ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Center, located in Shire, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia*, provides education and support to youth who are vulnerable, orphaned, or poor through school and computer courses. In early March, Don Bosco Shire, in collaboration with the Sisters of St. Jeanne Antide Thouret and the Daughters of Charity, organized a humanitarian food distribution for internally displaced people.

The Tigray area has been plagued by war, and many areas are still occupied by the military. Even the areas currently free of conflict have been left with serious damage. Since the signing of a peace agreement in November 2022, the situation is slowly returning to normal, but it has left around a million people displaced and thousands of refugees in Sudan.

“In most cases, the territories are still not free,” explained a Salesian working in the area. “But wherever possible, we want people to return to a normal life in their villages. The challenge is that many people who want to return to their homes are now faced with them destroyed, their agricultural land abandoned and all their assets lost. We are working to help people return to a normal life in their villages as soon as possible when it’s safe to do so.”

The food initiative supported the most at-risk groups, particularly pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers, whose nutritional needs are urgent. More than 200 people from different internally displaced communities in Shire received food assistance. Each beneficiary was provided with Famix (a food supplement to combat malnutrition in children), salt, sugar and edible oil.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38% of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85% 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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – Don Bosco, Shire, distributes food to vulnerable internally displaced persons

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

UNHCR – Ethiopia

*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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Five young innovators from Don Bosco Gambella in Ethiopia* are transforming agriculture through their start-up, Afri Tech Eng. All five youth are graduates of Don Bosco Gambella, and their journey from student to start-up reflects the values and skills they learned through their education.

Afri Tech Eng has been tasked with designing and manufacturing essential agricultural machinery for local farming communities. These machines were entirely designed and manufactured in Salesian workshops and will be distributed across nine sub-districts of Gambella, helping to boost agricultural productivity through technology that is both locally relevant and affordable.

Father Lijo Vadakkan, director of Don Bosco Gambella, expressed his deep appreciation for the young innovators and their work. He said, “What we have seen over the past two months is a clear example of what young minds can achieve when focus, dedication and hard work come together.”

Salesians have been operating Don Bosco Gambella for 51 years, providing education and support to the local community. They work to ensure that youth have the education and skills needed to find and retain long term employment. Students are also encouraged to use their skills to improve their local communities.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38% of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85% 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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – From the classroom to the workshop: young innovators promote local agricultural solutions in Gambella

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

*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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) More than 2,500 families across eight communities in Ethiopia* had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The families have been impacted by the ongoing strife in the Tigray region of the country.

A Salesian explained, “The war started in November 2020. Until the peace agreement was reached in November 2022, there were active clashes between the federal military and the regional force, and hundreds of thousands of people died on both sides. The food shortage began around November 2020, coinciding with the start of the conflict in Tigray. As the war unfolded, it worsened food access and contributed to the broader humanitarian crisis.”

Salesian missionaries have been a crucial lifeline for war-affected people in Tigray, operating primarily through established communities in Mekelle, Adigrat, Adwa and Shire. Salesians address immediate humanitarian needs while also focusing on long-term recovery and resilience.

This donation was sent in partnership with Flexport.org, which managed the shipping and funded the shipping costs. Salesian Missions will partner with Flexport.org for additional upcoming humanitarian aid shipments.

Salesians have also organized and distributed food baskets containing essentials like wheat, rice and oil to tens of thousands of internally displaced persons and families facing food shortage-like conditions. They are running programs for the most vulnerable, especially malnourished children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, providing high-nutrient food like fortified flour to combat acute malnutrition. They are also providing non-food items like blankets, mattresses and other items.

With infrastructure broken, Salesians have taken on projects to restore clean water access. They are currently working to repair damaged wells and boreholes in order to provide a more sustainable water source for local communities.

In addition, Salesians are providing education to children and skills training for older youth and adults. A Salesian explained, “Education is at the heart of what we do in these communities. Salesians have been instrumental in getting schools functional again by providing books and pens, repairing damaged classrooms, and paying incentive salaries for teachers who otherwise wouldn’t work. For children who have missed years of schooling, we also provide informal classes for internally displaced people, setting up temporary learning spaces to help them catch up. For older youth and adults, we provide access to skills training with short technical and vocational courses and startup kits to help them generate a small income.”

Salesians were in these communities well before the war started and will be there long after it’s done. The existing trust with the community means that Salesians can often operate when international non-governmental organizations are unable to gain access. This has been critical in assessing nutritional needs and ensuring that food shipments reach people most in need.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

*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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Gambella in Ethiopia* held a soccer tournament in celebration of the 50-year anniversary of Salesians working in the region. The Jubilee Premier League soccer competition brought together various organizations to participate in 12 teams that were created. The event was attended by more than 1,000 people.

The opening match was between the two nongovernmental organizations of World Vision and ZOA. The ceremony was presided over by Alemitu Omod, president of the regional state of Gambella, and Dr. Gatluak Ruon, vice-president. In her opening address, Omod praised the Salesians and recalled the contributions of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia.

A Salesian explained, “The championship matches will continue for almost three months, ending near the feast of Don Bosco in January. The event brought great enthusiasm to the city, thanks to the wide coverage on local media and social networks. On the occasion of the Jubilee Year, a small shrub was also planted and President Omod visited the local Salesian center.”

The Salesian community in Mekele marked another milestone during the jubilee. The school held its first graduation after a five-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic and civil war. The graduation was significant in the region’s journey toward recovery.

The Salesian added, “The Salesian community’s commitment to education and empowerment has been a beacon of hope in the region. Even during the hardest of times of war in the region, the four Salesian communities of the Tigray region always stood with the people and for the people, offering the assistance and the aid that was much needed during that time. As the Salesian congregation embarks on this milestone anniversary, it reaffirms its dedication to serving the people of Ethiopia, fostering education, skills development, and holistic growth.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38% of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85% 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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – A football tournament at Don Bosco Gambella for the 50th anniversary of the Salesian presence in the country

ANS – Ethiopia – Salesian community celebrates first graduation after 5-year hiatus

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

*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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) A water-well project in the Gambella region of Ethiopia* is supported by Salesians and the nonprofit organization Cuore Amico. Father Filippo Perin, a Salesian missionary, facilitates the project to open as many wells as possible to ensure the population’s survival, according to a recent article in Vatican News.

According to the article, 100 wells have been built in Gambella with the support of the Catholic Church, the Cuore Amico Fraternità Foundation, and many private individuals. There are plans for more.

Gambella is home to many different ethnic groups as well as South Sudanese refugees living in eight refugee camps. The life expectancy in the region is below age 50, and the area is faced with drought and famine. People clash, sometimes to the death, over a jug of drinking water, according to the Vatican News article.

Fr. Perin told Vatican News, “Only 14% of the population has access to drinking water, so it is not uncommon for bloody clashes to break out between villages over water. That is why one of the first things we felt was most urgent was to raise funds to dig wells. The costs, however, are high. Just to bring the excavating machine to this impervious and isolated area requires 3,000 euros, and the cost for the digging work is also expensive, but it saves people’s lives.”

Fr. Perin explained to Vatican News why the project is so important to him. “There is a lack of food; people have only one meal a day. There are no hospitals, and the local clinics only distribute two medicines: paracetamol and amoxicillin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic for various types of infections. Nothing else. Young people and children fall ill and die from diseases that are curable in other parts of the world. There are no schools; education is not even a priority for governments, so it is often entrusted to the church or NGOs that perform this important task as best they can. The children don’t have books or notebooks to write in but they have a great desire to learn. Not to mention the climatic situation: from December to June the temperatures are over 40-45 degrees and there is no rain, so agriculture suffers a lot.”

During his 16 years in Gambella, Fr. Perin has opened new parishes and raised money for 30 wells. He also found a company that provides the equipment to dig during the dry months. Otherwise, in the rainy season everything is too flooded and the roads are impassable. The technicians do an inspection to find the perfect place for the well and then dig. They also build a cement base with a pump to bring the water up.

The Vatican News article explained, “When the first water comes out, the whole village erupts in celebration. Women arrive to fill their jerrycans, some drink, some shower, some play with the water like crazy, some dance with joy! They all stand around the well for hours and realize what a great gift they have received!”

Supplies are limited and there is always the risk that the water will run out. Fr. Perin noted, “It is important to ensure that the well is well maintained. The inhabitants are instructed on the correct use of the crank handle but it often breaks and then we have to call the company again to try to repair it but this involves other expenses, more money.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38% of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85% 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.

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Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

Vatican News – Ethiopia and its life-giving water wells

*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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Mission Office in Madrid has launched a project for the reconstruction and support for the return of people displaced by the conflict, especially women and girls, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia*.

The project aims to help hundreds of people return to villages and cities. The Tigray area has been plagued by war and many areas are still occupied by the military. Even the areas currently free of conflict have been left with serious damage. Since the signing of a peace agreement in November 2022, the situation is slowly returning to normal, but it has left around a million people displaced and thousands of refugees in Sudan.

“In most cases, the territories are still not free,” explained a Salesian working in the area. “But wherever possible, we want people to return to a normal life in their villages. The challenge is that many people who want to return to their homes are now faced with them destroyed, their agricultural land abandoned and all their assets lost. We are working to help people return to a normal life in their villages as soon as possible when it’s safe to do so.”

The project is helping families who want to and can return to their homes, have access to hygiene, health, protection and well-being. “We will rehabilitate homes and provide them with basic necessities for home and hygiene,” explained Raquel Fuente, coordinator of International Cooperation at the Salesian Mission Office.

One of the bigger challenges is to ensure the availability of food by improving the health and food security of families. The Ethiopian government and local authorities have declared a famine emergency in the Tigray region. This makes the fight for food security a priority. The project will help families with agricultural and livestock activities. The aim is to recover agricultural land and support people with the necessary training, seeds and tools.

Fuente added, “We will also work on the healing of traumas after the horrors of two years of open conflict and the losses suffered. This will increase individual resilience, but also social cohesion. Working for a culture of peace and reconciliation will be fundamental for the success of the restarting of the population and for the development of the region.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38% of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85% 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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – Overcoming the war and rebuilding the Tigray region

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

UNHCR – Ethiopia

*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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) The Global Solidarity Fund project, set up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia*, has helped improve the lives displaced of women and men, refugees from other countries, street children, and other vulnerable people. The project has brought together the five religious congregations of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesian sisters with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Ursuline Sisters, Missionaries of Charity and Jesuits through the Jesuit Refugee Service.

Launched at the end of 2020 in Addis Ababa, the network has also brought together businesses, investors, philanthropists, international bodies and governments in support of these efforts. Migrants and refugees from other African countries add to the more than 4 million inhabitants of Ethiopia’s ever-expanding capital city. According to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are over 924,000 refugees and asylum seekers residing in Ethiopia. A majority originate from South Sudan*, Somalia and Eritrea. In addition, there are 3.5 million people internally displaced in the country.

Under the project, Salesian missionaries and sisters have been responsible for providing skills training and job preparation, something the Salesians are known for around the globe. Courses were offered in tailoring, fashion design, hairdressing, domestic help, leatherwork, welding, electrical skills, carpentry, IT, graphic design and printing. More than 70% of those who have taken courses have already found work and companies are excited for the skilled labor.

Through the Sisters with Missionaries of Charity House of Charity in Addis Ababa, young women who are displaced and are facing unplanned pregnancies are able to give birth there with the help of the sisters. They can stay for up to three months with their children. In that time, the sisters help prepare these young women for motherhood and to access training for employment.

Derartu Karle trained in tourism management and asked for the sisters help after becoming pregnant from a sexual assault. She has been supported through the pregnancy and in 2023, obtained a Cisco computer certification after a course at the Mary Help College. Within a few days, she found work as a data coder at a beauty school in Lewi and currently lives at the Nigat Centre with her young daughter.

Endashaw Tesfaye, who came to Addis Ababa to look for work thanks to the Missionaries of Charity, studied welding at the Salesian Mekanissa Center and is now a supervisor in a workshop. He lives alone and struggles to pay the rent, but he looks to the future with confidence.

Salesians also support migrants and street children at the Don Bosco Children Center. Youth are often picked up each morning by Father Angelo Regazzo, economer of the community, and taken to the program to learn more about it and possibly choose to join.

“Migrants and youth do not have money to go to school or be trained,” said Father Yohannes Menghistu, rector of the Salesian community. “At the Don Bosco Center they can study from morning until three in the afternoon. Before, however, we could only give them a certificate and help them look for a job, but today, thanks to the Global Solidarity project, they have many more employment opportunities in companies and can also be helped to open their own business.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38% of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85% 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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – The Global Solidarity Fund project that changes the lives of many migrants and refugees

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

UNHCR – Ethiopia

*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 ETHIOPIA: Fund improves lives of vulnerable people first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) The Global Solidarity Fund project, set up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,* has helped improve the lives of more than 1,500 returning migrants, refugees and those internally displaced in the country, according to an article by the Vatican News. The project has brought together five religious congregations including the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesian sisters with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Ursuline Sisters, Missionaries of Charity and Jesuits through the Jesuit Refugee Service.

Migrants and refugees from other African countries add to the more than 4 million inhabitants of Ethiopia’s ever-expanding capital city. According to UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, there are over 924,000 refugees and asylum seekers residing in Ethiopia. A majority originate from South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea. In addition, there are 3.5 million people internally displaced in the country.

Under the project, Salesian missionaries and sisters have been responsible for providing skills training and job preparation, something the Salesians are known for around the globe. Courses were offered in tailoring, fashion design, hairdressing, domestic help, leatherwork, welding, electrical skills, carpentry, IT, graphic design and printing. More than 70% of those who have taken courses have already found work and companies are excited for the skilled labor.

Abebech, an Ethiopian mother who arrived in Addis Ababa from Zwai in search of work, was taken in with her baby by the Missionaries of Charity. She then studied cutting and sewing at the Mary Help College of the Salesian Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and now works in a clothing company.

Lydija Worku, owner of Emmanuel Garment, explained to Vatican News, “Those who are trained at Mary Help College have many excellent skills, which is why we joined with the Salesian sisters in this project. We have already hired nine employees trained through the project, but we would need at least 40.”

Samuel Dejene, age 19, grew up on the streets in the Addis Ababa suburb of Mexico. He met Father Angelo Regazzo, treasurer of the Don Bosco Children Center, and accepted an invitation to attend Salesian skill training. Dejene now works at a leather bag factory and lives with friends in a home they rent. Fr. Regazzo goes every day to meet street children and offer them a chance to change their lives.

The goal is the expand the project. The five heads of the congregations met at St. Michael’s Center, which houses the offices of the Socio-Pastoral Commission of the Archdiocese of Addis Ababa that oversees the project, to discuss the way forward.

According to Vatican News, an agreement has also been signed with a bank and another financial institution to provide micro-credits for migrants who want to start their own businesses. Father Petros Berga, head of the commission, said in the Vatican News article, “Thanks to this Global Solidarity Fund program, they (religious communities) are working together, and are stronger than before.”

Fr. Berga explained that a training hub has been created that offers job placement, job creation, self-employment help and health support. He added, “In the next phase, hopefully a three-year program, with the help of Global Solidarity Fund, we would like to train 10,000 beneficiaries.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38% of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85% 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.

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Photo ©: Giovanni Culmone (Global Solidarity Fund)

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

ANS – Ethiopia – Salesians, FMA, other religious and dioceses networking to provide a future for migrants and vulnerable people

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

UNHCR – Ethiopia

Vatican News – Religious in Ethiopia offer a future to those in need

*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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries operate the Don Bosco Youth Center in Mekanisa, an area on the outskirts of the capital city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.* The center provides access to education, nutrition and health services for 400 poor youth. Most of the youth are street children, ages 2-15, who have no place to live or anyone to take care of them.

Salesian missionaries are actively working to fight malnutrition and undernourishment. The center provides a daily lunch for all of the children and dinner for the children who are most in need. The Don Bosco Center also offers a small medical dispensary, which is managed by a nurse. Youth receive first aid, routine health check-ups and medicine when needed. Youth are able to take a hot shower, and hygiene and sanitary supplies are available.

Youth also have assistance with their education at the Don Bosco Youth Center, including a school uniform and school materials such as textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils. For older children who attend vocational training courses, Salesian missionaries provide transportation to school. In addition, Salesian missionaries pay the school fees of all the center’s children and older youth.

Wasium arrived at Don Bosco Youth Center 15 years ago when he was a child in need of care, food and protection. His young mother brought him to the center because she was desperate because she had no means to raise her son and his younger siblings.

At the center, Wasium had a home with other children his age and in similar circumstances. He was fed, received clothing, and could gain an education he wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Wasium attended elementary school and then middle and high school. He always had excellent grades.

One Salesian said, “He worked hard to get to university where he studied economics and business. He also worked small jobs during his studies that allowed him to help his family. After finishing university, he found a job as a substitute teacher in a private school and then got a job at a banking institution in Addis Ababa. Today, Wasium is a new person who is grateful for all the help he received from the Salesians.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38% of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85% 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.

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

ANS – Africa – Bread of hope and rebirth in Mekanissa and CALM

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

*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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been responding with aid for those impacted by the conflict in Ethiopia*, which started in November 2020, in the Tigray region. Recently a peace deal was struck and things are slowly returning to some normalcy. During the conflict, when there were no basic services like phone, electricity, banks or transportation, Salesians provided aid for more than 100,000 people.

Salesian missionaries have been on the front lines of the response to those in need. Tigray has close to 7 million inhabitants who needed aid because of war. Humanitarian organizations were limited in their reach and only about 15 percent of the aid reached those in need. Salesians are in the unique position of living in the communities in which they work. As a result, Salesians have 14 houses in Ethiopia, with four in Mekele, Adigrat, Adwa and Shire in Tigray, and three houses in Eritrea.

Salesians were able to receive support from the World Food Programme for both food aid and essential items. A shipment of goods was sent to the Salesian center in Mekele. From there, it was distributed among many other areas that were in need. Distribution was challenged with no fuel, lack of funding for unloading and loading, and limited transportation. With the support of other Catholic parishes and clergy who volunteered their time, Salesians were able to distribute the goods.

Although a peace deal was signed and many services restored, such as flights from Addis Ababa to Mekele, people are still in need. Banks are open but people still do not have access to their accounts, according to the Salesians.

“The access to send humanitarian aid to Tigray has become easier and we continue to assist people that have been impacted,” explained Father Abba Hailemariam Medhin, provincial of the AET vice-province. “People are still in need of food and non-food items. Psychological assistance for those impacted and educational centers are starting back up, but first, people need to have some food and they have to take care of their health.”

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.

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Photo courtesy of the SDB Emergency Coordinator. (Please contact Salesian Missions for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

*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.

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions Australia has launched an emergency relief appeal for food relief to help support Salesian programs in the Horn of Africa. Salesians have been providing access to food relief, education, basic necessities and agriculture programs, especially in the wake of food shortages and unrest in the region.

Food shortages have increased in the Horn of Africa and Central Africa where Salesians have programs. According to an article in CathNews, food shortages continue to increase in these areas as the number of internally displaced people continues to swell as conflict in the region uproots people in search of safety.

In Tigray, Ethiopia*, Salesian missionaries are distributing food to more than 3,000 families while also repairing damaged schools and churches that currently house many families. In Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo*, increased conflict has sent thousands of people flooding into the city and seeking shelter on the playgrounds surrounding Don Bosco Ngangi Youth Center.

At Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda, Salesians operate many educational and social programs. With decreasing food rations available from the World Food Program, Salesians have been working through food distribution and agriculture programs to increase the food availability for those in the camp.

Father Ubaldino, rector of the Salesian community in Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp, has established 25 farming groups, involving 1,250 people who attend to over 92 acres of maize, soybeans, and sunflowers. While maize is a diet staple of the people at Palabek, it cannot be consumed without processing. Salesian Missions Australia has purchased a maize huller and maize miller, which are vital in aiding the food crisis.

Fr. Ubaldino said, “The agriculture groups are very important because they enable those involved to contribute to their families, supplement food rations, and restore dignity.”

In Juba, South Sudan*, close to 4,000 children access Salesian primary and secondary school. In addition to providing access to education, Salesians are providing women’s programs and sports programs for children in the camp.

Salesians in Australia and around the globe will continue to monitor the growing crisis in the region and work to address it through food aid, other supplies and direct donations.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions Australia

CathNews – Salesian launch emergency appeal for displaced Africans

Salesian Missions Australia

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.

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been working to address food shortfalls and other needs in the face of ongoing conflicts in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. With funding recently received, Salesians were able to provide food items including wheat, Famix (multivitamin food), cooking oil, macaroni, rice and salt. Sanitary items, soap and 400 blankets were also sent from May to July.

Ethiopia was already struggling from economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing drought. In November 2020, a full-scale war started between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Region. The prolonged war also impacted parts of the Amhara and Afar Regions.

Salesians have 14 houses in Ethiopia, with four in Mekelle, Adigrat, Adwa and Shire in Tigray, and three houses in Eritrea. The region has roughly 7 million inhabitants, all struggling with food insecurity at this time. Salesians report that since the Federal Government left Tigray in June 2021, there are no roads, telephones, internet, banks or electricity. As a result, Salesians have been cut off from normal communication with communities in Tigray.

In addition, supplies are scarce, and those that are available are not affordable because cash is not available. The inflation in the country is very high and prices of basic necessities are out of reach for most. Salesians report that they have been receiving information from Tigray that people have started to die because of a lack of food and medication.

The aid that other Salesian organizations around the globe as well as other humanitarian organizations have provided is much needed and appreciated. Father Abba Hailemariam Medhin, provincial of the AET vice-province, said, “We are really grateful to all of you for your support. This would not become reality if it were not for the ongoing support. We are also very grateful to the World Food Programme who are ready to support us in all we ask. We also thank Catholic Relief Services and others who facilitate fuel and vehicles so the aid can reach destinations.”

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.

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Photo courtesy of Don Bosco Ethiopia

Don Bosco Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Even in the face of ongoing violence, Salesian missionaries and the Salesian-run International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS) are providing education, professional training, and development projects in Ethiopia. Salesians have been in the country since 1976 and were there as support during the famine in 1983-1985, which caused millions of deaths. Now Salesians have been a support through the COVID-19 pandemic and the humanitarian crisis from escalating violence in the Tigray region. The country is also once again facing famine generated by the invasion of locusts.

Salesian missionaries have four centers in Macallè, Adua, Scirè and Adigrat in the Tigray region where the clashes between the National Army and the Tigray Popular Liberation Front have continued for more than a year. Salesians continue to help children and youth who have stories of violence, abuse, and despair behind them.

Thanks to the donations of many benefactors, thousands of children in recent years have been welcomed into Salesian centers and have been able to attend Salesian kindergartens and primary schools. In addition, street children have received vocational training.

In 1998, VIS volunteers joined Salesian missionaries in the Tigray region and began projects to ensure local populations had access to clean water for drinking, washing, cooking and proper sanitation. VIS finds local partners like the Don Gianmaria Memorial Development Association to carry out water, sanitation and hygiene projects.

VIS is also involved in providing vocational training and education. Within Salesian technical schools in the Tigray and Gambella regions and the city of Addis Ababa, courses have been taught in tailoring, food preparation and catering, carpentry, motor mechanics, leather goods, and construction trades. VIS has also provided graphics and typographic arts courses at the first printing school in the country—set up by VIS and the Salesians.

“To promote job placement, we have developed a strategy, which we have adopted in Tigray and Addis Ababa, based on short courses in line with the labor market, the promotion of self-employment, and placement in private firms through support for partnerships between the public and private sectors,” explained one VIS volunteer.

Training activities were also provided in refugee camps in the Gambella and Tigray regions. Thanks to  collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Salesians have worked to improve living conditions for refugees through strengthening their professional skills and providing job placement for Eritrean migrants and refugees.

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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – Education and Development: the mission of the Salesians and VIS

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are continuing to help support youth and their families while conditions grow more perilous because of the year-long armed conflict in the Tigray region between the Ethiopian army and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Salesians are helping and providing aid to close to 8,000 families, paying special attention to mothers and malnourished children.

“The need for food is increasing every day and any help that arrives will save the lives of many starving and malnourished people. We are grateful for the solidarity received from Salesian circles all over the world, with the hope and prayer that peace may finally prevail,” reports a Salesian missionary in Ethiopia.

During a Nov. 5 raid by government military forces, 17 priests, religious brothers and employees at the Salesian Center Gottera in Addis Ababa were arrested for no reason and taken to an unknown place. In a situation marked by suffering, poverty, fear and absolute insecurity, all Christians in Ethiopia hope that the Pope’s appeal, and the intervention of the African Union and that of the U.S. envoy to the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, will help calm the situation.

“We are shocked by the news of the arrest of Ethiopian and Eritrean priests, deacons and lay people who lived and worked in the Salesian Provincial House,” said Father Mussie Zerai, president of the Habeisha agency to Fides. “We still do not understand what the reasons for such a serious act are. Why are priests arrested who exercise their educational mandate, especially in a center that has always been committed to doing good, which has been visited by many children for years and where street children are rehabilitated.”

Bombing in conflict areas has also increased in recent weeks along with the number of civilian deaths. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that 400,000 people are starving. Another 7 million people need help to survive in Tigray, Amhara and Afar. It is estimated that the conflict has caused thousands of deaths, two million internally displaced persons, and more than 100,000 refugees to flee to Sudan.

Acute malnutrition is increasing every day. Almost half of pregnant and lactating women suffer from acute malnutrition and lack health care because of the number of destroyed hospitals. According to the U.N., the famine generated by the war could kill 100,000 children in the coming months, when three out of four people will not have access to food.

International organizations are also hindered in providing support because they are banned from entering conflict zones. Others have seen their members expelled and still others have left the country due to widespread insecurity. The lack of fuel is also hampering emergency aid from reaching the Tigray region. With the closure of the banks and the lack of money, the population simply does not have access to basic products for daily consumption.

Salesian missionaries continue to assess the situation and provide education, humanitarian aid and support to youth and their families. More help is needed and the Salesian Missions Office in Madrid has relaunched its Ethiopia Emergency appeal.

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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – A Year of War in the North: 7 million Need Aid

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Olympic athlete Fiona May, a retired long jumper who won two Olympic silver medals and competed for the United Kingdom and later Italy, recently spent time in Ethiopia. She took a trip to the neighborhood of Mekanissa, located in Addis Ababa, and visited the Don Bosco Center, which is home to more than 400 street children.

May, who is also an envoy to the Tokyo 2020-2021 Olympic Games, spoke to Salesian Father Angelo Regazzo at the Don Bosco Center and played with dozens of youth. She taught them the basics of the long jump and watched youth take part in sports and activities. Sports for May “means challenging oneself and respecting others, it means commitment and determination, having team spirit, ability to relate and manage defeat.”

Don Bosco Center provides education, nutrition and health services to poor youth. Most of the youth, ages 2-15, are street children who have no place else to live or anyone to take care of them. The Don Bosco Center also offers a small medical dispensary, which is managed by a nurse. Youth receive first aid, routine health check-ups and medicine when needed. Youth are able to take a hot shower, and hygiene and sanitary supplies are available. The center also has a sports program.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourage leadership skills as well as teach youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 27 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.

Ethiopia 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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – Solidarity and sport, Fiona May’s bond with the missions

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Yeabsira Tofik Mohammed, a 12th grade student at Don Bosco Mekanissa, located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been admitted to Harvard University’s class of 2025. She is excited by her achievement. Mohammed started at Don Bosco Mekanissa in 7th grade. Her father knew the quality of Catholic schools and wanted her to study with the Salesians.

Mohammed’s brother also took a similar path. He studied at St. Joseph School in Addis Ababa and then went to Columbia University in New York City, where he is now working.

Mohammed is still feeling a little overwhelmed by her accomplishments. She said, “To be honest, I still can’t believe this news that I have been admitted to Harvard University. It was always my dream, but now the dream has come true. I am really happy that I have made my parents proud of my achievement.”

When reflecting on how she got where she is today, Mohammed noted, “Of course, first of all, my gratitude goes to God my Creator. Without his help, I am nothing. Then I owe a lot to my parents and my brother who supported me throughout the process. Next, come my teachers, and in a special way my teacher, Abebayehu Belete, who was always of great help to me. Then I am also grateful to the CTP team who mentored me and gave me the necessary support, and last but not least, my friends who have been cheering me on from the beginning.”

Mohammed also reflected on her time in high school. “The Don Bosco campus is always unique. The diversity and the family spirit that exist here have never ceased to amaze me. Here you have people of different personalities and that always gives one a lot of exposure to many things. There is so much insistence here on your overall human development. I really like it. As long as you are ready to work hard, achievement will be yours. It might take time to see the fruits, but you need to have patience but things will eventually work out.”

In addition to the Don Bosco Mekanissa High School, there is the main Don Bosco Center that provides education, nutrition and health services to 400 poor youth. Most of the youth, aged 2-15, are street children who have no place else to live or anyone to take care of them. The Don Bosco Center also offers a small medical dispensary, which is managed by a nurse. Youth receive first aid, routine health check-ups and medicine when needed. Youth are able to take a hot shower, and hygiene and sanitary supplies are available.

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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – Don Bosco flag flying high at Harvard University

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run Opera Don Bosco Onlus Foundation in Milan, Italy, is supporting Salesian centers in Ethiopia through the campaign “Together let us support the right to study and promote vocational training.”

Young Ethiopians in the northern part of the country are facing an ongoing military conflict, along with the COVID-19 pandemic. Fighting began in November 2020 when the government launched a military offensive against the ruling faction in the Tigray region, starting a conflict that has caused thousands of deaths and widespread destruction. The conflict has displaced more than 2 million people and sent thousands of refugees into neighboring Sudan. It has also halted school activities that have been struggling since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Salesian missionaries in Tigray are making every effort to bring aid to people in need. They have said that help is needed to ensure that youth are able to attend school and get back to their studies. A representative from the Opera Don Bosco Onlus Foundation noted, “For years the Salesian presences in Mekelle, Adwa, Adigrat and Shire have guaranteed the right to schooling and vocational training in this area of ​​the country to offer Ethiopian children and young people the right to a better future. Any help will be important for the future of many young people who for a year now have found themselves having to deal with an unsustainable situation.”

Among the programs in the region, Don Bosco Technical Institute of Adwa has trained 2,330 graduates in the manufacturing, construction and electrical installation sectors. They also offer non-formal courses in tailoring, basic IT applications, crafts, metalworking, welding and furniture manufacturing. The Don Bosco Catholic School of Shire provides primary and secondary schools, while the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Mekelle provides education to youth who are training as technicians in the mechanical, welding and automotive sectors.

These schools are in need of support to ensure that education can continue for these youth who are facing hardships. The Opera Don Bosco Onlus Foundation has launched its new campaign to help support educational efforts in this region.

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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – Tigray amid pandemic and war: importance of education as social redemption

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are working to address the growing needs for education, nutrition and other support in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Cases of the virus in Ethiopia are growing rapidly every day. There have been close to 70,000 confirmed cases with more than 1,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

The World Health Organization has identified Ethiopia as one of the 13 African states at high risk for the spread of the pandemic. Hospitals are not well equipped. Many communities lack doctors and medical supplies. Most public awareness campaigns are targeted to large cities, leaving outlying areas with little information to fight the virus. In addition, riots between police forces and the Oromo community make it very difficult to comply with coronavirus prevention measures.

Education in Ethiopia, like in most countries around the globe, has been impacted. Schools and universities have been closed since March, leaving more than 26 million young children and older youth unable to attend school. This situation has put the authorities, the Ministry of Education, institutions, parents and students in an unprecedented situation.

The Ministry of Education is studying the conditions for reopening schools, but a solution has not yet been found. Ethiopian schools house 50-60 students on average in a single class. It is difficult to maintain a safe social distance among students since at any one time as many as two to three students share a desk.

Salesian missionaries have launched relief efforts to aid youth and families in 16 vocational training centers in Ethiopia.

Salesian schools have remained closed, but vocational training centers are considering restarting, welcoming only a limited number of students. Salesian training centers will follow all safety measures and will work with local governments to follow all guidelines. Missionaries have also been addressing other needs in their communities.

“Salesian missionaries have launched relief efforts to aid youth and families in their 16 vocational training centers in the country,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They are distributing food, drinking water and hygiene kits. Salesians have also launched awareness campaigns to promote good practices to prevent coronavirus from spreading.”

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 affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

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ANS – Ethiopia – Salesian commitment in one of African countries most affected by Covid-19

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The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian missionaries responding to needs of youth and their families in the face of the coronavirus pandemic first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are helping those in need in Ethiopia while the country grapples with several emergencies at once. COVID-19 infections are increasing and adding challenges for medical professionals who are still dealing with active outbreaks of cholera, measles and malaria.

The World Health Organization has identified Ethiopia as one of the 13 African states at high risk for the spread of the pandemic. Hospitals are not well equipped. Many communities lack doctors and medical supplies. Most public awareness campaigns are targeted to large cities, leaving outlying areas with little information to fight the virus. In addition, riots between police forces and the Oromo community make it very difficult to comply with coronavirus prevention measures.

The country is also facing its second wave of locusts, which are destroying crops. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that around 30,000 hectares of land have already been ruined by locusts.

Salesian missionaries have launched relief efforts to aid youth and families in their 16 vocational training centers in the country. They are distributing food, drinking water and hygiene kits. Salesians have also launched awareness campaigns to promote good practices to prevent coronavirus from spreading.

Salesian missionaries are also working to ensure that families living in Abobo, located between the cities of Gambella and Pugnido in western Ethiopia, have access to the services and resources they need. The majority of the population in Abobo is of Sudanese origin because of its proximity to the border of Sudan. Many people have sought refuge there to escape war and famine.

In 2002, a group of Italian and Spanish volunteers set up the Abobo Health Center in collaboration with local Salesian missionaries. 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 approximately 20,000 people living in the area and the 200,000 people in the entire region.

“The services provided at the Abobo Health Center are critical to this community, especially in the face of coronavirus,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries also provide education and social development services for people in the area. Salesians operate a parish, oratory and kindergarten, which has served more than 100 children since its inception. Missionaries also work to ensure the local population has the food and water it needs.”

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 affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

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ANS – Ethiopia – In a country struck by diseases, locusts and riots, Salesians try helping families of Ethiopian students

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are working to ensure that families living in Abobo, located between the cities of Gambella and Pugnido in western Ethiopia, have access to the services and resources they need. The majority of the population in Abobo is of Sudanese origin because of its proximity to the border of Sudan. Many people have sought refuge there to escape war and famine. In Ethiopia, where rural poverty is endemic, Sudanese refugees find themselves lost and without support except for the refugee camps that have sprung up around Gambella.

In 2002, a group of Italian and Spanish volunteers set up the Abobo Health Center in collaboration with local Salesian missionaries. 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.

“The services provided at the Abobo Health Center are critical to this community, especially in the face of coronavirus,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries also provide education and social development services for people in the area. There is a parish, oratory and kindergarten, which has served more than 100 children since its inception. Missionaries also work to ensure the local population has the food and water it needs.”

Salesian missionaries in Abobo are also helping families improve their living conditions. Many of the families still live in huts with little to no sanitation. Because of deforestation in the region, the availability of dry grass for roofs and wood for building structures is decreasing. Many of the structures have makeshift roofs that have to be redone every three years. Salesian missionaries are working to help these families have more stable structures to reside, ensuring both their health and safety.

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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – From health to the home: Salesian support for the poorest does not exclude any area

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) In an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, Ethiopia closed schools and universities for three months. One of the biggest challenges for Salesian missionaries was what to do with children who were a part of the Bosco Children project, located in Addis Ababa. Salesians opted for a lockdown and kept all of the children and staff, including cooks, social workers, guardians and a driver, inside of the Salesian campus.

Father Angelo Regazzo, director of the project, explained, “We could not send the children gathered from the streets of Addis Ababa back to the streets. They had not yet finished the rehabilitation process to be reintegrated into their families. We would have lost them.”

He added, “It was forbidden to go out. Those few who could go out and come back, including the driver, had to disinfect and wash thoroughly at the entrance gate. We have been able to stay healthy to date, but we must not let our guard down.”

The confinement at Bosco Children was organized so that children were busy and kept on a schedule. Activities included school, library time, computer school, sports, manual work, educational videos, drawing competitions and language study.

“As the days passed, some kids became nervous and asked to reunite with their family or some close relative,” said Fr. Regazzo. “If youth identified who they were going to live with, we gave them permission to go. They would return at the end of the emergency. Those who left also received financial help because the families of origin are already very poor.”

The majority of youth preferred to stay and face a quarantine. Meanwhile, outside of Bosco Children the virus continued to spread. As of June 24, there are 4,848 infections and 75 people who have died. The government has decided not to continue the lockdown to prevent poverty from leading to starvation but some parts of the metropolis have been isolating.

Bosco Children is also helping those in the community. Thousands of street children have been identified by the Federal Police and brought to Assistance Centers. Some of the relief support raised by Fr. Regazzo has helped these children.

Fr. Regazzo is also proud of the surgical mask factory they have set up in the tailoring workshop, which is part of the Salesian Technical School inside of Bosco Children. He said, “We have made and distributed about 15,000 masks. Every two or three days our driver brings all of these goods to the street children in the Assistance Centers and to many other poor people. We also supported street boys and girls in prison reformation who are in dire need of help because of COVID-19.”

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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – 24 hours a day at school with the Salesians. Thus young people at risk during confinement are “reborn”

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, continue to support the poor and those at risk during the coronavirus pandemic. Missionaries have been supporting street children and vulnerable elderly populations. The lockdown that was imposed to stop the spread of the virus has made these and other at-risk populations even more vulnerable to conditions of poverty.

Street children, who once went to bus stations to help carry bags and assist drivers to make a meager amount of money for survival, are left with no means at all. Salesian missionaries are helping by providing these youth with food and prevention information so they can protect themselves against the virus. Missionaries have also taught them how to safely prepare food.

Salesian missionaries have also provided health prevention information to 24,000 youth from the 14 formal and non-formal Salesian education centers throughout the country. They have also been helping Salesian staff and their families through this difficult time as prices for food and supplies continue to rise.

“Salesian missionaries in Ethiopia and around the globe are helping at-risk populations with food, hygiene supplies and prevention information to help them get through this difficult time,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities in which they work, they are perfectly positioned to understand the needs and ensure relief supplies are in the hands of those who need it most.”

Salesian missionaries have also focused on people in prison, where risk of the virus spreading rapidly is great. The director of several prisons expressed his gratitude to Salesian missionaries by saying that they were relieved by the support provided. Prisons did not have enough water containers for hand-washing, masks, soap and disinfectants to prevent the spread of the virus, but donations were made to improve the situation and avoid mass infections.

Salesian missionaries always coordinate their initiatives with local authorities. The purchase of hygiene materials, food and masks is combined with awareness programs to ensure that local populations are learning the basic safety measures to help minimize the spread of the virus.

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.

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ANS – Ethiopia – “Supporting the poorest of the poor”: the mission of Salesians in the face of the pandemic

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Center in Mekanissa, an area on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is supplying water to thousands of poor people living in the slums of Koshe and Kore. The Salesian community, with the help of the Planning and Development Office, repaired an old truck and a reservoir tank that has a capacity of 5,000 liters. They transport water to the area every day so people can wash their hands.

“Having access to clean water is essential to help communities prevent the spread of the virus,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries know what the local needs are and are working to address them in innovative ways to help ensure people are safe and remain healthy.”

The Don Bosco Center had been serving the local area before the virus by providing education, nutrition and health services to 400 poor youth. Most of the youth, aged 2-15 are street children who have no place else to live or anyone to take care of them. Brother Donato Galetta, a Salesian missionary, has been welcoming these youth for 30 years.

All 400 children enjoy daily lunch and close to 40 children, mainly orphans, also have dinner at the center. Salesian missionaries are actively working to fight malnutrition and undernourishment. For the past two years in order to guarantee everyone a meal, Salesian missionaries have not purchased meat, which in Ethiopia has prohibitive costs. This allows missionaries to buy the food they require for their annual needs while keeping costs down.

The Don Bosco Center also offers a small medical dispensary, which is managed by a nurse. Youth receive first aid, routine health check-ups and medicine when needed. Youth are able to take a hot shower, and hygiene and sanitary supplies are available.

Youth also have assistance with their education at the Don Bosco Center, including a school uniform and school materials such as textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils. For older children who attend vocational training courses, Salesian missionaries provide transportation to school. In addition, Salesian missionaries pay the school fees of all the center’s children and older youth.

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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – “Don Bosco Mekanissa” brings water for hygiene of poor

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Don Bosco Center in Mekanissa delivers water to slums of Koshe and Kore for hand-washing to stop the spread of coronavirus first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Bosco Children Project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, are working on preventative measures in the face of COVID-19. The Salesian organization rescues children from the dangers of the street. The project provides support and educational services in addition to an outreach orientation center and a hostel for youth. In response to the virus, Salesian missionaries have closed the Bosco Children Project center to outside visitors and asked teachers to stay at home. The children are remaining there because they have no home to go to and are being cared for by the Salesians.

“We no longer go out on the streets at night in search of kids because it’s too risky,” said Father Angelo Regazzo, a Salesian missionary who is over 75 years of age and has been stationed in Ethiopia for more than 30 years. On March 16, before the center was closed, he made several trips by bus to bring in as many youth as possible to help them in this emergency. He said, “Don Bosco would have done the same.”

During this period of quarantine, Bosco Children Project is providing special classes, sports tournaments, music and educational films. Salesians have enough supplies for now. Fr. Regazzo noted, “We have enough food, water, diesel to run the generators, water pumps and refrigerators for several months. We have plenty of soap to wash, alcohol to disinfect ourselves, paracetamol and first aid medicines.”

He added, “Nobody goes outside the fence and those few who enter, such as guardians, cooks and social workers, have to wash their hands with soap at the entrance and disinfect their shoes with bleach and alcohol.”

The Salesians celebrate daily Mass and invite all the students to pray. Fr. Regazzo said, “We invite the boys, almost all Muslims and Orthodox, to pray according to their religious beliefs. And we urge them to be happy and believe in life so we are convinced that everything will be fine.”

Fr. Regazzo’s main concerns are those outside of the Salesian gate. He noted, “Looking out of the fence, one notices no change in people’s behavior. Thousands upon thousands of people coming and going. Open restaurants and shops, crowded banks and supermarkets, and very intense traffic. The general attitude of people seems to be aimed at business as usual. I don’t know until when because the numbers of the infected are growing day by day.”

Fr Regazzo concluded by expressing condolences to those who have lost their loved ones because of coronavirus. He said, “I wish that you may all return to normal soon and enjoy the sea and the mountains. For now, we have the opportunity to taste the hearth of home and pray together. We all needed it so much.”

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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – Staying at home, standing by kids who don’t have a home

UNICEF – Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian missionaries close Bosco Children Project to visitors to keep children safe during COVID-19 quarantine first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Elisabetta Cipollone, a Salesian International Volunteering for Development (VIS) volunteer, has been given a Merit of the Italian Republic award from Italian President Sergio Mattarella for her “A water well for Andrea” project in Ethiopia. President Mattarella awarded 32 Merit of the Italian Republic awards to citizens who have distinguished themselves for acts of heroism, commitment to solidarity, rescue efforts, international cooperation, the protection of minors, and the promotion of culture and legality.

Cipollone, who lost her son Andrea a few years ago in a road accident, fulfilled her son’s dream of bringing water to Africa after reading a page in his diary. She then collaborated with VIS to launch the project. To date, 24 wells have been built. The last was in March 2019. The project will continue with the construction of other wells. It is Cipollone’s ambition to create a water point along the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

In 2017, Ethiopia experienced the worst drought the country had seen in more than 50 years. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced that humanitarian needs in the country have tripled since the beginning of 2015 as the drought led to successive crop failures and widespread livestock deaths. According to the United Nations, agricultural production in the affected regions fell by 50 to 90 percent.

As a result, food insecurity and malnutrition rates are alarming in the country with FAO reporting that some 10.2 million people are food insecure. One-quarter of all districts in Ethiopia are officially classified as facing a food security and nutrition crisis.

“In the cities, many Ethiopians receive no help and often do not even find a place to sleep. In this situation there is a significant risk that many will fall victim to traffickers and become exploited and enslaved,” says Father Estifanos Gebremeskel, superior of the Salesian Vice-Province of Ethiopia.

Using deep wells built by VIS volunteers in recent years, Salesian missionaries and volunteers are currently distributing water to schools, hospitals and first aid clinics, centers for street children, women’s refuges and diocesan centers.

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing educational and support services to poor youth in Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers in the country. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while accessing services including family sponsorship and school feeding programs. These supports reinforce the missionaries’ goal of keeping youth in school as long as possible. In addition, water and sanitation issues are regularly assessed by missionaries working in programs throughout the country and new water well projects are planned and implemented as needs arise.

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. 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.

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

ANS – Italy – Elisabetta Cipollone appointed Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian VIS volunteer receives Merit of the Italian Republic award for her work on water wells in Ethiopia first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Mekanissa, an area on the outskirts of the capital city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, operate the Don Bosco Center, which provides access to education, nutrition and health services to 400 poor youth. Most of the youth, aged 2-15 are street children who have no place else to live or anyone to take care of them. Brother Donato Galetta, a Salesian missionary, has been welcoming these youth for 30 years.

All 400 children enjoy daily lunch and close to 40 children, mainly orphans, also have dinner at the center. Salesian missionaries are actively working to fight malnutrition and undernourishment. For the past two years in order to guarantee everyone a meal, Salesian missionaries have not purchased meat, which in Ethiopia has prohibitive costs. This allows missionaries to buy the food they require for their annual needs while keeping costs down.

The Don Bosco Center also offers a small medical dispensary, which is managed by a nurse. Youth receive first aid, routine health check-ups and medicine when needed. Youth are able to take a hot shower, and hygiene and sanitary supplies are available.

Youth also have assistance with their education at the Don Bosco Center, including a school uniform and school materials such as textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils. For older children who attend vocational training courses, Salesian missionaries provide transportation to school. In addition, Salesian missionaries pay the school fees of all the center’s children and older youth.

“In Addis Ababa and the outskirts in Mekanissa, there are as many as 100,000 children who desperately need assistance getting off the streets and turning their lives around,” explains Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “At the Don Bosco Center, youth who live in the most extreme poverty have access to nutrition, health services, and the funding and supplies needed to gain an education. Youth are given a second chance in life and hope for the future.”

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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – “Don Bosco Center” of Mekanissa: home for the most needy children

UNICEF – Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: The Don Bosco Center provides services to more than 400 street children in Mekanissa first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“It was almost six years ago that I came to know about Bosco Children through the Salesian fathers and brothers who used to visit us on the street. After a brief period of my contact with them on the street, they invited me to come and be a resident at Bosco Children,” says Alemu. “At first it was not easy for me to adjust to the environment. I felt almost like a fish out of water. But the loving approach and constant presence of the Salesians made me slowly feel at home in that environment.”

Alemu explains that he was close to 11 years old when he first connected with Salesian missionaries. At that time, he had only completed second grade in his village. Later he had dropped out of school and run away from home to live in Addis Ababa. Today, he is extremely grateful for the help of Salesian missionaries who provided him shelter, clothing, nutrition, education, and most of all, hope for a better life.

“I want to be useful to the society,” adds Alemu. “I have received a lot in my life, all free. Now I want to give back to society what I have received. My dream is to be a doctor.”

The Bosco Children Project rescues children from the dangers of the street. The project provides support and educational services in addition to an outreach orientation center and a hostel for youth, mostly boys, who are orphaned or live on the street.

The Bosco Children Project utilizes a three-step method for rehabilitation, including making initial contact with the children on the streets and building a relationship in an informal manner. This includes offering youth safe accommodation at the hostel where they can access meals, warm clothing, psychosocial counseling, and access to basic education and literacy classes.

When children are ready, and if they choose to, they are invited to formally take part in the next part of the program, which includes personalized care through counseling and specialized skills training in auto mechanics, carpentry, culinary arts, metallurgy, leather craft and more. Once training is complete, the project provides financial and career placement assistance, supporting the youth as they move on to become independent.

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. 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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – “My Life, I owe it to Don Bosco”

UNICEF – Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Young student thankful for the education he’s received through the Bosco Children Project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Bosco Children Project utilizes a three-step method to rehabilitation, including making the initial contact with the children on the streets and building a relationship in an informal manner. This includes offering youth safe accommodation at the hostel where they can access meals, warm clothing, psychosocial counseling, and basic education and literacy classes.

When children are ready, and if they choose to, they are invited to formally take part in the next part of the program, which includes personalized care through counseling and specialized skills training, such as in auto mechanics, carpentry, culinary arts, metallurgy, leather craft and more. Once training is complete, the project provides financial and career placement assistance, supporting the youth as they move on to become independent.

“In Addis Ababa alone, there are as many as 100,000 children who desperately need assistance in getting off the streets and turning their lives around,” explains Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because the Bosco Children Project provides the only shelter and rehabilitation center in Addis Ababa, it’s difficult to adequately address the crisis, but innovative partnerships with local and international businesses are helping Salesian missionaries ensure youth have what they need to secure a bright future.”

Through the development of these collaborative relationships with businesses and corporations in many sectors, the Bosco Children Project ensures that at-risk youth have access to education and training that gives them the skills to find and retain employment. One such collaborative relationship is between the Bosco Children Project and the TechPro2 training project.

TechPro2 is a leading technical training project that is developing a skilled workforce of highly qualified personnel for the car and commercial vehicles industry. Started in 2008, the TechPro2 project is a collaboration between Salesian missionaries, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and CNH Industrial, an Italian company that designs, produces and sells agricultural and construction equipment.

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.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

UNICEF – Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Bosco Children Project provides hope and healing for homeless youth rescued from the streets 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.

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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.

“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.

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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.

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.

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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 economy in Dilla is mainly based on the cultivation of coffee. A recent growth in population has led to a subdivision of the land. Many families have had to give up their plots of land and move, often to the outskirts of the city. Once off their land, they lose the food autonomy that was guaranteed to them by cultivating their own land.

Salesian missionaries are working to address the problem on two fronts, providing both an education and ensuring that students have the nutrition they need to focus in school and learn. A Salesian missionary working in the region says, “Defeating the scourge of illiteracy is the first step in building a fairer society. But it has also been shown that malnutrition plays a major role in child growth, impairing physical development and learning abilities.”

Through a Salesian project at the elementary school, children attending the school receive a free meal each day, preventing them from trying to learn on an empty stomach. Providing a nutritious meal during the school day also encourages more parents to send their children to school.

Salesian missionaries in Dilla have plans to expand their educational offerings as well as the food program. A Salesian missionary in the area explains, “We want to set up two new classes for 78 boys and girls aged between 7 and 9 years. We also want to guarantee that every child has the possibility of receiving at least one hot meal every day.”

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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – The Salesians’ work in Dilla: nourishing the body, nourishing the mind

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian missionaries launch a new education and nutrition program for poor families living on the outskirts of Dilla first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Father Angelo Regazzo, a Salesian missionary with the Bosco Children Project, gets up every morning at 4:00 am and has breakfast in the Bosco Children Project cafeteria where missionaries, together with lay volunteers, welcome more than 400 children for the morning meal. After breakfast, Fr. Regazzo drives a bus, which can accommodate up to 30 children, around the city to gather youth who are living on the streets.

“Unfortunately, from all this we manage to take away mainly the males. The girls rarely let themselves get involved in the program we called ‘Come and See’ because once they reach 11-12 years old, they are often caught up in child prostitution,” explains Fr. Regazzo.

Supporting the work of the Bosco Children Project are volunteers with the Salesian International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS). VIS has been working in Ethiopia since 1998 on projects related to education, vocational training and job placement. Educational programs offered by VIS include tailoring, catering preparation, woodworking, mechanics, leather goods and construction.

In 2014, through a collaboration between Salesian missionaries, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Episcopal Conference and the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia, VIS launched a “Print Your Future” program which is currently offering education in graphic arts and typography to more than 1,000 boys. A new laboratory was opened in 2015 for students to practice their hands-on skills in graphic and typographic arts. In 2017, Don Bosco Mekanissa celebrated the inauguration of a new, dedicated building for printing and graphics courses.

The “Print Your Future” program offers night classes for students, alternating between theory and practical sessions. These sessions are targeted towards those employed in the printing industry in order to help them upgrade their skills, increase their skill level in a current job or improve their chances of finding better employment. The courses in graphic and typographic arts are typically led by local experts but there are also special lectures by experts from the renowned Italian technical schools of San Zeno in Verona and San Marco in Mestre, both in the Salesian Province of North-East Italy (INE).

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.

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

ANS – Ethiopia – The Salesians, the VIS and that breath of hope for street children

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian missionaries offer shelter and education for homeless and at-risk youth at Bosco Children Project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Bosco Children Project provides support and educational services in addition to an outreach orientation center and a hostel for youth, mostly boys, who are orphaned or live on the street. At the hostel, youth receive shelter, meals, warm clothing, psychosocial counseling and access to basic education and literacy classes. Once ready, they also participate in a skills training orientation where they experience a variety of vocational courses including automotive, carpentry and culinary arts.

“In Addis Ababa alone, there are as many as 100,000 children who desperately need assistance in getting off the streets and turning their lives around,” explains Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because the Bosco Children Project provides the only shelter and rehabilitation center in Addis Ababa, it’s difficult to adequately address the crisis. This innovative partnership is providing crucial resources—food, educational materials and additional staff—so that we may help as many homeless youth as possible.”

Though the development of collaborative relationships with businesses and corporations in many sectors, the Bosco Children Project ensures that at-risk youth have access to education and training that gives them the skills to find and retain employment. One such collaborative relationship is between the Bosco Children Project and the TechPro2 training project.

TechPro2 is a leading technical training project that is developing a skilled workforce of highly qualified personnel for the car and commercial vehicles industry. Started in 2008, the TechPro2 project is a collaboration between Salesian missionaries, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and CNH Industrial, an Italian company that designs, produces and sells agricultural and construction equipment.

Having expanded throughout its 10-year history, the TechPro2 project is 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.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Ethiopia – Inauguration of new workshops of “Don Bosco Children”

ETHIOPIA: President of Italian Council Giuseppe Conte rewards two successful Salesian graduates

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Bosco Children Project enables launch of new workshops at Salesian center in Addis Ababa first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Conte, who was visiting Ethiopia and Eritrea to meet political leaders of both countries, met with the two Salesian graduates and Salesian Father Angelo Regazzo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Conte was able to see first-hand the progress that has been made in the technical-professional collaboration between Italy and Ethiopia. He admired the first fully-assembled vehicle in Ethiopia that was made with materials from Italy.

During the meeting, Fr. Regazzo stressed the investment value in vocational training to help young Africans, especially the neediest, to find opportunities within their own countries and not risk illegal emigration.

Writing on his Facebook page of what was accomplished on his visit to Ethiopia and Eritrea, Conte wrote: “It was also an opportunity to reward two students who participated in the project Tech Pro2, a beautiful initiative that helps to remove Ethiopian children from the street and teach them a job. During these two days I’m touching firsthand the great potential of these lands. The social and economic development of Africa is fundamental for international stability and to combat the root causes of immigration.”

Amaniel and Demelash started their journey at the Bosco Children’s Project which provides support and educational services in addition to an outreach orientation center and a hostel for youth, mostly boys, who are orphaned or live on the street. At the home, youth receive shelter, meals, warm clothing, psychosocial counseling and access to basic education and literacy classes. Once ready, residents participate in a skills training orientation where they experience a variety of vocational courses in automotive, carpentry, culinary arts and other fields.

After successfully integrating into the Bosco Children’s Project, both youth began skills training with the TechPro2 initiative. TechPro2 is a leading technical training project aimed at providing a skilled workforce of highly qualified personnel for the car and commercial vehicles industry. Started in 2008, the TechPro2 project is a collaboration between Salesian missionaries, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and CNH Industrial, an Italian company that designs, produces and sells agricultural and construction equipment.

Having expanded throughout its 10 year history, the TechPro2 project is 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.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Ethiopia – President of Italian Council Conte rewards two past pupils of Salesian projects

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: President of Italian Council Giuseppe Conte rewards two successful Salesian graduates first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Determined to address one of Ethiopia’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges—the burgeoning number of abandoned, runaway and otherwise at-risk children fending for themselves in the city—Don Bosco VIS and UNODC launched the “Rehabilitation and Reintegration Services for Children in Conflict with the Law” initiative in November 2015.

As a result of this initiative, 100 youth now live at the Bosco Children Project home in the compassionate care of Salesian missionaries. The Bosco Children Project provides support and educational services in addition to an outreach orientation center and a hostel for youth, mostly boys, who are orphaned or live on the street.

At the home, youth receive shelter, meals, warm clothing, psychosocial counseling and access to basic education and literacy classes. Once ready, they participate in a skills training orientation where they experience a variety of vocational courses in automotive, carpentry, culinary arts and more.

“In Addis Ababa alone, there are as many as 100,000 children who desperately need assistance in getting off the streets and turning their lives around,” explains Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because the Bosco Children Project provides the only shelter and rehabilitation center in Addis Ababa, it’s difficult to adequately address the crisis. This innovative partnership is providing crucial resources—food, educational materials and additional staff—so that we may help as many homeless youth as possible.”

Workeneh Alemu is one of the youth participating in the program. He comes from a poor family in a small village but decide to leave his home and venture to Addis Ababa in search of fortune. He explains that the trip was difficult and he did not find what he was searching for in the city but he didn’t want to return home and disappoint his family. Then he found the Bosco Children Project. Alemu was able to resume his studies and is now enrolled at the Don Bosco School in Mekanissa, Addis Ababa.

“I heard about the Bosco Children Project from the center staff who’d meet with street children,” says Alemu. “I liked the idea and decided to follow their proposal. I participated in 16 evening meetings that prepared me for their Come and See program. I followed the program and was happy to have closed a hard chapter in my life.”

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.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Ethiopia – Salesians and efforts to guarantee education for street children

UNICEF – Ethiopia

UNODC – Joining Forces to Restore the Lives of Vulnerable Children

UNODC – UNODC and Don Bosco Unite to Brighten the Future of Vulnerable Children in Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Homeless and abandoned youth have chance at a better life thanks to Bosco Children Project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The event was organized by Sport for Development in Africa (S4DA). In addition, sports programming in the TVET centers is organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Development Cooperation in collaboration with the Addis Ababa TVET Bureau.

The Sport for Development TVET Championship promotes the importance of sports in teaching youth important life skills and preparing them for the labor market. The tournament is part of the overall Sport for Development in Africa program. This program also supports the “More Space for Sport – 1,000 Chances for Africa” initiative, which was launched in 2014 by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The initiative aims to use sports as an important tool to bring positive changes in sub-Saharan Africa.

Further, the initiative provides framework in which various partners can work together to open up new opportunities for disadvantaged youth. Sports are used in programs to promote education, health, development and peace across the world. It helps young people acquire important life and social skills, boost their confidence and increase willingness to take on responsibility.

To date, the Sport for Development in Africa program has helped more than 100,000 children and older youth have access to sports by rehabilitating 35 sports grounds throughout the country. It has also provided sports for development training to 65 TVET teachers.

Sport for Development in Ethiopia focuses on promoting vocational education. Salesian centers in Ethiopia have had a new sports field constructed and maintenance work to older fields completed as part of this program.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, the director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 35 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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – Sport for Development: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Championship

Feed the Future – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian students take part in Sport for Development Technical and Vocational Education and Training Championship first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Each year, International Women’s Day focuses on a theme. This year the theme is “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives.” The United Nations notes that this year’s International Women’s Day comes on the heels of unprecedented global movement for women’s rights, equality and justice. The United Nations highlights the global marches and campaigns, including #MeToo and #TimesUp in the United States and their counterparts in other countries, on issues ranging from sexual harassment and femicide to equal pay and women’s political representation.

This year’s theme echoes the priority theme of the upcoming 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. It aims to draw attention to the rights and activism of rural women, who make up over a quarter of the world population and are being left behind in every measure of development, according to the United Nations.

Salesian missionaries living and working in more than 130 countries around the globe are focused on achieving gender equality through programs targeted specifically for young women and girls. These programs strive to empower young women and girls by providing opportunities for education and training that lead to livable wage employment.

“Salesian missionaries around the globe empower young girls and women through education and social development services to ensure that they have equal access to attend school and gain the skills needed for later employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential. 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.”

In honor of International Women’s Day, Salesian Missions is proud to share some of its programs around the globe that empower young women and girls.

BURKINA FASO

Thanks to the joint efforts of several Salesian organizations in Spain, a Women’s Promotion Center is taking shape in Kouba, within the capital city of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. The center will be operated by the Salesian Daughters of Mary Help of Christians as part of a vast socioeducational project. Work started in December 2017 and should be completed within 10 months.

This is the second construction phase of the large socioeducational, cultural and sporting complex for children and older youth, especially girls, that the Salesian sisters have planned for the next five to 10 years. The complete project will include a nursery school, primary and secondary schools, a shelter for girls with limited resources, an oratory open to the neighborhood with sports facilities and educational workshops of various kinds. The new Women’s Center will offer apprenticeships and foster literacy.

The Women’s Center was developed to address the precarious situation experienced by many women and young girls by providing qualified skills and professional training in sectors such as catering, tailoring, information technology and hairdressing. The project includes courses of literacy, support for work placement, education in values and time management. The main objective of the project is to train girls and women so they can work and earn an income while breaking free from a life of poverty. Read more about this program >

ETHIOPIA

In 2002, in the village of Abobo in western Ethiopia, a group of Italian and Spanish volunteers set up a local health clinic in collaboration with local Salesian missionaries. Today, the Abobo Health Center is the symbol of the community and provides health services for the more than 4,000 local villagers. Having expanded its reach over the years, the health clinic also 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, are the soul of the health center and aim to 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 also has a special focus on maternal and child care, 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 and routinely provide medical care to pregnant women to prevent diseases such as such as anemia, hypertension, malaria and various infections that also cause serious consequences to the newborn child. 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. Read more about this program >

INDIA

The Don Bosco Development Society held a two-day workshop on the candle making business for women in the Salesian-run Self-Help Group. Forty women from the slums of Mumbai completed the training course, which was also held as a flood relief project supported by Don Bosco Mondo in Germany. This training was held in association with Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education Development.

The participants learned how to make fancy candles in a cost-effective manner. During the workshop, participants were also taught about marketing, costing, budgeting, pricing and promoting their product. The participants were truly dedicated to learning the skills and determined to start a small business. Raw material was also distributed to participants to help them in starting their business. The workshop was designed as a way to reach out to families in Mumbai who had been affected by recent flooding and train them in skills that would help them earn some extra income for their families. Read more about this program >

SIERRA LEONE

Don Bosco Fambul, one of Sierra Leone’s leading child-welfare organizations located in Freetown, has been helping young women caught up in prostitution come in off the streets. Father Jorge Crisafulli began this work as part of Don Bosco Fambul’s Girls Shelter in September 2016, when he launched the program aimed at searching 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, nutrition and education, and wherever possible, reintegrate them into their families.

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, 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 the shelter services 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. Read more about this program >

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

UN Women – International Women’s Day

The post INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Salesian Missions highlights health, education programs that empower girls and young women first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project has provided pamphlets and facilitated national-level symposiums and discussions on the topic of renewable energy. Salesian missionaries have also established solar energy departments in the four Salesian technical schools in Adwa, Mekanissa, Dilla and Gambella.

From Jan. 22-Feb. 2., Salesian missionaries held a two-week training program for all the federal technical and vocational teachers in Ethiopia. The training was entirely coordinated by Salesian Brother Christof Baum and two electrical studies teachers from Don Bosco Adwa TVET College. Twenty-seven teachers from a number of regions across the country were in attendance at the training.

The program aimed at providing the electrical studies teachers the tools and know-how to teach solar energy technology to their students on their own. It also focused on helping teachers be able to train students on how to start their own businesses and generate income via the installation, repair and maintenance of solar power systems, a sector that is quickly gaining momentum in Ethiopia.

The content of the course included topics such as renewable and non-renewable energy, the effects of CO2 on climate change, electrical energy generation in Ethiopia, the electricity situation in Ethiopia’s rural areas and more. The course was highly praised by all participants who thanked Salesian missionaries for taking on the initiative and making it possible.

The training is extremely relevant for Ethiopia as a good majority of people still live in rural areas where many lack electricity. Once night falls, people cannot see outside of their homes or navigate in their communities. They often rely on fire and lanterns that generate smoke and cause health-related issues. Now thanks to the project, more people are using small solar lanterns that decrease health concerns. In addition, with solar power installations, people are able to recharge their mobile phone batteries and other gadgets without having to travel to the next larger village to do so.

“The work of Salesian missionaries in Ethiopia and in programs around the globe goes beyond just basic education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Projects like this help to ensure the long-term sustainability of Salesian programs and show the broader impact of Salesian training on countries around the globe. Salesian missionaries live where they work so there is always a focus on helping to improve not only students lives but the communities in which they live.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 35 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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – “13 months of Solar Power”. A new venture for Salesians

Feed the Future – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian “13 months of solar power in Ethiopia” project provided teacher education, student skills training and community awareness first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Two Spanish physicians, Tere and Maria are the soul of the health center and aim to 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 also has a special focus on maternal and child care, 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 and routinely provide medical care to pregnant women to prevent diseases such as such as anemia, hypertension, malaria and various infections that also cause serious consequences to the newborn child. 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 work of Salesian missionaries in Ethiopia and in programs around the globe goes beyond education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive 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. The work of Tere and Maria helps ensure that women have healthy pregnancies and then aftercare for both the mothers and babies to ensure the best start in life.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 30 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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – The Ethiopia you do not expect alongside mothers and children

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

Feed the Future – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian health clinic provides women and child preventative care and health services first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, with the assistance of professors from Don Bosco Image in Kochi, India, new graphic design courses in Photoshop and InDesign and a course in printing technology and maintenance of machines were launched. Indian professors came to share their experiences and knowledge for a two-week course attended by more than 60 people, including students from Don Bosco Mekanissa, members of the Graphic Arts and Press Association and TVET agency professionals.

The graphic and printing industry is very important and growing in the Ethiopian labor market, but at present there is no institution in the country that offers training for local workers in the field. The Salesian program is the first in graphic and typographic arts to be offered in Ethiopia and is a showpiece of the Salesian presence in the capital.

“Education is always our primary focus,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the youth in the communities they serve, and vocation and technical training are focused on subjects and courses that meet the needs and demands of the current labor market.”

The program, which was launched in 2014, is the result of collaboration among Salesian missionaries, volunteers with VIS, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Episcopal Conference and the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia. A new laboratory for students to practice their hands-on skills in graphic and typographic arts was opened in 2015. On May 18, Don Bosco Mekanissa celebrated the inauguration of a new building for the printing and graphics unit, which was made possible because of the collaboration among the different organization involved.

Currently, the program offers night classes for students, alternating between theory and practical sessions. These sessions are aimed mainly at workers and those employed in the printing industry in order to help them upgrade their skills, improve their chances of new employment and increase their skill level in current jobs. The courses in graphic and typographic arts are generally held by local experts, but there are also special lectures by experts from the renowned Italian technical schools of San Zeno in Verona and San Marco in Mestre, both in the Salesian Province of North-East Italy (INE).

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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – Don Bosco India and Don Bosco Ethiopia Join Hands in Vocational Training

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Professors from India Provide Workshops for Print Your Future Program first appeared on MissionNewswire.

As a result, 16-year-old Amanuel, 15-year-old Tamiru and 98 other girls and boys who now live at the Bosco Children Project shelter under the compassionate care of Salesian missionaries. The Bosco Children Project provides supportive and educational services in addition to an outreach orientation center and a hostel for youth, mostly boys, who are orphaned or live on the street.

“In Addis Ababa alone, there are as many as 100,000 children who desperately need assistance in getting off the streets and turning their lives around,” explains Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because the Bosco Children Project provides the only shelter and rehabilitation center in Addis Ababa, it’s difficult to adequately address the crisis. This innovative partnership is providing crucial resources—food, educational materials and additional staff—so that we may help as many homeless youth as possible.”

Amanuel found his way to Bosco Children’s Home after spending six grueling months in a detention center for a theft he did not commit. Just 2 years old when his mother sold him to a “benefactor” who ultimately abandoned him, Amanuel had been living on the streets since the age of 13. He battled cold nights, drenching rains and the constant threat of beatings from older boys who forced him to beg and steal for their own gain.

“Some youth intentionally commit petty crimes, hoping that by being in jail, they will at least have their basic needs met,” says Andualem Tafesse, director of Bosco Children Project. “Others, like Amanuel, are rounded up without cause. But the end result is the same: when they are released, they have no alternative but to return to their previous lives. It’s a vicious and hopeless cycle for the children, and for society as a whole.”

Tamiru was even younger—9 or 10 years old—when he ran away from an abusive aunt who was supposed to care for him. Although he avoided arrest while living on the streets, he was unable to avoid destitution and despair as he scrounged for scraps of bread night after night. “I sniffed glue because I couldn’t take it any longer,” he recalls. Fortunately, he met staff from Bosco Children’s Home during their nightly outreach work and asked for their help.

At the home, youth receive shelter, meals, warm clothing, psychosocial counseling and access to basic education and literacy classes. Once ready, they participate in a skills training orientation, where they experience a variety of vocational courses—automotive, carpentry, culinary arts and more—with an eye toward choosing their favorite. Recently, Amanuel selected metal work while Tamiru opted for leather craft. For the next eight months, the boys and their classmates will hone their knowledge and skills as they prepare to support themselves as independent adults. Once they complete their training, Bosco Children Project will provide financial and career-placement assistance for up to five months as the students seek jobs and housing.

“I am very happy for this opportunity,” says Amanuel. “Now I can think about my future. The counselors at Don Bosco helped me change my attitude and my life!”

Tamiru agrees. “The world has changed for me since coming to Don Bosco. I am a new person.”

In gratitude for the opportunities given to them, both boys now join staff on evening rounds of the streets, encouraging other children to seek help at Bosco Children’s Home.

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.

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Sources:

UNICEF – Ethiopia

UNODC – Joining Forces to Restore the Lives of Vulnerable Children

UNODC – UNODC and Don Bosco Unite to Brighten the Future of Vulnerable Children in Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Partnership Between Don Bosco VIS and UNODC Provides Critical Services to Homeless and Abandoned Youth in Addis Ababa first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The graphic and printing industry is very important and growing in the Ethiopian labor market, but at present there is no institution in the whole country that offers training for local workers in the field. The Salesian program is the first graphic and typographic arts to be offered in Ethiopia and is a showpiece of the Salesian presence in the capital.

The program was launched in 2014, and is the result of collaboration among Salesian missionaries, volunteers with the International Volunteers for Development (VIS), the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Episcopal Conference, and the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia. The program was also able to open a new laboratory for students to practice their hands-on skills in graphic and typographic arts in 2015.

Currently, the program offers night classes for students, alternating between theory and practical sessions. These sessions are aimed mainly at workers and those employed in the printing industry, to help them upgrade their skills and improve their chances of new employment and increasing their skill level in current jobs. The courses in graphic and typographic arts are generally held by local experts, but there are also special lectures by experts from the renowned Italian technical schools of San Zeno in Verona and San Marco in Mestre, both in the Salesian Province of North-East Italy (INE).

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing educational and supportive services to poor youth inn Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers for older youth. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while having access to supportive 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.

“Education is always our primary focus,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We know youth in Ethiopia are dealing with much more than just having access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the youth in the communities they serve. Homeless and malnourished youth 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.”

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 – Ethiopia – “Print your future”

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Technical Education in Graphic and Typographic Arts Only Professional Program of Its Kind in the Country first appeared on MissionNewswire.

During the ceremony, the entire educational community of more than 2,000 students was neatly placed in rows in absolute silence, carrying candles and bouquets of flowers to mark a final farewell to their friends. Of the seven victims who attended the Don Bosco Centre, two were children helped by a food program, one student was attending primary school, two were in middle school and two in high school. In addition, one of the staff at the Salesian Center lost his entire family in the tragedy, including his parents.

The Koshe landfill is the largest in the country and has been home for hundreds of people who swarmed around it looking for materials to be recycled. It was closed last year by city authorities, who had asked the local population to move to the new landfill outside Addis Ababa, but the opposition of the residents who live near the new site forced the authorities to go back on their decision. The collapse of the mountain of garbage destroyed 49 makeshift homes inside the landfill site. People are still digging through the piles searching for loved ones.

“Our entire Salesian community is deeply saddened by the deaths of our students in Ethiopia,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many of our students live in horrible conditions of poverty, which is what our programs aim to address through education and basic services. This is a tragic loss for their families and our community.”

For the last 18 years, the Don Bosco Center at Mekanissa has been serving poor and marginalized youth and their families in the areas of Koshe and Kore, and is working to expand the program and facilities at the center. Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing educational and supportive services to poor youth in Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers for older youth. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while having access to supportive 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.

“Education is always our primary focus,” says Fr. Hyde. “We know youth in Ethiopia are dealing with much more than just having access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the youth in the communities they serve. Homeless and malnourished youth 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.”

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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – Don Bosco Centre of Mekanissa mourns the death of seven of its pupils

NPR – Dozens Dead Or Missing In Landslide At Ethiopian Garbage Dump

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Seven Salesian Students Among Deceased from Koshe Landfill Landslide first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The center also features dormitories, classrooms, a recreation hall and a cafeteria and serves hundreds of poor youth by providing for their most basic needs of food and shelter. Wojciech Zawada, a volunteer from the Salesian Mission office in Warsaw, Poland, took part in a volunteer experience in support of the school in 2016. He is an electronics engineer and worked as a teacher.

“In one month, I taught three courses, one for teachers and two for students and graduates,” says Zawada. “It was a new experience for me, but very difficult because of the education system in Ethiopia. I taught in English, while the teachers taught me Amharic. I thank God and the people who have allowed me to be a missionary volunteer in Africa.”

The school does not receive financial support from the government and the monthly fee paid by students is not enough to pay the teachers’ salaries. The school works in large part thanks to the support of donors who support the school. Salesian missionaries are always in need of the necessary resources to buy equipment and serve young people so that they can build a better future. In one recent program, 80 people are registered for the computer course. To be able to give the course in a professional manner, teachers need equipment and support. They need cables, staplers, toner for the printer and at least one projector. Missionaries are currently working to find the funding needed to facilitate this program.

All across Ethiopia, Salesian missionaries’ primary focus is on the education of poor youth. They accomplish this through the operation of six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers for older youth. 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.

“Education is always our primary focus,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “But we know youth in Ethiopia are dealing with much more than just having access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the youth in the communities they serve. Homeless and malnourished youth 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.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 30 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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – “Education is the only way to change lives”: the experience of a volunteer, Wojciech Zawada

Feed the Future – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Missionaries Bring Education and Workforce Development Programs to At-Risk Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The course touched on subjects related to the proper management of human, material and financial resources of the educational centers needed to meet the new educational challenges faced by teachers in the education of young Ethiopians. No education institution can succeed without the provision of highly-qualified and motivated teachers and management staff. One of the biggest challenges in Ethiopia is having highly-qualified teachers in the classroom and people with the appropriate level skill leading the technical and vocational training institutions, which provide the skills necessary for youth to find and retain stable employment.

Salesian teachers face many challenges educating poor youth. Many of their students have faced severe poverty and often lack 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.

“Salesian centers are dedicated to providing high-quality teacher training, safe working environments, professional development and the support they need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “The value of strong teachers can be seen in the accomplishments of youth that graduate from their classes. Salesian missionaries believe that access to education and highly-qualified teachers is critical to help youth learn job skills, improve their lives and find a path out of poverty.”

Salesian missionaries in many of the poorest places around the globe are dedicated to improving the working conditions and quality of training for teachers and management staff.

“Quality education depends on well-trained teachers and functional schools and centers,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian teachers help prepare students to easily transition from Salesian primary schools into continued higher education where they can begin to focus on finding a career path and learning the skills necessary to lead a productive life.”

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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – Management course for Salesian schools and Professional Centres

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Missions Helps Fund Professional Training in Development Management for Teachers, Staff first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Not far from Pugnido is Jikawo, where last April there was a predatory attack by bandits that left 208 people dead and more than 100 children abducted. Thousands of head of cattle, which many residents rely on for their livelihood, were also destroyed. Although many people still live with the tragic consequences of that incursion, the presence of security forces has restored a minimum of stability.

“We hope that the worst is over, the children are being brought back to their families,” says Father George Pontiggia, director of the Salesian program. “It’s a nightmare that happens every year, but this time it was of huge magnitude.”

Since 2006, the Salesian Pugnido mission has grown and developed to better meet the needs of the growing refugee population and those living in the surrounding area. The mission now includes 10 outreach stations and a few chapels inside the refugee camp that provide assistance, education pastoral care, and social development services. The goal is ensure that youth have their most basic needs met so they are able to focus on gaining an education and the skills needed to find and retain stable employment. Youth in the programs also volunteer and help with younger children as well as participate in the Catholic Mass.

“They have incredible energy and transmit joy and love of life,” adds Fr. Pontiggia. “Those who were children 10 years ago have not disappeared. Every day they are here in our oratory and participating in the Mass. They live with us. Even those who go to live elsewhere do not fail to gravitate here when they return to Pugnido.”

Salesian missionaries across Ethiopia are working to ensure that all children have access to education, clean water, health care, shelter and nutrition. They face considerable challenges at Pugnido and in sites across the country. Ethiopia is experiencing the worst drought the country has seen in more than 50 years. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported that humanitarian needs in the country have tripled since the beginning of 2015 as the drought has led to successive crop failures and widespread livestock deaths. According to the United Nations, agricultural production in the affected regions has fallen by 50 to 90 percent and the Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency.

As a result, food insecurity and malnutrition rates are alarming in the country with FAO reporting that some 10.2 million people are now food insecure. One-quarter of all districts in Ethiopia are officially classified as facing a food security and nutrition crisis. In addition, the country’s first rainy season is delayed and, with Ethiopia’s main agricultural season fast approaching, farmers need immediate support to help them produce food between now and September for millions facing hunger.

Ethiopia is also 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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – The Salesian mission continues among the refugees and massacres

UNICEF – Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Missionaries Provide Educational Programs at Pugnido Refugee Camp first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Piotrowska never thought that she would do mission work. She had never been moved by the stories from Africa of children suffering from famine and drought but that changed when she started her volunteer work in 2015 and saw firsthand the work of Salesian missionaries and the volunteers who assist them.

“Everything changed when I experienced missionary work for myself,” says Piotrowska. “I started working in the oratory. I was in charge of the children, taking care of them. I do not say just that these children radically changed my heart, but they managed to enlarge my small, narrow selfish heart.”

Ethiopia is experiencing the worst drought the country has seen in more than 50 years. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently announced that agricultural assistance for the upcoming rainy season in Ethiopia is essential to help the drought-affected people as one of the strongest El Niño events on record continues to have devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of farmers and herders. The agency reported that humanitarian needs in the country have tripled since the beginning of 2015 as the drought has led to successive crop failures and widespread livestock deaths. According to the United Nations, agricultural production in the affected regions has fallen by 50 to 90 percent and the Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency.

As a result, food insecurity and malnutrition rates are alarming in the country with FAO reporting that some 10.2 million people are now food insecure. One-quarter of all districts in Ethiopia are officially classified as facing a food security and nutrition crisis. In addition, the country’s first rainy season is delayed and, with Ethiopia’s main agricultural season fast approaching, farmers need immediate support to help them produce food between now and September for millions facing hunger.

Salesian missionaries and volunteers with the International Volunteers for Development (VIS) are utilizing the deep wells built by VIS volunteers in recent years to distribute water to schools, hospitals and first aid clinics, centers for street children, women’s refuges and diocesan centers. The goal during this emergency phase is to support the 12,000 residents of the Somali, Tigray and Oromia regions and those living in the South.

Salesian missionaries’ primary focus in the country is on the education of poor youth. They accomplish this through the operation of six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers for older youth. 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.

“Education is always our primary focus,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “But we know youth in Ethiopia are dealing with much more than just having access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the youth in the communities they serve. Homeless and malnourished youth 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.”

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Sources:

(PHOTO: ANS)

ANS – Ethiopia – “These children have changed my heart and my life”

UNICEF – Ethiopia

UN News Center – Ethiopian farmers need urgent assistance amid major drought, warns UN agency

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Lay Volunteers Educate, Provide Hope to Poor Youth and Their Families first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Each year, UN-Water sets a theme for World Water Day corresponding to a current or future challenge. This year’s theme is ‘Water and Jobs’ and highlights the positive effects of having enough quality water to change workers’ lives and livelihoods and even transform societies and economies. UN Water notes that almost half of the world’s workers, 1.5 billion people, work in water-related sectors and nearly all jobs either depend on water or ensure its safe delivery. Yet, the millions of people who work in water are often not recognized or protected by basic labor rights.

UN-Water estimates that worldwide 768 million people lack access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people have no improved sanitation. 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.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has made building wells and supplying fresh, clean water, a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.

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

In honor and celebration of World Water Day 2016, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs around the globe that provide clean, safe water to those most in need.

DR CONGO

Close to 4,000 youth, parents, Salesian staff and community members are benefiting from two water projects at Salesian training and vocational centers in the city of Lubumbashi in the southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo*. The Salesian-run Kansebula St Jean Bosco Institute and Chem Chem Center have nearly completed the renovation of existing water systems which were outdated, wasting energy and had insufficient quantities of water.

Salesian missionaries began the two water projects to ensure clean fresh water for the students and the sustainability of the water sources for their facilities. At Kansebula, the project consists of erecting a high water tower and two 2,500 liter water tanks in connection to the existing water system. Once completed, this project will improve water management and protect the water pump in use. At Chem Chem the project entails upgrading the existing water system to allow proper quantities of clean water for students. This is being accomplished by deepening the existing well, erecting a high water tower and installing two 2,500 liter water tanks.

ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia is experiencing the worst drought the country has seen in more than 50 years. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently announced that agricultural assistance for the upcoming rainy season in Ethiopia is essential to help the drought-affected people as one of the strongest El Niño events on record continues to have devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of farmers and herders.

Salesian missionaries and volunteers with the International Volunteers for Development (VIS) are concerned that the devastating drought is forcing residents to flee the country making them vulnerable to illegal migration (particularly to Europe and the Middle East), exploitation and human traffickers who are already taking advantage of the crisis. Using deep wells built by VIS volunteers in recent years, Salesian missionaries and volunteers are currently distributing water to schools, hospitals and first aid clinics, centers for street children, women’s refuges and diocesan centers. The goal during this emergency phase is to support the 12,000 residents of the Somali, Tigray and Oromia regions and those living in the South.

INDIA

Salesian missionaries working at the Don Bosco St. Joseph School for Children in Ghanaur, a town in the Patiala district in the state of Punjab, India, have begun a construction project to update and improve facilities at the school making it more accessible to its more than 540 students. Currently, the school’s bathroom facilities are dilapidated, out-of-date and insufficient to accommodate the students and faculty.

Situated on the periphery of a large village, the school was created to serve poor students whose parents could not afford traditional school fees. It offers a full range of academic classes as well as recreational programs. Each year, the student population grows as more and more area families require access to affordable education. Due to its growing population, sanitation has been a major concern at the school and will be addressed by the recent construction project which will provide separate bathroom facilities for male and female students. To date, a well has been dug and the purchasing of materials and digging of pits are underway. Once enough funds are raised to complete the project, construction of the bathroom buildings will begin.

RWANDA

Salesian missionaries in the community of Rukago in the city of Kigali, the capital and largest city of Rwanda, just completed a water and sanitation project for the local Salesian school which had been in desperate need of new sanitation and safe drinking water. The project, funded by Salesian Missions, provided eight new toilets and repaired a water tank that provides clean drinking water for the students. Prior to the repair of the water tank, students had to walk more than a mile to collect water from a hill in a swampy area.

The construction project for the new toilets consisted of digging a pit, purchasing materials and constructing a beam, walls and roof. After that, doors were added and the new building was painted. Salesian missionaries expect that this new project will help local families save on medical expenses for treating children who develop water-related diseases and illnesses due to contaminated water. The new improvements will also give the school children better access to safe water so they can turn their attention and focus to their studies.

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Sources:

UN Water – World Water Day 2016

*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 WORLD WATER DAY: Salesian Missionaries Ensure Safe, Clean Water for Teachers and Students first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Ethiopia is experiencing the worst drought the country has seen in more than 50 years. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently announced that agricultural assistance for the upcoming rainy season in Ethiopia is essential to help the drought-affected people as one of the strongest El Niño events on record continues to have devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of farmers and herders. The agency reported that humanitarian needs in the country have tripled since the beginning of 2015 as the drought has led to successive crop failures and widespread livestock deaths. According to the United Nations, agricultural production in the affected regions has fallen by 50 to 90 percent and the Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency.

As a result, food insecurity and malnutrition rates are alarming in the country with FAO reporting that some 10.2 million people are now food insecure. One-quarter of all districts in Ethiopia are officially classified as facing a food security and nutrition crisis. In addition, the country’s first rainy season is delayed and, with Ethiopia’s main agricultural season fast approaching, farmers need immediate support to help them produce food between now and September for millions facing hunger.

The UN has estimated that nearly 500,000 people leave the country every year or twice that number if consideration is given to illegal migration and victims of trafficking. Due to the drought and food insecurity, many families are leaving the countryside and making their way to cities.

“In the cities, many Ethiopians will receive no help and often do not even find a place to sleep. In this situation there is a significant risk that many will fall victim to traffickers and become exploited and enslaved,” says Father Estifanos Gebremeskel, Superior of the Salesian Vice-Province of Ethiopia.

Using deep wells built by VIS volunteers in recent years, Salesian missionaries and volunteers are currently distributing water to schools, hospitals and first aid clinics, centers for street children, women’s refuges and diocesan centers. The goal during this emergency phase is to support the 12,000 residents of the Somali, Tigray and Oromia regions and those living in the South.

“A crisis of this magnitude calls for a swift response,” says the President of VIS. “We work alongside the Salesians in collaboration with local institutions and associations to help people overcome this terrible drought. They need emergency responses, but we also need to build infrastructure that can last over time.”

A Stop Human Trafficking Campaign, supported by VIS and the Association of Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy, is actively providing education and awareness programs to combat trafficking of potential migrants. The campaign also aims to establish development projects in the country to address the root causes of migration.

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing educational and support services to poor youth in Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers in the country. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while accessing services including family sponsorship and school feeding programs. These supports reinforce the missionaries’ goal of keeping youth in school as long as possible. In addition, water and sanitation issues are regularly assessed by missionaries working in programs throughout the country and new water well projects are planned and implemented as needs arise.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – 10 million people at risk of hunger: human traffickers ready to take advantage of the drought

UN News Center – Ethiopian farmers need urgent assistance amid major drought, warns UN agency

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Missionaries Working with VIS Volunteers are Helping to Provide Water to 12,000 During Drought first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

The construction of a simple well improves the health of residents, increases agricultural production and leads to a better quality of life for families, especially for girls and women. 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 communities without access to local wells 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.

Salesian well projects in Ethiopia utilize construction techniques compatible with cultural traditions, practices and customs of the region and use locally sourced materials. The new wells will improve sanitation and provide safe drinking water and water for agriculture and food production.

Residents of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia are experiencing chronic food insecurity made worse by recurring periods of drought, low soil fertility and an unsustainable use of natural resources. Agriculture is the primary source of sustenance and survival for communities in this region and the onset of drought has negatively impacted all aspects of family life. In order to address this situation and provide access to clean, safe water, Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy is planning to implement a well project. Each well equipped with pump is expected to cost just over $11,000 U.S.

A collaborative project between Salesian missionaries and International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS) volunteers began in 2011 and has successfully completed five wells in the Gambella area of Ethiopia. The wells are operated by a hand pump and are between 50 and 60 meters deep, guaranteeing water to local villages that will benefit close to 1,200 people. To ensure that the wells last as long as possible, a village committee has been set up to oversee their management and maintenance.

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing educational and support services to poor youth in Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers in the country. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while accessing support services including family sponsorship and school feeding programs. These supports reinforce the missionaries’ goal of keeping youth in school as long as possible. Missionaries at these programs continue to assess water and sanitation issues for the programs and surrounding villages. New water well projects are planned and implemented as needs arise.

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, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. 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.

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – Wells in Ethiopia to improve the lives of people in the poorest regions

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Water Well Projects Provide Safe Drinking Water and Improved Sanitation during Recent Droughts first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Residents of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia are experiencing chronic food insecurity made worse by recurring periods of drought, low soil fertility and an unsustainable use of natural resources. Agriculture is the primary source of sustenance and survival for communities in this region and the onset of drought has negatively impacted all aspects of family life. In order to address this situation and provide access to clean, safe water, Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy is planning to implement a well project. Each well equipped with pump is expected to cost just over $11,000 U.S.

The project will utilize construction techniques compatible with cultural traditions, practices and customs of the region and use locally sourced materials. It will also establish village committees that will be responsible for the management of the wells and water-collection systems in addition to the training of community members in appropriate sanitation practices.

The new wells will provide water for agriculture and food production and access to safe drinking water in addition to improving sanitation. 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 communities without access to local wells 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.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

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, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. 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 have a long history of providing educational and support services to poor youth in Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers in the country. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while accessing support services including family sponsorship and school feeding programs. These supports reinforce the missionaries’ goal of keeping youth in school as long as possible.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – A comprehensive water project

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Missionaries Start New Well Project to Provide Clean Water to Communities across Ethiopia first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“The Ethiopian government appreciates the work of Salesian missionaries but our programs struggle financially because of the poor economy in the country, so we provide as many services to as many boys as we can reach,” says Father Angelo Regazzo, treasurer of the Salesian community in Ethiopia. “We appreciative the many donors that support our work ensuring boys who live on the street can have safe shelter and continue with their education.”

The Bosco Children Project has established a new orientation program called “Come and See” which serves close to 30 boys who are living on the streets. Every morning the boys are picked up by bus and taken to the center. At the center, boys work, play sports and attend classes where they learn to read and write. They also receive life skills training on social morality, civic responsibility, hygiene, and professional ethics. In the evening, the boys return to the streets. The goal is to provide boys with enough information and support to help them make the decision to enroll in the three year regular education course offered by the program.

If a boy is ready to enter the three-year course, he is provided a place to live in the Salesian-run youth hostel. His basic needs are provided for and he attends school and learns a trade. Salesian missionaries also provide workforce development services to help youth transition from the classroom into stable employment. Some students go on for further study at the university. For boys who do have a family, Salesian missionaries also offer assistance helping youth to reconnect with their families and settle into school in their village. When needed, Salesian missionaries will offer financial assistance so the boy can continue his education.

One of the biggest challenges the program faced this previous year was a lack of water. Two of the center’s water pumps were damaged. Recently, a donor from Italy has agreed to send the center a solar pump with the necessary panels, which will provide both water and savings on electricity.

To raise funding for the program, Salesian missionaries started an agriculture course where they teach boys farming skills and then sell the vegetables that are grown locally to earn revenue. The center also rents out space and offers a kitchen where goods are made and sold locally. This also helps the students apply the lessons learned in the classroom into a real working environment.

“We’ve also started repairing cars for religious and charitable organizations. As soon as the government gives us permission, we’ll start an auto-repair service for private individuals,” adds Fr. Regazzo.

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing educational and supportive services to poor youth inn Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers for older youth. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while having access to supportive 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.

“Education is always our primary focus,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We know youth in Ethiopia are dealing with much more than just having access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the youth in the communities they serve. Homeless and malnourished youth 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.”

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.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – A new life thanks to the Bosco Children project

UNICEF – Ethiopia

Feed the Future – Ethiopia

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Bosco Children Project Helps Provide Education to Youth Living on the Street first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The UN refugee agency told reporters it was working with its partners to improve conditions in Ethiopia’s western Gambella region– flying in new tents, building camps and moving refugees to higher ground as the rainy season approaches.

On Monday the first flight in an airlift of 4,000 emergency tents arrived at Gambella airport. Those 400 tents were being sent to Lietchuor refugee camp, 125 kilometres from Gambella town, on Tuesday.

The remaining tents will arrive on six flights over the coming days for distribution to other camps operated by UNHCR and Ethiopia’s Administration of Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) in Gambella Regional State.

UNHCR has now finished relocating refugees who were living in flood-prone areas in Kule camp, 42 kilometres from Gambella town, to higher ground. A similar relocation will start at Leitchuor camp on Tuesday. With the rainy season approaching, some parts of the camps were already affected by flooding.

Last weekend, UNHCR and ARRA started clearing the area for a new camp close to Kule on land donated by the Gambella regional administration. It will accommodate up to 30,000 refugees and be located on high ground. The camp is expected to be ready by the end of April.

“Refugees continue to arrive from South Sudan into the Gambella region at a rate of 800 to 1,000 people per day, mainly through the Pagak border point,” UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming told a news briefing.

Some 95 percent are women and children from the Upper Nile State, with many citing fear and food scarcity as the main reasons for their flight. Many women reported men are forcibly recruited, while others have been killed.

“Some refugees have walked up to three weeks to cross the border and malnutrition rates among children remain high,” Fleming said.

More than 4,000 malnourished children are in nutrition programmes in the camps, while some 3,500 lactating women are receiving supplementary feeding. However, UNHCR reported a slight easing in the number of arrivals in Ethiopia since WFP began airdrops of food in South Sudan itself.

With the ongoing influx and the rainy season imminent, regional authorities have granted space on higher ground at the Pagak border point to build a transitional reception centre. The new centre will accommodate up to 5,000 people and provide accommodation while refugees are registered and receive vaccinations, health, nutrition, and other basic services.

UNHCR has deployed a helicopter to transport vulnerable people – the elderly, the disabled, pregnant and lactating women, newborns and sick people – from the Akobo border point to the Lietchuour refugee camp.

Most refugees arriving to Akobo travel by boat up to 15 hours to Burubiey, another entry point, from where they are eventually settled in refugee camps. Some 190 vulnerable people unfit to make that boat trip have been moved to Leitchor camp in 11 flights over the past two weeks and the 30-minute flights are continuing.

Some 86,000 refugees fleeing South Sudan’s current conflict now reside in four camps — Kule, Lietchuor, Pugnido and Okugo — with a further 9,600 still to be relocated from border points.

UNHCR and partners need to raise USD 102 million to meet the basic needs of South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia. Of this, UNHCR requires USD 43.6 million, with only 12 percent so far funded.

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PHOTO: © UNHCR/L.F.Godinho

South Sudanese refugees, who fled to Ethiopia after internal ethnical conflicts erupted in their homeland in December 2013, carry essential aid items back to their tents in Kule Camp.

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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.

Through various programs, Salesians in Ethiopia are meeting the most basic needs of poor youth while providing educational opportunities to enable them to break the cycle of poverty and find hope for the future.

One such Salesian program, the CARING Orphans and Vulnerable Children project is funded by USAID to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in the country. It provides holistic care, community reintegration and support for 60,000 orphans and street youth who are living at-risk due to HIV/AIDS. A shelter where youth are able to access medical care, clothing and food is available as well as formal and non-formal education opportunities. As a result of the program, more than a quarter of the youth have been reintegrated back home with their extended families.

“Salesians in Ethiopia are helping the most poor and vulnerable children in the country,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “As a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, children have been left alone to fend for themselves. Salesians are working hard to make sure that these children have a chance at a brighter future.”

In Ethiopia, the Salesians’ primary focus is on the education of poor youth. They accomplish this through the operation of six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers for older youth. 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.

In Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, a Salesian Center provides a variety of programs designed to instill confidence and self-respect to 750 at-risk youth. The Center features dormitories, classrooms, a recreation hall and cafeteria and serves hundreds of poor youth by providing for their most basic needs of food and shelter. While educational programming is offered at the Center, the Salesians there believe in meeting the basic needs of youth first, so they are better able to focus on their studies.

“Education is always our primary focus,” adds Fr. Hyde. “But we know youth in Ethiopia are dealing with much more than just having access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the youth in the communities they serve. Homeless and malnourished youth 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.”

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Sources

Feed the Future – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

The post ETHIOPIA: Salesian Programs Help Break Cycle of Poverty and Give Youth Hope for the Future first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The campaign includes television, radio and internet ads featuring well-known actors and public figures, and will direct audiences to visit www.usaid.gov/FWD to find more information about the crisis and a listing of U.S.-funded humanitarian organizations—including Salesian Missions—working in the Horn of Africa that are accepting donations to aid in disaster relief.

The FWD campaign was developed in response to the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. The campaign encourages Americans to do more than just donate by providing tools to spread awareness of the crisis, support the humanitarian organizations conducting the relief operations, and learn more about the solutions through President Obama’s Feed the Future initiative.

Across the eastern Horn of Africa, more than 13 million people—a number greater than the populations of Los Angeles and New York City combined—are now in need of emergency assistance to survive. The crisis is the most severe humanitarian emergency in the world today, and the worst that East Africa has seen in six decades. Crops have failed, livestock have died, and high prices in local markets prevent many people from buying what is needed to feed their families. Millions of people are affected in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, and in Somalia where tens of thousands of people have died as a result of the crisis.

Through the Feed the Future initiative, the United States Government is addressing the root causes of chronic hunger by helping foster better farming, stronger markets, and greater resilience to climate shocks.

“We know that these types of crises don’t need to happen. Through Feed the Future, we are working to end hunger around the world,” says Rajiv Shah, USAID administrator. “By partnering with governments, the private sector and smallholder farmers, we can help nations build resilient agricultural sectors and break the devastating cycle of food riots, famine and failed states.”

Despite the magnitude of the crisis, according to a national survey released today by the Ad Council, conducted online by Harris Interactive among 2,226 U.S. adults aged 18 and older in September 2011, more than half (52 percent) of the general public say that they have not seen, heard, or read anything about the drought and famine occurring in the Horn of Africa.

The campaign aims to change those numbers with television and web ads featuring Dr. Jill Biden and actors Uma Thurman, Josh Hartnett, Geena Davis and Chanel Iman. The campaign will also be engaging high-profile athletes such as Lance Armstrong and writer and television host Anthony Bourdain. In addition to the traditional ads, the campaign includes an extensive social media program via USAID’s Facebook and Twitter channels, as well as blogs and other sites.

“We are extremely proud to be among the humanitarian organizations partnering with USAID,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions headquartered in New Rochelle, NY. “We are very thankful for the Ad Council’s work on the FWD campaign and are hopeful more people will become aware of the crisis and take action to help save lives.”

Salesian Missions supports programs in South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya which have all been affected by the crisis in the region. In refugee camps served by Salesians in the area, more than 80,000 people are in need of assistance, according to Brother Cesare Bullo, executive director of the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“They arrive after having walked more than 600 kilometers,” says Br. Bullo, emphasizing the urgent nature of the refugees’ needs. “We are working to distribute food outside the refugee camps while they are waiting to be registered,” he says, referring to the area of Dolo Ado in the Southern part of Somalia. “We estimate we can provide 2,000 daily rations which means 1,000 people will benefit from the daily distribution for at least three or four days before entering the camps.”

The Salesians specialize in assessing specific needs and identifying best possible emergency interventions to aid as many people as possible. Since they are already established in the communities working to help those in need, they are in a unique position to assess situations and respond. Amid the growing numbers of refugees and declining food and water supply at the Kakuma camp, the seemingly impossible is happening. Young people are receiving job training and children are attending school.

Salesian Missions calls on the public to make donations, as they are urgently needed to fulfill these essential life-saving projects. To make a donation, go to www.SalesianMissions.org, click on Donate Now and select “African Famine Fund.”

Salesian Missions is the U.S. arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, which operates in more than 130 countries around the globe with a focus on providing education and opportunity to youth. Since registering with USAID as a private voluntary organization, the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs has implemented 70 projects totaling more than $50 million in financial support.

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Source: USAID | Salesian Missions

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The reality of the situation in the Horn of Africa is unimaginable, and those working in the crisis zone struggle to provide critical information to the outside world, while also trying to save lives.

The international community’s reaction to the signs of massive famine in the Horn of Africa came too late, say the Salesians of Don Bosco in Ethiopia.  Refugee camps throughout the region are filled with tens of thousands of people in desperate need. The camp locations are extremely remote, with workers reporting they feel isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. Warnings of a famine disaster began in December 2010 but “nobody was listening,” said Mattia Grandi, a local project coordinator for the Salesian relief efforts told EWTN News.

Getting up-to-date information is a challenge even for humanitarian organizations who were already established in the famine zones, says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our missionaries working in the thick of the crisis are trying their best to send reports. But as expected, they must first attend to the immediate needs of the children and adults dying of malnutrition. Every second counts.”

Photographs that have made their way out of the isolated region tell stories that words simply cannot. The images are surreal, given the severe nature of the famine and the large numbers of people in desperate need of assistance. The realities of the situation are hard for anyone to process, even those who devote their lives to helping the poor and providing emergency aid.

“Long lines stretch from our refugee camps,” says Fr. Hyde, describing scenes from such photographs from the five Salesian refugee camps in the region, where an estimated 150,000 people are living in in desperate need of food and water.

“People of all ages waiting patiently for help. There is no visible sign of panic on their faces as malnutrition has sapped their energy and their spirits. Many of the victims are so frail, it is only a matter of days or even hours before they succumb to the starvation.”

Humanitarian organizations like Salesian Missions are urging people to help even though the situation may be overwhelming or seemingly hopeless. Although, the death toll is expected to be large, donations can and do make a difference, says Fr. Hyde. “Many lives can still be saved, we must not be discouraged.”

During recent weeks, the Salesians participated in the delivery of 49 tons of food to North Horr in Kenya, consisting of 25 tons of corn, 10 tons of beans, 10 tons of fortified flour, 3 tons of rice and 1 ton of cooking fat. An additional 25 tons of food were sent to Lodwa-Turkana – including corn, beans, cooking oil, peas, flour, biscuits and powdered milk.

Currently, Salesian Missions is providing 2,000 food rations each day and 10,000 liters of water twice a day. An international campaign launched by the Salesians is aimed at helping almost 4 million people living in the region. Donations can be made by going to www.SalesianMissions.org.

The post HORN OF AFRICA: Saving Lives Amid Unimaginable Conditions, “We Must Not Be Discouraged” first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“The crisis in the Horn of Africa is a human disaster becoming a human catastrophe,” reports Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, the U.N.’s children’s agency.

According to Lake, 1.4 million children are affected in Somalia alone, with an estimated 390,000 suffering from malnutrition. His agency estimates that nearly 140,000 children in south-central Somalia are currently suffering from “severe acute malnutrition” and are near death.

On July 20, the U.N. declared a famine in two regions of southern Somalia, marking the first time since the early 90s that the U.N. has declared famine in Somalia. Across the region, nearly 11 million people are at risk according to UNICEF.

Malnutrition rates in Somalia are currently the highest in the world, with peaks of 50 percent in southern areas, according to Mark Bowden, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia.

Aid agencies have struggled to reach the most desperate parts of Somalia, where Al-Shabab extremists maintain control and refuse access to essential humanitarian organizations, including the U.N. World Food Program. As a result, tens of thousands are fleeing to refugee camps in neighboring countries Ethiopia and Kenya.

The children and people of the Horn of Africa face not only a threat of death from starvation, but from diseases that spread easily in overcrowded refugee camps. Men, women and children travel hundreds of miles on foot to make it to refugee camps where, sadly, they face another deadly threat.

Water-borne diseases are also a “lethal threat to children in southern Somalia,” according to an Aug. 18 report from UNICEF, which urges that a rapid response is needed as cholera cases increase. The report cites that 75 percent of all cases of highly infectious acute watery diarrhea are among children under five.

According to UNICEF, many of the Horn of Africa’s rural and urban areas rely on shallow wells, which – unless they are protected or treated with chlorine – can become a perfect breeding ground for water-borne diseases.

Therefore, aid must not only focus on providing food, it must also include plans for access to ongoing clean water, says Brother Cesare Bullo, executive director of the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

His office has put together plans to “rehabilitate” shallow wells to make them safe as well as dig new wells.

“We have located four water points that need to be rehabilitated and strengthened through the purchase of new pumps and additional excavations to find more water,” says Br. Bullo. “The new wells will be built in four areas for local communities very much in need of water at the moment. The wells need to be capable of providing a sufficient quantity of water during the droughts.”

In order to complete these projects, and provide life-saving food aid and water distribution, the Salesians have coordinated an international fundraising initiative. Salesian Missions of New Rochelle, NY, has put out an urgent appeal to U.S. donors to help raise the project goal of $850,000 that this initial response will require. To make a donation, go to www.SalesianMissions.org.

UN Photo/Stuart Price

Sources:

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39086&Cr=Somali&Cr1=

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_59585.html

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_59241.html

The post HORN OF AFRICA: More than 300,000 Children at “Risk of Dying” from Malnutrition, Disease first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Entire communities have nothing to eat and people, many of them children, are dying,” explained Salesian missionaries serving in the Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya. More than 20,000 Somali refugees sought refuge at the camp after fleeing the political instability, hunger and overcrowding of other camps. This brings the total refugees at Kakuma to more than 50,000 with an estimated 1,000 additional Somali refugees arriving daily.

In refugee camps served by Salesians in the area, more than 80,000 people are in need of assistance, according to Brother Cesare Bullo, executive director of the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Authorities fear that this crisis could become worse than the famine of 1984-85 when more than one million people died. In response, the Salesians have organized an international fundraising initiative aimed to raise at least $850,000 to provide necessary aid for 6 months.

Projects to address the urgent needs of the drought and famine victims include the repair and maintenance of existing wells, drilling of new wells, water distribution and emergency food aid.

The repair and maintenance of four wells will provide a long-term water supply for 8,000 people. In additional, four new wells will be constructed. In total, it is estimated that at least 14,000 people will benefit from these new water sources.

“We have located four water points that need to be rehabilitated and strengthened through the purchase of new pumps and additional excavations to find more water,” says Br. Bullo. “The new wells will be built in four areas for local communities very much in need of water at the moment. The wells need to be capable of providing a sufficient quantity of water during the droughts.”

The Salesians also have a plan in the works to provide a water tracking service for water distribution in the area around Jijiga, to aid the pastoralist communities. The goal is to distribute 10-12,000 liters of water twice daily.

With 1,000 new refugees arriving daily in Ethiopia from Somalia, Br. Bullo says it takes three to four days for them to register with UNHCR and enter the camp to receive aid.

“They arrive after having walked more than 600 kilometers,” says Br. Bullo, emphasizing the urgent nature of the refugees’ needs.

“We are working to distribute food outside the refugee camps while they are waiting to be registered,” he says, referring to the area of Dolo Ado in the Southern part of Somalia. “We estimate we can provide 2,000 daily rations which means 1,000 people will benefit from the daily distribution for at least three or four days before entering the camps.”

Br. Bullo estimates they will help at least 10,000 people outside the camps in the first month.

Salesian Missions calls on the public to make donations, as they are urgently needed to fulfill these essential life-saving projects.

“So far, we have raised about a third of the needed funds and are hopeful that the remaining amount will follow as caring friends and donors learn of the crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions in New Rochelle, NY.

To make a donation, go to www.SalesianMissions.org, click on Donate Now and select “African Famine Fund.”

The Salesians specialize in assessing specific needs and identifying best possible emergency interventions to aid as many people as possible. Since they are already established in the communities working to help those in need, they are in a unique position to assess situations and respond.

For example, in Ethiopia the Salesians operate in 14 towns, providing schools, feeding programs, housing for orphans, and HIV/AIDS intervention programs. In Kenya, the Salesians bring classrooms to refugee camps, protect youth from disease, teach agriculture skills, feed hungry children and families, and much more.

PHOTO: ROBERTO SCHMIDT (AFP/Getty)

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As politicians work to introduce plans for a better Ethiopia, a unique program is already addressing issues of hunger and education on the streets of Addis Ababa. Through Donato’s Children of the Beggars program founded by the Salesians of Don Bosco in Mekanissa, Ethiopia, parents who survive by begging on the street are able to send their children to school to receive basic education and skills training support services.

According to UNICEF, approximately 72 percent of school-age children in Ethiopia have no access to formal education, and while education is free, many families do not have the economic resources to send their children to school.

“For children whose parents are already begging on the street, education seems like a dream,” says Brother Cesare Bullo, director of the Project Development Office for the Salesians of Don Bosco in Ethiopia.  “Our goal is to reach children who are living in dangerous situations. Our first step is to connect with the parents and guardians to introduce the value of education and how it can lead to a better life for their children – something every parent wants.”

The program staff includes social workers who do outreach to convince parents that an education will provide long-term benefits for the child and family, even though the family may rely on the child to work in the street to provide a portion of the family income.

Once enrolled in the program, children are tutored in basic literacy and math skills so that they may join the formal education system, while adolescents receive jobs training in marketable skills that will help provide for them and their families.

“Our program also includes meals to provide added incentive for the children to study and for parents to continue to encourage their children to attend classes,” says Br. Bullo. “We are committed to keeping the children in the program and by including meals, the program represents a daily benefit to the family.”

Currently, 513 children are enrolled in this program which began in 1998. The Salesians of Don Bosco in Ethiopia have been working with the most vulnerable children and youth since 1975 with a focus on primary and secondary educational services. Salesians also carry out development initiatives providing support in the areas of food security, access to water and illness prevention, health, emergency assistance and agriculture.

PHOTO: Adam Rudin / SALESIAN MISSIONS

SOURCES:

UNICEF

Reuters

ANS

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