Residents are isolated, and even government officials and first responders are cut off from the outside world and struggling to assess the full scope of destruction to the island. CNN reports that the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration has confirmed that 4,000 members of the U.S. Army Reserves have been deployed to the island to help with Hurricane Maria recovery.

Salesian missionaries have six Salesian communities in Puerto Rick including two in San Juan and one in the communities of Catano, Aíbonito, Aguadilla and Orocovis. Salesian sisters are also working in the communities of Aguadilla, Orocovis and Santurce. Salesian missionaries are reporting that all communities have been affected. Information is challenging to get but what is known is that there are damages, including roof and water damage, to the physical structures in the Salesian centers of Cataño and Cantera in San Juan.

Because of the extensive communication challenges on the island, getting information to Salesian centers outside of Puerto Rico has been challenging. Salesians within Puerto Rico are having difficulty reaching one another. To date, there is still no word or updates from the Salesian communities of Aíbonito, Orocovis and Aguadilla.

“Puerto Rico has been devastated by the passage of the hurricane with 100 percent of the island without electricity. Many people have lost their homes,” explains Father Adan Marrero, a Salesian missionary in Puerto Rico, through a WhatsApp message. “The Salesians have suffered damage to infrastructure, sports grounds, schools and community residences, but we thank God for all the colleagues and our beneficiaries are safe.”

Fr. Marrero also sent some pictures of the parish house, the parish and San Francesco of Cataño. He also explained that calculating the cost of the damage is difficult at the present time because many transmission towers have fallen. They are without electricity so they are unable to truly assess the needs of the community.

Salesian Father Jorge Santiago from the Salesian Center in Cantera was able to communicate the needs in San Juan at this time. He noted the community was in need of medications, canned food, drinking water, mattresses and bed lines, and wood. As they are able, Salesian missionaries will continue to assess the needs of Salesian programs and the communities in which they serve and provide additional information about the relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

In response to the several devastating hurricanes in 2017, including Hurricane Irma and Maria, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco have launched a new hurricane fund to support Salesian programs in countries affected by these devastating storms. Those who want to support these efforts are urged to make a donation online at salesianmissions.org/give-hurricane.

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Sources:

ANS – Puerto Rico – Hurricane Maria damages thousands of homes and the Salesians prepare to help

ANS – Puerto Rico – The worst was not the hurricane, but the floods, the destruction and the lack of communications

CNN – Hurricane Maria: Puerto Rico officials describe ‘apocalyptic’ conditions

The post PUERTO RICO: Millions affected by Hurricane Maria and in need of assistance, Salesian missionaries prepare to assist first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Hurricane Irma affected communities across the Caribbean Islands, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the entire state of Florida. Salesian missionaries report that more than 20,000 people are displaced in the Dominican Republic with some areas still experiencing flooding. Nearly 1 million people in Puerto Rico lost power, and news reports indicate that parts of the island could be without power for up to four to six months. Power outages in Cuba are widespread and expected to last for a while. Buildings have been flooded and agriculture fields have been heavily damaged with crops destroyed.

There are concerns about another cholera outbreak in Haiti as sanitation and clean water access remain a concern. Close to 30 people have been known to have died and thousands have been displaced from their homes and places of work. Millions of people, about 62 percent of residents in Florida, remain without power.

Salesian missionaries are actively working in several communities within these countries with their local resources to assess damage and how many people are in need of humanitarian assistance including shelter, food, clean water and assistance with long-term needs like rebuilding. Funding raised will help these efforts both in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma and for the long-term in these local communities.

At the Salesian parish in Belle Glade, several of the buildings are damaged from water leaks and the playground is damaged from falling trees. But still, Salesian missionaries are working to focus on the needs of their community, which are extensive. They report that many of the field workers will not be able to return to work until the fields are dried out, which could take up to two weeks. Salesian missionaries have been providing food from their pantry, as well as ice that still remains from before the power went out. Most of the Salesian parishioners are returning from out of state, many of whom were forced to travel with limited resources.

“Salesian missionaries are a trusted resource in times of crisis and have the logistic capabilities to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those who need it efficiently and effectively,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Around the globe, Salesian missionaries are proactively preparing for impending storms by helping people secure their homes, relocating them to safe shelters and gathering as many supplies as are available. And even after the news cameras leave, Salesian missionaries remain providing clean drinking water, food, blankets and crucial life-saving services.”

From Hurricane Matthew in Haiti in 2016 and the earthquake in the country in 2010 to humanitarian disasters in Nepal, India and more, Salesian missionaries are on the front lines assisting people and working to rebuild homes and livelihoods. Those who want to help victims of Hurricane Irma are urged to make a donation online at SalesianMissions.org/give-hurricane.

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Sources:

New York Times – Damp, Dark and Disarrayed, Florida Starts Coping With Irma’s Aftermath

Salesian Missions

*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 UNITED STATES: Salesian Missions sets up fund to aid Hurricane Irma humanitarian relief first appeared on MissionNewswire.

On May 23, militants from the Maute group launched a large-scale attack on Marawi City, which destroyed and burned down the cathedral of Mary Help of Christians and many other buildings. The group kidnapped many Christian citizens as hostages and the number of deaths in the clashes has risen to more than 500, primarily militants but also soldiers and at least 45 civilians.

Many people were forced to evacuate their homes and as a result have little in the way of clothing and personal items. According to a lay coordinator with the Social Action of the Archdiocese of Cebu, there are approximately 4,000 displaced families, with an average of five members per family registered by the Cagayan de Oro City Social Welfare and Development Office. The families have been staying temporarily with their relatives with no work and with limited resources.

A volunteer from the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro disclosed that most of the victims, especially the children, youth and women, have been suffering from trauma. Besides being provided with basic needs, the evacuees also need psychosocial intervention to help them cope with their experiences and prevent the onset of post-traumatic stress.

The relief items were distributed to the evacuees on July 13 under the care of the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish in Barangay Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City in collaboration with the Social Action Center of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro headed by Father Saturnino Lumba and Father Doroteo Rabuyo Jr. The parish priest and his staff actively worked together with the Barangay Chairman Hon Wilhelm Valencia and others during relief distributions. Salesian missionaries were the first to provide relief intervention in the area.

“Salesian missionaries were able to immediately assess the situation on the ground and move into action providing assistance and relief,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian centers and programs across the Philippines provide for poor youth and their families. The focus is on education, but Salesian missionaries know that they must work to meet basic needs first so that youth can focus on their studies. Because missionaries live in the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis.”

The humanitarian aid that was provided to families in Marawi City was made possible through the collaborative efforts of several Don Bosco houses, organizations and lay partners including Don Bosco Provincialate, Don Bosco VisMin Employees Multipurpose Cooperative, St. Louis School-Don Bosco-Dumaguete, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes-Cebu, Don Bosco Pasil-Cebu, Don Bosco Technical Institute-Victorias and other generous individuals. The organizing team is also grateful to the families of Rafraf T. Escaño and Jerome A. Escaño who helped in the logistics in Cagayan de Oro City.

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Sources:

ANS – Philippines – Relief Drive for Marawi

The post PHILIPPINES: Salesian Missionaries Provide Humanitarian Aid to Families Affected by Recent Violent Clashes in Marawi City first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Washington Post and other sources on the ground report that upwards of 500 people have died and more than 600 are still missing. More than 3,000 people have been impacted by the flooding with homes washed away and many losing everything. Because Salesian missionaries are living in the communities they serve, they were among the first to respond with shelter, aid and coordination for relief efforts going forward.

“The situation was total chaos as Sierra Leone is not ready for these emergencies and the government is overwhelmed. There are just a handful of machines to remove the earth and mud so rescue work is done by hand,” says Father Jorge Crisafulli, director of Don Bosco Fambul.

“As each day passes, we gain a clearer perspective on what is required, but even now it is clear that there is a need for medication, clothing and food. These are the basic necessities for the care of the children in this first phase of the emergency.”

Don Bosco Fambul has already started to care for children who have lost their families. Right now, the Salesian organization has 260 children in its care who have either lost their families or who have been separated from them and unable to reach them. Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesian of Don Bosco, has sent emergency food aid from Feed My Starving Children to help address the need for food for additional children at the organization.

Salesian missionaries are also helping other survivors of the flooding. Women and other youth have accessed the program. Don Bosco Fambul will be accommodating 81 mothers with their children who have lost their homes due to the flooding. The government has asked Don Bosco Fambul to accommodate the displaced for two months to allow them to find a permanent solution for the homeless. Salesian missionaries are also helping those who have been injured because of the flooding. One boy who is being cared for by Don Bosco Fambul was so severely injured he had to have his foot amputated.

Fr. Crisafulli notes that the organization will continue to assess the ongoing situation and determine what relief efforts will be needed in the upcoming weeks and months to help orphaned children and families recover and rebuild from these devastating floods.

Don Bosco Fambul has been operating in Freetown since 2001, when it launched its work with child soldiers. Today, the organization offers food, clothing, crisis intervention services, shelter, educational opportunities, long-term counseling and family reunification. The organization was on the forefront of efforts to help prevent Ebola in communities throughout Sierra Leone and provide care for children left orphaned by the deadly epidemic. Don Bosco Fambul received Sierra Leone’s Presidential Award in recognition of its contribution in fighting Ebola.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

ANS – Sierra Leone – “We have started receiving survivors”: an endless story of death and suffering

ANS – Sierra Leone – Rain, flood, dead, missing: Don Bosco Fambul will host needy children

Washington Post – Hospital officials: Nearly 500 dead in Sierra Leone mudslides

The post SIERRA LEONE: Don Bosco Fambul Provides Aid Following Flood, Mudslides; Salesian Missions Sends Emergency Food Aid first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“In two days, we weighed more than 300 children and found that more than 200 of those children, between 3 and 6 years of age, are malnourished. Of those, 170 are in a situation of a severe malnutrition,” a Salesian missionary working in Gumbo reported. “It was like a bad dream, we did not expect that the situation could be so serious. We are providing food and water and want to monitor them for two weeks and see how they develop. But all this proves the very serious situation that people live in Gumbo, as they do not have the means to access the food, not even for the younger ones.”

Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo and across South Sudan, including Salesian Sisters with Mary Help of Christians, continue to work within their networks around the globe to access additional humanitarian aid. In Gumbo, Salesian missionaries have two camps that currently have more than 1,000 families (roughly 10,000 people) who have been displaced. They also assist hundreds of families in the surrounding neighborhood who are starving due to the present crisis. At the Salesian church compound in Wau, Salesian missionaries are providing shelter and assistance to 2,500 people and reaching out to thousands of others displaced within the city.

“At Gumbo, the situation is quieter and we continue to carry out our activities including classes with children, activities with women, an agricultural project, but in other places like at Wau and Tonj there has been looting, conflict and deaths in the past few days,” says the Salesian missionary. “However, the most curious thing is that, despite the situation, mothers and children are eager to learn and play. They have so much life. Perhaps the world leaders will realize it and change their hearts.”

Responding to the ongoing civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan. They have been continuing their educational and social development programs in communities across the country while also responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

Salesian missionaries across South Sudan will continue to assess this ongoing situation and work within their own global organizations and their international aid partners to bring humanitarian aid to its programs and people of South Sudan.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco has a special appeal to assist those in need in this part of the world. To help, go to SalesianMissions.org and select “Africa Drought Crisis Fund” on the donation page.

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Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – The Salesian mission at Gumbo takes care of hundreds of malnourished minors

FAO – Famine hits parts of South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Continue Relief Work for Those Affected by Conflict and Famine first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian Bishop Luciano Capelli reports that 63 houses in local villages, built with traditional materials, have been damaged and others will have to be rebuilt. Poor telecommunication infrastructure in the area has made it difficult to quantify the full extent of the damage caused by the earthquake. Bishop Capelli is seeking support for children and families directly affected by the earthquake. He is in need of supplies such as tarpaulins, water purification tablets, buckets, soap, sanitation products, mosquito nets and tents.

“The kindness and support of people abroad strengthens and encourages the local people in the face of adversity and helps to restore a sense of optimism in families as they recover from their losses. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a real difference,” said Bishop Capelli.

Salesian missionaries provide primary and secondary education as well as technical training and workforce development to poor youth in the Solomon Islands. In addition, missionaries provide supportive social development services to help youth meet their basic needs so they can focus on their schooling. Salesian missionaries live and work in the communities they serve so they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis and ensure that aid reaches those most in need.

“Most of the students who attend Salesian programs in the Solomon Islands are from poor families and have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through Salesian schools, students are getting a second chance to acquire skills that will enable them to find a job and support themselves and their families.”

For example, at the Don Bosco Rural Training Center in Tetere Bay, 40 women and 44 men are enrolled at the school to learn farming and other high demand trades. Courses are offered in planting and care of crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, root crops and fruit trees, as well as basic fish farming and forestry. There are also courses in basic mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, computer skills and dressmaking. In addition, literacy and music classes are available in the evening.

With almost 40 percent of the population living in poverty, the Solomon Islands is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific region, according to UNICEF. About 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 perpetuates 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 health 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.

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Sources:

Salesians – Australia – Pacific

UNICEF – Solomon Islands 

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Salesian Missionaries Working to Rebuild After 5.2 Magnitude Earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Due to torrential monsoon rains, water levels of five rivers—Kalu, Kelani, Gin, Nilwala and Attanagalu Oya—rose submerging vast expanses of land and causing significant damage. The flooding brought by the rains, which started May 25, is believed to be the island’s worst flooding in 14 years. Salesian missionaries in Sri Lanka set up its own Disaster Mitigation and Relief Unit in its provincial house due to the threat to the country from torrential rain, cyclones, floods, landslides, heat waves and droughts, which have been occurring on a more frequent basis.

“Because Salesian missionaries are living in the communities where they are providing education, workforce development and social development services, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The new unit developed with the Salesian program allows missionaries to be well-equipped for disaster preparedness to effectively mitigate foreseeable and predictable disasters, coordinate relief work, and help with post-disaster resettlement, if needed.”

Salesian missionaries are currently helping families affected by the most recent flooding and landslides. They are in urgent need of dry rations such as rice, dhal, bottled water, tea leaves, milk powder, baby food, canned food and ready-to-eat packaged food such as biscuits, bread and jam. They are also in need of hygiene items such as soap, toothbrushes, sanitary goods, bed sheets and clothing. Other nonprofit partners who work in collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Sri Lanka, like the Conference of Major Religious Superiors, have also turned to the missionaries for assistance.

The local Don Bosco Center is also providing the support of its students in the electrical, plumbing, welding and civil engineering programs to help repair homes and rebuild those that can’t be salvaged. This both allows students to put their skills to work in the field and helps support families in need.

“We are hoping that anyone that can help us in this time of crisis will so that we are able to provide assistance for as many families in need as possible,” says Father Joseph Almeida, provincial of Sri Lanka. “Many people in the area have suffered a terrible loss with their homes and personal possessions destroyed. Salesian missionaries are here to help with the immediate relief and help them rebuild their homes and lives.”

Nine out of 10 poor people in Sri Lanka live in rural areas, according to the World Bank. More than 40 percent of the country’s rural poor are small-scale farmers with farm production often hampered by neglect and low investment levels resulting from poor financial services and limited technology. Sri Lankans are affected by a significant lack of infrastructure including roads, electricity, irrigation systems and communication channels. In several areas of the country, seven out of 10 people have no access to electricity and almost half of the population does not have access to safe drinking water. Malnutrition among children is also common.

Salesian missionaries have been operating in Sri Lanka since 1956. In 1963, missionaries set up their first technical institute and since then have established 17 more in locations across the country.

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Sources:

ANS – Sri Lanka – Call for solidarity following floods

NPR – Monsoon-Triggered Mudslides, Floods In Sri Lanka Kill More Than 90 People

World Bank – Sri Lanka

The post SRI LANKA: Salesian Missionaries Provide Relief After Devastating Floods and Landslides first appeared on MissionNewswire.