ESWATINI

(MissionNewswire) More than 1,400 youth participating in three Salesian programs in Eswatini are benefiting from furniture thanks to a donation secured by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The furniture was provided by Furniture Reuse Solutions, which has a commitment to sustainability and societal benefit. The company provides charities and nonprofits with gifts-in-kind donations that aid in their humanitarian missions.

The furniture was provided to the Salesian-run Manzini Youth Care in 2022 and distributed to Bosco Study Center, Bosco Youth Agricultural Center, and the Enjabulweni Residential Care Home. Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth. The services include free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets.

At the Bosco Study Center, Salesians replaced the furniture in the library and the staff room, allowing both students and teachers to do their work comfortably. The donation also provided comfortable and durable furniture for the study rooms and dining hall at the Enjabulweni Residential Care Home.

The offices at Manzini Youth Care also benefited from the donation. Salesians were able to replace the old office chairs and the tables, enhance the learning facilities, and improve the working, learning and study conditions.

One of the beneficiaries, Lucky, attends the Salesian High School and is currently living in the residential care home. He expressed his gratitude for the furniture donation and said it has helped him and his brother, especially when they are studying.

Lucky said, “Each person now has his own chair and table to study peacefully which is very exciting. This furniture has enhanced our living and study environment.” The brothers also said the shelves have helped to better organize their schoolbooks and textbooks. “It is no longer untidy in our living room and study room. Everything is perfect.”

Lucky finds the beds to be extremely comfortable and is grateful for the donation. He no longer shares his bed with his siblings and feels privileged to have a bed of his own. He expressed his appreciation by promising that he and other youth living in the residential home will carefully take care of the furniture as it will be of great use to others who will come after them.

The people of Eswatini face immense challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Bank, an estimated 63% of the population lives below the poverty line, and about 29% lives below the extreme poverty line. The HIV/AIDS prevalence of 31% of the population is among the highest in the world and life expectancy has fallen to approximately 49 years.

Salesian missionaries work to meet the most basic needs while providing education to youth in need. With education, youth can find and retain employment and in turn give back to their families and communities.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Furniture Reuse Solutions

Manzini Youth Care Facebook

Salesian Missions – Eswatini

World Bank – Eswatini

The post ESWATINI: Youth programs gain new furniture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Eswatini (Swaziland)

(MissionNewswire) Youth taking part in Manzini Youth Care programs, located in the city of Manzini in Eswatini (Swaziland), have better nutrition thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable. During 2020, the rice-meals were provided to a Salesian vocational training center, a primary school, two soup kitchens, two orphanages, and communities around Manzini.

The meals helped ensure all those taking part in Salesian programs had the proper nutrition to enable them to fully take part in the programs and improve their health. The Salesian organization distributed meals to 720 beneficiaries. Salesians had hoped to reach 800 beneficiaries but due to challenges such as school closure during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, trouble with transportation bringing food into the villages, and youth who had relocated, they fell short of their goal.

Poverty in the area has impacted many families who depend on Rise Against Hunger meals for survival. The unemployment rate is high and has become worse during the pandemic. People have lost their jobs while food prices have increased drastically.

Recipients of the rice-meals had a significant impact on their health. Mzwandile Sihlongonyane, an 18-year-old young man from Ticancweni township on the outskirts of Manzini, is one of those who received the donation.

Sihlongonyane said, “My goal is to become a teacher one day so that I can work with young people and nurture them to become better people and also develop themselves. Before I received Rise Against Hunger meals, I used to eat pap (porridge), spinach and okra. We usually ate once or twice with my family. Since I began receiving the meals, I am feeling lively because I believe the nutrients from the meals are contributing to that. It is important for me to receive Rise Against Hunger meals because they are a balanced diet and sometimes the only meal I have in a day.”

Cyprian Shabangu, a social worker at Manzini Youth Care, provides holistic care and support to communities around Manzini. He said the distribution of Rise Against Hunger meals helps the organization because while distributing the meals, he is able to communicate directly with the different stakeholders and beneficiaries themselves.

Shabangu said, “Ever since Manzini Youth Care started distributing Rise Against Hunger meals, we haven’t heard of any hunger-related illnesses from children in this community.” He also noted that his favorite part of serving meals in this community is that when he delivers the food, he sees the lovely smiles of the beneficiaries and they show that they appreciate the support.

Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also serves the communities surrounding Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Manzini Youth Care

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Swaziland

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, provided funding for food relief to Salesian missionaries, with the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Johannesburg, South Africa. Salesian missionaries were able to provide food support to Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa as part of COVID-19 relief efforts in these countries.

In order to reach people who most desperately needed help, Salesian missionaries worked with Don Bosco Educational Projects in Johannesburg, Salesian Institute of Youth Projects and Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Cape Town, Manzini Youth Center in Eswatini, and St Luke’s Oratory in Lesotho. These local Salesian organizations identified the most vulnerable in their communities and distributed the food aid to them.

In total,1,030 households, impacting 6,592 people, received the aid over three months. Each household received one food package per month to assist in sustaining the family. The contents of food packages varied with each Salesian location and were determined by community needs.

In Cape Town, Linda has two adults and five children in her household. Prior to the national lockdown her husband worked part-time as a gardener. Even at that time, food was scarce. Linda often found herself going from soup kitchen to soup kitchen gathering enough food to feed her family. More often than she wishes to remember, her family survived on dry bread and black tea.

When she received the food aid, Linda said, “The food parcel made a big impact in our daily lives. I could offer my family a cooked meal and save my few cents to buy bread for them. Thank you for your kindness and remembering us, the poor.”

In Eswatini, Tengetile lives in a rural community and is currently in her 11th year in high school. She lives with her grandparents because her father passed away and her mother left to get married and start a new family. Her grandparents are unable to work and survive on a token government pension. Their main food for all meals is pap (a semolina-type porridge made from refined corn) and sometimes they’re able to find edible green leaves in the fields.

Tengetile said, “The food package is a great gift from God and it reminds me of God’s love and care. I am thankful for the food as it relieves stress from my grandparents and will also help me to improve in my studies at school.”

This food aid was not initially intended an ongoing project, but due to lockdown measures, Salesian missionaries were able to secure funding to continue the aid until early 2021, when it is hoped that there will be less severe disruptions in the job market and people might be back to work.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Africa

Salesians of Southern Africa

UNICEF – South Africa

The post SOUTH AFRICA: Salesian Missions provides funding for food aid first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SWAZILAND

(MissionNewswire) Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, Sister Elsa P. Joseph, Sister Mary Clara Topno and Sister Susan Soren, based at the Salesian Parish St John Bosco, located in Malkerns, Swaziland, launched impressive relief efforts in the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Salesian sisters wrote letters and presented aid projects to individuals, companies, friends and benefactors, involving diverse people in their initiatives. They rallied support from truck drivers who made available their vehicles and their expertise to deliver the aid. They also garnered support from the Indonesian Consulate and the Taiwanese Embassy ​​who shipped several tons of food.

While planning for the arrival of the food aid, the sisters identified priority recipients, including the poor, sick, elderly and lonely. The sisters worked in collaboration with the village heads, the catechists and local authorities in all phases of gathering and disseminating information and aid. From March 14 until the end of May, they physically distributed food and health and protection devices to 900 families in 52 villages, while also making the population aware of the correct prophylaxis practices.

At the end of their activities, the sisters met to thank everyone including volunteers and benefactors, Father Martin McCormack, and Father Mbongiseni Shabangu. Their work was so appreciated that Father George Menamparampil, the Salesian deputy from the congregation for the coordination of emergency activities for COVID-19, declared, “Congratulations, sisters! You have become experts in resource mobilization, an excellent model for all of us!”

The people of Swaziland face immense challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Bank, an estimated 63 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and about 29 percent lives below the extreme poverty line. The HIV/AIDS prevalence of 31 percent of the population is among the highest in the world and life expectancy has fallen to approximately 49 years.

Salesian missionaries work to meet the most basic needs while providing education to youth in need. With education, youth can find and retain employment and in turn give back to their families and communities.

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Sources:

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

ANS – eSwatini – Three nuns mobilize an impressive relief machine against Covid-19. The example of the MSMHC

Salesian Missions – Swaziland

World Food Programme

The post SWAZILAND: 3 missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians coordinate relief efforts impacting more than 900 families in 52 villages first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SWAZILAND

(MissionNewswire) Close to 800 youth taking part in Salesian-run Manzini Youth Care programs, located in the city of Manzini in Swaziland, have better nutrition thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable.

In the third quarter of 2019, rice-meals were provided to a Salesian vocational training center, primary schools, two orphanages, and two child development and youth programs in community around the city of Manzini. The Salesian primary schools report that there was a 40 percent increase in attendance since the schools started serving the rice-meals. The meals helped ensure all those taking part in Salesian programs had the proper nutrition to help their health and also enabled them to have the energy to fully take part in programs.

Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also serves the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

“The rice-meal donation has been a critical part of helping students have the proper nutrition they need to focus in school,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

Rise Against Hunger partners with Salesian Missions, which works to identify needs and coordinate delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals, supplemented with additional supplies when available. The partnership was developed in 2011 and since that time, shipments have been successfully delivered to 20 countries around the globe. The meals and life-saving aid have helped to nourish poor youth at Salesian schools and programs and care for those in need of emergency aid during times of war, natural disasters and health crises.

The people of Swaziland face immense challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Bank, an estimated 63 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and about 29 percent lives below the extreme poverty line. The HIV/AIDS prevalence of 31 percent of the population is among the highest in the world and life expectancy has fallen to approximately 49 years.

Salesian missionaries work to meet the most basic needs while providing education to youth in need. With education, youth can find and retain employment and in turn give back to their families and communities.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Rise Against Hunger

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Swaziland

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SWAZILAND

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run Manzini Youth Care in Swaziland was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth. The services include free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also serves the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

Partial and full scholarships are provided for more than 350 children who live at home but whose parents cannot afford school fees. Youth access education in a range of fields including carpentry, sewing, bakery, welding, electronics, mechanics, refrigeration, upholstery, panel beating and spray painting, printing and screen printing, hair care, auto electrical and plumbing.

Youth are trained by successful business leaders in the field for one year. After that youth are encouraged to start their own businesses to generate income. The Manzini Youth Care Bosco Study Center provides business classes for students who are in grade 12 to help them launch these businesses. Students take courses in the morning and work in the afternoons.

In addition to educational activities, Manzini Youth Care also has sporting equipment on hand for youth to play and connect with their peers in a safe and supportive environment. More than 300 youth attend Sunday programming. Games, talent quests, leadership training and moral classes are offered. Older students take the time to care for and guide younger students during this time. This is excellent hands-on experience for the older students in their quest to become leaders.

“Because Salesian missionaries live within the communities they serve, they see the local need and are able to develop programs to meet that need,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Education is the greatest tool in combating poverty, and the programs offered at Manzini Youth Care help youth achieve educational success and break the cycle of poverty.”

The people of Swaziland face immense challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Bank, an estimated 63 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and about 29 percent lives below the extreme poverty line. The HIV/AIDS prevalence of 31 percent of the population is among the highest in the world and life expectancy has fallen to approximately 49 years.

Salesian missionaries work to meet the most basic needs while providing education to youth in need. With education, youth can find and retain employment and in turn give back to their families and communities.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Manzini Youth Care

Manzini Youth Care

Salesian Missions – Swaziland

World Food Programme

The post SWAZILAND: Salesian-run Manzini Youth Care provides education and social development programs to aid poor youth and their families first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SWAZILAND

(MissionNewswire) Close to 700 people taking part in Salesian-run Manzini Youth Care programs, located in the city of Manzini in Swaziland, have better nutrition thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable. In the second quarter of 2019, the rice-meals were provided to a Salesian vocational training center, primary schools, two soup kitchens, an orphanage and communities around the city of Manzini.

The meals helped ensure all those taking part in Salesian programs had the proper nutrition to help their health and also enabled them to have the energy to fully take part in programs. Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also serves the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

One of the recipients, Mzwandile Dlamini, is a 19-year-old male who lives in Skom, which is an informal settlement outside the Manzini city center. There is a high rate of unemployment, which leads people in the community to commit crimes in order to be able to put food on the table. There is also poor sanitation. Teenage pregnancy and unplanned pregnancies are on the rise.

Dlamini says, “Life at Skom is not easy for me. I am not happy to stay here because most people in this area are taking drugs, especially my peers (youth). The older ones are drinking traditional brew which is very dangerous to their bodies. Sometimes I leave my place for a while and go to sleep at my friend’s place outside the Skom community. I help members of the community by fetching water and collecting firewood for them. During my spare time, I go to the Skom soup kitchen to help those who are cooking for the children there.”

Before Dlamini started receiving the Rise Against Hunger meals, he used to collect food that was disposed of in garbage bins. Dlamini enjoys that the rice-meals are healthy, balanced nutrition for him. He says his community has also benefited from the Rise Against Hunger meals because people no longer have to steal because of hunger.

The people of Swaziland face immense challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Bank, an estimated 63 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and about 29 percent lives below the extreme poverty line. The HIV/AIDS prevalence of 31 percent of the population is among the highest in the world and life expectancy has fallen to approximately 49 years.

Salesian missionaries work to meet the most basic needs while providing education to youth in need. With education, youth can find and retain employment and in turn give back to their families and communities.

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Sources:

Manzini Youth Care

Rise Against Hunger

Photo courtesy of Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Swaziland

The post SWAZILAND: Close to 700 people in Salesian-run Manzini Youth Care programs benefited from rice-meal donation thanks to Rise Against Hunger shipment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The five youth visiting from Amsterdam were once living on the streets and/or receiving residential care. Manzini Youth Care Center provides services to marginalized youth, including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care Center also serves the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

Youth who are about to turn 18 and need to leave Manzini Youth Care and youth who have already left took part in the workshops. Residential care in the Netherlands is quite well-organized and intense for minors. Once they turn 18, youth leave the care system and need to take care of themselves. The level of support decreases. This gives youth a sense of freedom, but it is also a giant leap in responsibility.

For many youth, this step is too big, and after some years, they end up having financial debts and other problems. In Manzini, youth experience similar difficulties. Leaving Manzini Youth Care Center is a big step and it is a challenge for the organization to provide transitional care. During the workshops, the youth discussed their ideas about self-dependence. They explored what it means, how they could build an independent life, how to better take care of themselves, and what help they need and want from others.

While youth in the Netherlands and in Swaziland have very difference experiences, they also share commonalities with what it means to gain independence and live as adults in society. They were able to share their experiences and learn from each other. The workshops served a broader purpose beyond peer exchange. The recommendations youth made will be turned into an information poster that will be shared with other similar care organizations to help other youth transition to their new lives.

The visit also included informal dinners and sports events where youth were able to relax and enjoy time with their peers, better getting to know each other. During these times, youth also shared more personal stories about their lives and discovered even more similarities in their backgrounds. One young man from Swaziland shared his experience of drug addiction and attending rehab. He has now been clean without drugs for more than a year and a half. His story inspired one of the youth from Amsterdam who is also going through some struggles resisting drugs and addiction.

“Transitioning from residential care into adulthood is a challenge for many youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “It is important for youth to be able to connect with their peers for support, learn from one another, and also identify ways in which they still need assistance and how to access that. This visit showed youth that their experiences are fairly similar to youth around the globe, and they are not alone in trying to achieve an independent life.”

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Sources:

ANS – Swaziland – Youth exchange: streetwise youngsters meet

ANS photo

The post SWAZILAND: Youth from Amsterdam visit youth at Manzini Youth Care Center for a peer exchange to discuss strategies for living independently first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian Missions has supported this shoe drive since its launch in 2015. Roberto Callegari, who was a third-grade student at the Academy of St. James back in 2015, came up with the idea to send shoes to Africa. With the support of his father Orlando Callegari and the Academy of St. James School, he was able to launch this program, now in its fourth year.

This year, 79 pairs of new shoes from the shoe drive will be sent to the Manzini Youth Care Center. The shipment to Swaziland also contains 20 pallets of rice-soy meals from Rise Against Hunger, more than 75 pairs of second-hand shoes donated by Swazi Legacy, liturgical items, Pedia-sure, fabric, soccer balls, school supplies and second-hand soccer cleats and clothing.

“We were happy to once again support the Shoe Drive for Africa and be able to provide youth in the Manzini Youth Care Center new shoes,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “For youth in our program, their families cannot afford new shoes for their children. This is a great opportunity for youth here to pay it forward to children who are in need in Africa.”

Manzini Youth Care provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also serves the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

Swaziland is a landlocked nation almost entirely contained within the northeast corner of South Africa. The country faces numerous challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. With a population of 1.1 million people, 52 percent of whom are under the age of 20, Swaziland ranks 148 out of 188 in the 2016 Human Development Index.

According to the World Food Programme, nearly 25 percent of Swaziland’s children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition. With 63 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line, the risk of food insecurity is high. Swaziland also has elevated rates of unemployment and income inequality.

Few farmers in the country own agricultural machinery such as tractors or ploughs and as a result, must rely on manual labor and traditional farming methods that require them to spend long hours in the fields producing very little food. Unable to produce enough food to support its population, Swaziland residents are vulnerable to fluctuating food prices from food imports.

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Sources:

Academy of St. James

World Food Programme – Swaziland

The post SWAZILAND: Salesian Missions coordinates donation of new shoes from Academy of St. James in Totowa, N.J. first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Swaziland is a landlocked nation almost entirely contained within the northeast corner of South Africa. The country faces numerous challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Food Program, nearly 25 percent of Swaziland’s children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition. New research from the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Health Organization has rated Swaziland as the unhealthiest country in the world with women and girls most at-risk.

The Salesian Zekhele Shelter in the city of Manzini cares for 14 girls between 8 and 21 years old. The shelter provides safe living accommodations as well as education. Girls in the program are able to focus on their studies, break the cycle of poverty, and live a healthy, productive life. The facility through is in need of some improvements.

The house has one large bedroom for all the girls, which means among other things, that it is very difficult for the older girls to concentrate on their studies. There is also very little space for their personal belongings. Salesian missionaries are in the process of raising funds to build a space that better meets the needs of the girls and offers a more suitable surrounding. Both the ceiling and floor need repair as well as new spaces need to be created for girls to study and for group activities.

Another Salesian organization, Manzini Youth Care, provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also serves the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

“The poverty in Swaziland is getting worse and during my 45 years here I have experienced so many really desperate cases,” says Father Larry McDonnell, director of Manzini Youth Care. “More and more the signs of an ever deepening poverty are knocking more regularly on our door. The programs we provide help to meet the most basic needs while providing the education youth need to find and retain employment and in turn give back to their families and communities.”

With 63 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line, the risk of food insecurity is high. Swaziland also has elevated rates of unemployment and income equality.

Few farmers in the country own agricultural machinery such as tractors or plows and, as a result, must rely on manual labor and traditional farming methods that require them to spend long hours in the fields producing very little food. Unable to produce enough food to support its population, Swaziland residents are vulnerable to fluctuating food prices from food imports. In addition, many households are coping with the impact of HIV which affects 26 percent of those aged 15 to 49 and 42 percent of pregnant women. The high prevalence of the disease among breadwinners and caregivers further compromises food security.

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Sources:

ANS – Swaziland – A look at the condition of disadvantaged women in the least healthy country on the planet

World Food News – Singapore Ranked as the World’s Healthiest Country

Photo: ANS

The post SWAZILAND: Salesian Shelter Provides Education, Social Services to At-Risk Girls first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The donated rice-meals will provide nutrition for 320 students at the Enjabulweni Free Primary School, one of the schools under the Manzini Youth Care umbrella. The meals are provided to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates as a result of the feeding program.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

The shipment also included bars of soap and girl’s dresses from Little Dresses of Africa, a nonprofit organization that provides relief to vulnerable children throughout Africa and beyond. As part of Manzini Youth Care, Salesian missionaries provide education and shelter for 28 girls age 8 to 21 at the Zakhele and Ngwane Park homes. Girls in these programs will benefit from the food aid donation as well as the soap and dresses.

Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also serves the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

“The poverty situation in Swaziland is getting worse and during my 45 years here I have experienced so many really desperate cases,” says Father Larry McDonnell, director of Manzini Youth Care. “More and more the signs of an ever deepening poverty are knocking more regularly on our door. The food donation is making a difference for our programs. We are sharing the rice with all seven of the poorer Salesian associated schools including two high schools and five primary. For many, the school meal is the only nutritious intake most of the children will get each day.”

Swaziland is a landlocked nation almost entirely contained within the northeast corner of South Africa. The country faces numerous challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Food Programme, nearly 25 percent of Swaziland’s children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition. With 63 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line, the risk of food insecurity is high. Swaziland also has elevated rates of unemployment and income equality.

Few farmers in the country own agricultural machinery such as tractors or ploughs and as a result, must rely on manual labor and traditional farming methods that require them to spend long hours in the fields producing very little food. Unable to produce enough food to support its population, Swaziland residents are vulnerable to fluctuating food prices from food imports. In addition, many households are coping with the impact of HIV which affects 26 percent of those aged 15 to 49 and 42 percent of pregnant women. The high prevalence of the disease among breadwinners and caregivers further compromises food security.

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Sources:

Stop Hunger Now

World Food Programme – Swaziland

The post SWAZILAND: Students in Salesian Programs Receive Better Nutrition Thanks to Stop Hunger Now Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Swaziland is a landlocked nation almost entirely contained within the northeast corner of South Africa. The country faces numerous challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Food Programme, nearly 25 percent of Swaziland’s children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition. With 63 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line, the risk of food insecurity is high. Swaziland also has elevated rates of unemployment and income inequality.

Few farmers in the country own agricultural machinery such as tractors or ploughs and as a result, must rely on manual labor and traditional farming methods that require them to spend long hours in the fields producing very little food. Unable to produce enough food to support its population, Swaziland residents are vulnerable to fluctuating food prices from food imports.

“Given the present drought and the little amount of ploughing that has taken place so far this planting season, we will have a lot of hungry people in Swaziland next year,” says Father McDonnell, director of Manzini Youth Care.

Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also works in the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help local people improve living standards, sanitation and food security.

The donated rice meals were provided to more than 90 residents in six orphanages operated by Salesian missionaries as well as 320 students in the Salesian-run Enjabulweni Free Primary School. The meals are provided to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates as a result of the feeding program.

Many households in Swaziland are coping with the impact of HIV which affects 26 percent of those aged 15 to 49 and 42 percent of pregnant women. The high prevalence of the disease among breadwinners and caregivers further compromises food security. Some of the Salesian programs that received the rice-meal donation were Hope House and Masekwene Care Point and Soup Kitchen. Hope House provides shelter to 40 terminally ill patients suffering from tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. The donated meals help patients take their medication and fight illness.

Masekwene Care Point and Soup Kitchen provides a free medical clinic as well as education and a feeding program that offers morning and lunchtime meals to more than 400 disadvantaged children. Close to 80 percent of the participants in the program are from single parent households.

“The food donation ensures that Masakwene’s children are served with at least one meal a day and as a result, the life and social well-being of the most vulnerable children is improved,” says Fr. McDonnell. “The meals have a great impact on their life particularly in improving their health, a bigger motivation to attend school and their level of happiness. After all, they have their whole life ahead and should have the same opportunities to have energy to play with their friends and have fun.”

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Sources:

World Food Programme – Swaziland

The post SWAZILAND: Vulnerable Youth in Salesian Programs Receive Better Nutrition Thanks to Rice-Meal Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Swaziland is a landlocked nation almost entirely contained within the northeast corner of South Africa. The country faces numerous challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Food Programme, nearly 25 percent of Swaziland’s children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition. With 63 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line, the risk of food insecurity is high. Swaziland also has elevated rates of unemployment and income equality.

Few farmers in the country own agricultural machinery such as tractors or ploughs and as a result, must rely on manual labor and traditional farming methods that require them to spend long hours in the fields producing very little food. Unable to produce enough food to support its population, Swaziland residents are vulnerable to fluctuating food prices from food imports. In addition, many households are coping with the impact of HIV which affects 26 percent of those aged 15 to 49 and 42 percent of pregnant women. The high prevalence of the disease among breadwinners and caregivers further compromises food security.

Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also works in the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help local people improve living standards, sanitation and food security.

The donated rice meals are provided to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates as a result of the feeding program. Included in the latest shipment of rice meals was soap, protein and nutrition bars and soccer equipment and clothing.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

Masekwene Care Point and Soup Kitchen was also a recipient of the rice-meal donation. The Salesian organization provides education and a feeding program that offers morning and lunchtime meals to more than 400 disadvantaged children. Close to 80 percent of the participants in the program are from single parent households.

For Gogo Gadlela, the Salesian feeding program helps to provide nutritious meals for her seven grandchildren that live with her in a two room house. She survives on very little government assistance and the income she makes from selling firewood. Her grandchildren are enrolled in school and appreciate the meals they receive there. During times of food shortage at home, the grandchildren must go to school without having had anything to eat for breakfast and only receive lunch when it is provided at the school. As a result of the rice meal donations, the grandchildren are being fed breakfast at school and attend regularly.

“The poverty situation in Swaziland is getting worse and during my 45 years here I have experienced so many really desperate cases,” says Father Larry McDonnell, director of Manzini Youth Care. “More and more the signs of an ever deepening poverty are knocking more regularly on our door. The food donation is making a difference for our programs. We are sharing the rice with all seven of the poorer Salesian associated schools including two high schools and five primary. For many, the school meal is the only nutritious intake most of the children will get each day.”

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Sources:

World Food Programme – Swaziland

Stop Hunger Now

The post SWAZILAND: More Than 2,100 Youth in Salesian Programs Receive Better Nutrition Thanks to Rice-Meal Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.