to and complete secondary school.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

Paraguay – Participation of Sebastián Núñez at NASA campsite and “TED Talks”

UNICEF – Paraguay

Salesian Missions – Paraguay

The post PARAGUAY: Salesian graduate invited to give TED Talk about NASA Space Camp experience first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In a speech given at the inauguration ceremony of the new technical school, the Superior of the Vice Province of Blessed Philip Rinaldi of Haiti, Father Jean Paul Mésidor, said, “Today we are happy to find ourselves in the situation of being able to continue believing in the future. If the present is uncertain, our presence here for the ENTEC inauguration expresses our determination to continue looking at the horizon to discover that ray of hope that will make us dream of a good Haiti, especially for her children. It is this optimism in the possibility of doing better and better that characterizes the work of the Salesians in Haiti these past 85 years.”

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing technical and vocational training in the country. They have continued their collaboration with national authorities through the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and with the National Institute of Vocational Training. Their current goal is to improve the quality of training for teachers and increase the skills of those teaching at technical and vocational training centers.

The ENTEC Technical School will provide a framework for permanent and ongoing formation of teachers and will endow them with solid pedagogical skills applicable to their sector. The intention is to establish a permanent body of educators at all levels capable of maximizing the performance and internal efficiency of technical and professional institutes.

This project received the support of the Spanish Cooperation, the Salesian organization, Jóvenes y Desarollo, and the Autonomous Community of Madrid.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system, and we are dedicated to providing the support and training they need,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian teachers face many challenges educating poor youth. Many of their students have faced severe poverty and often lack food, clothing and shelter. Some were previously living and working on the streets and others have faced war as child soldiers or become refugees in war torn communities. Salesian teachers meet these challenges head on, providing education and hope for a brighter future.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 10 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 10 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government and their programs serve more than 25,000 Haitian children.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Haiti – “ENTEC Technical-Vocational School” inaugurated

World Food Programme – Haiti

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian missionaries launch the ENTEC Technical School to educate teachers of technical and vocational institutes first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The only drinking water available at Cité Plateau III is distributed by a few rudimentary fountains that are fed by the same aquifer that houses wastewater. Rainwater and water that accumulates in the stone quarries scattered throughout the territory is collected by women who store the water in old, dirty containers. This water is often contaminated. Some mothers get up at 4:00 am to go and draw water from the wells of the neighboring districts, but this is not always possible.

The local population is exposed to health risks from contaminated water and severe dehydration which can lead to loss of consciousness, multiple organ failure and even death. To address the need for clean water, Salesian missionaries are drilling down 100 meters to draw on a pristine aquifer. They will then build a well that includes the installation of a submerged electric pump which will be powered by four solar panels for renewable energy.

The presence of a safe water source will prevent the spread of diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever which can be fatal for children and pregnant women. It will also contribute to improving children’s health as they are often forced to leave school to help find and carry water. In addition, it will significantly increase the quality of life of all the women in the neighborhood who will no longer be forced to travel for miles to obtain clean drinking water.

The well project will directly benefit at least 6,000 people, but at an indirect level it will do much more. The initiative provides for the direct involvement of people living in Cité Plateau III in the well’s management. An awareness-raising campaign will be launched once the inauguration takes place to train the locals on the importance of personal hygiene.

“Water is essential for life, and it’s critical that Salesian programs around the globe have access to safe, clean water for the health and safety of those we serve,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Improving water and sanitation facilities brings a sense of dignity to children and promotes proper hygiene. This reduces the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools, keeping them away from important study time.”

Despite its vast material wealth, the Democratic Republic of Congo has long been a very poor nation. Half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line on less than $1 a day, especially those in rural communities. Because of ongoing strife and violence within the country, more than 8.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that’s expected to increase. More than 4.1 million Congolese are now displaced with 620,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 7.5 million people do not have enough food to eat.

Salesian missionaries have been working in the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Salesian primary and secondary schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs offer many youth the opportunity for a stable and productive future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Democratic Republic of the Congo – A water well to change lives of mothers and children

UNICEF – DR Congo

Salesian Missions – Democratic Republic of the Congo

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post DR CONGO: Salesian water project brings fresh clean water to more than 6,000 women and children in Cité Plateau III first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In the 1970s, some Achuar representatives visited local Salesian missionaries, Father Domingo Bottasso and the late Father Luis Bolla, to request they develop programs to help educate youth in the Achuar communities. Since then, Salesian missionaries have been sustaining the work of the early mission while also expanding programs and activities that emphasize communal development, including sports education.

“Football (soccer) moves many people,” says Fr. Togo. “During the World Cup everyone interrupts their activities to watch the games. The same happens with the Achuar. When there are matches or championships, young people don’t care if they have to walk a week or two, they go to play. I see a great deal of concern among young people to be footballers, to learn to play better and I asked myself why not try another way of evangelizing through football. I believe that evangelization is not only that of the priest who arrives, officiates Mass, confesses. We must go out, look for other ways of being missionaries, as Pope Francis says.”

Father Togo’s dream is to open a soccer school in an Achuar village. In February, he went to Ambato to attend a three-day congress on soccer and the sciences. His goal is to start the school in the Wasakentsa community and then train in other communities.

“Achuar youth face challenges from the outside such as drugs and the misuse of technology,” adds Fr. Togo. “Sometimes young people get involved in these things. The objective is to use sport to attract their attention, gradually distance them from these vices and give them the opportunity to be animators and educators of other young people.”

Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20 percent of the population receives almost 50 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives only 5 percent. According to the World Food Program, almost 26 percent of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population is people of indigenous heritage. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Salesian missionaries have been providing education and other social programs for disadvantaged youth across Ecuador for more than 125 years.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ecuador – Salesian and footballer: the combination to reach the young people of Amazonia

UNICEF – Ecuador

Salesian Missions – Ecuador

The post ECUADOR: Salesian missionary is using sports education to help youth on and off the field first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Father de Censi visited Chimbote frequently because he was concerned with the high levels of poverty among the children and families in the area. In Chimbote, Operation Mato Grosso now works with the Total School in addition to eight Salesian kindergartens and the Mamma Mia refectory which is attended by close to 1,000 people every day. The new Total School serves as a place where students can learn and receive free study materials, uniforms and lunch.

“Father Ugo taught us that we must welcome children for free. The most important thing is charity. If someone gives you something, it’s because he loves you, and that’s what we did with these children,” says Erica Lazzari, director of the Total School.

The Total School also provides moral, spiritual and artistic education in order to fully develop its students. Featuring spaces for carpentry, masonry, weaving, wood and ceramics, the school was built thanks to young volunteers from the Salesian oratory of the Andes who worked hard to obtain the necessary funds and built the structure for free during their school holidays.

“Given the struggles in many communities across Peru, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities for education as well as access to safe places to play and connect with adults and peers. They need to have all of their basic needs met as well as the support required to allow them to focus on their studies and learn new skills.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families for many years. They have also helped with rebuilding efforts after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Peru – “Total School”, the last work left by Fr Ugo de Censi for the benefit of the poorest

World Bank – Peru

Salesian Missions – Peru

The post PERU: The Salesian-run Operation Mato Grosso launches new Total School to provide primary education in Chimbote first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The HLPF is an annual meeting promoted by the UN to evaluate the progress made each year by various countries pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals. The theme of the forum is, “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.”

The Salesians of Don Bosco hosted two side events to the HLPF including once focused on the environment titled, “Youth Aspirations & Climate Urgency.” Rodríguez participated in the round table discussion with other Salesian representatives from Europe, Africa and the Pacific Islands.

The Don Bosco Technical Institute is part of the Don Bosco Green Alliance whose members work to create an environment that is safe and caring for all life on the planet while building up a new generation of environmentally committed citizens and leaders. The Alliance’s priorities are combating pollution, reducing global warming and eliminating disposable plastics. In each of these areas, it aims to partner with ongoing global campaigns promoted by the United Nations Environment Program (UN Environment) or other international organizations.

“The Don Bosco Green Alliance is an important part of our Salesian youth ministry today,” says Father Savio Silveira, the convener of the Alliance. “Young people feel very strongly about the environmental crisis since they understand well the impact it has on their lives and their future. Accompanying young people as they seek solutions to environmental issues has to be an aspect of our youth ministry. Care for God’s creation is very definitely an integral element of our Salesian youth spirituality.”

As a result of the environmental work done by the Don Bosco Technical Institute’s ECOClub ITDB in Panama City, the school was chosen by the United Nations to represent the young people of the Latin American region at the HLPF. The ECOClub was launched in 2017 by a group of students who worried about the country’s environmental condition.

The club’s members organized waste collection activities, planted trees and promoted waste collection and recycling. Over time they received support from their parents and from the Fundación ECO Creando, a local foundation, which allowed them to be recognized by the Ministry of the Environment and to be part of five waste collection centers in Panama City.

The Don Bosco Institute’s environmental focus is supported by the entire local population and is the only school in the country that functions as a center for the collection and optimization of recycling.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Panama – Student of “Don Bosco” Technical Institute participates in UN World Forum

UNITED STATES: Salesians of Don Bosco host side events at upcoming United Nations High-level Political Forum

The post PANAMA: Student from Don Bosco Technical Institute participates in Salesian-run climate-focused side event at recent United Nations High Level Political Forum first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian iDB Tech-No-Logic Team created the Wemit, an innovative space washing machine designed to wash astronauts’ clothes in zero gravity and without water. The Wemit system could also be used later for other purposes such as washing clothes in hospitals or food factories.

The iDB Tech-No-Logic Team is composed of five male students and three female students all in their fourth year studying the scientific and applied sciences. They were guided by Professor Luca Zanetti and assisted by two teachers, Anna Baruzzi and Andrea Materassi. The students and teachers worked on the project after school, incorporating all they had learned in their studies.

In order to advance to the Global Innovation Award, the team first had to win the FIRST LEGO League World Championship which challenged young students to think like scientists and engineers. The Salesian students won first place in the championship which was held on April 20 in Houston, Texas. During the event, 108 teams from all over the world competed against each other. These teams were selected to compete during national championships in each country and were among 40,000 candidate teams.

The Salesian Institute has already patented its project which was so impressive, the team dominated across the board at the FIRST LEGO League World Championship, coming first in the categories of scientific project, technological innovation, robotic programming, presentation and teamwork. This was the first time an Italian team was crowned the winner of this leading world science and robotics competition. The theme for this year’s competition was, “Into orbit.” The teams were challenged by NASA to invent solutions to improve the living conditions of astronauts in space.

The Salesian students highlight the importance of education to excite and inspire young people in scientific and technological subjects, using creative and unconventional methods.

“We are proud of the Salesian students and teachers from Verona for their accomplishments in these competitions,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs encourage innovation and help marginalized communities gain the education and resources they need to find, and even create, long-term employment that will help them break the cycle of poverty. This project, along with other science and technology projects and competitions, help Salesian students to be competitive in the labor market or to develop their own businesses to gain financial security.”

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – United States – Another medal for the “Space Washing Machine” of Verona Don Bosco at “Global Innovation Award 2019”

Salesian Missions – United States

The post UNITED STATES: Students and teachers from Salesian Institute of Verona win runner-up for their space washing machine project at the Global Innovation Award first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Republic of Congo was, until its independence in 1960, a colony of the French Congo. Today, it is a small country in central Africa with about 6 million inhabitants mainly located along the Congo river and on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Salesian missionaries have been in the country since its independence and operate three centers that provide for poor youth and their families.

In 1964, the first Salesian center was established in Pointe Noire, the nation’s commercial capital. The center houses a Salesian parish, a youth oratory, a primary and secondary school, a boarding school, a vocational training center and a shelter for youth experiencing difficulties. Salesian missionaries also provide pastoral care in the local prisons.

Salesian missionaries also operate two centers in Brazzaville, the country’s political capital. The Salesian St. Charles Lwanga Center, launched in 1975, includes a parish and a primary and secondary school which is attended by 900 youth. Unfortunately, the school can no longer accommodate all the children who want to attend. To serve as many as possible, students attend in two shifts, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Even this is not enough so Salesian missionaries are working to find the funding to expand the school.

Also in Brazzaville is the Salesian Vocational Training Center which was launched in 1992. This center provides education for more than 700 students who take two-year and three-year courses in electrical, automotive mechanics, welding and lathing, carpentry and air conditioning installation. Father Marc Abumba Kizeji, who met Salesian missionaries in Lubumbashi while attending graduate school in mechanics and was later ordained a priest, is in charge of coordinating vocational training at the center.

“One of the key challenges facing youth in the Congo is the lack of education and the skills required to find and retain stable employment in the labor market,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries provide youth access to education and training opportunities they would not have otherwise—with a focus of the training to prepare students for the workforce. Making improvements to Salesian schools to accommodate more children is essential to the quality of education provided.”

The Republic of Congo’s population is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle in the north virtually uninhabited. One of the most urbanized countries in Africa, it has 70 percent of its total population living in a few urban areas.

In recent years, industrial and commercial activity has declined rapidly in rural areas leaving rural economies dependent on the government for support and subsistence.

According to Rural Poverty Portal, poverty has worsened in the Republic of Congo since the 1980s, resulting in half the country’s population living below the poverty line. Close to 65 percent of the country’s poor live in rural areas where nearly 50 percent of the population is unemployed with little access to education or long-term stable employment.

Most living in rural areas are small-scale farmers or fishermen with those most vulnerable to living in conditions of poverty being young people and women who are the primary agricultural producers and processors. While more than 75 percent of people living in urban centers have access to water, access drastically decreases to 11 percent in rural areas. In addition, more than one third of children under age 5 that live in rural areas suffer from malnutrition.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Republic of the Congo – Three Salesian works, three oases of education and hopes

Rural Poverty – Republic of Congo

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Salesian missionaries provide education and social development programs for poor youth and their families first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In order to raise funding for participation in the event, the Salesian Schools Network held fundraisers, festivals and lotteries to ensure that as many people as possible could attend. One fundraising initiative brought together more than 2,000 volunteers who mobilized in cities across Chile to fundraise and ask for support from their local communities. The initiative also raised awareness about the plight of the homeless population.

According to a study by the Ministry of Social Development and the Family, at the end of 2018 there were 547 children and adolescents living or having lived in a street situation during the last year. The Minister for Social Development, Alfredo Moreno, said, “It is very difficult to remove all the people from the street, but with children it must be done absolutely.”

Since 1998, the Don Bosco Foundation has provided programs to assist vulnerable children and older youth who are faced with social isolation, exclusion and a lack of opportunities. The organization employs 170 people in three programs for street children and at-risk youth that include a family residence and a reception center for street children and is currently providing services to 192 street children.

“Children who find themselves in street situations are children who have a history of great victimization, violence and abuse. Therefore, they are children who often have found no other answer than to escape from their homes or even from child protection centers, which have failed to solve their problems,” explained Lorena Contreras of the Don Bosco Foundation.

The foundation also has an award-winning app that helps improve intervention for street children. The Registro Circuito de Calle (Register of Streets Circuit) app was developed by the Don Bosco Foundation in collaboration with Fundación País Digital of Microsoft Chile and DonaTec, an online donation program for the non-governmental agency, CDI Chile.

The app allows users to update mapping within a territory, providing intervention teams with online information that will increase their knowledge of the territories and enable support for planning visits to increase the chances of meeting with minors in the streets.

It also helps teams better plan their actions and social operations on the road so they can choose the most effective strategies for intervening with youth who are living in even the most hidden areas. In addition, the app will characterize the territories to better show the transit of minors as well as track what they do and what they are exposed to in those areas.

According to the World Bank, Chile has a fairly low poverty rate of 14.4 percent. However, the country struggles with high rates of income and education inequality. Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor and at-risk youth. At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty. As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Chile – More than 2 thousand volunteers collaborate on National Collection for street children

CHILE: Don Bosco Foundation wins “Social Impact Technologies” award for new app that helps improve intervention for street children

World Bank – Chile

Salesian Missions – Chile

The post CHILE: The Don Bosco Foundation holds its 21st National Collection to focus on projects for street children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2002, a group of Italian and Spanish volunteers set up a local health clinic in collaboration with local Salesian missionaries in Abobo. Today, the Abobo Health Center serves as a symbol of the community and provides health services for the more than 4,000 local villagers. The facility has 40 beds, a small ward dedicated to sick children and those suffering from malnutrition and a small wing that houses obstetrics. Having expanded its reach over the years, the health clinic serves the approximately 20,000 people living in the area and the 200,000 people in the entire region.

Two Spanish physicians, Tere and Maria, provide medical care for those who are affected by malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and various infections common in the region. Thanks to their passion and care, the clinic focuses on maternal and child care, serving two of the most at-risk populations in the country.

Together, they are engaged in providing wellness exams and regular screenings for pregnant women as well as vaccinations to mothers during pregnancy. Tere and Maria are also focused on preventative care. They provide an average of 40 maternal vaccinations per week and attend to 30 births per month.

For difficult pregnancies and childbirth, Tere and Maria are also well-connected to the larger hospital in the city of Gambella. For women who require more advanced medical care, they will provide ambulance services to transport these women to the hospital. After childbirth, Tere and Maria provide follow-up care to the mothers and newborn exams.

The two doctors note, “In our small center we are busy every day in the prevention and treatment of endemic diseases, especially by trying to help mothers and their children. We provide vaccinations of mothers during pregnancy, prevention of diseases such as anemia, hypertension, malaria and various infections that cause serious consequences also to the newborn. We also provide the important activity of early diagnosis, regular screening and simple checkups we offer for free.”

The health center continues to function thanks to the international support it receives. Maria and Tere add, “We do not know if tomorrow we will be lucky enough to receive help to run this health center. The only sure thing is that tomorrow, like every day, mothers will come with their children for vaccinations, a woman in labor will show up and a child will need urgent medical care.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38 percent of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85 percent of the country’s workforce is employed in agriculture but frequent droughts severely affect the agricultural economy leaving more than 12 million people chronically, or at least periodically, food insecure. In addition, more than two-thirds of the population is illiterate.

The country has 4 million orphans which account for nearly 12 percent of all children and according to UNICEF, more than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis that has affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

Salesian missionaries across Ethiopia primarily focus on the education of poor youth. They accomplish this through the operation of primary schools, secondary schools and six vocational training centers. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while having access to support services, including family sponsorship and school feeding programs, that provide care for them and their families all with the goal of keeping youth in school as long as possible.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ethiopia – Health center for women, children and refugees

Feed the Future – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Abobo Health Clinic provides health services for more than 4,000 local women, children and refugees first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The West Papuan community has more than 2,000 people who are living in five camps across Port Moresby. They had been promised resettlement to allocated state land by the previous government, but have yet to be resettled. With this uncertainty, leaders from the camps approached the Catholic Bishops Conference for help in reducing some of the ongoing challenges at the camps such as food security, clean water, education, land and housing.

Caritas launched its support by providing educational scholarships to 20 West Papuan youth so that they can attend courses at the Don Bosco Technical School, Gabutu. The short four-month courses give disadvantaged young men and women an opportunity to attain basic certificates in computing, administration, electrical and motor mechanics.

Thomas Wangai, one of the scholarship recipients, will soon to be studying metal fabrication and welding. He spoke of the hardships he faced and said the scholarship was a turning point in his life. He noted, “I am honored to receive this scholarship. I faced many negative situations, but I never lost faith. I am grateful to God that He has heard my prayer.”

Hans Wonsiwor, representative of the Nine-Mile West Papua community, also expressed how much the scholarships meant. “I’m proud of the partnership between Caritas and the Don Bosco Technical School. I thank them both in providing this wonderful scholarship program to assist the West Papuan Community.”

Salesian missionaries in Papua New Guinea provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

“’They welcomed angels’ is our Mission theme for 2019. In keeping with the theme, we are happy to welcome the West Papuan refugees and offer them education at Don Bosco Technical School in Gabutu. The program will develop their skills, and most importantly, help them find a decent job,” says Kenneth Gonzales, deputy principal for technical affairs at the Don Bosco Technical School.

Caritas Australia’s Program Quality and Support Coordinator in Papua New Guinea, Marie Mondu, emphasized the need for empowerment and a sense of purpose to be imparted to the refugees. She says, “Refugees in Papua New Guinea today need our help, particularly our brothers and sisters from West Papua. This program provides them with the tools necessary and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.”

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guinean’s live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in the country. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Second Chance Scholarship for West Papuan Refugees

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Caritas and Don Bosco Technical School partner to provide scholarships to refugees from West Papua first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Sometimes youth have to be taken to the hospital. Young boys are persuaded to go to the local Salesian center which offers showers and hot meals. Currently, the center only serves boys. However, Salesian missionaries are in the process of equipping a center for girls so they will have a place to go to receive social development services and education.

The streets of Luanda offer little for the youth that live there. There is mud in the rainy season, dust in the dry season and garbage all year round. There is little hope for children who are forced by circumstance into the streets.

Many of these street youth have fathers who have abandoned them or who have passed away, violent stepfathers who throw them out of the house or force them to flee, mothers who are unable to face or deal with the hardship of life because they lack the economic means and cultural tools. The streets become the natural place to hide and seek refuge but they are full of danger, especially for girls who are often the victims of sexual exploitation.

For these girls, external injuries are treated much more readily than the emotional scars. Salesian missionaries aim to create a center where girls are safe and can receive the care they need.

“There are many barriers to education for young girls, especially those forced to live on the streets, but Salesian programs around the globe work to eliminate those barriers and provide supportive services and education to all,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries have seen that young girls who are able to access safety, shelter and education are more often able to achieve financial independence and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

Salesian missionaries in Angola have been rebuilding infrastructure that was damaged during a civil war in the country that lasted from 1975 to 2002. Much was destroyed during the conflict including schools, medical buildings and churches. Living within the communities in which they work, Salesian missionaries have been perfectly positioned to respond to local needs and lead projects for community betterment.

During the civil war, educational disparities were widespread but recent reforms have paved the way for more youth to have better access to education and social equality. According to UNICEF, more than 36 percent of the population lives in poverty. In addition, more than one in 10 children under the age of 14 has lost one or both parents and 43,000 are separated from their families. As a result, nearly a third of these children are working and child trafficking has become an emerging problem in the country.

With a 67 percent illiteracy rate, the educational opportunities provided by Salesian programs can be truly life changing. Through these programs, both youth and adults have access to schools and educational programs. Classes range from simple lessons in reading and writing for adults in refugee camps to shelter and education for street children. Students are also able to access life skills training, workforce development opportunities and nutrition programs.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Angola – Chance for redemption for Luanda girls

UNICEF – Angola

Salesian Missions – Angola

The post ANGOLA: Salesian missionaries are creating a center for young girls at-risk in Luanda first appeared on MissionNewswire.

To help aid youth in need, the foundation operates several Salesian centers across the country. The Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in the city of Myitkyina is one such center and offers carpentry, welding, electricity, automotive, tailoring, dressmaking and beautician programs. Over the last 11 years, more than 500 young men and women, aged 18 to 25 years, have graduated from its programs.

Because the school is located in the northernmost part of Myanmar within the Kachin State which has a long history of armed conflict, some of the graduates are orphans or come from broken families. The school is operated by a small Salesian community with four Salesian priests, four sisters of St. Paul and eight volunteer part-time teachers/instructors. The volunteers come from various religious faiths including Catholicism and Buddhism and work together to educate the students.

The Don Bosco Vocational Training Center provides room and board to its students and instructors. All of the buildings on the campus are constructed of wood with just a few walls made of brick or cement. Salesian missionaries would like to be able to expand the boarding house to help graduates who already have jobs but have no place to stay in Myitkyina. They are also interested in growing the programs that are currently offered.

While students are not attending classes and on-the-job training, they are participating in daily chores on the large farm and afternoon sports including kickball, football and volleyball. Students also attend prayer lessons and orientation sessions.

Opera Don Bosco Foundation also operates a center in Chantagon which is managed by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. This center offers a covered courtyard where the poorest children in the region can meet to play, study and learn a trade.

In the city of Mandalay, the foundation provides an educational center where former street children can live and study. In Anisakan-Nazareth, there is a center where 153 boys are preparing for public school exams and attending various courses in music, football and theater. In Hlaing Thar Yar, on the outskirts of Yangon, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians run a kindergarten for children.

“The work of Salesian missionaries in Myanmar and in programs around the globe goes beyond education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We aim to serve the whole person by making sure that basic needs like shelter and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs.”

Myanmar is one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 145 out of 188 countries according to the 2017 Human Development Report. Just over 37 percent of the population live near or below the poverty line in the country. Poverty rates rise sharply to 70 percent for those living in rural areas. Only about half of school age children complete their primary education.

Salesian missionaries are responding to the needs of children, youth and their families who are in crisis. Not only do programs address desperate poverty, but they also serve people whose lives have recently been impacted by natural disasters and a refugee emergency.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Myanmar – “Opera Don Bosco Foundation” offers young an opportunity for redemption

Salesians of Don Bosco – Myanmar

World Bank – Myanmar

Salesian Missions – Myanmar

The post MYANMAR: Opera Don Bosco Foundation offers several Salesian centers to help poor and at-risk youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The event is chaired by Khan Prachuabmoh, president of the Foundation for the Blind, and Salesian Father Charles Velardo, a member of the foundation’s board of directors who is responsible for the activities.

Started in Chiangmai on January 27, the Bike with the Blind event’s final stop will be on July 7 in Bangkok. The ride took bikers through several cities including Nakorn Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chonburi and Surat Thani. Riders trained hard for the event and were able to showcase their skills to the general public. Sighted individuals had a chance to volunteer and help blind individuals take part in a sporting activity while raising awareness for the cause.

“Cycling is not the only initiative that Salesian missionaries have for the blind in Thailand,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries also operate the Nonthaburi Skills Development Center for the Blind which was first established in 1978 by Italian missionary, Father Carlo Velardo, and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians run a Skills Training Center for Blind Women.”

Each year at the Nonthaburi Skills Development Center for the Blind, 40 students with visual impairments embark on an intensive two-year educational program. When the program first started students were taught trade skills in carpentry and woodworking. Some students were able to find work but many others were denied employment because local employers feared workplace injuries and were put off by the higher costs of insuring visually impaired employees.

As a result, the program changed focus and in 1983 began training its students to be massage therapists. As an acknowledgement of the high-quality training offered and the program’s years of success, the Ministry of Public Health has begun to license graduates as doctors of Thai traditional massage. Most graduates are able to find work immediately and continue to hone their skills for many years. Through the program, the therapists-in-training see more than 150 clients each day.

Other programs at the school offer a comprehensive curriculum that goes beyond teaching a trade. In addition to gaining an education and learning valuable job skills, students participate in activities such as judo, baseball, bicycle riding and competitive running, all of which foster physical development and self-confidence.

Thailand has shown considerable economic growth over the last 20 years, reducing its poverty rate from 21 percent in 2000 to 10.9 percent today, according to the World Bank. Although the country has made strides in reducing poverty, improving nutrition and meeting the basic needs of its residents, inequality is still pervasive.

One of the more marginalized groups in the country is people with disabilities. Men, women and children with disabilities have been cast aside and perceived as incapable of engaging in meaningful work and leading productive lives. Often those with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments, are kept out of school and denied an education. As a result, their future employment prospects are diminished and the cycle of poverty continues.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Thailand – Cycling with the Blind

World Bank – Thailand

Salesian Missions – Thailand

The post THAILAND: Salesian missionaries participate in Ride for Sharing event to celebrate Foundation for the Blind’s 80th anniversary first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Youth participating in the course have the opportunity to develop their technical skills in repairing and maintaining motorcycles enabling them to enter the workforce as mechanics or open their own motorcycle repair shop.

“This skills training program and others facilitated by Salesian missionaries in Nicaragua ensure that youth have the skills needed to join the workforce,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth who are employed are able to lead productive lives supporting themselves and giving back to their families and communities.”

The school was financed by the Swiss Cooperation Office in Central America. Understanding that education is fundamental for the growth of developing countries, the office has been investing in Nicaragua for more than 10 years supporting vocational training and technical education. As part of its Employment Skills Development Program implemented by Swisscontact, it reduces poverty and vulnerability of Nicaraguan youth through training courses that correspond to current market needs.

The school came about as the result of collaboration between the Don Bosco Youth Center and Casa Pellas, an important Nicaraguan company active in the resale and rental of vehicles. As part of this joint commitment, Casa Pellas supported the school with equipment and tools as well as provided teacher training that meets Japan’s standard for the Yamaha brand. Students who take the course will obtain certified, up-to-date, quality formation.

The program also includes a free online course on motorcycle road safety allowing students to obtain a double certification as motorcycle mechanics and road safety professionals. To ensure that the course is accessible for all youth, scholarships covering up to 90 percent of the total course costs are available. This is only the first of 10 workshops that will be offered through this program in various vocational training centers throughout Nicaragua.

Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere, has widespread underemployment and poverty with a quarter of its population living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. More than 80 percent of Nicaragua’s poor live in remote rural communities where access to basic services is a daily challenge.

After decades of political instability and vulnerability to natural hazards, the country has achieved a remarkable economic turnaround and is now focusing on innovative ways of reducing poverty. However, years of widespread poverty have taken their toll and many residents suffer from poor health conditions including HIV/AIDS. In addition, crime, violence against women, gang violence and high unemployment result in challenging economic and social conditions, particularly for young people and women.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Nicaragua – New study opportunities for young people

World Bank – Nicaragua

Salesian Missions – Nicaragua

The post NICARAGUA: Salesian missionaries launch new motorcycle maintenance and repair school first appeared on MissionNewswire.

At the end of the day, all those who went to the camp thanked the volunteers of the Don Bosco Development Society for the medical care and the constant support given to families living in the slums.

“Education is always our primary focus, but we know youth are dealing with much more than just needing access to education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries also meet basic needs like shelter, food and medical care. This helps to ensure that youth are healthy and are able to more fully participate in the education that’s provided.”

Better medical for children in India is critical. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), close to 5.8 million Indians die each year from heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes. One in four Indians are at risk of dying as a result of a non-communicable disease before they reach the age of 70. Doctors in the country are also finding that people are being affected by heart disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases at younger ages.

The WHO notes that globally, more than 4 million deaths are caused by exposure to indoor household air pollution and 3.7 million deaths are attributed to outdoor air pollution each year. Approximately 40 percent of the deaths from indoor air pollution and 25 percent of those attributed to outdoor air pollution occur in Southeast Asia. The poor in India who live near busy roads and industrial sites are disproportionately affected by air pollution as are women and children who spend more time at home breathing in smoke and soot from cooking stoves.

HIV/AIDS is also a serious concern in India. According to UNICEF, the disease was first detected in the country in 1986 and today there are 5.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS in India. Close to 38 percent of those infected with HIV are women and 55,000 to 60,000 children are born every year to mothers who are HIV positive. It is estimated that the country has more than 220,000 children infected with HIV/AIDS.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India provide education, shelter and social development programs to meet the needs of poor and at-risk youth. Salesian missionaries place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – India – Free health camp for 174 patients

UNICEF – India – HIV/AIDS

Salesian Missions – India

The post INDIA: Don Bosco Development Society organized health camp that provided medical treatment to 174 people first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian Polytechnic University was started on Aug. 4, 1994 with nearly 800 students taking coursework in electromechanics, human sciences, social sciences, livestock, agro-industrial, technical, administrative, engineering and religious sciences.

Currently, the university is the largest of all Salesian universities with more than 24,500 students. In 2019, for the first time, the university ranked within the top 100 universities in Latin America competing with 4,000 in the region. Across its three campuses, the university offers 27 degree programs and 10 doctorate programs, 62 research groups, 10 educational innovation groups and 98 Salesian Association of Universities groups.

Father Francisco Sánchez, Salesian provincial in Ecuador and grand chancellor of the Salesian Polytechnic University, attended the first day of the cultural caravan and noted, “These 25 years of service to young people are an expression of our Salesian vocation. It is here that we try to recreate a youthful environment where every person can develop his qualities and qualities not only academic, but also human.”

The Provincial also gave a message to students, reminding them that they have an ability to succeed and that Salesian educators are always there to help them and address any concerns they might have. He noted that the students have an opportunity to become transformative agents of society.

The Salesian Polytechnic University focuses on providing a college-level education, particularly to indigenous students. A residence hall built by Salesian missionaries specifically for indigenous students allows them to live and work together, sharing customs and knowledge. The university also provides opportunities for these students to share their indigenous traditions with teachers and peers.

Salesian missionaries in Ecuador focus on providing education, social programming and workforce development to help the country’s most vulnerable citizens. Technical and vocational education is also provided to help youth gain the skills needed to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Ecuador’s poverty rate was 36.7 percent in 2007 and dropped to 22.9 percent in 2016. These results show that 1.4 million Ecuadorians escaped poverty within nine years. However, many Ecuadorians still live in impoverished conditions. Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20 percent of the population receives almost 50 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives only 5 percent. According to the World Food Program, almost 26 percent of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population are people of indigenous heritage. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Salesian missionaries have been providing education and other social programs for disadvantaged youth across Ecuador for more than 125 years.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ecuador – Salesian Polytechnic University: for 25 years committed to training professionals of academic and human excellence

Salesian Polytechnic University Ecuador

UNICEF – Ecuador

Salesian Missions – Ecuador

The post ECUADOR: Salesian Polytechnic University celebrates its 25th anniversary providing higher education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The campaign raises awareness of the dangers of youth migration. With a focus on youth leaving countries in Africa in search of a better life in Europe, it aims to prevent young migrants from becoming victims of crime and exploitation.

The campaign also provides analysis and research on the real reasons for migration, informs potential youth migrants about the risks of the journey and the real chances of success and gives individual guidance to those who want to leave. In doing so, the campaign is working to deter young people from leaving countries where people are most at risk of human trafficking. In collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Africa, the campaign will also raise funds to help with program development in targeted countries in Africa.

The Salesian Vocational Training Center in Bamako, Mali’s capital city, currently offers four diploma-based courses in metalworking, electricity and solar energy, automotive and agricultural mechanics and entrepreneurship. The center also awards a secondary school diploma in automotive mechanics and metalworking.

A goal of the campaign is to be able to offer these courses to additional youth in need. Salesian missionaries aim to increase the center’s enrollment from 433 students to 809 in the 2020 school year. They also plan to roll out a system to better identify vulnerable youth and make in-roads in helping them secure employment after graduation. In addition, the campaign will launch agricultural training in the rural town of Moribabougou that mostly targets women.

“The ‘Stop Trafficking’ campaign has found success in countries like Senegal where research there has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “With new and enhanced Salesian training programs in these countries, and now the expansion to Mali, Nigeria and Liberia, even more youth will have opportunities to stay in their home countries and gain an education. Once educated, they can find and retain employment and give back to their families and communities.”

Since 2012, Mali has faced a political and security crisis that has been concentrated mainly in the north of the country. The crisis has now reached the center of the country and is affecting hundreds of people, especially children. In 2017, armed groups in the northern region and the Malian government signed a reconciliation agreement, but in 2018 the conflict reemerged. According to World Vision, currently more than 483,400 people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

As a result of this crisis, the situation in the country has worsened and the population is living in alarming conditions. It has affected access to food, water, health, safety and a means of livelihood.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Mali – Vocational training to combat trafficking

SENEGAL: New initiatives launch in Senegal cities as part of the Stop Human Trafficking Campaign

World Bank – Mali

Salesian Missions – Mali

The post MALI: Salesian “Stop Trafficking” campaign launches in Mali to increase availability of vocational training first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The medical clinic has two volunteer doctors. Han Zaw Htun M.B., B.S. is from Mandalay and Thu Thu Nyein M.B., B.S., are a husband and wife team from the local area. Salesian missionaries are working to secure two more doctors from Pyin Oo Lwin.

The clinic will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. when people are usually finished with work. A volunteer college student will perform record keeping during office hours and the basic equipment and medicines have already been provided to the clinic.

“The work of Salesian missionaries around the globe goes beyond education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We aim to serve the whole person by making sure that basic needs like health and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs. Medical clinics ensure that those who are living in poverty still have access to the medical care they need even when they cannot afford to pay for it.”

The origins of the first Salesian medical clinic in the area dates back to 1957 when the Salesian Nazareth Seminary in Anisakan opened a small infirmary for the boys attending the seminary. Services slowly extended to the local population with the launch of a small medical clinic.

Thanks to the consistent quality care offered to the poor and sick in the Anisakan area, hundreds of local people from all cultures and religions, the majority being Buddhists, were able to access medical care. Under the late Father Fortunato Giacomin, who was based in Anisakan from 1968 until his death in 2000, the medical clinic flourished.

The clinic’s two spacious rooms were well-supplied with medicines. Three volunteer medical doctors from Pyin Oo Lwin came three times a week to offer free medical services. When they were absent, Fr. Giacomin would dispense medicines according to the doctors’ prescriptions.

Salesian missionaries also offered free transportation for patients from distant areas. However, due to a lack of financial support after Fr. Giacomin’s death, these services slowly disappeared. With the reopening of the clinic, Salesian missionaries are able to continue the 50-year tradition and honor the late Fr. Giacomin.

Myanmar is one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 145 out of 188 countries according to the 2017 Human Development Report. Just over 37 percent of the population live near or below the poverty line in the country. Poverty rates rise sharply to 70 percent for those living in rural areas. Only about half of school age children complete their primary education.

Salesian missionaries are responding to the needs of children, youth and their families who are in crisis. Not only do programs address desperate poverty, but they also serve people whose lives have recently been impacted by natural disasters and a refugee emergency.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Myanmar – Fr Giacomin Clinic in Anisakan re-opened

World Bank – Myanmar

Salesian Missions – Myanmar

The post MYANMAR: Salesian missionaries re-open Father Giacomin Medical Clinic to provide health services for those in Anisakhan first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Participating students announced that this was only the beginning of their support for the environment and invited all educational institutions, especially Salesian educational centers, to give priority to ecological projects. The event was part of the “Do not suffocate our future” campaign organized by the Don Bosco Green Alliance.

Don Bosco Green Alliance members work to create an environment that is safe and caring for all life on the planet while building up a new generation of environmentally committed citizens and leaders. The Alliance’s priorities are combating pollution, reducing global warming and eliminating disposable plastics. In each of these areas, it aims to partner with ongoing global campaigns promoted by the United Nations Environment Program (UN Environment) or other international organizations.

“The Don Bosco Green Alliance is an important part of our Salesian youth ministry today,” says Father Savio Silveira, the convener of the Alliance. “Young people feel very strongly about the environmental crisis since they understand well the impact it has on their lives and their future. Accompanying young people as they seek solutions to environmental issues has to be an aspect of our youth ministry. Care for God’s creation is very definitely an integral element of our Salesian youth spirituality.”

Salesian missionaries have been working in Paraguay since establishing a church in Asunción in 1896. Through the years, missionaries have operated educational programs to help advance the skills and knowledge of the indigenous population in the area while promoting strong cooperation with leaders of the indigenous culture. Local Salesian programming supports laws in favor of the indigenous populations, the recovery of original lands, sustainable development, the appreciation of cultural values in each ethnic group and the fostering of internal leadership.

Paraguay is among the poorest countries in South America. According to UNICEF, almost 23 percent of its population of 6.5 million people live in poverty earning less than $1 per day. The gap between the small upper class and the large lower class is extreme and offers virtually no social mobility.

Conditions of poverty drive youth into early labor and a lack of literacy, in addition to a weak educational foundation, compounds the problem. Those in poverty face overcrowding, low quality housing and a lack of access to basic household services. Paraguayans who only graduate from primary school are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who have access to and complete secondary school.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Paraguay – Students of “Carlos Pfannl” Agricultural Institute plant 600 trees

Don Bosco Green Alliance

UNICEF – Paraguay

Salesian Missions – Paraguay

The post PARAGUAY: Youth from the Salesian Carlos Pfannl Agricultural Institute plant 600 trees as part of the Don Bosco Green Alliance “Do not suffocate our future” campaign first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Our Institute offers 12 job-oriented training programs to rural youth including one two-year course, five one-year courses and six three-month courses,” says Salesian Brother Lawrence Mondol, principal of Don Bosco Technical School. “As many of our rural young people do not qualify either academically or financially for this government-recognized diploma course, we have also come up with a one-year program providing the same teacher training for half the cost.”

Brother Mondol adds, “These budding teachers, as they teach in primary schools, will also continue with their studies so that they will be qualified and full-fledged teachers one day. This is the dream of every trainee.”

Five recent graduates of the one-year program have already accepted jobs. “These girls from Siliguri plains and Kalimpong hills are children of daily laborers who cannot afford the two-year program,” explains Br. Mondol, who is proud of their performance.

Salesian College Sonada alumnus, Jince Joseph, who runs Kidzone Play School and Montessori in Kerala, says, “They are offered, besides a starting salary of Rs 9,000, free food and accommodation on campus, free Montessori training as well as awards and recognition for outstanding teachers, as well as incentives for the best performers.”

The two-year teacher training course currently has 15 students enrolled each year while the one-year program has 30 students. Other diploma courses at Don Bosco Technical School Kalimpong include office management, computer application, automobile mechanic, electrician and wiremen, hotel management, tourism, beautician, motor driving practice, personality development and spoken English. Of these, the hotel management and electrician courses, both of which are government of West Bengal certificate courses, are free.

Salesian programs across India are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care.

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – India – Teacher Training Don Bosco diploma fetches jobs faster

World Bank – India

Salesian Missions – India

The post INDIA: Graduates of Salesian teacher training course find employment quickly after graduation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries, who have been working in the region since 2001, have a presence in San Lorenzo, San Fernando and Kuyuntsa where they serve 8,000 children, adolescents and families. Some Salesian buildings were damaged during the quake and the Don Bosco Foundation in Peru has asked for assistance in reconstruction efforts.

“The largest and richest region of biodiversity in Peru is the Amazon,” says E. Ortiz, a Salesian missionary. “The area covers 60 percent of the country’s territory. It accounts for 31 ecosystems and 14,712 animal species, and hosts a plurality of ancestral cultures and over 60 ethnic groups. Yet the region is the most forgotten of all, due to the indifference of governments.”

In San Lorenzo, Salesian missionaries operate a parish, several chapels and an outreach service in the indigenous communities and along the banks of the Marañón river. In San Fernando, Salesian missionaries operate several chapels and facilitate the Intercultural Training Center known locally as Yánkuam Jintia. In Kuyuntsa, there are Salesian parishes, outreach missionary services and boarding schools for indigenous youth.

After the earthquake, Salesian missionaries responded with food and shelter for those in need. Since then, they have been developing a long-term strategy for reconstruction to help local communities prepare for natural disasters such as this. The overall goal is to improve the quality of life and help indigenous populations develop skills that allow them to deal with disasters in a family and community environment.

Because Salesian buildings were affected, the Don Bosco Center in Peru is seeking funding to help with reconstruction of the Intercultural Training Center in San Fernando so it can continue to provide quality technical education and human-Christian formation to the young indigenous people of the ethnic groups Achuar, Kandozi, Mestizos and Quechua.

A reception house for indigenous girls at the Salesian Missionary Society of San Lorenzo must also be repaired as well as two missionary chapels that were damaged in the earthquake.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Peru – Earthquake destroyed even the memory: “We help our suffering brothers by giving them food and shelter”

CNN – Peru earthquake leaves one dead and several injured

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian missionaries respond to needs of indigenous populations after 8.0 magnitude earthquake in May first appeared on MissionNewswire.

During the inauguration, Father Santiagu noted that the Don Bosco Center for Career Placement and Career Orientation helps youth find long-term employment and urged the organization to be constantly in contact with companies to ensure that young people are competent and qualified as well as good and productive employees.

Salesian vocational and technical training in India and around the globe offers formal and non-formal educational tracks. Both tracks often include on-the-job training in the industry of a student’s chosen area of study in addition to classroom learning. The goal is to help prepare youth for the workforce. Job fairs as well as resume writing and interviewing skills training are additional services provided by Salesian programs that prepare students for life after graduation.

“There is a huge skills gap in India and the need for more youth to be trained in industry specific work,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Partnerships between Salesian educational institutions and local businesses are meant to address the rise in youth unemployment while providing a skilled employable workforce.”

Salesian programs across India are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care.

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – India – Salesians organize large jobs fair for young people

World Bank – India

Salesian Missions – India

The post INDIA: Don Bosco Center for Career Placement and Career Orientation holds job fair with 21 businesses currently hiring first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Juan David recounts that at the age of 6 he collected garbage to support his two younger siblings in Medellín. Today, he is a student at the Latin American Autonomous University where he is enrolled in law courses. He credits Don Bosco City for the transformation in his life – from being forced into early child labor to being able to access an education.

When Juan David was a child, his younger siblings would wait for his return every day so they would have something to eat. He had begun to beg, but still couldn’t quite scrape enough money together to feed them. It was then that he decided to work as a recycler. Juan David says, “It’s the word we use to define children who work in landfills in search of some object that may have an economic value.”

Juan David is the son of his mother’s first husband who died shortly after his birth. His siblings have a different father. He adds, “My mother rarely appeared inside the house, she was very neglected. The problem arose when they got sick and we needed more money for medicines.”

Managing to avoid the rampant drugs, sexual exploitation and paramilitaries preying on children, in 2007 Juan David met Juan Carlos Reigota, coordinator of the Right to Dream project. Through the project, Juan David was selected to study at a Salesian school.

James Alexander Areiza, working with Don Bosco City, explains, “We have been working for 54 years with the most vulnerable population in Medellín, the department of Antioquia and many other areas of Colombia. We are committed Salesians and lay people who do a job of human, academic and professional formation. We are trying to remove these children from the street, from drugs, from sexual exploitation and from war. Many are child soldiers and continue to be threatened by criminal gangs.”

Juan David is thankful for his experiences with Don Bosco City and the connections he has been able to make since gaining an education. He says, “Recently, I met some of my childhood friends and I was surprised to see how many of them have problems with drugs. They were even surprised when they saw me again. They thought I was dead, as happened to many others who they no longer saw. And they were amazed when I explained to them that my life had changed and that I was even studying at university.”

Juan David plans to spend his life helping children and older youth who face the same difficult experiences he once did.

Don Bosco City is one of the oldest and largest programs for street children in Latin America. Since its start in 1965, the program has rescued more than 83,000 boys and girls. Through the program, Salesian missionaries offer a multi-pronged approach designed to address the broad social issues that contribute to the poverty and exploitation these youth face while training them in the skills necessary to break the cycle of violence and poverty. Currently, there are 900 youth between the ages of 8 and 12 living and receiving education at the program.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Colombia – Fantastic story of child working landfill at 6, now studying Law

Don Bosco City

Salesian Missions – Colombia

The post COLOMBIA: Don Bosco City helped one young law student escape from child labor and access education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Spanning 12 months, the project relies on the support of the Spanish municipalities of Utrera and Pozoblanco and will benefit youth served by the center who are experiencing situations of exclusion.

Children in Mali face many challenges including violence. A few years ago, the Madrid magazine, Misiones Salesianas, reported, “The population of Mali, after a year marked by violence, could neither sow nor harvest. Children will not see the colors of spring shine because their future is imperfect. Whether their future can be perfect depends on us. We take advantage of the joy of Easter to become a light that helps, after a year of darkness, to bring forth a new spring.”

Unfortunately, it seems that this situation has not changed and there have been more deaths, massacres, kidnappings and attacks on churches as well as on a Christian religious procession. Salesian missionaries are hoping that access to education will provide a path out of poverty and violence for many youth.

The Salesian center in Sikasso currently has 430 students enrolled and only 11 classrooms. In order to improve the services offered by the center and the quality of education, the new project includes the construction of a new building that accommodates eight fully-equipped classrooms. It is also assisting with the recruitment of new teachers.

Currently, the Salesian center offers vocational training in the automotive, electrical and metal construction sectors. With the addition of new classrooms, it will be able to provide supplementary training during holiday periods as well as recreational and leisure activities.

“Solidaridad Don Bosco is grateful for its supporters and will continue to bring awareness to the plight of both Salesian missionaries and the youth they serve in Mali,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We know youth in Mali are dealing with much more than just needing access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of youth in the communities they serve. Those who are homeless and malnourished are simply not able to focus effectively on their studies while they struggle to meet their basic needs. Our services provide food and shelter so youth are able to focus on the education provided.”

Since 2012, Mali has faced a political and security crisis that has been concentrated mainly in the north of the country. The crisis has now reached the center of the country and is affecting hundreds of people, especially children. In 2017, armed groups in the northern region and the Malian government signed a reconciliation agreement, but in 2018 the conflict reemerged. According to World Vision, currently more than 483,400 people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

As a result of this crisis, the situation in the country has worsened and the population is living in alarming conditions. It has affected access to food, water, health, safety and a means of livelihood.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Mali – For future of youth the need to improve educational quality of Sikasso

World Bank – Mali

The post MALI: New project is helping to build new classrooms and improve the quality of education in Sikasso first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Located in Sierra Leone’s capital city of Freetown, Don Bosco Fambul is one of the country’s leading child-welfare organizations and has been on the forefront of efforts to help rehabilitate street children and reunite them with their families. The organization is directed by Salesian Father Jorge Mario Crisafulli and has a staff of 120 including Salesian social workers who go out to the streets, slums and marketplaces to engage with vulnerable youth and encourage them to join Don Bosco Fambul’s successful program.

Many of the youth who are contacted during this time fill out the required questionnaire and those most at-risk are admitted into the program. Salesian missionaries seek out youth who have few other options and are most in need. This includes orphans, victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and those who have spent longer on the street or who are sick and weak. After evaluation, participants are assigned to appropriate educational levels, are given thorough medical exams, necessary treatment and housing. Participants also engage in listening sessions and counseling, group discussions, prayer, talks, sports and recreation, all of which are a part of the rehabilitation process.

The success of Don Bosco Fambul’s street children rehabilitation program is credited to its holistic approach which focuses on meeting basic needs (food, clothing, a safe place to sleep) in addition to personalized medical, psychological, pedagogical, social and spiritual care. Rehabilitation is a gradual process that includes formal classes, daily games, sports, music, singing, drama, dancing, counseling and prayer. The parents and extended families of participants are contacted several times by social workers before final reunification.

On reunification day, an agreement is signed between parents and Don Bosco Fambul in order to secure a safe environment for the children to continue along a path of personal growth, including ensuring they will have the food, clothing, shelter and education they need. Social workers continue to visit the children and their families until they finish secondary school.

“Education helps break the cycle of violence and poverty,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This program helps youth come in off the streets where they face poverty and are at-risk for exploitation, and have a chance at a better life. The aim is to help them live safely while getting the emotional support they need and the education that will help them live independently.”

The UN World Food Program reports that over half of the population in Sierra Leone lives under the national poverty line of approximately $2 per day. According to the 2016 Global Hunger Index, Sierra Leone also faces an alarming level of hunger with nearly 38 percent of children younger than 5 years of age suffering from chronic malnutrition.

Young people face significant challenges in accessing education. With too few teachers and school buildings destroyed in the war, resources are thin and persistently high illiteracy rates mean that an estimated 70 percent of Sierra Leone’s youth are un- or under-employed.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Sierra Leone – Street children of Don Bosco Fambul reintegrating into their families

World Food Programme – Sierra Leone

The post SIERRA LEONE: Youth start reunification process with their families at successful Don Bosco Fambul street children program first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Beginning with a Catholic Mass followed by a festival held on the school grounds, celebrations also included a circus art show that ended with fireworks. The show was created in homage to those who have served as a “light” for hundreds of children and young people.

The Salesian Center was founded in 1935 when the local archbishop, Msgr. José Garibi Rivera, entrusted the care of a chapel dedicated to Mary Help of Christians to the Salesians. Soon the chapel became a festive oratory. In 1947, the Salesian school was born thanks to the work of Father Ignacio Sandoval who took care of and provided education to children and older youth in need.

In 1963, the school was incorporated into the Secretariat of Public Education and became the Anahuac Revolución Salesian School serving male students exclusively. A school for girls was also in operation next to the Mary Help of Christians chapel. The two schools and the chapel together comprised the local Salesian mission.

A Salesian in the region, Father Martínez, says, “The success of these 75 years has been the charism of Don Bosco, the way of treating children. We have been a home where they have always been able to feel loved and welcomed. We have become a family, a courtyard where we can meet and make friends, a school where we can find God and discover sacramental life.”

More than 43 percent of the population of Mexico falls below the poverty live, according to the World Bank. Mexico also experienced its most murderous year on record in 2017, and incidences of theft have also been on the rise. High levels of crime come with both direct and indirect economic costs due not only to damages but also the need for costly security measures. Crime in the country has a direct impact on social economic factors for its citizens.

The border between the U.S. and Mexico spans 1,969 miles and has more than 20 checkpoints along its route. Constant migration is taking place between the two countries with Mexican migrant workers traveling to U.S border towns seeking employment. Immigrants from both countries cross back and forth in addition to undocumented Mexicans being repatriated.

Many border towns feel the consequences of social and political tensions between the two nations. They are plagued by crime and violence such as the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, money and people. Salesian missionaries have been working in Mexico and in these border towns for more than 25 years and have recently increased cooperation between the Salesian Province of Mexico-Guadalajara and the Province of USA West. The goal is to work together to address the increase of violence and insecurity in the region and launch proposals for education, social integration, drug prevention and combating the effects of organized crime.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Mexico – 75-year success at “Revolución”, thanks to charism of Don Bosco

World Bank – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian Center within the Avenida Revolución region in Guadalajara celebrates its 75th year serving youth in need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Kénitra is a city on the outskirts of the capital city of Rabat and home to close to 800,000 people. The vocational training program in renewable energies is part of a broader Salesian educational center which has more than 1,200 students enrolled in elementary, secondary and vocational education.

Salesian missionaries have been providing education at the Salesian center since founding an elementary school there in 1937. After the country’s independence in 1956, Salesian missionaries expanded the school, adding secondary and vocational programs that help youth access training to meet the local labor market demands.

The Salesian schools in Kénitra offer students a comprehensive education, regardless of differences in religious beliefs. Today, the schools are run by three Salesian missionaries with the help of lay collaborators. The elementary, secondary and technical schools serve predominantly Muslim students.

The technical school directly prepares youth for employment with classes being offered in renewable energies, electronics, socio-cultural studies and community education. The College of Don Bosco, a hostel for students attending the École Don Bosco, provides space for extra lessons and additional educational support. There is also a library open to the public and a computer center available to the students.

“The goal is to provide a path out of poverty for poor youth through education, regardless of their religious affiliation,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian schools provide necessary skills for youth to find success later in life, both personally and in the job market. Once they become employed, they are able to contribute back to their families and communities.”

Salesian missionaries in Kénitra provide services to roughly 120 Catholics, mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa, who attend the local parish and take part in several other initiatives that include cultural and sporting activities. Additional Salesian endeavors in Morocco meet the needs of street youth, offering ongoing support through cultural, sports and job training programs.

Over the last several years, Morocco has made significant strides toward reducing the number of Moroccans living in poverty. Despite progress, a drastic gap in wealth continues to exist between those living in urban and rural areas, according to the World Bank. Out of close to 4 million people living in poverty, 3 million are living in rural areas. Statistics show that while one in 10 persons are poor in urban regions, one in four are poor in rural areas.

Seventy-five percent of the country’s rural poor depend on agriculture for their livelihood yet access to farmable land is scarce. Many have access to only a limited amount of non-irrigated arable land which has scant agricultural potential. Poverty is equally prevalent in the country’s mountainous areas and fishing communities along the coast, which are home to some of the poorest Moroccans.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Morocco – Salesian school “JUK SPEL” supports over 60 young people

World Bank – Morocco

The post MOROCCO: More than 60 poor and migrant youth are taking vocational training course in renewable energies at Salesian center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian presence in Buda began with a vocational training center founded by an Italian missionary, Father Franco Uras, in the ancestral lands of the Lumads (the ethnic minorities of Mindanao). Today, there are two Salesian priests, 10 lay mission partners, and 15 students at the center.

Father Ariel Arias, from the Salesian Buda mission, says, “I was happy while listening to the sharing of SALVO volunteers’ insights after their experience: One shared that it was the first ever trip with deep purpose and meaning; another said that she would bring along her children next time. Still another one said that she would make this kind of activities a yearly event for her and her friends in their company.”

One of the projects presented to volunteers was the Don Bosco Agri-preneur Project which is focused on implementing agricultural development to improve the quality of life for youth and their families. The project provides skills training, farm research development and entrepreneurship to help families set up their own farms and sell their products.

“I am so happy because the volunteers expressed willingness to help and become part of the Buda project in their own way. Some offered help in the legal aspect of the project, while others expressed a willingness to help in the marketing of products,” says Fr. Arias.

He adds, “I am so happy because now many volunteers came to know more about Don Bosco Buda’s long-term vision, mission and directions for the indigenous youth. We hope that they in turn will help us more concretely in the realization of our mission through capacity building, agri-preneurial enterprises and socio-economic upliftment of the indigenous youth in Mindanao.”

Since 1950, Salesian Missions has been providing crucial help in the Philippines—working with at-risk youth, impoverished families and disaster victims. Humanitarian agencies warn of the dangers faced by the most disadvantaged children in the Philippines. According to UNICEF, there are at least 1.2 million children between the ages of 5 and 15 who are out of school and are being left behind. In addition, children born into the poorest 20 percent are almost three times more likely to die during their first five years as those from the richest 20 percent.

Salesian missionaries, supported by funding from Salesian Missions, were on the forefront of disaster relief during reconstruction after the Nov. 8, 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) devastated the country. According to United Nations estimates, 11.5 million people were affected by Haiyan and close to 1 million were displaced. More than half a million were homeless and living in the streets among the debris. Salesian missionaries mobilized all resources and efforts to aid the victims of this and other disasters.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Philippines – “DREAM BIG”: SALVO outreach experience in Mindanao

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Salesian missionaries present new agro-educational projects at Salesian Lay Volunteer Organization four-day retreat first appeared on MissionNewswire.

A simple walk along the main streets of Lubumbashi shows just how many minors are on the street instead of in school or with their parents. Children leave their homes for many reasons including divorce, family abuse and poverty, among others. Living on the streets is dangerous for these youth as they are exposed to all sorts of abuses and many are forced to turn to petty crime to survive.

Many people pity the children and are willing to help them, but their charity does not help get them off the streets. Instead, it makes their living on the streets more stable and permanent. The situation is even worse for girls who often end up in prostitution and are subjected to psychological and physical traumas with lifelong effects.

Salesian missionaries note recent assessments that indicate nearly 95 percent of street children use drugs in some form or another, including the consumption of glue, often from petrol or lacquers. Many children carry a small bottle in their hands and inhale the glue all day. When asked why, most said they want to be more lucid and strong enough to work and face the day and that they don’t want to think about the shame of having to beg.

Inhalation of glue generates dependence and causes the same problems other addictive substances do like an inability to control its use, negative effects on the brain and neurotransmitters and the likelihood of it being a gateway to other stronger substances.

Salesian missionaries encourage youth to seek the support of caring adults who can help them turn their lives around and connect them with appropriate shelter and education. In Lubumbashi, missionaries operate Bakanja Ville which is part of the local Salesian Bakanja Center for homeless children. Bakanja Ville marks the first stop in the process of welcoming children into the Salesian program, acting as a drop-in and reception center for homeless youth who are looking to escape the challenges of living on the streets.

The doors of Bakanja Ville are always open. Youth can access the program to take a shower, sleep, eat, wash their clothes and engage in activities. A personal file is opened for each young person who enters. Then, Salesian missionaries begin a search for family to see if reintegration is possible with the help of social workers. If not, youth are tracked into other Salesian programs where they can access education and have their basic needs met. Salesian missionaries also go out into the street twice a month to help connect with street children in their own environment to tell them about the program and offer them a safe place to stay.

“Children who are living on the streets experience discrimination and exclusion every day,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Children who are able to access programs that help them come in off the streets—where they face poverty and are at-risk for exploitation—have a chance at a better life. Salesian programs aim to help children live safely while getting the emotional support they need and the education that will help them live independently.”

Despite its vast material wealth, the Democratic Republic of Congo has long been a very poor nation. Half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line living on less than $1 a day, especially those in rural communities. Because of ongoing strife and violence within the country, more than 8.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that’s expected to increase to 13.1 million in 2018. More than 4.1 million Congolese are now displaced with 620,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 7.5 million people do not have enough food to eat.

Salesian missionaries have been working in the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Salesian primary and secondary schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs offer many youth the opportunity for a stable and productive future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – D.R Congo – “How is it possible we’ve become so indifferent to drug use by street children?”

UNICEF – DR Congo

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post DR Congo: Salesian missionaries provide shelter and education for youth who face abuse, drug use and other exploitation on the streets first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to Ghislaine Fuentes, coordinator of Espacio República and delegate for pastoral care for higher education, this initiative was born in 2017 from the dream of the Salesian Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati to have a place in the university district for young people. The Don Bosco Library was in desperate need of repair so the space was converted.

Based on the needs reported by youth in the neighborhood, there were few places for them to meet and socialize as well as few places for them to eat. The ground floor of the building is now equipped with microwaves and kettles. The second floor has rooms for rest and study, a small church and rooms for conversation where young people can meet with a spiritual guide.

“One of the needs identified was a space for listening. Young people often don’t have anyone to talk to and share their worries and problem with. It is sometimes difficult to tell family and there is no space for this in the universities. That is why we prepare people only for listening, because we want to be a church that accompanies, not simply that says what to do,” explained Father Carlo Lira, provincial of the Salesians in Chile.

Father Lira added, “I dream that in this space young people really feel listened to. When a place is capable of welcoming, the young people themselves feel heard and therefore accepted. This is good space in what is a crowded neighborhood.”

The inauguration of the space took place on May 23. During the ceremony, Ana Leyton Escobar, director of pastoral care for higher education of the Vicariate for Education, said, “Today this activity took place so that young people can come here, be interested, and know that this space exists. We hope to soon make a missionary outing to let the students of the neighborhood know what they can do here.”

According to the World Bank, Chile has a fairly low poverty rate of 14.4 percent. However, the country struggles with high rates of income and education inequality. Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor and at-risk youth. At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty. As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Chile – Launch of “Espacio República,” community environment for young people in university district

World Bank – Chile

The post CHILE: Salesian missionaries launch new safe space for youth in the university district of Santiago first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Vocational training courses include hands-on projects, ensuring students gain real-world experience in addition to classroom learning. These projects begin with the research of a problem and the seeking out of alternatives and then move to a design, engineering, planning and estimating phase and end with the working out of the problem in practice.

One of the great challenges that Don Bosco Workshop has faced is the need for constant technical and technological upgrades to improve the quality of education. Given the costs involved, priority is given to investing in specific sectors.

“In Europe by 2022, it will no longer be possible to produce combustion vehicles. Little by little, some electric vehicles are being launched here, but there is nobody trained in their maintenance. There are increasingly more teams, but maintenance is not yet addressed and we want to be involved at the forefront as part of our technical training,” says Alejandro Bastos, an educational officer at Don Bosco Workshop.

Don Bosco Workshop has launched its new automotive program in the same style as its other project-based vocational learning courses. Staff are working to increase their knowledge in technical innovation and use the most cutting-edge information available to be able to teach their students effectively.

In addition, the education center is engaged with the Electrical Challenge Association along with 20 technical schools around the country. The association provides participating schools with two kits for the construction of electric vehicles. Schools form teams of eight to 12 students and compete to create a vehicle. Participants from the Don Bosco Workshop will have to raise funds to finance the construction of their vehicle.

Patrick Hunkeler, a 20-year-old involved in this initiative, explained, “We work very practically and this, in short, helps you. Being in direct contact with all the materials, we relate to what our environment will be. It is important to be able to be organized and work together to work in the best way, and we are looking for cooperation and a good atmosphere.”

Uruguay has managed to decrease its poverty rate by almost half since 2007 when the World Bank estimated that 25 percent of the population was living in poverty. Today, the poverty rate is close to 10 percent with the majority of poor residents concentrated in rural towns and villages.

Most rural citizens in the country do not have the financial resources or education and training necessary to find and maintain stable employment. Running a profitable business venture or maintaining a small farm with access to the national and international markets is increasingly competitive and remains largely out of reach, especially in households run by women alone. The majority of rural poor are those most often engaged in non-agricultural activities.

In addition to a lack of education and employment opportunities, access to affordable housing is a concern for many poor families in Uruguay. Many do not have the resources to purchase homes or land to build on, and schools are often so far away children cannot attend.

Youth crime is on the rise in the country. More than 35 percent of crime committed by adolescents can be traced back to a lack of educational opportunities and employment inequality, according to a recent study by the Center for the Study of Economic and Social Reality. The report also noted that crime rates among young people in Uruguay have doubled over the past 15 years and the rate of violent assaults has quadrupled.

Salesians have been working with youth in Uruguay for many years, providing educational and social development opportunities to help them break the cycle of poverty and lead productive lives.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Uruguay – Even with electric cars, education always moves forward

World Bank – Uruguay

The post URUGUAY: Don Bosco Workshop introduces new automotive mechanics courses for electric vehicles first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“This daring and enriching project was launched for students in September 2018, with the announcement of our director and our educational consultant as well as ambassadors of the project, Mrs. Chemin and Mrs. Ducret. From that moment on, the whole class was enthusiastic and eager to meet the students of another Salesian high school outside Europe,” said students Alec and Clément.

Once the idea for the trip was approved, the students had to engage in various fundraising activities to help pay for travel costs. They also had to convince their parents of the value of the educational experience. Alec and Clément explained, “Some parents and even our companions had some fear before leaving, being for many the first time of a trip to Africa. And yet, as Msgr. Cristóbal López, the archbishop of Rabat, during our visit to his diocese said, ‘The world is my home and humanity is my family.’”

Even before leaving, the students of the two Salesian institutes separated by the Mediterranean were getting to know each other through the exchange of letters, videos and conversations on social networks. By the time the students were to meet in person, an excellent rapport had already developed.

“We were greeted by the Moroccan students with songs, poems, dances and flowers. Faced with such a welcome, the emotion moved us and we had no words to describe the joy and happiness of meeting our Moroccan Salesian brothers and sisters,” said Alec and Clément. “Then, over the next three days, we were able to fully put ourselves in their shoes and experience everyday life with them, in their homes.”

They added, “This journey has brought us another vision of Muslim culture and lifestyle in Morocco. We thank the students of Kénitra for their warm welcome and their joy of life. We would like to be able to welcome them and show them our customs and our lifestyle and we hope that this magnificent project continues.”

Salesian missionaries have been providing education in Kénitra since founding its first elementary school in 1937. After the country’s independence in 1956, Salesian missionaries expanded the school, adding secondary and vocational programs that help local youth access training to meet the local labor market demands.

The Salesian schools in Kénitra offer students a comprehensive education regardless of differences in religious beliefs. Today, the schools are run by three Salesian missionaries with the help of lay collaborators. The elementary, secondary and technical schools serve predominantly Muslim students.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Morocco – Building bridges over Mediterranean: Salesian students on journey of discovery

The post MOROCCO: Students at the Salesian Institute of Gières in France visited Salesian students in Morocco for cultural learning first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“We are thrilled that CNH Industrial and its IVECO brand have taken this important project to heart. The TVET (Don Bosco Polytechnic College) in Mekelle is a strategic training center for us and we can confirm that with IVECO, and the efforts of many other stakeholders, we have given life to a great project that I am sure will be of great value for many young students who require adequate training to build a future for themselves, their families and for the country,” said Father Giuliano Giacomazzi, supervisor of the Salesians of Lombardy, in the Nasdaq article.

CNH Industrial has a focus on sustainability and supports local communities around the world with training initiatives. One of its main programs is the TechPro2 technical youth training program which was first launched globally within CNH Industrial in 2011. TechPro2 fosters the professional and social development of youth by providing them with advanced technical training that gives them the skills and tools they need for a successful future.

The new course at Don Bosco Polytechnic College lasts for a year and upon successful completion, graduates will receive a specialized certification in vehicle maintenance. CNH Industrial and IVECO will also provide qualifying students with internship opportunities within the IVECO dealer network in Ethiopia where they will gain valuable on-the-job experience and the opportunity to seek direct employment.

“For us at CNH Industrial, every edition of TechPro2 represents an important experience, one that goes beyond financial contribution and the transfer of know-how. They allow us the unique opportunity to see students grow both professionally and into mature young adults. The enthusiasm transmitted by the students is of inestimable value and we are truly honored to contribute to this,” said Daniela Ropolo, head of sustainable development initiatives for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, in the Nasdaq article.

This is the third TechPro2 site in Ethiopia for CNH Industrial and the latest of many training courses that the Don Bosco Foundation has brought to Ethiopia. The two previously-established TechPro2 programs, dedicated to agricultural equipment and commercial vehicles, are based in Addis Ababa at the Bosco Children Project.

The TechPro2 project is also currently operating in 57 Salesian training centers around the globe with more than 9,300 students accessing more than 240,000 hours of training in eight different languages. TechPro2 aims to help train youth to enter the workforce while meeting the employment needs of the industry.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38 percent of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85 percent of the country’s workforce is employed in agriculture but frequent droughts severely affect the agricultural economy leaving more than 12 million people chronically, or at least periodically, food insecure. In addition, more than two-thirds of the population is illiterate.

The country has 4 million orphans which account for nearly 12 percent of all children and according to UNICEF, more than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis that has affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ethiopia – New vocational training opportunities for young Ethiopians

Nasdaq – CNH Industrial inaugurates new TechPro2 youth training program in Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Don Bosco Polytechnic College launches new TechPro2 training program through collaboration with CNH Industrial first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In the Petén region there is only one hospital which, along with two local health centers, is meant to provide for a population of almost 1 million. Father Giampiero de Nardi, a Salesian missionary in the area, notes, “This situation makes people prefer to die at home rather than seek treatment at the hospital.”

Located in the Candelaria district, people from both the city and neighboring villages arrive at the Salesian medical clinic every day. The facility primarily serves individuals with limited economic means and offers medical advice, basic healthcare and low-cost medicines. The number of people coming to the clinic to be treated has risen over the last several months.

In a country where more than half the population lives on less than a dollar a day, health is not a recognized right. There are very few public facilities where people can be treated, and the first causes of death among children are intestinal and respiratory infections. A simple antibiotic, combined with adequate hygienic conditions, could save their lives.

Father De Nardi has launched a help desk for women who have been victims of domestic abuse and children who have been victims of sexual abuse. Both domestic and sexual abuse have high prevalence rates in the country.

Because of the scarce availability of drinking water and the precariousness of hygiene, diseases are widespread including tuberculosis, typhus, malaria, worms, diarrhea and skin diseases. Because women and children are the most vulnerable citizens, they are most commonly the ones to be afflicted with these diseases. Children are particularly vulnerable because the country has the highest rate of chronic infantile malnutrition in Latin America with 49.3 percent of children under the age of 5 suffering from a lack of food, according to the World Food Program.

Since medications are distributed for free to families in need, the Salesian medical clinic struggles to become economically independent. A tube of antiviral ointment, an anti-parasite pack and folic acid tablets – essential for preventing fetal malformations – are considered “luxuries” that too many people cannot afford in San Benito. Father De Nardi has recently asked for help from the Don Bosco Missions of Turin, Italy, so that the Salesian clinic can continue to guarantee medicines and treatments to all those in need.

Rural poverty hasn’t changed much in Guatemala during the last 20 years, according to the World Bank. Close to 75 percent of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line and almost 58 percent lives below the extreme poverty line which the World Bank defines as struggling to afford even a basic basket of food. For the country’s indigenous population, the poverty rates jump even higher with almost 90 percent facing crippling poverty and few resources.

Salesian missionaries working and living in the country have been providing for the basic needs of Guatemala’s youth while helping to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. They work extensively with poor youth and their families at youth centers, orphanages, parishes and primary and secondary schools, as well as technical schools, vocational training workshops and two universities. Additional social and educational programs help provide for youth living on the streets and those living in poor indigenous communities.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Guatemala – A small Salesian hospital for the poorest

World Bank – Guatemala

The post GUATEMALA: Salesian health clinic provides medical care and medications to those in need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since violence initially broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups more than 6,000 people have died and more than 650,000 were internally displaced with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone. Another 300,000 had fled across the borders as refugees. In 2015, peace had begun to return to the country but smaller outbreaks of violence continue. Small markets are opened, taxi service is available and residents have begun to move back and forth safely between locations.

During the height of the conflict, the Salesian center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 displaced people and the one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Many arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention. While the situation has improved and many have left the shelter of Salesian centers, the situation remains precarious. Those still internally displaced are homeless and have no other source of shelter and food other than what’s provided at the centers.

The Salesian center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

The Salesian-run Spaces for Peace program at both the Damala and Galabadja centers provides one meal a day to more than 1,500 students during their school day, helps 700 students with school supplies and scholarships and assists 120 older youth gain the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

“Salesian missionaries have been working to provide educational and support services to youth in need as well as to those who were internally displaced by war,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Educational and social development programs help youth regain a sense of normalcy while allowing them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.”

For the anniversary celebration, Salesian missionaries held a Catholic Mass at the St. John parish in Galabadja during which the Salesian Merci Mbacho made his Perpetual Profession and the Salesians Paterne Modekpo and Lévy-Brad Issené were ordained deacon and priest respectively.

The celebration was presided over by Msgr. Nestor Désiré Nongo Azagbia, bishop of Bossangoa, in the presence of Salesian Father Alphonse Owoudou, superior of the Vice Province of Equatorial Tropical Africa. ​

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Central African Republic – 25 years of Salesian presence: 25 years of hope and help to needy

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Salesian missionaries celebrate 25 years of providing support and assistance to those in need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Catalina and Claudia, both former participants in Don Bosco City’s child soldier rehabilitation program, have become nurses after graduating from a Salesian school. Their stories were highlighted in “Alto de Fuego” (“Cease-fire”), a Salesian-produced film that follows youth who are rebuilding their lives at Don Bosco City after enduring the violence and exploitation of warfare at a young age. Catalina and Claudia are serving as inspiration for minors who seek peace and want to return to their studies in order to have a future full of opportunities.

Catalina, who is 21 years old, has been attending programs at Don Bosco City since she was 16. She had joined guerrilla forces to escape the mistreatment and abuse at home but soon realized that handling a gun, living in the jungle and staying away from her family was even worse. After making the decision to escape, she sought help at Don Bosco City.

Claudia is also 21 years old and began participating in programs at Don Bosco City in 2015. After being without food, walking for days in the mountains and treated poorly, she met with Salesian missionaries. Once at Don Bosco City, she began to feel the family-like affection and to connect positively with her peers.

Catalina always knew she wanted to be a nurse. When she was with the guerrilla army she had attended courses and enjoyed them. Claudia was inspired to become a nurse after the traumatic experience of her father dying from a lack of medical care. Both young women were able to achieve their dreams though Don Bosco City.

Don Bosco City is one of the oldest and largest programs for street children in Latin America. Since its start in 1965, the program has rescued more than 83,000 boys and girls. Through the program, Salesian missionaries offer a multi-pronged approach designed to address the broad social issues that contribute to the poverty and exploitation these youth face while training them in the skills necessary to break the cycle of violence and poverty. Currently, there are 900 youth between the ages of 8 and 12, living and receiving education at the program.

“We know that access to education lays the foundation for a better future,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In Colombia where almost 20 percent of school-age children do not attend school, it is crucial that we offer this opportunity to as many youth as we can. Especially youth who were child soldiers or abandoned and living on the streets because there is no one else ensuring their safety and long-term recovery.”

Close to 33 percent of Colombians live in poverty, according to the World Bank. One in five children in the country has no access to education and 800,000 children reside in refugee camps. The number of street children has reached epidemic proportions and thousands of at-risk youth have been recruited as child soldiers.

In addition, many orphaned youth in Colombia live in poverty and have lost their parents to natural disasters, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other diseases, war or domestic issues. Some children remain living with a single parent, struggling to survive and are often pulled out of school to earn income for the remaining family. Other youth live in shelters or on the streets.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Colombia – Two girls subtracted from armed conflict graduate as nurses thanks to Don Bosco

Don Bosco City

World Bank – Colombia 

The post COLOMBIA: Two young women gain an education and become nurses thanks to Don Bosco City first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Including seven stages developed over the course of two years, the PROFAJ program trains youth and helps them develop leadership skills so they are able to work and collaborate with other youth. The training and course stages are focused on life, faith and action and enable participants to engage in the various processes of faith education.

The program is aimed at youth engaged in programs at Don Bosco and Daughters of Mary Help of Christian centers and those attending Catholic parishes in the various dioceses within the country. Over the past 10 years, PROFAJ has trained more than 1,000 youth, helping them to discover, promote and enhance their leadership skills.

“Many of these young people are now playing an important role in social life and have gained experience with youth animation. The PROFAJ program has undoubtedly helped them to acquire a series of experiences and skills that have been very important for their professional development too. These skills have been used to enhance their strengths and abilities by integrating them with proactive leadership,” explained Father Enrique Castillo, delegate for Youth Ministry in the Province of the Antilles.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving since 1996, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

“The work of Salesian missionaries in the Dominican Republic and in programs around the globe goes beyond traditional education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We aim to serve the whole person by making sure basic needs are met and youth have an opportunity to learn skills that enhance their life, bring them joy and encourage their passion for learning.”

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Dominican Republic – PROFAJ: each year Salesians form +100 youths for leadership

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Salesian Youth Animators Formation Program trains 153 new youth leaders first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The program, known as “Mentor Power” has brought together 20 organizations to attend a seminar in addition to offering a handbook and training manual. Together these tools will be used by Salesian missionaries during the program to help youth.

Several partners have come together to launch and facilitate this program including: Osanna Pia Home in Malta; Zdruzenie exallievov Don Bosca na Slovensku in Slovakia; Cunamh Teo (Salesians of Don Bosco) in Ireland; Centro di Fraternità Exallievi di Don Bosco in Italy; and the Confederacion Nacional de Antiguos Alumnos y Antiguas Alumnas de Don Bosco in Spain.

Bryan Magro, president of the National Federation of Past Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco which is the lead organization on the project, said, “Our intention was to create a handbook and training guide that would be implemented in our own mentoring program. But we also wanted to create a tool that can also be used by other organizations in developing their own programs to help vulnerable young persons. The response to this project by other organizations was overwhelming, and we are also looking at ways of collaborating with each other on further projects related to mentoring.”

In addition to the mentoring program, this summer, the National Federation of Past Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco is opening a new home for three young people who are homeless or lack the support of a family called the Marvelli Residence. This project is in partnership with the Maltese Association of the Order of Malta and Osanna Pia Home.

According to UNICEF, despite the wealth associated with many countries in the European Union, close to 18 percent of its population lives in poverty in Malta. Youth at risk of poverty or social exclusion are typically found in single parent families, large families and immigrant and ethnic minority families. With almost 10 percent unemployment, often spanning generations, youth with unemployed or underemployed parents also face a higher risk of poverty. In addition, almost 15 percent of youth leave school without achieving a secondary education.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Malta – Past Pupils to start Mentoring Programme for homeless young persons

UNICEF – Malta

The post MALTA: The Salesian National Federation of Past Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco launch new mentoring program to assist vulnerable youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian Industrial School of Copiapó will include courses in electronics, automotive mechanics and industrial mechanics as well as courses for electricians and scientific laboratories. The initiative will also include the construction of Don Bosco Hall, a multi-use space for the school and community.

“We have spent the time to ensure that youth have the very best education possible at this new school,” says Father Juan Pablo Moreno, director of the Salesian House in Copiapó. “For young people, we aim to do our best so that they can grow and develop as quality people and professionals.”

In addition to laying the first stone, a wooden box with several symbolic objects was lowered into the foundation. This included images of Don Bosco, Mary Help of Christians, Domenico Savio and Mamma Margherita, school signs, a 2019 school calendar, several coins, a pencil, a new notebook and a copy of the construction plan.

Salesian missionaries also launched the Pre-University Don Bosco which is supported by the Salesian Province, the Silva Henríquez Catholic University and the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. This new tuition-free school will be used to prepare last year secondary students attending Salesian institutes for their entrance into university.

Initially, 70 students will be invited to attend the new school. Director Francisco de Ferari says, “We have many hopes for this pre-university center. We know that students will derive the maximum benefit from it.”

In a statement to youth, Juan Pablo Vásquez, director of the Salesian Schools Network, said that the project seeks to foster Salesian talents, giving them the possibility of continuity. He emphasized, “You are here for yourself first, because you are working for your life project.”

The Silva Henriquez Catholic University was launched in 2016. Nearly 64 percent of its 1,106 students were admitted to the university free of charge. Salesian missionaries living and working in the region offer this free university education to students who are unable to afford it. The goal is to encourage higher learning, help students gain the education needed for a career and encourage graduates to contribute back to their communities.

According to the World Bank, Chile has a fairly low poverty rate of 14.4 percent. However, the country struggles with high rates of income and education inequality. Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor and at-risk youth. At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty. As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Chile – Industrial School in Copiapó and inauguration of first “Pre-University Don Bosco” in Santiago

World Bank – Chile

The post CHILE: Salesian missionaries launch new educational initiatives to help youth prepare for the workforce and higher education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Despite ongoing conflict and instability, Salesian missionaries continue their work with youth in Syria. Over the course of the last eight years since the outbreak of civil war began in March 2011, Salesian missionaries have operated three centers in Kafroun and the particularly high conflict areas of Aleppo and Damascus. Each of the centers is staffed by three Salesian priests and a deacon.

In operation since well before the start of the war, the centers have been providing educational classes, meeting space and social development and sporting activities for youth and their families. They also offer trauma counseling, emergency shelter, nutritious meals and medical referrals to those in need.

During a recent meeting with the participating Italian youth, Father Pier Jabloyan, director of the Salesian Center in Aleppo, described the situation in Syria. He then asked, “How many things do we take for granted, for the simple fact of always having them there, at our disposal? When we press a switch or open the tap, have we ever wondered if there is electricity or if water will come out?”

The Salesian Center in Aleppo is a point of reference and hope for many youth who remain in the city. Those that engage in after-school activities, catechism, children’s summer camp, sports teams and social groups are able to experience moments of normality. Among the many activities still happening at the center is an after-school program for 70 children coordinated by a dozen university students.

“There are enormous educational needs here in Syria, especially because many of the schools have been destroyed or transformed into shelters,” says Fr. Jabloyan. “Moreover, if one has no water in the house, no electricity and has difficulty feeding himself, it is hard to tell anybody to study. But Don Bosco teaches us that education means the future. This is why we have continued offering children what we have available.”

He adds, “In everyone, the war has created psychological problems. The threshold of sensitivity has risen a lot. The news of one or two dead is in danger of not having any more effect. Often boys express themselves harshly and sometimes a football match can become a pretext for aggression to explode. Here, too, we try to help them remember that they are better than what surrounds them.”

Salesian centers in Syria also continue to meet the needs of their communities through the distribution of food, economic aid and scholarships to help young people continue with their schooling.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – Youth from CNOS-FAP of Valdocco start twinning with Aleppo

Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post SYRIA: Youth from the Salesian Vocational Training Center in Valdocco are providing support to Salesian Center in Aleppo first appeared on MissionNewswire.

There are four Salesian missionaries who live and work within the region. They, with sisters from Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, provide education and social support to the 1,100 students who attend the school. There are also 200 students – 100 boys and 100 girls – who live in separate hostels run by Salesian missionaries. They board at the school because some live too far away or are in situations where they cannot be cared for by their families.

The goal of the Salesian missionaries is to ensure that as many young children and older youth in the region can learn to read and write and develop their talents.

There is very little attention paid to education in the region and this is especially true for girls who are largely discriminated against and forced to work as domestic workers. Their salary is often used to allow their male siblings to study. Ensuring girls have equal access to education is a focus of Salesian missionaries in India and around the globe.

“Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Those who are able to access education are more often able to achieve financial independence and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves but their families and communities as well.”

Because it is so remote, the region is challenged by a lack of stable and consistent electricity. Without consistent electricity, it has been difficult to provide and participate in computer lessons, and the children who live in the hostels have no light to study in the evenings. Salesian missionaries are working to utilize their network to raise the funds needed to replace the current old and noisy electricity generator so that a stable power supply is available to the school and hostel.

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of its population without employment, education or training.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – India – Giving light for the education of children in Khoupum Valley

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: Salesian missionaries and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians educate 1,100 youth in school in remote Khoupum Valley first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua has 22 instructors and teachers, two office staff and five Salesian missionaries who work collaboratively to operate the school. The first year the school was launched it had 74 students and has since grown by 74 percent to reach 198 students in 2019.

This increase of students is due to the proactive use of social media as well as joint action and information sessions in the Upolu and Savai’i islands with government and mission colleges in 2018. In addition, Salesian missionaries are growing a partnership with the Samoa Qualification Authority which accredits vocational training programs and also offers scholarships and subsidies for equipment and school upgrades.

Since most of the students attending Don Bosco Technical Center come from families who experience financial hardship, scholarship programs are vital. The partnership with the Samoa Qualification Authority is important for this reason as well as for its international certification standard for graduates and accreditation of program quality which ensures that Salesian education is up to the standard necessary for youth to find job placements after graduation.

“To sustain our school facility, we are working on projects that involve carpentry and welding and trying to maintain our school building with school fundraising activity. Government grants are also a good help. Since 1979 we have been grateful to the AUL Salesian province center in Melbourne and its Mission Office for the continuous support,” says Mr. Mane, principal of Don Bosco Technical School.

The Don Bosco High School/Vocational Center at Salelologa is now in its eighth year and has 224 students and 22 teachers. Many students come from remote villages on a school bus made available through the school. The center offers an integrated curriculum with academic and technical subjects designed to provide students with employment and human relations skills as well as self-reliance.

Salesian missionaries are looking at how they can better incorporate outdoor education, including games and sport, into the overall program. In November 2016, a new facility, Father Elio Proietto’s Hall, was officially opened after receiving funds from the Salesian Rector Major, the Don Bosco Mission in Turin, Italy and Salesian Missions in Madrid, Spain. With this additional facility, Don Bosco Salelologa continues to serve as an important center of education, meetings, conferences, youth gatherings and sport on the island of Savai’i. In addition, the new hall aids in self-sustainability because it will be rented out for events. In July 2019, it will host boxing matches that are part of the 2019 Pacific Games.

Samoa boasts one of the most stable and healthy economies in the Pacific region, according to the World Bank. The poverty rate, once just over 26 percent, has dropped closer to 20 percent as the country strives to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals, a blueprint driving efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men and youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Samoa – Salesian presence soon to celebrate its 40th anniversary

Don Bosco Technical Center Alaufa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Salesian missionaries highlight growth of programs for upcoming 40th anniversary celebration first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“We are in a territory where there are so many difficulties, and the prospects for work are also difficult,” says Father Antonio Carbone, vice-president of the Salesians per il Sociale. “We want to do our best to ensure that no child is left out. To young people, especially the most fragile, it’s not just a job that needs to be found, they must also be educated in a way that invests in their passions.”

Thanks to the commitment of Salesian educators, youth are engaging in Salesian educational programs and finding work once they graduate. This enables them to become responsible adults and give back to their communities. The Salesians per il Sociale organization operates houses where youth are able to seek shelter and have their basic needs met while attending school.

Pasquale is one of the youth excited about the new project. His dream is to open his own pizzeria. He says, “At the beginning it was difficult to fit in, but today the community is my second family. There are eight of us in the house, the youngest is 9 years old and the oldest is 18. There are those who go to school, those who work and those like me who participate in vocational training courses.”

Pasquale adds, “One of the most beautiful things in community life is to laugh and joke with the operators, but also with the coordinators and priests who are very close to us. Every morning I go to Naples for the pizza maker’s lab, while in the afternoon I’m busy with the boys in the oratory. My dream is that of opening a pizzeria. I know it’s a very demanding and tiring job but it’s my passion!”

In Italy, young people who are unemployed and not in school or training programs represent 20 percent of the population. Vocational training is as an educational path that serves as a highly effective bridge between school and work.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – “Pizzoratorio”: a job opportunity for young people

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

The post ITALY: Salesian missionaries launch new pizza making vocational training at Salesian oratory first appeared on MissionNewswire.

María Auxiliadora is the first school in the autonomous region of Cantabria to have received this recognition by Google. The center offers an education based on Christian development along with core components of multilingualism, digital competence and methodologies such as cooperative learning and project work.

Students attending María Auxiliadora can attend the educational center from nursery school up to secondary school. Courses are offered in the sciences, humanities, social sciences and the arts. The center also offers vocational training courses in manufacturing and assembly and electrical and automatic mechanized installation and a more advanced level course in telecommunications and computer systems.

Father Miguel Ángel García Morcuende, SDB of the Department School-Formation of the Dicastery for Youth Ministry, notes, “Technology does not reinvent pedagogy, but expands its possibilities. We are pioneers in educational diversity and have the best specialists to accompany students in the different phases of their evolutionary development.”

Staff at María Auxiliadora are constantly working to improve the education and opportunities provided to students. The center recently implemented a dual training program which integrates classroom training with hands-on training in companies. Father Morcuende adds, “Our next challenge and our main commitment is to bring business realities into high school classrooms, even before the kids get to university. We are also looking for the participation of families in the center’s projects and want to design a program that address emotional education at a general level from the very earliest age.”

The center has a great success rate for graduates who finish vocational training. Father Morcuende says, “It should be noted that the percentage of employment at the end of the vocational training courses is 100 percent.”

Salesian centers in Spain operate close to 50 vocational and technical training centers that employ 1,300 teachers and offer 17,000 students a chance to gain an education. All Salesian centers have the support of companies from a variety of business sectors to give students real-world work experience.

Close to 37 percent of young Spanish workers under the age of 25 are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. Poor youth with few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment. Women in Spain face inequality in the workforce. They earn up to 14 percent less than men and represent only 34.5 percent of those listed as the highest earners in Spain.

Salesian missionaries have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth and women in Spain through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Spain – Fr Miguel Ángel García: “Our priorities are integral education and employment”

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian centers María Auxiliadora and Salesianos Estrecho are recognized as Google Reference Schools first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Participants in the AVEC women’s groups agree to deposit 1000 Congolese Francs (about 0.60 Euro) in a common fund each week and 200 Congolese Francs in a solidarity fund in the event of illness and death. The group participants can then apply for credit to start a small business to earn an income that will meet the needs of their families. Many women who are unable to come up with the initial funding to be a part of the group seek financial assistance and other support from the Don Bosco Center.

One of the participants, Adela, who is the mother of six children, lives in a small two-room house made of hard-packed earth. Three of her children are struggling to fund their studies and one school age child stays at home due to lack of money. Her husband was in the military and is still hospitalized after an accident he had in 2015. Adela used to sell charcoal in the neighborhood but had to use all her capital to pay for the children’s school. Currently, she is waiting for her husband’s salary to resume her business.

Another participant, Elizabeth, farms the land and is a war widow. She gave birth to eight children but only one daughter survives today who is also a widow. Elizabeth lives with her daughter and her 10 grandchildren, two of whom receive services from the Don Bosco Center. Their house is in poor condition and they lack furniture. Elizabeth joined the AVEC group to increase her business of selling beans in order to give more money to her grandchildren.

Another woman, Florentine, has also joined the AVEC group. She lived in Burega with her husband until he was killed in the Kasika massacre. Their house was burned and Florentine had to flee with her seven children. She was also a victim of sexual abuse and benefited from assistance at the Panzi hospital. She now lives in a small rented house but risks eviction and does not have anywhere else to go. One of her children lives on the street and another has disappeared. Florentine used to sell fuel but currently doesn’t have the money to continue.

Many of the woman who seek to join the AVEC groups and are supported by the Don Bosco Center are in desperate situations but must still find ways to support their families. The Don Bosco Center helps these women and their families by meeting their basic needs and providing education and social support.

“Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Center lend support to families who cannot pay their children’s public school fees,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Depending on the degree of vulnerability, the center has intervened to pay half or all the school fees for about 150 primary and secondary school children. The center also has a courtyard which allows children from the local community to come together and play year-round.”

Despite its vast material wealth, the Democratic Republic of Congo has long been a very poor nation. Half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line living on less than $1 a day, especially those in rural communities. Because of ongoing strife and violence within the country, more than 8.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that’s expected to increase to 13.1 million in 2018. More than 4.1 million Congolese are now displaced with 620,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 7.5 million people do not have enough food to eat.

Salesian missionaries have been working in the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Salesian primary and secondary schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs offer many youth the opportunity for a stable and productive future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Democratic Republic of Congo – Adela, Elizabeth, Florentine … Stories of “Mothers Courage”

UNICEF – DRC Poverty

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post DR CONGO: Women seek assistance from Don Bosco Center to join AVEC groups for business start-up support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Confederation of Don Bosco Youth Centers launched the “Pasaporte 0,0” campaign as part of its health education guidelines. The initiative is aimed at adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17, especially those at risk of social exclusion whose situation may cause them to be particularly vulnerable to drug use and addiction.

The campaign, funded by the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare, aims to combat the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors through prevention and education.

The “Pasaporte 0,0” app, downloadable from Google Play, was created with the intention of being an educational tool that can be used by both educators and adolescents. Its design and development involved youth, parents, social mediators and technical staff.

Complementing the app, other materials have been developed to support activities to prevent alcohol consumption in minors. All these materials are available on the website that was created for the campaign and program. The website gives more information about the programs and provides materials for all organizations that want to use them in their prevention activities.

“Consuming alcohol can be a temptation for youth that can lead them down a road that is not good for their health and can cause them to be more at-risk within their environments,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “This new program is providing youth the skills they need most to overcome the challenges in their families and communities and stay away from alcohol. Prevention is key but the project helps to meet youth wherever they are and direct them onto a path for success in the future.”

The campaign was launched on May 7 with a presentation at the Don Bosco Youth Center in the Vallecas neighborhood of Madrid. Youth from the center were the first to download the educational campaign app on their smartphones and to start learning about “Pasaporte 0,0.”

Close to 37 percent of young Spanish workers under the age of 25 are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. Poor youth with few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment. Women in Spain face inequality in the workforce. They earn up to 14 percent less than men and represent only 34.5 percent of those listed as the highest earners in Spain.

Salesian missionaries have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth and women in Spain through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Spain – Salesian youth centers launch an application to prevent alcohol consumption by minors: “Pasaporte 0,0”

PasaPorte00,org

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Confederation of Don Bosco Youth Centers launch new educational campaign for the prevention of alcohol consumption first appeared on MissionNewswire.

One of the young students attending the Salesian school is Abeba who is 8 years old and lives in a small sheet metal house in Dilla with her mother and three younger sisters. Without the Salesian school, Abeba and students like her would not be able to receive an education. The school also provides nutritional support to the students which is critical for children and families in the area.

Abeba’s mother occasionally works in a coffee field, like most Dilla adults. However, the scarcity of rainfall in the area in recent years has led to fewer employment opportunities for her. Abeba’s father went to live in Addis Ababa, 350 km further north, to work. The two times he returned, he brought his wife and daughters some money and some bags of legumes.

Currently, Abeba’s father has been away for more than two years and has not even met his youngest daughter, Berhane, who is 2 years old. All of the responsibility falls to Abeba’s mother who depends upon the support of the local Salesian missionaries to ensure she has what her family needs.

At the Salesian school, Abeba attends the same class as her sister, Tigist, who is 6 years old. While Tigist still struggles a bit, Abeba is happy to have learned to read and write. She says, “We are happy to go to school, because we are with our friends and because they give us lunch and a snack and even if in the evening, at home, mother failed to prepare food, we have a full stomach. At school we eat teff and beans. Sometimes, eggs. Once for a snack, fruit juice – so good! In the courtyard there is a fountain, and we often argue with others to drink first, but then we immediately make peace.”

Salesian missionaries ensure that youth are fed at school because many in the region lack a healthy and regular diet. Salesian missionaries operate another school in Wallame, close to Dilla, which focuses on agriculture production and breeding pigs. This program helps to support nutritional efforts in Dilla and has created jobs for dozens of farmers.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38 percent of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85 percent of the country’s workforce is employed in agriculture but frequent droughts severely affect the agricultural economy leaving more than 12 million people chronically, or at least periodically, food insecure. In addition, more than two-thirds of the population is illiterate.

The country has 4 million orphans which account for nearly 12 percent of all children and according to UNICEF, more than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis that has affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

Salesian missionaries across Ethiopia primarily focus on the education of poor youth. They accomplish this through the operation of primary schools, secondary schools and six vocational training centers. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while having access to support services, including family sponsorship and school feeding programs, that provide care for them and their families all with the goal of keeping youth in school as long as possible.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ethiopia – Food support for Abeba and her sisters

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian missionaries ensure youth have access to education and proper nutrition in Dilla first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The new center was built by the BDO Foundation which provides disaster response advocacy including relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction initiatives. Donations pooled by BDO employees enabled the construction and also provided tools and equipment for student training.

The project is in response to the destruction that was caused in 2012 by Typhoon Pablo which battered Davao Oriental devastating thousands of residents in coastal areas. One of the strongest storms to have hit Mindanao, the typhoon damaged homes, infrastructure and school buildings.

Over the next three years, 560 senior high school students from Don Bosco Mati and neighboring public high schools are expected to learn technical-vocational skills through workshops conducted in the new facility.

Don Bosco Mati was entrusted to the Salesians in 1998 and over the years has established itself as a resource for the community which is made up of mostly poor and marginalized families. The Don Bosco Training Center in Mati has served more than 2,000 youth since its launch in 1992. Graduates are hired by some of the biggest industries and companies in the country.

The new two-story structure was presented to Salesian school administrators and students in an event led by BDO Foundation president, Mario Deriquito, BDO Foundation program director, Rose Espinosa, and BDO Davao-Mati branch head, Gail Lawas. The new training facility was accepted at the ceremony by the Cebu Province Provincial Superior, Father Godofredo Atienza, Don Bosco Mati Training Director, Father Rex Carbilledo, and the center’s Rector, Father Rey Jude Albarando.

At the event, Fr. Albarando said, “We Salesians work hard, but we know that without the assistance of others, we could only go so far. We are grateful to people who have a heart for the needy. Thank you to the BDO family for your support. You have given us Salesians not only the reassurance that God never abandons us. You have also given hope to hundreds, even thousands, of youth in Mindanao.”

Since 1950, Salesian Missions has been providing crucial help in the Philippines—working with at-risk youth, impoverished families and disaster victims. Humanitarian agencies warn of the dangers faced by the most disadvantaged children in the Philippines. According to UNICEF, there are at least 1.2 million children between the ages of 5 and 15 who are out of school and are being left behind. In addition, children born into the poorest 20 percent are almost three times more likely to die during their first five years as those from the richest 20 percent.

Salesian missionaries, supported by funding from Salesian Missions, were on the forefront of disaster relief during reconstruction after the Nov. 8, 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) devastated the country. According to United Nations estimates, 11.5 million people were affected by Haiyan and close to 1 million were displaced. More than half a million were homeless and living in the streets among the debris. Salesian missionaries mobilized all resources and efforts to aid the victims of this and other disasters.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Philippines – BDO Foundation builds training center for Mindanao youth

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Salesian missionaries launch new technical-vocational training facility at Don Bosco Mati thanks to the BDO Foundation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Through the XteStudio workshop, children between the ages of 11 and 17 are able to access tutoring and support that enables them to be successful in their educational endeavors. Many of these youth are struggling to stay in school or are repeat students, school dropouts, or dealing with family challenges.

The XteStudio workshop provides after-school and school-based reinforcement activities, including educational activities based on expression and cinematographic initiatives. These are carried out in collaboration with the local Cinecircolo Giovanile Socioculturale, a youth and cultural cinema-based association.

At the beginning of the year, to increase a sense of belonging in the group, project facilitators took the children on a field trip to the center of Rome. Caterina Pezzi, the project’s local coordinator says, “Many of the youth, although they have traveled alone around the neighborhood, had never seen the center of Rome. We visited some typical streets, the Pantheon, several churches and a few monuments that they had only studied in books and never seen in person.”

Through this trip and through all of the experiences facilitated by the project, youth are regaining self-confidence and acquiring knowledge and motivation for their studies.

In Italy, young people who are unemployed and not in school or training programs represent 20 percent of the population. Vocational training is as an educational path that serves as a highly effective bridge between work and school.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – “For you, I study”: IN.S.I.E.ME project at “Don Bosco-Cinecittà” focuses on relationships and trust between young people

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

The post ITALY: New workshop provides educational supports for marginalized youth to help them stay and succeed in school first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Accessible water sources can be up to 5 km away from some villages and are not always hygienically safe. In addition, most of them dry up during the dry season leaving little, if any, non-potable water available causing communities to quarrel among themselves to divide what little remains.

To help address these water shortages, Salesian missionaries are working to supply these communities with clean, safe water. Thanks to international Salesian support, 18 water projects have been launched (with some completed). There have been 11 projects in the Sunyani region in the center-west of the country and seven in Tatale at the eastern end of the country near the border with Togo.

These water projects have been made possible by Salesian Missions offices around the globe including Salesian Missions in New York, United States, Misiones Salesianas in Madrid, Spain, Don Bosco Mission in Vienna, Austria and Don Bosco Mission in Bonn, Germany.

Many of the projects entail developing wells with hand-pump boreholes as well as the installation of water towers and tanks. Three projects utilized mechanized borehole wells and a mechanized solar-powered water pump. Overall, these water projects are benefiting more than 4,000 people in the area of Sunyani and another 3,430 in the Tatale area.

“Provision of water, as well as a work of mercy, is integral part of our pastoral strategy based on holistic human development, respect for human rights and preventive pedagogy,” says Benson Osei-Savio Boateng of the Office of Planning and Development of the AFW Province.

UN-Water estimates that worldwide 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and by 2050, the world’s population will have grown by an estimated 2 billion people pushing global water demand up to 30 percent higher than today. One in four primary schools have no drinking water service with students using unprotected water sources or going thirsty. In addition, UN-Water notes that more than 700 children under 5 years of age die every day from diarrheal disease linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

“Water is essential for life, and it’s critical that Salesian programs around the globe have access to safe, clean water for the health and safety of those we serve,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Improving water and sanitation facilities brings a sense of dignity to children and ensures that teachers and students are working and learning in an environment that promotes proper hygiene and has safe drinking water. This reduces the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools, keeping them away from important study time.”

While Ghana’s economy continues to improve, nearly 45 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day, according to UNICEF. Ghana ranks 139 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Development Program’s 2017 Human Development Index. Rural poverty remains widespread in the dry savannah region that covers roughly two thirds of Ghana’s northern territory.

Small-scale farms suffer from a lack of infrastructure and equipment, both of which are needed to shift from subsistence farming to more modern commercial farming. Modern methods would yield greater incomes and a chance to escape poverty.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ghana – Providing water to the thirsty: international Salesian support for small rural communities

GHANA: Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative” provides funding for boreholes for fresh drinking water in communities of Sunyani and Tatale

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Ghana

The post GHANA: Salesian missionaries have launched 18 water projects benefiting more than 7,400 people first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project is carried out in close collaboration between the National Commission of the Youth Centers of Spain, the Delegates for Youth Ministry of the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Syria.

Despite ongoing conflict and instability, Salesian missionaries have continued their work with youth in Syria. Over the course of the last eight years since the outbreak of civil war began in March 2011, Salesian missionaries have operated three centers in Kafroun and the particularly high conflict areas of Aleppo and Damascus. Each of the centers is staffed by three Salesian priests and a deacon.

“This project provides youth in Spain a chance to pay forward all that they have learned and help those who have lost so much because of the ongoing conflict in Syria,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The youth centers in Syria have been in operation since well before the start of the war providing educational classes, meeting space and social development and sporting activities for youth and their families. The centers also offer trauma counseling, emergency shelter, nutritious meals and medical referrals to those in need.”

The goal of the Suriya project is to promote awareness and collect material aid for those still in conflict regions. From the start, youth involved in the project held various awareness-raising, support and fundraising activities. They categorized the potential needs of youth in Syria into basic necessities, materials for education and psychological training for Salesian teams and materials for recreational activities at the Syrian Salesian youth center.

As part of the Suriya project, youth vigils were held on Dec. 2, 2017 in youth centers in Spain and Syria that were supported by the Salesian Youth Movement. In 2018, the campaign “bracelets and solidarity sweets” was launched and implemented at various events carried out by the Salesian youth centers in Spain. The funding raised was provided to the Salesian youth centers in Syria.

As part of the project’s ongoing work, in May, Father Santi Domínguez, National Coordinator of the Salesian Youth Centers, and María Alonso of the María Auxiliadora Youth Center will travel to Syria to visit the Salesian youth centers in Aleppo and Damascus.

The purpose of this trip is to get to know firsthand the reality of youth centers in Syria, to see how young people there live and what they need. During the visit, Fr. Dominguez and Alonso will meet with Salesian missionaries and lay staff to learn more about their work to help prepare the support and materials in Spain.

In the coming months, a traveling photographic exhibition is also planned to raise awareness of the reality of refugees and the work of Salesian staff in Syria. The goal is to have this exhibit opened during the summer activities held by the Salesian youth centers in Spain.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Spain – A trip to Syria, through “Suriya” project

Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post SPAIN: Youth in Salesian centers in Spain provide awareness and fundraising activities to help youth in Salesian centers in Syria first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project also responds to the call by Father Ángel Fernández Artíme, rector major to the Salesians, for Salesian missionaries in Europe to look for practical ways to offer assistance during the refugee crisis, paying “particular attention to unaccompanied minors and young people.”

In response to the migration and refugee crisis that has hit the European Union over the last several years, Salesian missionaries across Europe are creating new spaces and providing services to welcome refugees, unaccompanied migrants and asylum seekers. The new spaces provide a place for these youth to live while new services have been created specifically to help integrate them into their new communities. According to UNCHR (UN Refugee Agency), more than 1 million refugees live in the European Union today.

These unaccompanied youth often face exclusion, uncertainty and hostility in their new communities. They are coming to places where they often don’t know the language or have a job or support network and they face having to rebuild their entire lives. A break from that stress can offer a sense of freedom and normalcy which young refugees and asylum seekers rarely experience.

The team of volunteers and organizers engaged in the Valdocco Project are intent on reaching and providing support for these youth whose childhoods have been upset by war and persecution and who have suffered the trauma of having to flee their homes and come to a new country where their reception is often uncertain.

The Salesian Youth Ministry team met in November 2018 to start planning and developing the project which is expected to take place Aug. 3-10, 2019 in Liverpool, England. Support to help these youth during their vacation will come from local members of the Salesian Family who are educators at local schools or are working directly with young asylum seekers and refugees in the area.

Danny Sweeney, one of the team members, says, “For this pilot program we thought of Liverpool because it is one of the areas of the United Kingdom where asylum seekers often remain missing after initially submitting their application for shelter. As this is a new area for our Salesian Youth Ministry, this experience will allow us to take root in a local community and also, we hope, encourage contact with families as well as with the young people who will participate.”

The managers of the Valdocco Project hope that it will have long-term effects, providing the basis for young refugees and asylum seekers to rebuild their lives in a positive way and fit into society while creating new productive lives for themselves.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Great Britain – “Valdocco Project”: vacations for young refugees and asylum seekers

The post ENGLAND: Salesian Youth Ministry of the Province of Great Britain launches new project offering refugees and asylum seekers a vacation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

These options include: a 15-month residential program with three months of support during reintegration; a shorter 12-month program with three months of reintegration support; a four to five-month program for specific therapeutic objectives and in cases of recurrence; and a new module for the recovery from compulsive- and web-addictions.

Each of the recovery options are youth-centered and rely on participation in program activities which are focused on the normal tasks of daily life including following rules, daily work and sharing space with peers. The options offer a balance between individualized programing and group dynamics.

Therapeutic and educational tools are used throughout various stages of the residential program. These focus on different aspects of the individual including the psychological, relational, cultural and professional as well as leisure time.

Each part of the program is divided into different modules ranging from what is called reception, where the participant begins to deal with the lack of his dependence, to that of trust-awareness, where the participant autonomously makes the decision to continue the program and go on to examine the problems that existed before the use of substances.

Next, participants focus on responsibility and engage in service tasks which lead them to identify a personal life project outside the community. Finally, participants begin to plan gradual reintegration into their communities with the support and assistance of educators and sometimes their families. The timing of passage from one step to the next is determined by the interaction between the center’s team and the participant and is in relation to the progress made.

“Many of the youth in the program are at-risk of heading down an unproductive path in life,” explains Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “Through therapeutic and educational programming, youth are learning to take responsibility for their lives, make a positive change and have hope for the future.”

In Italy, young people who are unemployed and not in school or training programs represent 20 percent of the population. Vocational training is as an educational path that serves as a highly effective bridge between school and work.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – Community “Residency Proposal” of Ortona: a place to be reborn, accompanied by the Salesian spirit

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

The post ITALY: Salesian-run Soggiorno Proposta Recovery Community provides residential programs for youth struggling with addiction first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Center in Dekemhare provides 400 students free technical education every year. Thanks to the support of the government, students are able to access a meal for free while at school. The center also provides recreational activities for children and additional afterschool courses.

Since 2001, in collaboration with the Salesian-run International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS), the Don Bosco Center organizes refresher courses for teachers, both for those who teach at the center and those teaching at other technical schools across the country.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system, and we are dedicated to providing the support and training they need,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian teachers face many challenges educating poor youth. Many of their students have faced severe poverty and often have basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Some were previously living and working on the streets and others have faced war as child soldiers or become refugees in war torn communities. Salesian teachers meet these challenges head on, providing education and hope for a brighter future.”

Expanding their work in the country, Salesian missionaries have launched a second technical school in Barentu, an isolated area in need of development. The school will focus on youth most in need of an education and those who have abandoned their studies for early labor. Without an education, these youth risk exploitation and being relegated to the margins of society.

Salesian missionaries and VIS are also dedicated to fostering the development and autonomy of local communities by promoting the construction of water wells, a necessity due to drought and famine. Youth attending the technical schools are also trained to maintain and repair wells.

“Having access to clean water is essential for the health and safety of those we serve around the globe,” says Fr. Hyde. “Improving water facilities brings a sense of dignity for the children we serve and ensures students are learning in an environment that promotes proper hygiene and has safe drinking water. This reduces the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools, keeping them away from important study time.”

The East African nation of Eritrea has a population of approximately 5.5 million, of which 69 percent are estimated to live in poverty, according to the World Bank. The small country has one of the lowest GDP per capita in the world. While agriculture contributes only 13 percent to the country’s economy it employs nearly 80 percent of the population. Only 12 percent of total land is suitable for farming because of Eritrea’s rocky and mountainous terrain, and in part, due to the persistent drought which impacts much of the remaining landscape.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Eritrea – Efforts of the Salesians and VIS for young people in need

World Bank – Eritrea

The post ERITREA: Salesian missionaries provide educational and social programs to help youth lead productive lives first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This is the first time an Italian team was crowned the winner of this leading world science and robotics competition. The theme for this year’s competition was, “Into orbit.” The teams were challenged by NASA to invent solutions to improve the living conditions of astronauts in space.

Students and teachers from the Salesian Institute of Verona created the Wemit, an innovative space washing machine designed to wash astronauts’ clothes in zero gravity and without water. The Wemit system could also be used later for other purposes such as washing clothes in hospitals or food factories. The Salesian Institute has already patented its project which was so impressive, the team dominated across the board coming first in the categories of scientific project, technological innovation, robotic programming, presentation and teamwork.

The winning students have been invited to compete for the prestigious Global Innovation Award which is held in California in June. This competition judges the 20 best scientific projects presented during the competitive season from around the world. The Salesian team previously made headlines in 2018 for qualifying for the World Championships in Detroit, Michigan with their “Idb Tech-No-Logic” project.

That winning project was focused on water filtration. The students from the Salesian team explained, “Seventy percent of the world’s drinking water is used to irrigate and comes mainly from the public aqueduct or wells. To reduce waste, we decided to take advantage of rainwater which would normally end up in sewers and recreate a series of structures commonly found in cities or near gardens with specific criteria to obtain the greatest possible capacity for water collection.”

The Salesian students highlight the importance of education to excite and inspire young people in scientific and technological subjects, using creative and unconventional methods.

“Salesian programs aim for innovation and help marginalized communities gain the education and resources they need to find, and even create, long-term employment that will help them break the cycle of poverty,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This and other science and technology projects and competitions help Salesian students to be competitive in the labor market or develop their own businesses to gain financial security.”

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – USA – Students of Verona’s “Don Bosco” Institute triumph at Robotics World Championships

FIRST LEGO League

ITALY/SPAIN: Salesian students compete, win in technology innovation competitions

The post UNITED STATES: Students from the Salesian Institute of Verona, Italy win the FIRST LEGO League World Championship with innovative washing machine for astronauts first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian mission of Iauaretê consists of a central missionary district which comprises the St. Michael Archangel parish and 11 chapels. However, the work of the Salesian missionaries there extends over an area far greater, reaching 40 indigenous communities made up of 16 different ethnic groups. Missionaries place particular emphasis on their work with adolescents and children in the communities.

For many people, the future is uncertain because there are no factories, no university for advanced education and no work. School is only available up to the age of 17 and then those who want to study further must leave the area and go to São Gabriel or Manaus.

One of the biggest problems in the area is alcoholism. Although there is a very clear law that forbids bringing any type of alcohol into the indigenous areas, it is often brought in illegally. Easily smuggled in from neighboring countries like Colombia, it is the cause of escalating family violence and early death from health complications from alcoholism. With the alcohol comes Colombian drug traffickers and increased rates of family violence.

Salesian missionaries are in the process of building a new home which will act as a shelter for youth who have been abandoned or who face violence at home. Because of the remote location of the mission which normally takes three days to reach, the home will not be completed until 2020. Visitors must take a motorboat traveling up the Rio Negro and then continue toward Colombia, sailing the Rio Uaupes. Materials for the new building are also being transported by the river and then construction is completed by hand.

“Children are in need of shelter, proper nutrition, and mostly importantly, an ability to feel safe in their home,” says Fr. Cappelletti. “They need to be able to live without the fear of returning to their hut and being beaten by the adult that is supposed to be providing care for them. Living on the streets away from that family violence, they are sometimes subjected to worse. This is why we are creating a new shelter for these youth.”

Salesian missionaries in Brazil provide education, workforce development and social services throughout the country and 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 have fallen 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.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Brazil – A small price for a priceless mission: a testimony from Iauaretê

World Bank – Brazil

The post BRAZIL: Salesian missionaries are building new home for children faced with family violence in remote region of Iauaretê first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Four Salesian missionaries are working on this new pilot project including two Salesian brothers and two Salesian priests. The new Don Bosco Bakery – Cafe offers youth in Vietnam the opportunity to learn bread and sweet-making skills as well as gain knowledge in management and marketing. The bakery is also another step towards self-sustainability for the vocational training centers with sales from the bakery helping to provide financial backing for educational programs at the center.

Salesian missionaries relied on the expertise of many Vietnamese and foreign experts including a volunteer chef and staff to enhance the quality of training. Salesian missionaries in Ho Chi Minh City have said, “We wish and pray that the new Don Bosco enterprise will help many young people in Vietnam with their integral preparation for life and also that the Salesians will learn how to grow in the self-sustainability of our vocation training institutions.”

The Majcen Center Bistro, Restaurant and Vocation Training Center is named after Slovenian Salesian Father Andrej Majcen and provides poor youth the opportunity to gain hands-on training for restaurant, kitchen and bakery careers. Utilizing the Dual Training System in vocational education from Germany, youth are able to obtain a Culinary Certificate from Germany after three years of theoretical and practical training as well as an internship.

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework, have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Vietnam – “Don Bosco Bakery – Café” opens in Ho Chi Minh City

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Salesian missionaries open new Don Bosco Bakery – Café in Ho Chi Minh City first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Don Bosco Fambul, which has a 120-person staff that includes mostly social workers, reaches out to thousands of street children in the region each year. The organization has implemented several interventions for children who have been abandoned, experienced violence and abuse and/or have found themselves in situations of prostitution.

Father Jorge Crisafulli, director of Don Bosco Fambul, found Musu on the street under a table in the center of Freetown when she was just a child. It was raining heavily and was cold for those accustomed to the tropical heat. He asked Musu her name and if she was sick. Her sad eyes and the pain in her face announced deeper anguish than just physical pain. She coughed incessantly. Father Crisafulli put his hand on her forehead and noticed that she was burning with fever.

Musu told Fr. Crisafulli that she had gone to the hospital but since she did not have 15,000 leones (about 1.5 euros), she had not been treated. Father Crisafulli told Musu that he would take her to the hospital immediately. It was then that Musu put her hand on a helpless, skeletal, near death baby boy next to her.

Father Crisafulli accompanied Musu and the baby to the General Hospital where she was diagnosed with tuberculosis and pneumonia. The baby was unable to be treated at the hospital so was taken to another. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis, dehydration and malnutrition. When the doctor asked for a name to register the child in the health center, Fr. Crisafulli did not hesitate for a moment. He named him Juan Bosco in honor of the Salesian founder, St. John Bosco.

When Fr. Crisafulli returned to the General Hospital he assured Musu that the child was well and would survive. He also told her that he had been asked the name of the child to be able to register him at the hospital and that he had given him the name Juan Bosco. Musu seemed annoyed with the name, but when asked, she told Fr. Crisafulli, “You should have given him your name Jorge Crisafulli!”

Today, Musu and Juan Bosco are in good health. Both have overcome their health problems and are thriving. Musu is now 18 years old and studies as a hairdresser and sells sandals while little Juan Bosco is a healthy and smiling boy who honors his name, runs everywhere and serves as a beacon of resistance, survival and hope in the face of adversity. Musu and Juan Bosco are two of the many success stories of the work that Don Bosco Fambul does on behalf of poor and at-risk youth in Sierra Leone.

The UN World Food Program reports that over half of the population in Sierra Leone lives under the national poverty line of approximately $2 per day. According to the 2016 Global Hunger Index, Sierra Leone also faces an alarming level of hunger with nearly 38 percent of children younger than 5 years of age suffering from chronic malnutrition.

Young people face significant challenges in accessing education. With too few teachers and school buildings destroyed in the war, resources are thin and persistently high illiteracy rates mean that an estimated 70 percent of Sierra Leone’s youth are un- or under-employed.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Sierra Leone – The story of Musu and baby “Juan Bosco”

World Food Program – Sierra Leone

The post SIERRA LEONE: Young girl and baby rescued by Don Bosco Fambul have hope for a better, more secure future first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Share the Light program manager, Sophie Astles, says, “We were created after a wonderful teacher recognized a need for sponsorship to keep children in school, and while we continue this work and other projects, we also support the City of Joy and the Salesian sisters’ work for women and girls there.”

The City of Joy was created in response to Zambia’s AIDS pandemic which decimated many families, often leaving the eldest sibling as head of the family. The impact of the epidemic, along with abject poverty, left girls and young women particularly vulnerable to abuse.

At the City of Joy, these vulnerable girls are given a loving home where they feel safe and cared for again and where they are encouraged and supported in their education and training.

Share the Light helps to support the medical and nutritional needs of the girls as well as provides clothing, school uniforms and equipment. Having grown in recent years, Share the Light’s work also includes a Scholarship Program, a Porridge Club and assistance at the City of Joy orphanage.

“We also help provide transport to enable groups from the City of Joy to travel out together safely, and we fund the maintenance of fencing to keep their boundaries secure,” adds Astles.

Maureen was one of the first girls to live at the City of Joy. She was also the first to reach grade 12 and finish school. In 2015, she started nursing college but unfortunately, the local community could not find the funds needed to support her as she did not receive a full bursary from the government. This resulted in Maureen having to leave college. In 2016, she managed to obtain some sponsorship and the local community agreed to make up the remainder. However, it once again proved too great a burden, and Share the Light received a request for help.

Share the Light advocates were dismayed to hear of Maureen’s plight and raised enough funds to ensure she can continue her studies. They continue to fundraise to support her until she qualifies as a nurse this year.

“My education is very important to me because it will make my future bright,” says Maureen. “I would like to build an orphanage so that I also can help young ones who have no one to help them. I thank you my sponsors for your support and generosity and I am grateful for the money you have sent to me to finish my studies.”

Poverty is widespread in Zambia with 64 percent of the total population living below the poverty line. For those living in rural areas, the poverty rate rises to 80 percent, according to UNICEF. Over the past three decades, incomes in Zambia have fallen steadily and people do not have enough money to meet basic needs such as shelter, nutritious food and medical care.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has taken its toll on Zambia’s children. More than 20,000 households in the country are headed by children whose parents have died because of HIV/AIDS. Many of these young children are desperate for adult support.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Zambia – Support women, support the world

Share the Light

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Share the Light ensures young woman from Salesian City of Joy program is able to continue her nursing studies first appeared on MissionNewswire.

CIOFS-FP is run by Salesian sisters, also known as, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, and provides skills training to help women gain employment with a focus on encouraging entrepreneurship. While the CIOFS-FP organization headquarters is located in Rome, there are smaller training centers located throughout Italy. More than 90 percent of women graduating from CIOFS-FP programs find employment.

The courses taught are specific to the needs of the local market. In Italy, there is a large gap between the skills learned in school and the skills needed in the employment sector. Salesian institutions tailor their educational programs to meet the local market needs so graduates are easily able to find and retain employment.

“There are many barriers to education for young women and girls, but Salesian programs in Italy and around the globe work to eliminate those barriers and provide education and skills training to all,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries have seen that young women who are able to access education are more often able to achieve financial independence and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

The Salesian sisters began their work in the country with houses for women and then an oratory. They also offered family workshops for young women and girls that taught various levels of sewing and evening classes for young women who were working in factories. Later, the sisters opened agricultural, artisan and business schools. The education provided has constantly changed to keep up with the evolving needs of the work sectors within Italy and the smaller communities where the centers are located.

In Italy, young people who are unemployed and not in school or training programs represent 20 percent of the population. Vocational training is as an educational path that serves as a highly effective bridge between school and work.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – Half a Century of Vocational Training: CIOFS-FP commemorates with gratitude and relaunches

CIOFS-FP

The post ITALY: CIOFS-FP operated by Salesian sisters celebrates 50 years providing vocational training for women first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The expansion project encompasses a total area of ​​about 3 hectares which was made available by the local Salesian province. The new space includes 11 classrooms and two chemistry and biology laboratories as well as an extension of the boarding school, a theater redesign and new offices for academic staff.

Dean of the faculty of health sciences of UCSH, Professor Miguel Acevedo, said, “We are in a privileged environment which allows us to develop academic activities in a very good way, demonstrating all the commitment and the will of the university to offer the best to our students.”

Patricio Hevia, director of physical resources, noted, “At our management board, we are very happy because we have seen the work at the beginning, from scratch, and today everything is completely different, improved. There is a lot to do, but from my point of view, we are taking a big step forward that will benefit students.”

Father Galvarino Jofré, rector of the UCSH, thanked everyone who actively participated in the project. He said, “There’s a great team here, and I am also very grateful to the province for providing these spaces to the university.”

Father Jofré has indicated that the expansion of the university would continue. He said, “In the future we are planning to develop a Family Health Center, similar to the one we have in the Central House, which could be connected to the Study and Attention Center of the Community or the Legal Clinic. This answers the needs of the population that surrounds us and can become a truly significant contribution to this sector given that this service is currently lacking.”

The Salesian-run Silva Henriquez Catholic University was launched in 2016. Nearly 64 percent of its 1,106 students were admitted to the university free of charge. Salesian missionaries living and working in the region offer this free university education to students who are unable to afford it. The goal is to encourage higher learning, help students gain the education needed for a career and encourage graduates to contribute back to their communities.

According to the World Bank, Chile has a fairly low poverty rate of 14.4 percent. However, the country struggles with high rates of income and education inequality. Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor and at-risk youth. At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty. As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Chile – New Lo Cañas campus infrastructure serving youth of Silva Henríquez Catholic University

CHILE: Salesian University Begins Offering Free Tuition to 1,106 First-Year Students

The post CHILE: The Salesian Silva Henríquez Catholic University opens new facility to provide space and services for 300 new students first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Students at the vocational training center in Valdocco were responsible for the graphic design layout of the app along with printing the materials and the graphic interface. Students at the Colegio San Pedro of Seville have written the computer code to program the app and students in Bilbao translated the content into Spanish through audio-video contributions and QRCodes that will apply to every single point of interest for tourists. Finally, students at the professional technical high school in Versailles are translating the content into French.

With the app, tourists will be able to find points of interest and useful information to enhance their travel experience. This project enables students to apply some of the lessons they have learned in the classroom to real-life experience.

Professor Malacasa from the Salesian training center in Valdocco says, “We teachers designed the logo and its applications with the students in the multimedia graphic operator course, organizing them as if we were a communication company. Our laboratories are organized according to this modality which is that of the (customer) order, able to simulate production in the field of communication.”

In addition to connecting youth around Europe, the project has promoted inclusiveness. Professor Malacasa adds, “Within the project, our vocational training center was involved from graphic design to printing. The school also has a laboratory where we apply logos on clothing and gadgets. Here, students with disabilities, led by their trainer, Emanuele Mensa, contributed by setting up and printing the tee-shirts. We have achieved the goal of making the project known.”

In Italy, young people who are unemployed and not in school or training programs represent 20 percent of the population. Vocational training is as an educational path that serves as a highly effective bridge between school and work.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – Salesian students of Europe at work for a common project: “EntreApp”

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

The post ITALY: Students at Salesian training centers in Europe collaborate to create tourist app first appeared on MissionNewswire.

More than 1,000 tablets will be distributed with the goal of supporting the Rwandan government in promoting smart classrooms. The 10 schools will receive the tablets in addition to other IT equipment that will aid in teaching, learning and the positive use of information and communication technology in the education system. The project kicked off on Mar. 25 with the distribution of 144 tablets at a primary school.

“This is really good for us at GS Kicukiro (primary school) because it’s going to add to the already existing equipment and I’m sure that we will use them properly and efficiently to provide quality education to our pupils,” said Euzerius Rugasire, head teacher at the school. She also praised Salesian missionaries and other stakeholders for helping to boost technology use in schools.

Before receiving the IT equipment, 20 teachers from the 10 participating primary schools attended a three-day training on the proper use of the equipment that uses advanced technology and on how to conduct digital classrooms with ProFuturo solutions.

Brother Hubert Twagirayezu, the provincial economer in the region of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, has noted that the ProFuturo project was launched based on the experience of the Telefonica Foundation. The foundation has worked for more than 10 years providing social intervention programs for children in vulnerable environments, contributing to the eradication of child labor and educational progress and training teachers in skills development to meet the challenges of the digital society, according to a New Times article.

“The main aim is to reduce the digital and social gap of children in vulnerable settings through the improvement in education quality and to make changes in the world using digital education, because through technology we will be able to give access to education to all children in the country,” said Bro. Hubert in a New Times article.

Missionaries have been living and working in the Great Lakes region of Rwanda for more than 50 years providing education and social programs to give youth hope for a brighter future.

Many of the country’s orphaned children are the tragic result of a violent civil war. Half of all children drop out of primary school and 2.2 million people—22 percent of the population—face critical food shortages. Rwandans are anxious to move their country forward, but need substantial help to do so.

After bravely overcoming the trauma of the 1994 genocide, Rwandans looking to transform their country have made remarkable progress. Still, much remains to be done. Close to 39 percent of Rwandans live in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rwanda is a rural, agrarian country with about 35 percent of the population engaged in subsistence agriculture and with some mineral and agro-processing.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Rwanda – Salesians in support of Information and Communication Technologies education

New Times – FEATURED: Salesians of Don Bosco roll out project to boost ICT in schools

UNICEF – Rwanda

The post RWANDA: New ProFuturo project provides technology education and equipment to 10 schools benefiting more than 6,000 children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Radio Salesian was established in 2016 and is the only community radio broadcasting in the Nepali language in India. It is also the first community/campus radio in West Bengal and in the entire northeastern part of India to be operated by a college.

The public service announcement video was created by the Salesian radio station to educate the public on the importance of exercising their democratic rights. “The music video is an excellent production by Radio Salesian and Salesian College Sonada,” said the district magistrate, Ms. Dasgupta, who introduced the short video to print and electronic media.

According to a Crux article, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ruled India since 2014 with Narendra Modi serving as prime minister. The party is affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a militant Hindu nationalist organization. The article notes that since the BJP took power, incidences of harassment against the small Christian minority in the country has increased.

Crux notes that just under 80 percent of India’s population is Hindu. The largest religious minority, Muslims, represent 15 percent of the population while Christians make up only 2.3 percent. There are also a number of Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and members of the Baha’i faith.

Salesian Father Joseph Manipadam, the national secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India’s Office for Education and Culture, represented the Catholic Church at a minorities meeting in New Delhi, according to the article.

“Most of those who spoke expressed their gratitude for being called to contribute their suggestions. The minorities should not be looked upon with suspicion, some said. The need to promote the interest of the minorities is something many spoke about,” said Fr. Manipadam in the Crux article.

The Catholic Church provided eight proposals for consideration looking at issues like security for minority communities, the promotion of diversity, housing, food and employment for all and more. Father Manipadam noted that the proposals are not directed solely at the BJP as the same position was sent to the country’s other parties for consideration as they formulate their own platforms.

“It is our proposal to all before the general elections. So it is not party specific suggestions but the concern that we have and want to be addressed by the government irrespective of party considerations,” added Fr. Manipadam in the Crux article.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – India – “Ensure Your Vote” video launched

Crux – India’s bishops make suggestions ahead of country’s elections

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: Salesian missionaries launch campaigns to highlight importance of voting ahead of upcoming elections first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The United Nations World Food Program is reporting that more 600,000 people have been displaced. It has deemed the crisis a level three emergency on par with war-torn Yemen, Syria and South Sudan.

As water and food are in short supply, international aid is starting to reach the region but is hampered by destroyed roads and flooded remote villages. Workers are struggling to repair roads, restore power and take care of survivors. Of particular concern is preventing an outbreak of cholera with cases already reported by the Red Cross in Beira, a coastal city in Mozambique that took the brunt of the storm.

Salesian missionaries living and working in the region have not suffered direct damage and are active in helping with relief operations. They are concerned for several students boarding at the Salesian centers who have family in the areas affected. Missionaries are also working with other religious groups in the region to raise funds for Caritas and other nonprofit organizations like Doctors without Borders to help support immediate relief and first aid operations.

Missionaries within Salesian educational centers are collecting basic necessities such as food, medicines and clean drinking water for those in the affected sites. “We thank everyone for the prayers and solidarity shown so far. Do continue to help us,” said Father Marco Biaggi, the superior of the vice province of Mozambique.

Salesian missionaries have been living and working in Mozambique for 110 years, providing education and social development programs for poor youth. The country gained its independence in 1975 but a civil war erupted in 1977 and lasted until peace treaties were signed in Rome in 1992. The civil war left some 60,000 youth with few employment prospects, little training and war being the their only education.

Salesian missionaries began offering vocational and technical training for these youth with the goal of helping them gain employment and life skills that would prepare them to live independently and support themselves. Today, there are five Salesian centers in the country offering basic education along with vocational and technical training. These Salesian centers have made critical partnerships with local businesses to ensure youth are able to make the transition from the classroom into the workforce. These partnerships also help tailor the Salesian skills training to meet local workforce needs.

Mozambique has made great strides in reducing poverty, according to the World Bank. But with nearly 50 percent of the population still living in poverty, progress has not been fast enough. Poverty is concentrated in rural areas, and even with growth within the country, the regions of Zambezia, Sofala, Manica and Gaza saw an increase in poverty in the 2000s.

More than 70 percent of those living in poverty reside in rural areas and rely on farming and fishing to make a living. The vast majority of the rural population lives on less than $1.25 a day and lacks basic services such as access to safe water, health facilities and schools.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Mozambique – Salesians ready to help rescue and reconstruction

MOZAMBIQUE: Salesian centers provide poor youth vocational and technical training for future employment

New York Times – No Roofs, No Roads, No Bread: Cyclone Devastates Parts of Southeastern Africa

The Atlantic – The Aftermath of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique and Zimbabwe

World Bank – Mozambique

The post MOZAMBIQUE: Salesian missionaries are responding with relief efforts in wake of devastating Cyclone Idai first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Youth shared their views on climate change, stressing the importance of raising awareness of the issue among their peers and highlighting what can be done to reduce their environmental impact. The event, which was broadcasted by the local NBC TV station, was organized in collaboration with the Social Communication Office of the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea-Solomon Islands, led by Salesian Father Ambrose Pereira.

“In Salesian programs around the globe, youth are focused on environmental causes, helping to make their communities and the world around them a better place to live,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs focus on providing youth an education and meeting their basic needs, but also go far beyond that, helping youth develop leadership skills and giving them a platform to discuss the issues they care about most.”

In addition to the work in Papua New Guinea, Salesian missionaries facilitate the Don Bosco Green Alliance which is an international collective of youth from Salesian institutions and organizations that contribute to global environmental action, thought and policy. The alliance focuses on creating an environment that is safe and caring for all life on the planet while raising up a new generation of environmentally committed citizens and leaders.

Salesian missionaries in Papua New Guinea provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guinean’s live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in the country. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Salesian students talk about climate change on the radio

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Salesian students from Don Bosco Technical School participate in interactive broadcast program talking about climate change first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Events kicked off on Mar. 19 with an initial meeting at the Edibosoc offices with Dr. Marcelo Mejía, delegate for Social Communications and director of Edibosco, greeting all those present. The purpose of this kick-off meeting was to gather the staff and learn more about their work. Salesian missionaries in Ecuador operate parishes, schools and other social welfare programs and Edibosoc helps to support all of this work.

To highlight the history of the publishing house, Marcia Peña, staff member at Edibosoc, highlighted the work of Father Natale Strazzieri, an Italian missionary residing in Guayaquil who wrote, “Manual of History of Ecuador,” for children. The book was initially published on Mar. 19, 1920 and espouses that “children and young people need to read in order to learn to think, speak, write and be free.” The publishing of this book marked the beginning of Edibosoc providing school textbooks.

The first day of the meeting concluded with an evening party in which the employees of the publishing house shared testimonies of their work. The next day, two lectures were presented that addressed some of the challenges the publishing house has faced from an educational and market point of view.

“Salesian missionaries in Ecuador focus on providing education, social programming and workforce development to help the country’s most vulnerable citizens,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Technical and vocational education is also provided to help youth gain the skills needed to find and retain long-term stable employment. Edibosoc and its social communication initiatives help to support the work of Salesian missionaries across Ecuador.”

Ecuador’s poverty rate was 36.7 percent in 2007 and dropped to 22.9 percent in 2016. These results show that 1.4 million Ecuadorians escaped poverty within nine years. However, many Ecuadorians still live in impoverished conditions. Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20 percent of the population receives almost 50 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives only 5 percent.

According to the World Food Program, almost 26 percent of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population are people of indigenous heritage. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Salesian missionaries have been providing education and other social programs for disadvantaged youth across Ecuador for more than 125 years.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ecuador – Towards the centenary of “Editorial Don Bosco”

UNICEF – Ecuador

The post ECUADOR: Salesian publishing house Don Bosco Editorial celebrates its 100th anniversary first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Together Chanwoo and Br. Bois opened a classroom at the St. Joseph’s Vocational Training Center sponsored by the graduates of the Seoul Don Bosco Center. The new classroom features 15 computers that will be used to teach CAD (computer-aided design). Brother Bois also gave lessons to the teachers to prepare them to teach classes.

Another classroom with 20 computers was opened, sponsored by a woman from Korea, and will be used to teach students how to use a keyboard to type in English and Arabic as well as learn the basic functions of the most commonly used computer programs. Brother Bois says, “What a joy it was to see all the computers turned on together.”

The support offered by Salesian graduates from Korea has grown each year. Last year, Salesian missionaries were provided two new lathes which were the first new machines the schools have had access to. Founded by Salesian Father Vincenzo Donati and brothers, Jim and Andrew Coming, the schools have lacked funding to purchase anything but second-hand machines which over time, have developed many problems. The Salesian vocational schools appreciate every bit of help from the outside in supporting their educational initiatives.

Brother Bois recalls, “I was at the St. Joseph’s Vocational Training Center in 1991–1992, and then too, the school only had a small budget. We could only buy second-hand machines. After we recruited 20 young people, I taught them for four months, then Jim Comino took my place. In collaboration with Fr. Vincenzo Donati, he developed the school until it was taking in 300 students.”

Brother Bois adds, “They also had a request from the local police to teach the boys from the prison. That very morning, two military trucks arrived at the school full of boys who were willing to learn the skills offered in the special courses prepared for them.”

One of the challenges facing the St. Joseph Vocational Training Center is a lack of qualified teachers. Most of the original teachers received their training at the center and had been recruited from refugee camps in the area that is now South Sudan. When South Sudan declared independence, the majority of teachers wanted to return to their homeland. Recruiting new teachers with the knowledge and experience in teaching practical subjects has been difficult.

A young Salesian missionary from India is currently working in the Sudan to bring the vocational training center back to what it had been, starting with the welding section where almost all the machines are close to unusable.

“We will try to see what we can do since we have still some of our budget left over. If we are called upon again and if it is the will of God, we are ready,” adds Br. Bois.

With more than 46 percent of its population living in poverty, the Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world, according to UNICEF. Low incomes and food deficiencies are commonplace and ongoing violence and civil unrest exacerbate already harsh conditions. Despite these challenges, more youth are in school today than ever before with school attendance up to 73 percent compared to 68 percent in 2008. There remain, however, some 3.2 million children between the ages of 6 and 16 out of school with the highest rates among nomadic populations, those living in rural areas and in the poorest households.

School enrollment and retention is affected by weak curriculum in Sudanese schools and inadequate educational materials and teacher training (according to UNICEF, more than 40 percent of teachers are untrained). Ongoing conflict and the high cost of education, particularly in rural areas where parents have to pay school fees, also affect enrollment rates.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Sudan – “What a joy to see all the computers turned on!”

UNICEF – Sudan

The post SUDAN: Salesian graduates from Don Bosco Center in Seoul, Korea initiate projects to help Salesian vocational centers in Khartoum and El Obedid first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The program is designed to assist young women who face adversity and are vulnerable to migration and human trafficking. Almost all are living in conditions of poverty, have been deprived of a basic education and have little or no support to learn how to become independent young women in society. Program participants have been rescued from various vulnerable situations all over Ghana.

Once in the program, the young women are able to take part in group and individual therapy and behavior management – all focused on empowering them to take back control of their lives and improve their self-esteem. There are also workshops that address personal hygiene, self-love, the importance of relationships and etiquette in a professional setting.

Upon completion of the first stage of the program, participating women advance to vocational training which is designed to help them learn a skill that will lead to stable employment. Skills training is provided in areas such as hairdressing, catering, beads-making and fashion design.

“The new Empower Women of Ghana program is ensuring young women have the support and nurturing they need along with the skills training to pursue self-employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “There are many barriers to education for young women and girls, but Salesian programs around the globe work to eliminate those barriers and provide education and skills training to all.”

In addition to this program, the Salesian Child Protection Center offers shelter, counseling and education to help children and older youth make the transition out of trafficking and into long-term recovery. Often arriving at the center injured, with low self-esteem and little hope for the future, many become comfortable and settled into their new surroundings within a few weeks.

Salesian missionaries also operate a technical school in the region that offers courses in five professional fields including electrical, IT, electronic, solar energy and accounting. More than 700 students attend the school’s three-year courses with about half of the graduates enrolling in university afterwards. Established 20 years ago, the school is now considered the best technical school in the metropolitan area of Accra.

The first Salesian missionaries in Ghana arrived in 1992 in the city of Sunyani and soon became known for their educational work, especially for at-risk children and victims of trafficking. Children face extensive hardships ranging from being exploited in child labor to being sold by their relatives, often to pay off a debt. In the Lake Volta region, it is estimated that there are approximately 21,000 children and teen laborers who have been prevented from attending school.

While Ghana’s economy continues to improve, nearly 45 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day, according to UNICEF. Ghana ranks 139 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Development Program’s 2015 Human Development Index. Rural poverty remains widespread in the dry savannah region that covers roughly two thirds of Ghana’s northern territory. Small-scale farms suffer from a lack of infrastructure and equipment, both of which are needed to shift from subsistence farming to more modern commercial farming which would yield greater incomes and a chance to escape poverty.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Ghana – Don Bosco empowering trafficked young women

UNICEF – Ghana

The post GHANA: New Empower Women of Ghana program is providing counseling and skills training to help young women achieve independence through employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Green Alliance’s priorities are combating pollution, reducing global warming and eliminating disposable plastics. In each of these areas, the Alliance aims to partner with ongoing global campaigns promoted by the United Nations Environment Program (UN Environment) or other international organizations.

Members of the Alliance have undertaken such initiatives as environmental education to increase green areas and planting trees, the reduction of the use of non-degradable materials, promotion of organic agriculture and home gardens, preservation and conservation of water and increasing the use of renewable energy sources.

In the Salesian Tiruchy Province, Eco Clubs have also been founded. These clubs, which consist of 20-25 youth and are coordinated by an adult educator, meet once a month for training on environmental issues. The clubs also plan ecological activities and instill in youth an aptitude for eco-sustainable behavior, encouraging them to always evaluate the long-term consequences of their actions. In 2017 alone, Eco Clubs planted 5,350 trees.

The Don Bosco Green Alliance has also launched the Green Campus Campaign, inviting all members of the Alliance to strive towards achieving ten benchmarks. These benchmarks include starting a green campus committee, zero litter, waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable travel, avoiding plastic pollution, healthy food, enriched biodiversity and green procurement.

“The Don Bosco Green Alliance is working to create an environment that is safe and caring for everyone while empowering a new generation of environmentally committed citizens and leaders,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “With more than 1.2 billion people, India’s growing population is putting a severe strain on the country’s natural resources. The Don Bosco Green Alliance and other initiatives are working to combat this in their home country as well as across the globe.”

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – RMG – The young Creators of Change in the world: a possible future

Don Bosco Green Alliance

The post INDIA: Don Bosco Green Alliance provides education and facilitates activities aimed at making the world a cleaner and healthier place to live first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The jury members who evaluated the projects came from technology companies, polytechnic universities, professional associations and public administrations. The projects were presented and evaluated at a Salesian sports center in Zaragoza, Spain with the awards presented at the center’s auditorium.

Javier Sirvent, specialist in digital transformation at the Salesian center, facilitated the awards ceremony and presented the prizes. The Mario Rubio Award, a tribute to the Salesian creator and promoter of the Don Bosco National Award, is presented each year to a person with a renowned professional career. This year the award was presented to Amado Franco, president of the IberCaja Foundation, a local nonprofit that promotes social and cultural projects.

The Don Bosco National Award is an acknowledgment of entrepreneurship, teamwork and innovation. Since its creation in 1984, the competition has made an important contribution in the field of education and in the relations between academia and business. The Don Bosco National Awards is a showcase for entrepreneurial initiatives applicable to future company projects.

“The Don Bosco National Award wants to be more than a prize,” says Father Juan Bosco Sancho, director of the initiative. “This competition aims to be a stimulus and a point of transformation for those who participate. For students and teachers, it is an incentive for innovative skills, to become aware of the importance of research and explore the possibilities of contributing to the improvement of society.”

Salesian centers in Spain operate close to 50 vocational and technical training centers that employ 1,300 teachers and offer 17,000 students a chance to gain an education. All Salesian centers have the support of companies from a variety of business sectors to give students real-world work experience.

Close to 37 percent of young Spanish workers under the age of 25 are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. Poor youth with few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment. Women in Spain face inequality in the workforce. They earn up to 14 percent less than men and represent only 34.5 percent of those listed as the highest earners in Spain.

Salesian missionaries have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth and women in Spain through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Spain – Don Bosco National Award reaches 1000 innovative projects presented during its history

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: The 32nd Don Bosco National Awards evaluated 45 innovative projects developed from Salesian training centers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

FUSALMO is a Salesian-run organization that offers traditional and non-traditional educational opportunities for at-risk youth in communities in San Salvador, El Salvador. Through recreational programs, enrichment opportunities in the arts and music, vocational training and more, youth are encouraged to stay off the streets, learn to cooperate and co-exist and gain the skills they need to become productive, contributing members of a more peaceful society. Founded in 2001, the organization has positively impacted the lives of more than 265,000 children and their families.

FUSALMO works to address the root causes of poverty, inequality and violence and give youth a chance for a better life in their own communities. Through the organization’s Don Bosco Youth Integral Program, three sports centers were developed in Soyapango, San Miguel and Santa Ana, benefitting more than 55,000 youth. The sports centers offer safe spaces to connect with peers and supportive adults and access to training on topics including creating a culture of peace, vocational guidance, adapted physical education, sports, technology, labor and culture.

“FUSALMO develops educational activities that allow youth to discover their vocational specialties,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through the organization’s sports centers, youth are provided with comprehensive educational tools and the foundation of promoting a culture of peace within their homes and broader communities.”

FUSALMO was the recipient of USAID funding to take the educational model developed in its sports centers and create a program that is provided to 664 schools in high-risk areas. The organization received its funding from the Foundation for Salvadoran Integral Education (FEDISAL), the primary USAID partner, who had engaged several organizations in this initiative. Through the program, FUSALMO provided participating schools assistance in sports, technology, art, culture and education about coexisting in peace.

“These Salesian programs are working to ensure that youth have the opportunities they need to gain an education and develop skills for employment, allowing them to remain in their home country,” adds. Fr Hyde. “Salesian missionaries focus on prevention. They address the root causes and reasons people leave their countries and provide programs to help youth gain the opportunities at home they seek elsewhere. This improves their lives and their communities as a whole.”

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014 when compared to the same time period the year before. In 2016, San Salvador was named the murder capital of the world, seeing more murders and violent crime than any other city. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country, and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and a sense of family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

Crime is often associated with poverty and close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty, but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in El Salvador is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

Salesian Missions operates a U.S.-based fund in support of FASULMO. Donations can be made at www.salesianmissions.org/fusalmo.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – El Salvador – Opening of summer activities of FUSALMO oratory in Soyapango

FUSALMO

Salesian Missions (USA) – FUSALMO

World Bank – El Salvador

The post EL SALVADOR: FUSALMO launches summer activities at Salesian oratory with soccer tournament for 125 youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The recipe book was inspired by Margherita Occhiena who was the mother of St. John (Don) Bosco and cooked for many young people from the Turin-Valdocco district in Italy. “It is a tribute to her and to all mothers who take care of their children even by cooking a ‘good meal,’” says Father Giovanni d’Andrea, president of the Salesians for Social Affairs. “The project was also a way to be in solidarity with the women welcomed in the House of Women, which we support in its activities and is aimed at helping victims of violence or with serious family difficulties.”

The four women – Paola, Sabrina, Sara and Miriam – wrote the recipes, expressing in the book’s pages their desire to live and rise again, and also to share their painful experiences which are much too common even today. The House of Women Center was established in 2004 through an initiative of the Italian Social Reinsertion Committee of which the Salesians for Social Affairs is a member.

The city of Messina is among Italy’s poorest with high levels of unemployment and a lack of social services. The House of Women Center acts as a safe house where young women can access psychological, legal and medical support. Above all, it is a place where they can raise their children in peace.

In addition to providing hospitality, the center offers vocational training and job placement services. Thanks to a donation, the center also has an industrial kitchen which in recent years, has allowed resident women to start a catering service and become more economically autonomous.

In 2017, the region of Sicily had to cut its funds for anti-violence centers and was asked to sell the building where the House of Women is located. The managers of the House of Women have launched the #1CASAPERILCIRS campaign with the aim of buying the building so they are able to continue to provide services.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – “Mamma Margherita’s Recipes” for the rebirth of women victims of violence

Salesians for Social Affairs

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

The post ITALY: Women who have faced violence now living at Salesian House of Women Center released recipe book in honor of International Women’s Day first appeared on MissionNewswire.

While there is much talk about Peru’s economic growth, this is not reflected in the remote villages in the country’s interior. Salesian missionaries report that Calca’s poverty rate is very high and the community also has high rates of child malnutrition and family violence. Access to education for children and older youth living in the valleys is very limited. Many of these children walk up to four hours a day during their commute to and from school and are exposed to dangers such as sexual abuse, abduction for the purpose of human trafficking and induction into child prostitution.

The Don Bosco Home is part of the larger Red de Casas Don Bosco initiative which serves hundreds of children and older youth, offering them a home, food, education and spiritual and psychological support. Red de Casas Don Bosco includes 11 boarding homes in the cities of Ayacucho, Arequipa, Cusco, Huancayo and Lima (Breña and Rímac) as well as the Cusco Alto Andinas missions including Ampares, Calca and Quebrada Honda. At the Don Bosco Home, minors receive hospitality but also the opportunity to grow up in a familiar and cheerful environment where they can attend workshops, after-school courses and sports-related activities.

Recently, Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Home have developed a new music workshop that will provide both a cultural and psychological benefit. This program will help youth embrace their roots through the study of folk songs while supporting their psycho-physical well-being through music. Participating students will attend the course twice a week for two hours of lessons each session.

Traditional pan flutes in addition to triangles, wooden bass drums and modern musical keyboards will be utilized. The Don Bosco Home is in the process of raising funds to purchase the musical instruments (and is seeking donated instruments) in order to successfully launch the program.

“Given the struggles in many communities across Peru, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities for education as well as access to safe places to play and connect with adults and their peers. They need to have all of their basic needs met as well as the support required to allow them to focus on their studies and learn new skills.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families for many years. They have also helped with rebuilding efforts after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Peru – Growing up with music: the goal of the Salesians in Calca

Don Bosco Mission

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Home develop new music program for youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project takes place in Kami, Cochabamba, and will impact more than 200 people including young people and those living in rural areas as well as the Andean population. Through agriculture training, the project aims to help families in rural communities who are living according to an economic model of mere subsistence, move into a more developed productive system of farming.

The village of Kami, nestled high in the Andes Mountains, faces extreme isolation from the rest of the country. A persistently cold climate coupled with negative health effects faced by residents due to the tungsten mining industry that drives the local economy, make for harsh living conditions. Residents of Kami have an average life expectancy of just 40 years. Before Salesian missionaries first arrived in the village in 1977, illiteracy rates were extremely high.

With the exception of mining, the sole source of income and sustenance for families in Kami is farming. The new project will help contribute to improved farming methods including better ways to raise animals and increase fish production in the village. Residents will learn new ways to farm potatoes and catch freshwater fish, especially trout, and to improve the quality of pig meat, both for the community’s own consumption and for retail sale. In addition, a producer association will be created to support the development of sales strategies and a marketing plan to improve their competitiveness.

At the same time, the technical training of the workers of the Kami Salesian Center in the field of agricultural machinery repair will be improved so that families do not have to go to the city every time machinery breaks down.

Solidaridad Don Bosco has developed the project with the Salesian Planning and Development Office and in collaboration with the Salesian San José Obrero Center of Kami which was opened in 1980 to provide secondary education, vocational training and health care to area residents. The two-year project is also supported by the Agency for International Development Cooperation of Extremadura.

“Through the project, Solidaridad Don Bosco aims to reduce poverty in the area and promote gender equality through joint training,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This kind of collaborative project ensures people will have access to quality training to help them gain the skills needed to improve their lives and their community.”

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to UNICEF, 60 percent of Bolivians live below the poverty line with 40 percent of those living in extreme poverty. The poverty rate is higher in rural areas where the rate increases to 75 percent of the population. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure in place.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Bolivia – Project started to improve production in rural communities

UNICEF – Bolivia

The post BOLIVIA: New project provides farming and fishing training to residents of remote village of Kami first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Currently, Sahnpa has no real church because the structure was crushed by a falling tree during a bad storm in 2016. To avoid the complete dispersion of the community, one of the members of the village has made a room in his house available for Sunday meetings.

“On our recent visit, one villager beat on a wheel rim of a truck which serves as a bell to summon people, more than a dozen gathered and were surprised to see a priest, but extremely happy they had not been forgotten,” adds Fr. Castellino.

After the Catholic Mass, Fr. Castellino was brought to see the place where the church stood and where the community intends to rebuild it. The area is currently an expanse of brushwood but there are reconstruction materials including blocks of mud, cut and stacked timber and metal sheets ready to use. Father Castellino notes, “They need more funding for materials to start the construction.”

For work on the church to resume, the site needs to be cleaned up and cement, tools and construction materials need to be acquired. To raise funds, Fr. Castellino asked community members to make a donation and send it to him. He adds, “We will try to do something to make sure that with the arrival of the rains, this community has a roof under which to gather to pray and grow in faith.”

Another local Salesian missionary made the trip to Zeah. Once there, he discovered that village residents don’t have a church building but instead celebrate mass under a Palava Hut, a kiosk used for village meetings. “With the church or without the church, faith survives! But we commit ourselves to doing something for them too and to visit them a little more often,” concludes Fr. Castellino.

Salesian Missions has been working in Liberia since 1979 when it opened its first vocational technical institute there. An estimated 64 percent of Liberians live below the poverty line and 1.3 million live in extreme poverty out of a population of 4.6 million, according to World Food Programme. Food security is also affecting 41 percent of the population making chronic malnutrition high.

The country was devastated by the recent Ebola outbreak with 10,678 people affected and 4,810 reported deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Salesian missionaries worked to unite vulnerable Ebola orphans with relatives or with educational programs to provide much needed ongoing care. Other Salesian programs provide food, medical care and education to Ebola orphans and former child soldiers.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Liberia – Living the faith in the peripheries … of the forest!

World Bank – Liberia

The post LIBERIA: Salesian missionaries visit remote villages of Sahnpa and Zeah after more than a year first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Included in the project was the construction of a well and water tank at the Mother Margherita House to improve water access and the fencing in of a horticultural area. In addition, the project provided funding to support the education of 30 girls as well as training for the education staff, including 12 interns, who help run the program.

Joseph Olipoh, an educator at the Mother Margherita House said, “The support and training for educators was very useful, as was learning about the psycho-social development of children and how to educate them according to their age.”

Another educator at the program, Akouvi, noted, “The children have many emotional needs. It is not enough to love. We must make them feel that they are loved because when they feel loved, they open their hearts to tell you everything that happened to them and what leads them to do inappropriate things.”

Salesian programs in Togo provide participants a place to live, nutritious meals and counseling along with education and job skills training. The goal is to help youth develop a sense of hope for their future and learn the skills necessary to lead independent, productive lives.

“Education has proven to be an effective means of breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty while giving the most vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Training that helps educators is critical to ensure that they have the skills needed to teach children who are most in need of an education. Teachers must not only learn how to teach a specific subject, they must also learn how to deal with children who are coming from very difficult and complex situations.”

Father Hyde added, “When children have a strong educational foundation, they can move on to vocational and technical training programs that help them become contributing adults in their communities. These schools go above and beyond educating. They also assist youth in making connections within industries while preparing them for the process of searching, finding and retaining employment.”

More than 80 percent of Togo’s rural population lives in conditions of poverty making the country one of the world’s poorest, according to UNICEF. Children in the country suffer the most with close to 50 percent of those living in poverty under the age of 18. One in eight children will not reach their fifth birthday and the number of children who drop out of school because their parents cannot afford to educate them is high. Children are also often forced to work in exploitative and dangerous conditions in order to help support their families.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Togo – Lomé childcare project successfully completed

UNICEF – Togo

The post TOGO: Spanish Solidaridad Don Bosco completes project supporting the Salesian-run Mother Margherita House in Lomé first appeared on MissionNewswire.

As the second largest island in the Philippines, Mindanao main island together with adjacent islands has a population close to 25 million. The residents comprise many religions and cultures with the majority being Catholic Christians and others being Muslim and Animist religions. According to Save the Children data, the poverty of Mindanao is striking with close to 40 percent of Mindanao children suffering from hunger and malnutrition.

The Sacred Heart parish and Mary Help of Christians parish serve 3,000 and 2,500 families respectively and between the two, nearly 300 lay mission partners are involved in stewardship.

Don Bosco Mati was entrusted to the Salesians in 1998 and over the years has established itself as a resource for the community which is made up of mostly poor and marginalized families. The Don Bosco Training Center in Mati has served more than 2,000 youth since its launch in 1992.

The Salesian Family at Don Bosco Mati has been slowly growing. Today, there is also an active Don Bosco Alumni Association that helps with projects and other needs within the parish and school. The synergy between the parish and the hundreds of committed lay people make the work at the vocational training center and other social programs run smoothly and effectively.

Don Bosco Buda is the humblest Salesian structure in the whole of the Philippines. It is located in the Bukidnon highland and serves the Lumads, the original Mindanao indigenous people. The Don Bosco Buda training center and its social work for rural indigenous people has slowly developed since 2004 and programs are currently being operated by two resident Salesian missionaries. Together with 15 lay mission partners, they are educating 14 boarding high school students.

“Salesian missionaries are working diligently to meet the needs of poor and indigenous families on the island of Mindanao,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries provide education and workforce development paired with other social services to help poor youth break the cycle of poverty and have hope for the future. The programs across these Salesian missions are helping youth to improve their lives and in turn, improve their communities.”

Since 1950, Salesian Missions has been providing crucial help in the Philippines—working with at-risk youth, impoverished families and disaster victims. Humanitarian agencies warn of the dangers faced by the most disadvantaged children in the Philippines. According to UNICEF, there are at least 1.2 million children between the ages of 5 and 15 who are out of school and are being left behind. In addition, children born into the poorest 20 percent are almost three times more likely to die during their first five years as those from the richest 20 percent.

Salesian missionaries, supported by funding from Salesian Missions, were on the forefront of disaster relief during reconstruction after the Nov. 8, 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) devastated the country. According to United Nations estimates, 11.5 million people were affected by Haiyan and close to 1 million were displaced. More than half a million were homeless and living in the streets among the debris. Salesian missionaries mobilized all resources and efforts to aid the victims of this and other disasters.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Philippines – Young People of Mindanao are waiting for the Salesians

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Salesian missionaries provide education and social programs at three missions on island of Mindanao first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Project activities begin during the school year with project staff gathering information about Salesian programs that are most in need and then presenting the information to Salesian center directors, heads of educational centers and other Salesian employees in order to facilitate support and assistance among the Salesian centers.

In this first phase, a video is shown that presents some of the work that will benefit from a collaboration. Some families that are paying tuition to attend Salesian schools are able to offer an additional monthly donation in order to help fund these collaborative projects. This donation is a way for families who have the means to help give back and support those who don’t.

Recently, the “Amarrando Redes de Solidaridad” project launched a video presentation about its work with the Salesian San José Vocational Training Center in Salta, Argentina. In 2015, the center started a new educational program through the Salesian house Ángel Zerda in agreement with the Ministry of Education.

Launched to meet the needs expressed by unemployed youth and adults as well as those with incomplete studies, the San José Vocational Training Center offers short courses with immediate work opportunities and skills certification.

In the first year, 150 students, both men and women between the ages of 18 and 35, participated in coursework. The students came from poor neighborhoods in Salta and struggled with complex challenges such as criminal records, dependencies or past family violence.

In this Salesian center, vocational and technical training has become an instrument and an opportunity for educational, social and productive reintegration and a way to improve the quality of personal and family life for the students.

“The center currently offers young people courses in plumbing, painting for construction, electricity and advanced electricity. The courses we offer are short and provide a quick exit, so that the young can work immediately,” says Gimena Carrizo who works at the San José Vocational Training Center.

Daniel Núñez, who is enrolled in the electricity course, says, “This is a great opportunity for us, a complete course for young people who need it. Right now, it’s a great benefit for me because I do not have a job.”

Salesian programs across Argentina are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country prepares youth for technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help meet the basic needs of poor youth and their families by providing shelter, proper nutrition and medical care, helping youth to engage in their education and have hope for the future.

More than a quarter of the people in Argentina live in conditions of poverty with no formal employment and poor-quality education, according to the World Bank. The country’s high school dropout rate is close to 37 percent and youth account for a third of those unemployed. Almost 12 percent of children aged 5 to 17 are working instead of in school and 20 percent need government assistance. Many face malnutrition, a lack of clean water and sewage and inadequate housing.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Argentina – “Tying Networks of Solidarity”: project to support projects for young people

World Bank – Argentina

The post ARGENTINA: Salesian Blessed Artemide Zatti Province of Northern Argentina solidarity project aims to support local Salesian centers in the region first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Saint Francis High School Salesian College Preparatory provides students with the foundations of lifelong learning including logical and creative thinking skills, promoting awareness of social justice and peace and appreciation and respect for others. The school has 251 students enrolled for 2018-2019 school year.

The trip was an opportunity for students to learn more about Salesian programs in Mexico and give back to those in need. Since 1987, the Salesian Center in Tijuana has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the Tijuana Salesian Project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who are offered a familiar and welcoming environment in addition to much-needed material help. Migrants can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower and an opportunity to call and make contact with family. The center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

Those dreaming of being reunited with their families in the U.S. and those deported from the U.S. often arrive at the center with very little. Each day the Padre Chava Refectory serves 900 to 1,200 meals with numbers increasing during Christmas, Easter and summer. Recently, the numbers have been increasing due to the influx of migrants. Salesian missionaries are already serving their maximum number of 1,200 breakfasts and they are preparing to continue at that pace. In preparation, they are engaging 200 volunteers and additional supplies.

The Padre Chava Refectory also helps migrants obtain or manage their official papers and documents and plays a very important role in caring for the Haitian migrants who have flocked into Tijuana. In addition, Padre Chava acts as a hub for care packages such as food and clothing that has been sent as aid to those in Mexico in response to recent earthquakes in the country.

“This was a great opportunity for Salesian high school students in the United States to give back to those in need right across the border,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students had an opportunity to gain some hands-on experience working to serve a community in need. The experience and skills they gained while at the Salesian center will carry over into other work they do in their lives.”

The border between the U.S. and Mexico spans 1,969 miles and has more than 20 checkpoints along its route. Constant migration is taking place between the two countries with Mexican migrant workers traveling to U.S border towns seeking employment. Immigrants from both countries cross back and forth in addition to undocumented Mexicans being repatriated.

Many border towns feel the consequences of social and political tensions between the two nations. They are plagued by crime and violence such as the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, money and people. Salesian missionaries have been working in Mexico and in these border towns for more than 25 years and have recently increased cooperation between the Salesian Province of Mexico-Guadalajara and the Province of USA West. The goal is to work together to address the increase of violence and insecurity in the region and launch proposals for education, social integration, drug prevention and combating the effects of organized crime.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Mexico – Twelve students of “St. Francis High School” on a mission to Tijuana

St. Francis High School

UNICEF – Mexico

The post UNITED STATES: Salesian students from St. Francis High School volunteered at Salesian Center in Tijuana first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Cagliero Project fosters cooperation and support among the different provinces with volunteers having also worked in Thailand, Cambodia, Samoa and Zambia. The project gives volunteers an opportunity to contribute to the local Don Bosco missions and serve the poorest and most disadvantaged children in their programs.

“It’s an honor to be one of the first volunteers of the Cagliero Project in East Timor,” said Collins. “I have certainly received a fantastic welcome, and I’m determined to help as much as possible and at the same time learn from the local community. The pre-novices of Los Palos are very interested in improving their skills in English and are really curious about Australia. Here there is a real cultural crossover.”

Collins added, “There is a unique link in history between Australia and East Timor and the Cagliero Project is now further strengthening this link.”

Salesian missionaries and Salesian Sisters living and working in East Timor operate educational programs, three orphanages for poor and homeless youth and a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“The welcome at the Don Bosco Centec Vocational Training Center in Dili-Comoro has been unique,” said O’Brien. “Here I help three young Salesians with English lessons. In particular, we make prayers and readings in English to improve the language, so they will be prepared if they want to study abroad.”

Collins and O’Brien want to emphasize how much they were amazed by the great faith of the people of East Timor. “It’s striking to see how much faith there is in the Timorese, despite the difficult conditions of life. This is undoubtedly the fruit of constant missionary activity in this land,” they said.

East Timor is home to 1.26 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 133 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2016. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 42 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – East Timor – Los Palos and Dili are first destinations of Australian Volunteers of Cagliero Project

Cagliero Project

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: Two Australian volunteers are working in Los Palos and Dili as part of the Cagliero Project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“We want to be formed, but they want to mutilate our future, kill our dreams,” said the Salesian students at a press conference. “We are fed up with promises. Education should not have only one color, but the colors of our flag.”

More than 100 pre-enrolled students could not start their first-year lessons at the center because of insufficient funding. Faced with the lack of government support for teachers, about 300 people including students, teachers and parents blocked Route 7, the national route of Paraguay, with stalls.

The students asked the Ministry of Education and Science to assign resources to the vocational courses for electro-technicians, agricultural mechanics, general mechanics and agro-mechanics. The Salesian technical school offers more than 300 students a high school education that is unique in offering this kind of coursework.

The students’ studies were interrupted because of a lack of funding from the government. Salesian Father Pablino González, director of the school, has noted that the Departmental Education Coordinator, Eligio Martínez, has provided support for more than 1,800 hours of teaching and that there is a commitment to increase resources in the coming months. The municipality also promised a monthly monetary contribution.

On Feb. 21, a resolution was signed in which the District Municipal Council declared an “Educational Emergency” to accelerate efforts to obtain the resources the school required. School lessons were then able to continue on Feb. 25.

Ceferino Ruiz, Director General of the Ministry, along with Father Mario Villalba, provincial of the Salesian missionaries, will host a round table discussion on the issues. This will also be attended by Martínez; the supervisors, Francisca Benítez de Rios and Gill Montiel; the deputy, Blanca de Caballero; the mayor, Digno Caballero; and student representatives and Father Pablino González.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Paraguay since establishing a church in Asunción in 1896. Through the years, missionaries have operated educational programs to help advance the skills and knowledge of the indigenous population in the area while promoting strong cooperation with leaders of the indigenous culture. Local Salesian programming supports laws in favor of the indigenous populations, the recovery of original lands, sustainable development, the appreciation of cultural values in each ethnic group and the fostering of internal leadership.

Paraguay is among the poorest countries in South America. According to UNICEF, almost 23 percent of its population of 6.5 million people live in poverty earning less than $1 per day. The gap between the small upper class and the large lower class is extreme and offers virtually no social mobility.

Conditions of poverty drive youth into early labor and a lack of literacy, in addition to a weak educational foundation, compounds the problem. Those in poverty face overcrowding, low quality housing and a lack of access to basic household services. Paraguayans who only graduate from primary school are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who have access to and complete secondary school.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Paraguay – Protests from students and parents: “We want to be formed, but they want to mutilate our future, kill our dreams”

UNICEF – Paraguay Statistics

World Bank – Paraguay

The post PARAGUAY: Salesian students from the María Auxiliadora Salesian Technical School hold protest to ask government for funding to support teachers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In addition, Preca was given a copy of the documentary, “Love,” and the book, “Girls with No Name,” from Augusta Ngombu-Gboli, a teacher who was once helped by Don Bosco Fambul. Ngombu-Gboli shared her story with President Preca and described how she went from living on the streets and involved in prostitution to becoming a teacher and entrepreneur thanks to Don Bosco Fambul. Ngombu-Gboli shared her dream of opening a restaurant and inviting Preca for lunch. The President was visibly touched and noted that while she has a 27 year-old daughter, she now feels she has found another daughter in Augusta. Preca provided Ngombu-Gboli her personal email and phone number to stay in touch.

The documentary, “Love,” is short film directed by Goya prize winner, Raúl de la Fuente, that tells the stories of many young women like Ngombu-Gboli. It captures the work of Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Fambul, one of Sierra Leone’s leading child-welfare organizations located in the capital city of Freetown. A Don Bosco Fambul program is helping hundreds of girls forced into prostitution by poverty or neglect.

Father Jorge Crisafulli, director of Don Bosco Fambul, launched the program in September 2016 as part of the organization’s Girls Shelter with the aim to search for girls in their workplaces where they are surrounded by alcohol and drugs and at risk of danger and exploitation. The goal is to offer them shelter, health care, nutrition and education and whenever possible, to reintegrate them back into their families.

Father Crisafulli said, “At Don Bosco Fambul, we are committed to making these girls understand that the situation in which they find themselves is not their fault, and that they can start again, dream of a better future and make their dreams come true because they are unique, wonderful, each a work of art made by God.”

Close to 200,000 young girls and older women were sexually assaulted during Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war, according to UNICEF. And although the war has stopped, the sexual violence against women continues. Young women are at risk for sexual violence, trafficking and forced pregnancy, among other atrocities. Today, one third of girls are forced into marriage and often sexually assaulted by their husbands before their 15th birthday. In addition, 90 percent of girls are subjected to female genital mutilation. The Girls Shelter at Don Bosco Fambul, which has been in operation for five years, was developed in response to this crisis.

Salesian missionaries, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been victims of sexual assault. Girls that access services at the shelter are also able to attend educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network of programs. These educational programs give young women the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ASN – Malta – “Now I have a daughter in Sierra Leone”: touching encounter with President of Malta

UNICEF – Sierra Leone

Crux article: In new film, girls rescued from prostitution are ‘heroes of the story’

Catholic News Agency: Film shows Salesians’ work to rescue girls from prostitution in Sierra Leone

View the film on YouTube

The post SIERRA LEONE: Former Salesian student presented the documentary “Love” to President of Malta and told her story of support from Don Bosco Fambul first appeared on MissionNewswire.

During the event, Sella highlighted the critical role the Salesians of Don Bosco play in the empowerment of young migrants through employment-oriented vocational training. Sella noted that Salesian educational programming enables young migrants to acquire skills they can use to empower their own communities in their countries of origin should they choose to go back. Calling this process, “circular migration,” Sella said that the training is important in addressing the global challenge of migration.

The event was moderated by United Nations interns, Genevieve Pinnington and Greta Hunt. Joining Sella were young panelists who included: Morgan Thobe, youth engagement fellow from UNICEF; Apefa Adjivon, founder and executive director of The Pearl Project; Saphira Rameshfar, representative to the Baha’i International United Nations office; and Devopriya Dutta, coordinator at Tarumitra.

The group highlighted the initiatives each of them had undertaken to empower young people through education, employment and environmental action, emphasizing these as important elements of social protection.

Questions from the participants to Sella helped to highlight the work of Salesian missionaries and Salesian founder, St. John (Don) Bosco, which invests in the young, especially those from marginalized communities, so that they emerge empowered as leaders to secure a future for themselves and their communities.

Several Salesians were present at the event who emphasized the global presence of the Salesian mission. They included: Bishop Miguel Angel Olaverri Arroniz from Congo; Father Alphonse Owoudou, provincial of ATE (Congo); Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions in the United States; Father Piotr Gozdalski also from Salesian Missions; Father Sebastian Chirayath from Kenya; Father Joseph Amal from Australia; and Father Thomas Pallithanam, the Salesian UN representative.

The side event was planned as a launch for the upcoming High-Level Political Forum in July that will be reviewing the same themes of education, employment, environment, inequality, peace and justice and international cooperation along with the overarching themes of empowerment, inclusion and leaving no one behind.

The panelists, responding to a final question from Fr. Pallithanam as to what would be their specific policy from global governance to addressing gaps, and the issues of education, employment and environmental action, reiterated that in addition to better implementation of existing policies, there is a need to involve young people in policy-making.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – UN – TVET Initiative and Circular Migration – Critical Intervention for Empowering Young Migrants

The post UNITED STATES: Salesian representatives discuss empowering youth through education at side event during United Nations 57th Session of the Commission for Social Development 2019 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The educational center will offer vocational training for youth to provide them the skills needed to find and retain stable employment. Chiara Marciani, the public councilor in charge of vocational training, noted that the choice to offer a professional training path is more important now than ever given the number of youth leaving school before completion.

The Riva Association, a local group that provides and directs funds to socially useful projects in the region, has provided funding to the Salesian vocational training center to ensure it has the organizational capacity it needs for teachers and supplies. Its funding, combined with the Salesian missionaries’ experience and passion for education, has made the new vocational school a success from the standpoint of education, professional coursework offered and meeting the needs of the local economy.

The school will begin by offering two courses, one in motor vehicle repair and mechanics and one in logistic system operation and warehouse management. Father Fabio Bellino, director of the Salesian Oratory of Naples, has said, “This project is especially important for those who live in situations of marginalization and difficulty. It is a path out of poverty.”

In Italy, young people who are unemployed and not in school or training programs represent 20 percent of the population. Vocational training is as an educational path that serves as a highly effective bridge between work and school.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – “Possible futures”: vocational training starts again at Don Bosco center in Naples

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

The post ITALY: Salesian missionaries launch vocational training courses at the Don Bosco Educational Center in Naples first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Culture and community are an integral focus of our work with youth around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This festival is an example of the kind of opportunities Salesian missionaries provide to youth to highlight who they are and where they come from and to encourage them to celebrate their differences and many talents. Events like these work to build character, self-esteem and cultural pride as well as educate the surrounding community.”

Don Bosco Nest offers residential care for street children and aims to combat child labor through education and prevention. Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Nest provide child rights education and vocational training courses in subjects that include computer applications, sewing machine operator, garment making and tailoring. In addition, the center offers internship opportunities, job placement, counseling and sports.

Salesian programs across India have been working with migrants of all ages in both educational and residential settings and by setting up special programs to meet their needs. In 2017, Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Veedu Society in Trivandrum launched a new initiative called, “Shramik Kalyan Kendr” (SKK), which serves as a help desk for young migrant workers living in Trivandrum. The initiative was begun in response to the many migrant workers arriving at East Fort Junction as early as 5:30 a.m. to wait for potential employers to offer them work and to bargain for their day’s pay. The new SKK initiative reaches out to this large migrant population and provides services to them directly.

Before the program was launched, Salesian missionaries spoke to migrants and assessed what services they needed and then modeled the program to meet those needs. Through the SKK program, the Don Bosco Veedu Society now provides access to medical care, secure employment, language classes and assistance addressing grievances.

Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Veedu Society also help youth and children at risk including child laborers, child beggars, runaways and those living on the street, in conflict with the law, from an abusive background or unaccompanied or lost. The organization has four main centers where missionaries provide shelter, counseling, vocational programs, skills training and rehabilitation programs for street youth.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – India – Young migrants participate in “Don Bosco NEST” Youth Festival

INDIA: New Salesian Migrant Help Desk Joins 7 Others Across India Helping Migrant Workers Connect to Vital Services

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: Don Bosco Nest Center holds youth festival for 250 young migrants first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Lakbir has been working on his own for almost 10 years running his company, Omh Soluzioni Tecnologiche, in the town of Cavallerleone. The company provides services to mechanical production companies in the provinces of Cuneo and Turin. Lakbir is grateful for his Salesian education and says, “They have helped me a lot in my role as an entrepreneur. My technical and human formation was guided during the three years I attended.”

When talking about his past and arrival in Italy, Lakbir notes, “I joined my family in Sommariva Bosco about 25 years ago. My father, who had arrived from Morocco, was working at a company in Ceresole d’Alba when we reached him in Piedmont. I remember with pleasure the elementary schools with the teachers who helped us a lot. I also remember with gratitude the Salesians of Bra who educated me, even if I am of a different religion from the Christian one, and they trained me as a technician.”

Lakbir’s testimony highlights the importance of quality education. He adds, “I have learned a lot from the Salesians, both from a professional and a human standpoint. I’m of foreign origin, but thanks to this education I managed to fit perfectly in the production sector in which I have been operating for many years.”

During the graduation ceremony for young students of Salesian vocational schools, Lakbir received a prize from the general director of the National Salesian Center for Vocational Training and Ongoing Education located in Piedmont. During his speech, Lakbir addressed the students who have attended similar workshops to the ones he completed. He noted, “I wish all the students present to find their way to work as I did. I thank the Salesians of Bra again for what they have provided to me on my path to success.”

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – Hadidi: from Morocco to businessman via Salesian education

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

The post ITALY: Entrepreneur Hadidi Lakbir attributes his success in life to his Salesian education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Established in 2009, PAAPI has been providing basic health care to indigenous people while collecting data on home visits and promoting preventive medicine. The student volunteers funded the recent trip themselves with revenue generated by promotions and events and were accompanied by Dr. Marcella Rolim, a Salesian past pupil. Together they set up a clinic in the villages to take care of the local population and talk to them about general health care and personal hygiene.

During the trip, about 7,000 medicines and 600 hygiene kits were delivered by volunteers to the two villages. In addition, pregnant women and children received vitamins and the doctor examined patients with specific medical problems.

“We made house visits in which we created a medical history and did physical examinations to all those who received care,” says Cindy Buchmann, a student who coordinates the project with her colleagues. “We asked them how they felt, if they had any pain, their personal clinical history, measured their blood pressure and recorded the blood sugar of diabetics and those who had diabetes-like symptoms.”

Buchmann added, “We also held conferences in the Salesian mission on diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, depression and alcoholism. Every day we also played with the children and offered a snack, after which they brushed their teeth with the hygiene kits we brought.”

This year for the first time, Dr. Rolim took part in the project as a specialized doctor. She had already been on a PAAPI trip in 2014 as a medical student during her fourth year of studies. She says, “I learned about the project thanks to faculty friends and I fell in love with it. When I arrived in the villages, I had another surprise. I was welcomed into a Salesian mission. A happy coincidence, because I had studied my whole life in a Salesian school and I was happy to be able to give back all the teachings and values that helped me in my formation and allowed me to get where I am today.”

According to Daniela Saad, one of the student volunteers, participants left knowing they were able to help and educate the indigenous people in the villages while also taking home a life lesson. She explains, “The project gives us 10 days to help the indigenous people of Mato Grosso in the best possible way, but the truth is that these few days are already enough to make us learn to give more value to our lives. What a lesson in life, gratitude and emotion.”

Salesian missionaries in Brazil provide education, workforce development and social services throughout the country and 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 have fallen 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.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Brazil – Celebrating ten years medical students offer missionary voluntary service

World Bank – Brazil

The post BRAZIL: Medical students offer health clinics and prevention education in Salesian mission and surrounding villages first appeared on MissionNewswire.