(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries, with the support of the Salesian International Volunteering for Development (VIS), are committed to helping Eritrea’s reforestation process. A recent grant to VIS from the headquarters of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation will provide funding to plant 2,000 native trees on one hectare of land in the Dekemhare area. Olive trees, pines, acacias and other local plants will be used. The initiative is also seeking private donors so more trees can be planted.

Eritrea, like all Sub-Saharan African countries, is suffering the consequences of climate change in addition to water scarcity, which is leading to desertification. The advance of the desert is aggravated by deforestation practices. In response, the Eritrean Ministry of Agriculture has established that 200,000 hectares of territory must be dedicated to reforestation.

One Salesian missionary noted, “The goal is not only to plant trees, but to help the soil regenerate, conserve water, preserve habitats for local fauna, and develop rules and criteria for proper management. The entire Eritrean population, including high school students, local communities, adults and the elderly, have been called on to participate in this initiative. Several local communities have started projects aimed at protecting the environment including our VIS volunteers.”

The government’s goal is to reach 10% reforestation by 2027 across the country. Eritrea has joined the “Great Green Wall” initiative to plant trees on the borders of the Sahara and prevent desertification, which will serve to stop the emission of 250 million tons of CO2.

The Salesian project is also engaging 40 women selected from among those living in vulnerable conditions, including unemployed and/or single women leading their family as well as victims of violence and discrimination. Each woman will receive basic training for environmental care, gardening and reforestation activities and will be provided with tools and other useful materials for their work. The women will be paid for their work, allowing them to be able to earn an income to help support their families.

Eritrea has a population of approximately 5.5 million, of which 69% is 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% to the country’s economy, it employs nearly 80% of the population. Only 12% of the 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 – Salesians and VIS on the front line against desertification

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Eritrea

The post ERITREA: Tree planting initiative creates jobs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries working at the Don Bosco Technical School in Dekemhare, a town roughly 25 miles southeast of the capital city of Asmara in Eritrea, have been able to buy two cows and food items thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Don Bosco Technical School provides education to 400 boys and girls. The school offers technical courses in automotive work, general metal, general mechanics, carpentry, building construction, woodwork or furniture making, electricity, electronics, and surveying. In addition, students take information technology and academic courses. Each trade course of study is two years long and at completion, students sit for a national exam. They also enter into military training for six months and are assigned a job by the government.

In addition to the technical school, Salesian missionaries have aspirant training and a youth center.

Overall, Salesian missionaries hope to have funding for additional cows and to enlarge the barn to increase the self-sustainability of Salesian initiatives.

“This is now three cows we have been able to buy with Salesian Missions funding and it’s greatly helping our program,” said Father Abba Petros Abraha, a Salesian missionary at the technical school. “The project of raising cows is so that we will have the income to sustain our community and our technical school. The vision is to be self-sufficient in the long run. We have launched some initiatives like the production of furniture for sale and planting vegetables to reach our vision. We are also selling milk to our neighbors, which has been going well.”

The East African nation of Eritrea has a population of approximately 5.5 million, of which 69 percent is 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 the 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:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Eritrea

The post ERITREA: Funding to buy cows aids school’s self-sustainability efforts first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Eritrea since 1995. Their mission is focused on education in order to provide youth with skills for employment to support themselves and their families.

Salesian missionaries have a very busy center in Decamerè with a guest house, an aspirantate, a public chapel, an oratory serving more than 600 youth, and Don Bosco Technical School, which currently educates close to 400 students.

The school offers technical courses in automotive, general metal, general mechanics, carpentry, building construction, woodwork or furniture making, electricity, electronics and survey. In addition, students take information technology and academic courses. Each trade course of study is two years long and at the completion, students sit for a national exam. They also enter into military training for six months and are assigned a job by the government. To date, Don Bosco Technical School has educated 2,384 students in various technical disciplines.

Salesian missionaries now need to install two reservoir tanks and a hydraulic system in the mission, otherwise it will become difficult to continue providing the programs and services the community has come to depend on for education and social support.

“Water is essential for life and Salesian missionaries have made it a priority to provide clean safe water for those its serves,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Improving water access brings a sense of dignity to communities, gives people access to safe drinking water and promotes proper hygiene. This reduces the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools and programs, keeping them away from important study time.”

The East African nation of Eritrea has a population of approximately 3.5 million, of which 66 percent is 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 the 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.

In addition, more than half of the population is under 15 years old, but the school system is inadequate. In order to have access to higher education, students are forced to follow the national service program, a sort of military/civil service initially designed for a year, but since 1998, rendered indefinitely. For all these reasons, around 4,000 people flee the country every month.

###

Sources:

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

ANS – Eritrea – A little water to benefit a large, great mission

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Eritrea

The post ERITREA: Salesian missionaries launch project to bring clean water to Salesian center in Decamerè first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Don Bosco Technical School provides education in various trades to 400 boys and girls. The school offers technical courses in automotive, general metal, general mechanics, carpentry, building construction, woodwork or furniture making, electricity, electronics and survey. In addition, students take information technology and academic courses. Each trade course of study is two years long and at the completion, students sit for a national exam. They also enter into military training for six months and are assigned a job by the government.

In addition to the technical school, Salesian missionaries have aspirant training and a youth center. Overall Salesian missionaries hope to have funding for additional cows and to enlarge the barn in which they are kept.

“The cow that we have purchased is heavy for six months, and we will be able to milk it after three months,” explained Father Abba Petros Abraha, a Salesian missionary at the technical school. “We have three more cows already with calves. At the moment, we are extending the stall because it is too small.”

He added, “The project of raising cows is so that we will have the income to sustain our community and our technical school. The vision is to be self-sufficient in the long run. We have launched some initiatives like the production of furniture for sale and planting vegetables to reach our vision.”

The East African nation of Eritrea has a population of approximately 5.5 million, of which 69 percent is 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 the 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.

Salesian Missions has this project in Eritrea and others around the globe that need funding on their website at https://salesianmissions.org/act-now/give/current-projects-funding-opportunities/.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Eritrea

The post ERITREA: Don Bosco Technical School in Dekemhare receives funding to buy a cow to help aid self-sustainability 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.

There is great difficulty in sourcing an adequate water supply in the area. The three wells that have been built over the years are unusable. Two are polluted and the third has a reservoir that is completely cracked. There is an urgent need to intervene immediately as residents are being forced to leave the region to find water.

Dr. D’Amore has coordinated with a team of Italian technicians to help plan the project as well as met with the head of the water department of Asmara for the required permits. Salesian Father Petros Abraha, the head of the Salesian delegation in Eritrea, has worked within the community on preliminary excavations and has connected with local village leaders regarding water management after the well is built. Once an aquifer is identified, drilling, pumping tests and chemical-bacteriological analysis can be carried out.

Salesian missionaries are now in need of funding to complete the well, install the photovoltaic panels which power the pumping system, lay the pipes and place two fountains in the different areas of the village chosen as supply points.

“Having access to clean water is essential for the health and safety of those we serve around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “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.”

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 30 percent higher than today. UN-Water also indicates that around 1.9 billion people live in potentially severely water-scarce areas. By 2050, this could increase to around 3 billion people.

For those who have no access to clean water, water-related disease is common with more than 840,000 people dying each year from water-related diseases. Women and children often bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households and globally, spend 140 million hours a day collecting water. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells.

###

Sources:

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

ANS – Eritrea – Water well for survival of a rural community

World Water Day

The post ERITREA: Salesian missionaries collaborate with Italian doctor to develop new clean water source in Degra Mereto village first appeared on MissionNewswire.