ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Makululu, located in the city of Kabwe, Zambia, is rescuing boys, aged 7-18 years old, from a life on the streets. Some of the children and youth are orphans while others come from families marked by violence, addiction and extreme poverty.

A Salesian said, “A telephone booth is not a home. Yet for many street children, it becomes one, even if only for a night. When darkness falls, the narrow space, exposed to cold and shadow, becomes the only refuge that allows them to survive until dawn. It offers neither warmth nor safety, only the illusion of shelter from noise, fear, and loneliness. Here, children learn vigilance instead of trust and silence instead of cries for help.”

Ciloto, part of Don Bosco Makululu, is the first step, which offers youth a process of formation and education that gradually prepares them for return to their families or reintegration into the community. Salesians, together with lay collaborators, provide a safe place to live, regular meals, access to clean water, and basic medical care. Once boys are able to access this stability, they study, have shared responsibilities, work, play sports and rest.

The Salesian noted, “The most powerful educational tool is the steady and coherent presence of a caring adult. Many boys struggle with addiction, often to glue. Here, addiction is not an identity but a wound to be healed. Recovery includes medical care, constant guidance and a structured routine that helps restore self-control. There are relapses and returns to the street, yet experience shows that once a child has known the safety of a true home and the faithfulness of adults, the memory of that goodness remains within him.”

In addition, Ciloto 2 was created to serve as a rehabilitation and support facility for those requiring specialized care. Educators, along with professional psychological support, serve youth with more complex needs.

The Salesian added, “Closely connected to this newer home is a farm that has become not only a workplace but also a place of inner renewal. Its aim is self-sufficiency and care for creation, using solar energy and biogas while teaching responsible stewardship. The farm includes pig breeding, food production, and fishponds serving both the house and the local community. The farm also has fields of corn, soybeans and sunflowers, as well as an orchard and an area for laying hens. Even small participation in farm work is part of the rehabilitation process.”

Whenever possible, Salesians search for families, often in remote areas of Zambia, to help youth safely return home. Reintegration into the family or local community is among the most meaningful outcomes of this mission. More than 240 boys have received support, and 142 have returned to their families or communities.

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Sources:

Ciloto-Saved from the Streets

Don Bosco Makululu

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

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ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have constructed a new chapel in the village of Kapesa, Kazembe, Zambia, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding supported clearing the land, digging the foundation, creating the entire structure, painting inside and fixing the drainage system.

People in Kapesa depend on crop farming and fishing to make their living. During the rainy season they farm and wait for the dry season to sell their dried maize and cassava. Fishing provides for daily meals, but is not enough for sale at the markets.

A Salesian noted, “The Catholic community in Kapesa is happy with the new chapel and has remained grateful to the donors for being there for them when they had no place of worship. For years, they prayed from a neighboring school classroom. Having a church of their own has brought a deep sense of Catholic pride in their freedom of worship.”

The newly appointed parish priest, Father Tresphord Chisanga, opened the chapel in December 2025. He thanked Salesian Missions for the support and encouraged the congregants to take good care of the church to work toward the growth of faith in the community.

Benedict Chitundu, aged 76, was one of the first pioneers of the Kapesa Catholic community. He said, “In the beginning, we had no properly established church. The late Father Gotter, a Polish missionary, had established a center in 2005 without a proper structure. For a long time, we wished to have a place of worship of our own. We faced challenges praying in other places. The classroom we used on Sundays was not always accessible. Now, we are proud and grateful for this beautiful house of God, a place of worship and a place of refuge in times of distress.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Village constructs new chapel thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Sacred Heart community, located in Makeni, Lusaka, Zambia, celebrated the opening ceremony and blessing of the Don Bosco Higher Institute. This new educational center is dedicated to the education and support of local youth who are marginalized.

Presiding over the event were Father Innocent Bizimanathe, councilor for the East and Southern Africa Region, and Father Michael Mbandama, superior of the ZMB Province. Both expressed their deep gratitude to all those who made this dream possible, especially the donors whose generosity continues to support the Salesians.

In his speech, Fr. Mbandama thanked Fr. Bizimana for his dedication and guidance. Fr. Mbandama said, “Let us pray that this may truly be a center of education and hope for young people.”

Fr. Mbandama further noted the Salesian commitment to helping youth cultivate not only skills and knowledge, but also faith, values, and dignity. The meeting was also an invitation to pray for donors, past and present, who often support the mission behind the scenes.

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy, productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Zambia – A new education centre for young people in the ZMB Province

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

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ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Lusaka, Zambia, are helping girls and young women continue their education. A project helps young women who are forced to miss school periodically due to poverty and taboos surrounding menstrual hygiene. Through a series of targeted activities, the project aims to reduce school dropout rates, increase girls’ self-esteem, and promote lasting cultural change by supporting the production and distribution of reusable sanitary pads, accompanied by education and awareness courses.

Through the work of the Her and His Gift Foundation, set up by a group of girls and young women who attend the Don Bosco Youth Center in Lusaka, around 7,200 reusable sanitary pads have been produced and distributed, thereby also strengthening local skills and micro-entrepreneurship opportunities. The young women then attended courses on practical skills and personal hygiene.

Twenty workshops were also held in the cities of Lusaka, Kabwe, Chingola and Mansa, involving more than 8,000 students. In addition, awareness and community engagement campaigns were designed through school events, community meetings and social media activities to involve as many girls as possible.

A Salesian noted, “Thanks to the support of many benefactors, the project has succeeded in helping to improve school attendance, self-esteem and gender equality, as well as awareness of the impact of disposable products. Parents and teachers openly recognized that menstruation is one of the main causes of absenteeism and welcomed the proposal for reusable sanitary pads.”

Community schools proved to be the most effective way to reach the girls who are most vulnerable. Involving parents, educators, and community leaders at an early state is essential to reduce stigma and promote acceptance of the proposed solutions.

The project launched with the Her and His Gift Foundation demonstrates that simple, sustainable and youth-led solutions can bring about real and lasting change. It is not just about distributing a product, it is an intervention that restores dignity, protects the right to education and nurtures environmental awareness in the younger generation.

The Salesian Mission Office in Turin, Italy, highlighted that this project began in May 2025 and has made significant progress, thanks to the generosity of donors. They report, “With further support and a shared commitment between schools, families and communities, the experience gained in Zambia can become a model that can be replicated in other vulnerable communities. We are grateful for the donors who have supported this initiative.”

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Sources:

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

ANS – Zambia – Restoring dignity and protecting the future of girls

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Girls and young women continue their education with support of new project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) The Garden Open Community School, located in Thorn Park, a neighborhood in Lusaka, Zambia, has solar panels and newly painted classrooms in the primary section thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

The improvements to the school aid the learning environment for the students in vulnerable situations who attend. The enrollment keeps growing as the government schools are crowded with sometimes more than 100 students to a classroom. The Salesian sisters who run the school provide smaller class sizes and a good education.

The school serves primary and secondary students as well as adults who take trade education in computer studies, hospitality and cooking. Nine of the classrooms were constructed in 1993, and the project helped improve those outdated classrooms.

A Salesian sister said, “This was an important project to help the school improve the learning environment for students. The solar panels have allowed us to save on the cost of diesel for the school. This funding can be used now to help make improvements in the school for the students.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy, productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

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ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has been able to support nutritional needs of youth in Zambia thanks to an ongoing partnership with Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” In 2025, five shipments were sent to feed children in Salesian programs.

Meals have already been distributed at Don Bosco Primary and Secondary School, located in Luwingu. The Salesian sisters, who operate the school, noted that more than 5,000 children benefit from food shipments like this.

Salesian sisters with Daughters of Mary Help of Christians have been working in the town of Luwingu since 1984. The town is small and for a long time was isolated from the rest of the country because there were almost no roadways to and from the town. As a result, the population could only rely on subsistence agriculture and hunting as the main sources of food, which was inadequate in terms of both quality and quantity.

At first, the Salesian sisters started a youth center and literacy classes. Later, they opened Don Bosco Primary School that today is one of the best schools in the district. The Salesian nuns also provide vocational education to give the local community opportunities to find employment.

Recently, Salesian sisters in Zambia hosted J.J. Slag, CEO of Feed My Starving Children. Slag said, “I was so very impressed with the Salesian sisters’ work in Zambia. As someone who visits schools, orphanages, feeding sites and care points around the world, I can honestly say that the Salesians are running a first-rate mission here.”

The needs of the Salesian sisters are vast. Slag said, “The Sisters in Lusaka seem to be making the highest possible impact with their limited resources. I can see that more financial and food resources would be used to increase their impact.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka.

Slag said, “The Salesians have proven that they are able to take the food donated from Feed My Starving Children and use it in a way that makes the highest impact for the kids that they serve. We are thankful for their impact and are excited to see how much more can be done through this partnership with Salesian Missions in the years to come.”

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

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Missions partners with Feed My Starving Children to address nutritional needs of children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Kapesa, located in the Kazembe Mission in Zambia, have completed a new chapel thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Work included clearing the land and construction of the building, which is also equipped with a new water system.

The Catholic community of Kapesa is happy with the new chapel. For years, people had been praying in a neighboring school classroom. Having a church of their own has brought a deep sense of pride in their freedom of worship.

One of the elders in the community, Benedict Chitundu, said, “In the beginning we did not have a proper established church. The late Father Gotter, a Polish missionary, had established this center in 2005 without a proper structure. For so long, we had wished to have a place of worship of our own. Our former parish priest, Father Gabriel Mwenya, saw that our situation was not conducive for prayer. We had to use a classroom on Sundays, and sometimes the head teacher would refuse to give us the keys. This left us without a place. We people are very proud and grateful for this great gesture, recognizing us with a beautiful house of God, a place of worship and a place of refuge in terms of distress.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy, productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Community in Kapesa has new chapel thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

Solar power system enables community activities

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Community in Mansa, Zambia, recently installed a solar power system thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Salesians were able to install 12 solar panels, lithium batteries and inverters, allowing the system to provide stable and consistent electricity to the main priest’s house and adjacent volunteer house. Additionally, the new system ensures that nearby water pumps are powered.

The Don Bosco Community is home to five Salesians, two volunteers and two lay staff. There are also four Salesian sisters who come for eucharist celebrations as well as parishioners, teachers and students who depend on a well-functioning Salesian community.

Zambia is currently grappling with a serious energy crisis caused primarily by its overdependence on hydropower. This energy source constitutes over 85% of the country’s electricity generation capacity, but generation has dropped significantly thanks to persistent and extreme dry seasons.

As of early 2025, the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation announced load-shedding schedules in most parts of the country due to a generation deficit. This shortfall has affected both urban and rural areas, including strategic communities such as the Don Bosco Community in Mansa.

In Mansa, like many other districts in Luapula Province, the situation is exacerbated by limited grid investment and poor maintenance of transmission infrastructure. Power blackouts are frequent, unpredictable and prolonged. For the Don Bosco Community, this energy instability severely disrupts religious, administrative and community-outreach activities.

The Don Bosco priest’s house in the community is not only a residence but also a spiritual and logistical hub for pastoral care, youth ministry, education planning and hospitality. Without consistent power supply, critical functions like lighting, refrigeration, communication systems and security lights and alarms are constantly interrupted.

A Salesian explained, “We had been using diesel generators to help when the main power supply was out, but that was both costly and unsustainable in the long term given rising fuel prices and environmental concerns. Having an alternative, reliable and clean energy source that supports the essential services carried out by the priests has been a pressing need. The installation of the solar power addresses this while also contributing to Zambia’s national vision of integrating renewable energy into its development agenda.”

Father Francis Ndoda, a new member in the community, is one of the priests impacted by the donation. He is in charge of administration and the youth center. His passion for youth ministry in the community was challenged by lack of electric power in the community that affected prayer and community life. When the project was approved, he and the community were anxious to see this dream come true.

A Salesian added, “We all hoped that the system would meet the energy needs of the community and be able to restore community life. After the project implementation, we are able to do all the activities of the mission without fear of losing electricity and having constant interruptions.”

Looking forward, the community would like to improve the power supply to the school with a small solar power system. The goal is to power the computer lab in the school with a bigger backup system in order to enhance learning of technology.

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesians in Mansa have new solar power thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) St. John Bosco Church in Kazembe, Zambia, has completed construction and repairs of a grotto thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The work included roofing, plaster work and painting. Funds also provided for the installation of a PVC ceiling.

The Salesian parish is vast with 13 small churches, and parishioners may visit the main St. John Bosco Parish for special feasts and celebrations. With close to 6,700 people across the 13 locations and 570 people attending the St. John Bosco church, the structure needed improvements to accommodate everyone. The grotto will also help many Catholics to grow in their devotion to Mother Mary.

The whole community came together to help support the construction. Salesians report that parishioners came out to feed the bricklayers and those working to fix the ceiling. People have also stepped forward to offer volunteer services to help with maintenance.

Parishioner Martin Mulenga said, “Once the church was completed in 2004, it was left without the ceiling, and this brought a lot of challenges to the congregants due to overheating and rain. This project has resolved these challenges and parishioners can pray in a very conducive environment.”

He added, “The ceiling has also contributed to the beauty of the sacred Church, and many people who visit are very impressed with it. We thank the donors for the great support.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: St. John Bosco Church completes construction project with donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Kabwe, Zambia, had the funding for pastoral programs for young adults thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Salesians reached more than 2,000 youth and young adults, aged 15-35 who are from poor rural communities, through this project.

With the funding, Salesians conducted retreats and educational programs in Salesian spirituality and Marian devotion, including a Marian pilgrimage. There were also sessions on child protection and safeguarding, observing ecclesiastical and Zambian laws. Additional workshops were held on care for the environment and human development.

Four youth who took part in the training were Daniel, aged 23, Charity, aged 20, Phostina, aged 21, and Mirriam, aged 24. When asked about the lessons they learned from the sessions, they said that they were impressed with the child protection and safeguarding program. They believe the lessons learned are ones they will be able to teach young children in their care. They also mentioned interactions among youth, singing, and retreat and prayer sessions, including a rally, as some of the most enjoyable programs.

Phostina said, “As animators, we are very happy.” Mirriam noted, “We thank Salesian Missions for their support.” All the stakeholders who took part in the educational program expressed satisfaction and will educate other youth with all that they have learned.

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian missionaries host pastoral education for 2,000 young adults thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries were able to improve and furnish the chapel at Don Bosco in the Sacred Heart of Jesus post-novitiate community in Zambia thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. With significant growth in the post-novitiate community over the last several years, the previous infrastructure was no longer serving the community.

With donor funding, Salesians expanded the sacristy and other related rooms in the chapel, installed new electrical lighting, and remodeled the design of the windows and doors to complement the overall architecture of the chapel. Salesians also installed items to enhance the spiritual ambiance, including religious icons, wall art, and color schemes to reflect the cultural and religious significance of the chapel. To make the space more comfortable, Salesians purchased furniture in line with the design of the altar and overall aesthetic of the chapel.

A Salesian explained, “The chapel is benefiting more than 50 Salesians and over 200 youth that use the chapel during pastoral moments with the Salesian seminarians. With these changes, we have an overall environment that encourages reflection and spiritual growth.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesians improve chapel at Don Bosco thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Bosco Carpentry School in Kazembe, Zambia, purchased a new car thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The school provides courses in carpentry and brick laying. The school has plans to expand to teach electrician skills and metal fabrication, transforming its facilities into a skills training center for 120 students.

A Salesian explained, “The car will be used by the carpentry school. Having reliable transportation is important for our school staff to be able to effectively do their jobs. We are grateful for the donor support from Salesian Missions.”

Many students will benefit from the school having reliable transportation. One of the students at the school is Sylvester. Just a few years ago he was living on the streets of Kabwe. He came to Don Bosco Makululu, a center for boys. Despite his complicated history and challenges with earlier education, Sylvester is in his second year at the carpentry school and progressing toward final exams in December.

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Bosco Carpentry School has new car thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries were able to add benches for three out-station churches that are part of the St. Mary’s Parish in Zambia, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. St. Mary’s Parish has out-stations that serve approximately 3,500 people. The churches did not have proper seating for the people. Donor funding provided for 50 benches in Nambe, Kamakuti and Kawama.

A Salesian noted, “It was a challenge for our congregants to concentrate and attend Mass and other meetings in the churches with dignity without good benches. Sometimes we use plastic chairs but most of them break because of the movements. This project has enabled us to provide the property seating to give people more dignity and comfort.”

One of those impacted by the donation is Paul Shakambwa, chair of the St. Jude out-station. He said, “The community here is mainly retired people from the mines who have now settled into the farming area. Before the benches it was difficult for the elderly to attend Mass and other community events. With these benches now we can seat people comfortably during prayers. It will make it possible for us to invite more people in and have a strong Catholic community.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian out-station churches install benches thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in the St. John Bosco Community, located in Lusaka, Zambia, created the Don Bosco Farm to enhance learning experiences for students thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The farm will also provide nutritional support for students and Salesians.

Salesian missionaries operate three agriculture schools in the region. Students receive classroom instruction and spend three months honing their skills on a working farm. Finding enough farms willing to take students has been a challenge. Establishing the Don Bosco Farm ensures students have the hands-on working time they need.

With the donor funding, Salesians purchased layer chickens, pigs and cattle, as well as feed. They also paid for farm maintenance and wages. The project beneficiaries include 40 students and educators in Makeni, 28 Salesian novices in Kabwe, and 50 Salesians and lay people attending activities at the provincial house.

The farm will remain sustainable with several activities, said a Salesian. He explained, “The farm will generate income through the sale of agricultural products, such as livestock and meat for local markets. Income can also be generated through agro activities, such as farm visits and educational tours. Salesians want to develop an integrated farming system by developing fish ponds which will also be a source of revenue to support the running of the farm. This project has been essential in ensuring students have access to the hands-on education they need while the farm products will feed our Salesians and students.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Don Bosco Farm established for education thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) The Makeni Post Novitiate House, within the Salesian Sacred Heart Community in Lusaka, Zambia, was able to purchase library books and computer equipment to enhance student learning thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Through this funding, the seminarians preparing for the priesthood now have access to a broad spectrum of books, including more than 300 copies of educational books, computers, and a printer. The students will directly benefit from having a well-equipped library with needed computer equipment. Additionally, faculty members and staff of the seminary will benefit as they will have access to a wider range of resources to support their teaching and research activities.

A Salesian said, “This project brought joy to the dean of studies and the students who are now able to access the educational materials they need in the library and use the computers to browse the internet for more information that cannot be easily found in books.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid poor and at-risk youth so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Makeni Post Novitiate House has new library books and computers thanks to funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) The Makeni Post Novitiate House, within the Salesian Sacred Heart Community in Lusaka, Zambia, was able to add new security and a solar lighting system at the formation house thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The project helps Salesian students and lay collaborators working at the post novitiate.

With the funding, Salesians installed security aluminum windows, burglar bars and a back-up solar lighting system for alternative energy. Prior to the new security features, Salesians were facing thefts of bicycles and computers. Without the security features or video surveillance on the property, Salesians were not able to catch the thieves or find their property.

A Salesian noted, “The project has brought joy to all the Salesians, both teachers and students, as the new solar system has helped to mitigate the impact of energy shortages. The other security features have reduced the worries of theft. The rooms are also finished and students have a comfortable sleeping place.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid youth who are poor and at risk so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Post Novitiate House has new security thanks to funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TANZANIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Oysterbay Vocational Training Center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania organized a career fair for students to explore different career opportunities. The theme of the event was “Unlock Your Future”, which emphasized empowerment, self-discovery and preparation for the professional world. The goal for Salesian graduates is a smooth transition from training to rewarding careers.

The fair provided students the opportunity to network with industry leaders and learn about the latest advances in new technologies. During the event the students presented five projects, entirely designed and developed by them. In addition, Tooku Garments Tanzania Ltd and Toyota Tanzania Ltd, who deal with the export of fabrics and mechanics of motor vehicles, presented the technologies they use.

A Salesian said, “This was a very important day for youth to learn and discover their future in the world of technology. We want to ensure that students are able to find and retain employment after they graduate. The school also aims to provide training programs that fit the needs of the community to offer industry a skilled workforce.”

The center looks to professional industries to help support their work for youth. In 2023, the center launched a partnership with Daikin to officially launch a new Air Conditioning Center of Excellence.

The center is equipped with modern machines used to train students in the latest air conditioning technology. This initiative benefits 150 students. Rising temperatures due to climate change have led many people to install air conditioning systems in their homes and offices. There is a growing need for highly qualified skilled technicians in this sector.

In Tanzania, 67.9% of the population lives below the poverty line. While the country has seen some economic growth in tourism, mining, trade and communication, the number of Tanzanians living below the poverty line has marginally increased due to rapid population growth. In some regions, up to half of the population struggles to meet the cost of essential food and shelter and other basic necessities like clothing, health care and education.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Tanzania – A large job fair at Don Bosco Oysterbay

Don Bosco Oysterbay

Salesian Missions – Tanzania

UNICEF – Tanzania

The post TANZANIA: Students move from training to rewarding careers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian sisters in Thorn Park, Lusaka, Zambia, had the funding to start construction on a new school for orphans and vulnerable youth thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The Garden Open Community School will educate youth ages 6-18.

Much of the building work is already completed. The funding helped support brick and block work, electrical installation, and roofing and framing for the building, doors and windows. The project is continuing with additional funding to finalize the structure and have it ready for students.

The construction project is also helping older youth who are honing their skills as they work on the construction of the building. Sister Ireen Kapisha explained, “One of the workers expressed joy working on the project. He has not only gained skills in learning bricklaying, but he’s been able to financially support his family because the cost of living in Zambia has increased with many costs doubling.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid poor and at-risk youth so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: New school under construction thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Youth living at Don Bosco Makululu and students attending the Salesian primary and secondary school have access to clean water thanks to a project funded in Zambia by the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

More than 1,500 youth are benefiting from this project at Don Bosco Makululu, a home for street children from poor areas who have nowhere else to live. Salesians ensure youth have their basic needs met and are able to access education.

The project included drilling a new borehole and the steel needed for a new water stand. A new water tank is connected to the existing water system so that even when the power is out, which can be up to 16 hours a day, Salesians can utilize the water pump and the solar power to ensure clean water access.

The entire area where the Salesian center is located suffers from poor sanitary conditions, including an inadequate water supply, bad drainage and poor air quality. This area of Zambia has also been experiencing frequent droughts. The new water resource is enabling Salesians to ensure that youth in their programs and schools have the water they need.

One youth who is benefiting from the project is John Chilufya, age 11, who started living on the streets in 2020 when he was just 8. Chilufya and his siblings had a rough life. His mother passed away and he was forced to live with his father who did not properly care for him. He ended up on the streets to find food and comfort with his friends.

Chilufya explained, “The time I was on the street I was engaged in harmful activities. I was sniffing glue and eating from the dust bins as well as begging for food. We also used to sleep in the drainage and corridors, and we were sleeping without anything to cover ourselves. When the rain came during the rainy season, it was difficult for us to sleep because the drainage was full of water and the boxes we used to sleep were too wet.”

He was guided to seek help from the Salesians, leaving once, but returning to the Salesian program when he was starving and had no other place to seek for help. Today, Chilufya remains at the Salesian center. He said, “I’m happy to be finally in school for the first time in my life. I have a place to sleep, food to eat and the clothes that I need. I am receiving rehabilitation from the staff that are here and I am very happy.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid poor and at-risk youth so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

To learn more about the Salesian Missions Clean Water Initiative, go to SalesianMissions.org/water.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Water project benefits 1,500 youth thanks to Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) The City of Hope, run by the Salesian sisters, is giving young women a chance at a better life in Zambia. Rejoice Banda, from Chibolya, has gained an education through the organization, according to a recent article in Global Sisters Report. 

Chibolya is known as a hub for drug trafficking, alcohol abuse and burglary, among other dangerous activities. At age 28, Banda was binge drinking and had been smoking marijuana since the eighth grade. A social welfare program led her to the St. John Bosco’s Home for Girls at Risk, part of the City of Hope.  

According to the article, Banda is now studying hotel management at the Salesian Auxilium Skills Training Center, in the Lusaka suburb of Makeni. She told Global Sisters Report, “I am blessed to be among the youths awarded a bursary through the Constituency Development Fund, [a scholarship] to enable me to acquire a skill at this training center.”  

She added, “The sisters’ mentorship has transformed me. I can’t wait to establish my own restaurant once I graduate. Thanks to school management and tutors for reshaping my life.”  

Banda is among 150 young women supported by City of Hope. The organization was founded in 1987 and offers the Home for Girls at Risk, the Auxilium Skills Training Center and the Open Community School.  

The training center targets a broad range of youth, including both men and women, and is not just for those in residency at the Salesian home. Youth can take courses in hospitality, information and communication technologies, hotel management, tailoring, and general agriculture, among other course work. Salesian sisters also offer counseling support about sexual exploitation and gender-based violence. 

According to the article, the Auxilium Skills Training Center is rated among the best in the country by Zambia’s Technical Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority. The center collaborates with the government and community and development organizations to address poverty, lack of skills training and high unemployment. Hundreds of youth graduate from the center each year and go on to become self-employed or work in restaurants, hotels and lodges. The center is also well-known for the support provided to women through counseling and business development opportunities.  

Ruth Mukuma, age 24, is another student at the center. She is studying to become a fashion designer and is in the tailoring course. She told Global Sisters Report, “I can’t wait to finish my course because my passion has always been to become a fashion designer. Thank you to this institution for adding value to what I want to become, as I can’t wait to live my dream and lift myself out of poverty.”  

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid poor and at-risk youth so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education. 

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

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Photo by Derrick Silimina. Photo used with permission of Global Sisters Report – Girls at risk in Zambia find residency, skills training with Salesian sisters 

Global Sisters Report – Girls at risk in Zambia find residency, skills training with Salesian sisters 

City of Hope  

Salesian Missions – Zambia 

UNICEF – Zambia 

The post ZAMBIA: Young women gain education for better life first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries had the funding to build a house for volunteers in Kazembe, Zambia, thanks to donor support from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The building can accommodate the 10 volunteers along with guests who stay at the Salesian community. In the summer months, the community will also house five seminarians. The community supports more than 100 children and more than 50 youth in the oratory.

Prior to the construction of the house, volunteers and guests needed to find space either at the main Salesian house or in an orphanage belonging to another organization. Neither of these situations were ideal as most of the volunteers are young women who need separate accommodations.

The new building has three bedrooms, a spacious kitchen connected with the living room and a space for an office. In addition to the construction of the building, the funding provided the necessary financial support for drilling a borehole for water, installing a water stand and building an underground septic tank. The building was then equipped with water, sewage and electricity. Funding was utilized for furniture and necessary items including an oven, refrigerator, pots, plates, and kitchen utensils.

A Salesian noted, “One of the people impacted by this donation was Kelvin. He joined us in May 2023 as a helper on the building site. After three months, we realized that he was skilled and hard working. In November, he started to work as brick layer. He improved his skills so much that now he is working for us on a daily basis as a top bricklayer in our whole mission. We are planning to provide him with a skills course in bricklaying and a certificate of completion. That will help him in the future life.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid poor and at-risk youth so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: New volunteer house built through Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Youth from Zambia, Zimbabwe*, Malawi and Namibia came together at the Salesian Youth Center in Bauleni, Lusaka, Zambia, for a first-of-its-kind Salesian mobile journalism workshop nicknamed “Sal-MoJo.”

The workshop was led by Father Maciej Makula and his colleague Aleksandra Stankiewicz, a young journalist from Poland. Fr. Makula had a long career in Polish television and had traveled to Africa extensively. The pair wanted to teach youth a skill but were also interested in highlighting positive aspects of life in Africa, including the joy, music and the openhearted nature of the people.

The four-day workshop gave youth the skills to report in real time the happenings in their Salesian centers and communities. A key aspect of the workshop was to get youth up-to-date with the current trends in journalism. Fr. Makula said, “By making use of content creation, young people will be able to tell stories through their videos in real time, that is the way to go.”

He added, “Throughout the experience young people have also begun to tap into their creativity by bringing life to seemingly uninteresting happenings through the power of video. In one of the exercises, youth captured ants, flowers and buildings and gave them meaning through the use of the numerous techniques taught in the workshop.”

Although youth lack access to professional equipment, they experienced joy in learning a new skill and excitement about what the future holds for them.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Zambia – Salesian Mobile Journalism workshop

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in these countries 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 ZAMBIA: Youth learn journalism trends first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Makululu, within the city of Kabwe, Zambia, reach out and assist vulnerable street children through a project started in 2016. Makululu is a disadvantaged area, characterized by lack of employment, high mortality because of HIV/AIDS infections, a high percentage of separated families, heavy alcohol abuse and extreme poverty. As a result of these issues, many children and older youth are forced to live on the streets.

To provide support, Salesians started a community school for street children and school dropouts. Over the years, Salesians increased their support by adding new educational activities and developing new infrastructure, including a specific center for street children and children at risk.

The center offers shelter, rehabilitation and reintegrating programs for 92 boys, ages 7 to 14. The process of rehabilitation and reintegration depends on the situation of each child and the condition of the parents or guardians. Some of the children can be reintegrated with their families after a few months and continue education at the Salesian school or another school. Others may leave the center to start independent life.

A Salesian missionary said, “Salesians work closely with the families through regular home visits, counseling and offering transformative programs. The goal is always for youth to remain with their families when it’s possible.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid poor and at-risk youth so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

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

ANS – Zambia – Supporting Vulnerable Children in Makululu

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Street children find hope at center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missionary Foundation recently released the new documentary short film “Rescued from the Street” about the work of Salesians with street children in Kabwe, Makululu, Zambia. The focus is on children who are surviving on the streets, forced to beg for food, and sleeping in unsafe environments, and the Salesians who intervene, bringing them to safety at the Don Bosco Children’s Home.

Currently, there are six Salesians working with the Don Bosco Children’s Home, which has upwards of 80 children. There is also a parish, 10 outstations and more than 1,250 youth in primary and secondary school in the Makululu compound, which is the largest and poorest settlement in southern Africa. The home was constructed in 2017.

The children’s lives have been difficult. Volunteer Agata Januszewska explained, “The boys who end up living in the streets are often boys who for some reason or another have been thrown out of their home to beg for their livelihood to bring money back home or because they are not accepted by the family. For example, a mother has a new partner and the partner does not accept children from her first marriage.”

The youngest boy at the home is just 7 years old. He was living on the street like other boys who are begging for money, stealing or using stimulants. Many of the boys get hooked on a glue compound that gives them a high so they can block out their current situation. Drug dealers often prey on the children and make them go earn money.

Jacob Mano, a young boy at the Don Bosco Children’s Home, said, “Life on the streets is hard. Begging for money or something to eat is dangerous. It’s cold and we are hungry. Sometimes we try to light a fire, and the glue helps us not to feel so cold.”

When boys first come to the Don Bosco Children’s Home they are able to eat, wash and receive new clothes. They are also given support, access to counseling, medical care and help to get off the drugs as they prepare to lead a new life.

Structure is one of the hallmarks of the Don Bosco Children’s Home. In the morning, the boys attend Mass, have breakfast and do chores before they attend school. After school, the boys study and are assigned chores such as cleaning their rooms and common areas of the home. Some work in the gardens and others take care of the animals. Their schedules are intense but it teaches them a work ethic, how to get along with others and be a productive part of their community.

Father Irvin Lumano, school principal, said, “There are challenges when boys first start school, especially if this is their first time going to school. We have to get them to level up to the other students. It’s thanks to God and the dedication of the teachers who ensure they get basic reading skills and then assess what level they can join before they are enrolled into the normal class. Sometimes they are assigned to a special class to catch up with the regular students.”

Father Michael Wzietek, rector of the Salesian community and director of the Don Boco Children’s Home, said, “In addition to the primary and secondary school, we also have a professional school where we offer training in culinary arts, computer studies, and welding and brick laying. There are many services available to the boys to help them have hope for the future. There are also times when we are able to reintegrate them back with their families.”

Fr. Wzietek added, “Our plans and dreams are big but they have to be when you see so many children in the streets. We have plans to expand our work in Makululu and the other compound in Cabo so it can become a rehabilitation center and we can rescue even more children.”

Salesians in Zambia provide a range of social development programs and education to aid poor and at-risk youth so they can have a healthy productive life. Early education helps youth gain a foundation to allow them to later advance to skills training for employment. Basic needs are met along the way ensuring youth focus on their education.

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

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesians launch film about support for street children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Children’s Home, located in Kabwe, Makululu, Zambia, has a new vehicle to provide services thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. More than 1,250 youth in primary and secondary school in the Makululu compound, which is the largest and poorest settlement in southern Africa, will benefit from this donation.

There are six Salesians working with the Don Bosco Children’s Home, which has upwards of 80 children in the home for street children. There is also a parish and 10 outstations.

With the new vehicle, Salesians are able to travel to meet with families and provide services. It will also support the development of a new farm that will grow food to help the community become self-sufficient. Due to the need, the Don Bosco Children’s Home is still expanding. A new center is nearly ready to take in additional homeless children for initial therapeutic support.

Father Michael Wzietek, rector of the Salesian community, said, “The vehicle is necessary for daily use and the frequent visits to the streets of Kabwe where we try to monitor youth and help them. We try to react quickly when some youth need to be taken off the street immediately. It is impossible to take all of them, but we try to be in frequent contact with them. Once they stay with us for some time, we try to reintegrate them with their extended family and it means often traveling a long distance to different parts of the country in order to make sure they are safely reintegrated with their families. It is a great joy once someone is taken off the street, gets off the drugs, starts their education and is finally reintegrated in the family. They are not only able to lead a good life, but also help the family.”

Bright Phiri, one of the beneficiaries, lived with his mother, who passed away in February 2023, and his grandmother, who is an alcoholic. He was abused by his uncle and fled to the street where he had to beg for food. When Salesians found him, he was eager to start school and have hope for a better life. Phiri stills needs time to overcome the trauma but he is well on his way with Salesian care.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Don Bosco Children’s Home receives new vehicle with donor funding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Lilongwe, Zambia, had the funding they needed to support day-to-day living thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Donor funding was used to provide food, help maintain the house and pay for utilities, while also supporting the repair of a damaged borehole that provides clean water to the community.

Father Joseph Czerwinski, superior of the community, said, “The Salesian community includes a technical school and the pre-novitiate house, where three pre-novitiates are preparing for the next phase of Salesian training. There are 25 people who live in the community and we really appreciate the donor support we received from Salesian Missions.”

Salesian missionaries came to Lilongwe in 1995 and began to work in the densely populated part of Lilongwe called Area 23. In 1996, the Don Bosco Parish was officially opened by the Archbishop of Lilongwe. Today, the parish serves 16,000 to 18,000 Christians.

In 2000, the Don Bosco Technical School started providing technical instruction to 150 youth. Students could take courses in auto mechanics, carpentry, accounting and tailoring. Today, the school has developed into a large technical college with more than 1,000 students in more than 12 departments. It is one of the biggest Salesian schools in southern Africa.

In 2016, the pre-novitiate was started and there are 18 pre-novices from three countries preparing for their novitiate. Additionally, the community has youth from the Salesian South African Province and Asian provinces.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Donor funding helps support Salesian community first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Agriculture Training Center, located in Lufubu, Zambia, has access to clean water thanks to donor funding from the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The 2023 water project brought clean water for more than 90 students and teaching staff and will be used on four hectares of land for farming.

Lufubu experiences a harsh dry season from April until the end of October, when the first rainfall cools down the land. The new water resource will give students and students enough water during this time, while also allowing cattle and fields to thrive.

The project provided the funding for the construction of a water stand with capacity for eight large tanks to store 10,600 gallons of water, a solar pump, solar panels, pipes, connectors, garden taps and labor costs. Funding was also used to purchase seeds and gardening tools. The water and seeds are enabling second-year students to start cultivating small fields as part of their training.

While there are currently 90 students in the school, the number of students is expected to rise to 150 by 2024. Delgracious Chanda is one of the second-year students who has been cultivating tomatoes and has benefited from the new water supply.

A Salesian missionary said, “Chanda is the oldest of six children and is being sponsored by the local government. He will complete his studies at the end of November and go back to his village to share his knowledge of agriculture. His field is doing very well. He’s invested around $50 and his tomato harvest is worth well over $300, which will help him with personal upkeep. We are grateful for the funding to complete this water project.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Water project benefits student farming activities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending St. Mary Mazzarello School and City of Hope Community School in Zambia 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 2022 shipment of rice-meals fed more than 2,300 students at each school. City of Hope Community School starts at preschool and goes up to grade 12. It also has a skills-training center for older youth. St. Mary Mazzarello School is a primary and secondary school.

A Salesian sister noted, “The children are so grateful for the food. Many ask if they can take anything home. The donation has increased performance of both the teachers and learners. The children are more active and healthier because of the well-balanced diet they receive. Most students are now able to attend classes and engage with class content unlike in the past when they used to come to school on empty stomachs. It was difficult for them to concentrate and stay long hours in school as required by the curriculum.”

The rice-meals also helped feed close to 3,000 people in the community, where many people live below the poverty line. The Salesians are overwhelmed by the number of people who cannot meet their basic needs.

Michael, age 14 and in grade seven, benefits from the rice-meals. Michael and his family live near the Salesian sisters’ convent. The family is poor and often struggles to buy food for everyone in the household. Whenever the family lacks food, he comes to collect two boxes of rice.

The Salesian sister explained, “Michael is a studious young boy who has performed exceptionally well in school so far. He completed his studies in 2022 with good merit and has gone on to join another school this year. Although Michael is no longer formally part of the school, he often comes back eager to ask about the rice-meals that I had told him were on the way. Michael has expressed his dreams of becoming an engineer once he completes his schooling. I have no doubt that he will achieve his dreams.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Sisters City of Hope

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Rice-meals feed students living in poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Youth with the City of Hope in Lusaka, Zambia, have soap and furniture thanks to donations received by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The soap donation was provided by Eco-Soap Bank, a humanitarian nonprofit organization working to save, sanitize and supply recycled soap with hygiene education for the developing world. The furniture donation was provided by IRN (the Reuse Network), which matches surplus items with organizations and people who need them. Salesian sisters operate the City of Hope and received the donations in 2022.

Sister Mary John, who is in charge of City of Hope, said, “We received the donation of soap and then distributed it to the sisters, pupils, workers, teachers, women, youth, different congregations and those around the Salesian community. The furniture we shared with our Salesian schools in our community.”

She added, “The donations of soap and furniture have been very useful, and the quality of donations is excellent. Hygiene will always be a priority matter, and the furniture helps us further enhance our learning environment and facilities used by our staff and students. The children are so pleased and excited to use the new furniture and felt very special. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the donations.”

One of the recipients of the donation was Michel. His family is poor and he takes additional soap home so his whole family can benefit. He shared with Sr. John how grateful he is for the soap.

Sr. John explained, “Michel is a very intelligent and promising boy, who is a very talented artist. He completed his grade seven in 2022 and he went to another school. However, he still lives in the neighborhood and asks to receive some of the donated items. We are happy to share with him as the Salesian family doesn’t end when the students are no longer attending our schools.”

The City of Hope was established to meet the needs of youth and their families living in the most severe poverty in Lusaka. The vast majority of children attending City of Hope programs are those who have been abused, live on the streets or are victims of child trafficking.

The City of Hope’s Open Community School serves those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9 and 17. Primary school classes make up the first four years after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

The City of Hope also offers a shelter that is home to at-risk girls referred through the social welfare system, the police, and other institutions and organizations. Many have been orphaned and have nowhere else to go. There are currently 36 girls who live at the shelter between the ages of 7 to 22. The shelter is not an orphanage but rather a safe place for girls to stay while they gain an education and make the transition either to living with other family or to a more independent life. To date, more than 150 girls have received services through the City of Hope’s shelter.

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

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Eco-Soap Bank

Salesian Sisters City of Hope

Salesian Missions – Zambia

The Reuse Network

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Youth receive soap and furniture donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Makululu Center, located near the town of Kabwe, Zambia, provides for youth whose families cannot meet their educational and basic needs because of extreme poverty. Alcohol abuse, prostitution and high mortality caused by diseases such as HIV/AIDS are the most widespread problems affecting this region. These problems are often why youth run away from their families or are abandoned on the streets.

In 2022, the Salesian Missions Office in Turin, Italy, launched a project to provide food, hospitality, medical care and psychological support to an additional 90 children at the Don Bosco Center. They attended literacy and educational training, and, when conditions allowed, they were placed on a family reunification path.

With the added support, Salesians were also able to cover the expenses of their staff including a social worker, two janitors, an outreach worker, a cook and a driver who took care of all of the supplies.

In addition to providing for youth at the center, Salesians provide outreach twice a week to make initial contact with youth living on the streets. Salesians try to educate youth about the dangers they are facing and convince them to seek shelter at the center. Once at the center, Salesians can assess their situation and provide services including family reunification.

According to the Salesians, about 50 children are sleeping on the streets of Kabwe, and nearly 100 regularly visit the town to beg and perform small jobs such as collecting and reselling bottles and trading plastic or food products.

“The children who have successfully completed the family reunification process fall into a further path,” said Father Michael Wzietek, a Polish Salesian missionary and director and economer of the Makululu Salesian community. “They are visited regularly, and during this period we provide the parents with a kind of counseling to make them aware of the importance of parenting and the dangers of children living on the streets. We do everything to prevent the child from leaving the family and home again.”

Family reintegration comes with many challenges. Some families do not accept their children while other children are unable to be with their parents for reasons such as alcohol abuse or lack of attention.

Fr. Wzietek added, “We will continue to carry out the many activities to support the most vulnerable children, and we are happy with the results so far. Thank you to everyone who has supported us.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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

ANS – Zambia – In Makululu, thanks to Salesians, there is hope for many children

Salesian Mission Office Italy

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Project provides support, family reunification first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Chingola, Zambia, have converted an older technical training institute into a full Don Bosco Technical Secondary School thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding was used for construction projects to build new classrooms and repair bathrooms and other spaces.

The new school offers a home economics lab, science labs, a library and a new four-pillar car lift for the automotive department. Funding was also used to furnish the rooms with necessary items. The science lab has concrete workstations and a water system with taps and lab sinks, while the home economics lab was able to add a refrigerator and other items.

The Don Bosco Technical Secondary School has had a dramatic increase in the number of youth getting an education. Salesians report that previously there were an average of 47 students at the college each year. Enrollment is now up and 1,094 students are gaining their education — 432 students in the college and 662 students in the technical secondary education school. In December 2022, 100% of students passed their grade nine government exams, making Don Bosco Chingola the top school in the district out of 147 secondary schools.

Deborah Chibusha, a first-year student and the only female student in her automotive class, had a message for donors. She said, “I appreciate the good works you have done for me and many others here in Don Bosco Chingola. You have not just imparted me with a skill but also have changed my life and given it a new meaning. Honestly, I was struggling financially being a young mother of two children without a skill and dependent on a husband who is not supportive was a huge burden for me, but I thank God and you the Salesians who have helped to transform my life.”

Technical secondary education is particularly important in the Chingola district because it is a mining town rich with copper and other mining materials. It has one of the biggest open pit mines in Africa. However, after the mine changed hands and a new investor took over, the mine closed and left many people unemployed. This has greatly impacted the entire area and youth saw little hope for the future. Many dropped out of school and started exploring the mines illegally, which is dangerous and has caused a number of deaths. This illegal mining is increasing the rate of juvenile delinquency in the area. The new school is working to curb the rising crime and give youth new purpose.

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

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesians develop Don Bosco Technical Secondary School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Youth Center in Kazembe, Zambia, has launched a goat-rearing project thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding provided 28 young goats and the construction of a small barn to shelter them.

Don Bosco Youth Center has a large parish with 6,000 parishioners with 30 outstations, as well as a carpentry school with a boarding house for 20 students. More than 1,000 youth attend programs at the youth center each day. The center is located on a large piece of land with a volleyball court, areas for soccer and basketball, a hall with two offices and three storage rooms, and an outdoor stage.

With the funding, Salesians were able to construct the barn behind the stage and connect their water source to the structure to supply the goats. They are hiring a local worker to look after the goats.

Father Jacek Garus, rector of the Salesian community, explained, “The goats will be used as a food source for the children at the youth center. We aim to become self-sufficient. Instead of buying meat in the market, we can produce it here at our facilities. It can also become a source of income for us as goat meat is very popular here.”

In addition to daily activities at the Don Boco Youth Center, Salesians provide lunch on Saturdays for 70 youth who are part of the distance adoption program where donors help sponsor children to go to school. Twice a year Salesians organize a summer camp for more than 100 youth. During the camp, Salesians provide breakfast and lunch.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Youth center begins goat project with funding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) More than 300 residents of the Kamakuti village in Kabwe, Zambia, have clean, fresh water thanks to the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” The project provided funding for a new borewell, water tank and pump in the village, which hosts one of the Salesian St. Mary’s Parish village chapels. Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

St. Mary’s Parish has four village chapels where priests meet people on a weekly basis for catechesis, prayers and sacraments. During the weekdays, the Salesian community utilizes these chapels for daily meetings and fellowship. Local women also use the chapels as meeting places and children’s preschools.

The villages lack basic services including water, proper sanitation and transportation. There is also a lack of education facilities for children, and people travel long distances to access a health center.

This is the first time this community has clean fresh water. Women and children will no longer have to travel a distance to bring back water to the village. Mr. Kasongo, a long-time village resident, could not believe that running water was now available. Another woman shouted, “Our children will live!” Children are often given the only water available from unsafe shallow wells, which can cause health complications that impede their growth.

“We appreciate our donors who have supported this water project,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Water projects in Zambia and around the globe ensure people coming to Salesian parishes, schools, and centers have access to the water they need. This brings a sense of hope and dignity to the people Salesians serve.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Village residents have clean water access thanks to the Salesian Missions ‘Clean Water Initiative’ first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) City of Hope, run by the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco in Lusaka, Zambia, received a donation of furniture from IRN (The Reuse Network), which matches surplus items with organizations and people who need them. The 2021 shipment was made possible thanks to the ongoing partnership Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has with IRN.

The furniture will be used to outfit the current school and other outbuildings where educational opportunities are provided to the local community. Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, said, “We appreciate this donation, which allows Salesian students to be educated in an environment conducive to learning. Having school furniture provides a structured environment and enables students to sit comfortably and focus.”

City of Hope was established to meet the needs of youth and their families living in the most severe poverty in Lusaka. The vast majority of children attending City of Hope programs are those who have been abused, live on the streets or are victims of child trafficking.

The City of Hope’s Open Community School serves those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9-17. Primary school classes make up the first four years, after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

City of Hope also offers a shelter that is home to at-risk girls referred through the social welfare system, the police, and other institutions and organizations. Many have been orphaned and have nowhere else to go. There are currently 36 girls who live at the shelter who are between the ages of 7-22. The shelter is not an orphanage but rather a safe place for girls to stay while they gain an education and make the transition either to living with other family or to a more independent life. To date, more than 150 girls have received services through the City of Hope’s shelter.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

IRN

Salesian Sisters City of Hope

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Students benefit from school furniture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Zambia have invited filmmaking experts from India to train youth who are passionate about filmmaking. The intensive course is being held at the Salesian center in Bauleni, Lusaka, Zambia. The 40 students from Zambia, Zimbabwe* and Namibia are receiving training in film directing, script writing, sound designing and sound editing, as well as interpersonal skills.

During the inauguration ceremony, Father Christopher Kunda, one of the Salesians who launched the project, explained the aim to the students, filmmakers, directors, celebrities and government officials who were invited. Jaikumar and Leeju, from Enso pictures in India, will be facilitating the training for youth. Owas Ray Mwape, a film director from the Oram Film Academy, is also facilitating the training.

The ceremony was also attended by the Zambia Arts Council president, delegates from the Zambia Environmental and Climate Change Institute and many more. A Tonga dance group entertained everyone at the event.

“Training like this is important for youth who are passionate about a field of study,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Giving youth the opportunity to learn directly from experts in the field is a great way to ignite their passions and help them learn the skills needed for future employment in their chosen field.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Zambia – Collaboration between India and Zambia to initiate young people into filmmaking

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

*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 ZAMBIA: 40 student filmmakers learn from experts first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) People living in the village of Katongo, Zambia received 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.” A rice-meal shipment was received in November 2021 and provided meals for more than 700 people.

Among the recipients of the donation was the Salesian-run Mornese Mission which educates more than 200 students in primary and secondary school. Children received the rice-meals three times a week at school, which supplements food that is procured locally. With the feeding program, there was an increase in the number of children attending school and class participation on the days the food is provided. This demonstrates the strong link between nourishing food and positive educational and social outcomes.

A Salesian missionary noted, “Mornese Mission is located in an area where early marriage is common. Because of this practice, many boys prefer to drop out of school and start work to earn money. However, without finishing their education, their lifelong earning potential is severely hampered. Mornese Mission seeks to reverse this trend, and the food provided by Feed My Starving Children helps keep students in school.”

Other recipients of the donation included children, women and the elderly in the Katongo village. In the village, women work hard to provide food for their children, and even some of the elderly adults are still working to provide for their grandchildren.

Precedence Chama is one of the recipients. She is a tenth-grade student and lives in Brown village with her mother. Because of their financial situation, they only eat once a day and sometimes it is hard to afford even that. Chama has been receiving the rice-meals at school and since that time she has gained weight and become more active. She likes reading, playing netball and visiting different places. She hopes to be able to travel around the world.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Children receive meals to improve education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Students have four new classrooms at the Salesian secondary school in the Zatti community in Kabwe, Zambia, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. In addition to the classrooms, the project also installed new toilets for the classrooms.

Salesians were able to construct the foundation, roofing, walls, windows and doors of the classrooms, as well as install electrical and plumbing. They also furnished the classrooms. About 150 male students and 200 female students directly benefit from the new classrooms.

The majority of the households around the Salesian community are vulnerable, and education is needed so youth can learn the skills for employment. Kabwe previously had mining jobs that the local population relied on. Those jobs have left the area due to privatized mines, leaving a large percentage of the population unemployed. Young girls are especially at risk because they often cannot get an education and find themselves on the streets facing exploitation. Many youth in the region are forced to beg for money or engage in drug abuse and criminal activities.

Salesians started the primary and secondary school in Kabwe in partnership with other education organizations and the agreement of the government. The community where the school is based has many youth living in the area, and the other schools could not meet the demand for education, particularly grades 8-12. The Salesian secondary school filled the gap for poor youth who could not afford other schools. The goal is to provide training to equip them with the skills and the knowledge so they can live a self-sustainable life.

“We appreciate the donors who were able to help this Salesian secondary school build more classrooms to meet the growing demand for education,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Gaining an education with the skills needed for employment enables youth to take care of themselves and their families, improving their lives and their communities.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: 4 new classrooms benefit students first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run St. Mary’s Parish, located in the village of Nambe in Zambia, has a newly reconstructed chapel thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The old chapel structure was in a dilapidated state and was too small to accommodate all the people who wanted to attend services.

The new structure has two rooms and can hold 200 people. About 100 families gather on Sundays for prayers and celebration of Mass. Several neighborhood families also come together at least once per week for prayers, work and sharing. The church has several lay groups dedicated to specific saints who meet for devotions. There are also choirs for children, older youth and adults. During the week, there are meetings for women and youth in the chapel since no other structures in the area can accommodate them.

The majority of the people in Nambe are farmworkers with very low incomes. They live in structures which usually lack electricity or running water. A military camp in the area provides most of the leadership at the church and some income. The government has a primary school nearby. The Salesian Catholic community plans to start a kindergarten for children at the church since children under age 6 cannot enter primary school.

“The beautiful church, though not yet furnished with the benches, is now the envy of the village and has renewed the spirit of the Catholic community who feel the sense of pride now,” said Father Ignatius Musenge, parish priest. “To ensure maintenance, the community has a caretaker living in a small constructed house on the church grounds. Our village chapel has also become the source of clean drinking water for many families and thanks to the donation received, we can drill a borehole and put up a tank which is filled by a solar pump.”

Poverty is widespread in Zambia with upwards of 60 percent of the total population living below the poverty line. For those living in rural areas, the poverty rate rises sharply according to the World Bank. Over the past three decades, incomes in Zambia have fallen steadily, and people do not have enough money to meet basic needs such as shelter, nutritious food and medical care.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

World Bank – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: St. Mary’s Parish has a newly reconstructed chapel thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) St. James Parish in Chimese, a village in Zambia, has clean water thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The project, part of the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative,” provided a new borehole, 22-foot-high tank stand, solar pump and water reticulation network within the parish premises.

Chimese is a large village of approximately 6,500 people. Most families own a shallow well that dries up each October to January. The new water project drilled a hole deep enough to provide water year-round.

St. James Parish is made up of people in Chimese and 15 other surrounding villages who will utilize water from the new water pump. More than 500 people come to the parish on Sundays and can use the water facilities. There are also more than 200 children who attend St. James Pre-School, most of whom are orphaned or children of single mothers.

In Chimese and the surrounding villages, women and children are responsible for fetching water for their families. Musonda Chishala is an orphaned child who had to walk almost half a mile daily to fetch water, causing him to miss time in school. Chishala now draws water from St. James Parish and is able to use the rest of his free time for studies and recreation. Along with Chishala, children at the pre-school can now use the toilets and drink water during the morning break rather than using pit latrines and drinking water from shallow wells and buckets. Hygiene has improved at the pre-school as a result.

“Having access to proper sanitation brings a sense of dignity to the children and families we serve in our programs,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Improving water access ensures that 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 and keep them away from important study time.”

Poverty is widespread in Zambia with upwards of 60 percent of the total population living below the poverty line. For those living in rural areas, the poverty rate rises sharply according to the World Bank. Over the past three decades, incomes in Zambia have fallen steadily and people do not have enough money to meet basic needs such as shelter, nutritious food and medical care.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

To learn more about the Salesian Missions Clean Water Initiative, go to SalesianMissions.org/water.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

World Bank – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Parish has clean water access thanks to the Salesian Missions ‘Clean Water Initiative’ first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Work has begun on a new chapel for St. Mary’s Parish, located in the village of Nambe in Kabwe, Zambia, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The previous chapel was in dire need of repair because of its thatched roof and rotting, hazardous asbestos tiles from the original construction. The older structure was also too small for the growing Catholic community.

St. Mary’s Parish has four village chapels where priests meet people on weekly basis for catechesis, prayers and sacraments. During the weekdays, the Salesian community utilizes these chapels for daily meetings and fellowship. Local women also use the chapels as meeting places and children’s pre-schools.

The villages lack basic services including water, proper sanitation and transportation. There is also a lack of education facilities for children, and people travel long distances to access a health center.

The copper mines that were once in the town of Kabwe have been shut down for more than two decades leaving many people unemployed. The current source of livelihood is subsistence farming, which does not pay much. Salesians are unable to address all of these social-economic challenges but do provide a source of support and assistance when possible.

Once the chapel is repaired and enlarged, more people will be able to attend services and meet as a community. Children will be able to use it as a community school, and older youth will be able to take classes in the space. The local community has sprung to action to help with the construction by digging the foundation, drawing water for construction and engaging in labor jobs.

“We appreciate our donors who have been able to help Salesians in Kabwe with this chapel project,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “The chapels in these villages are a central part of these communities for people to learn, find spiritual guidance and support one another.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Work begins on new chapel to benefit community first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries working in the Makululu settlement in Kabwe, Zambia, were able to purchase land to develop a farm thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Salesians developed the farm near the Don Bosco Children Home so that the food grown is a source of nutrition for the children and the local community. The farm is also utilized as an agricultural training center. The Don Bosco Children Home transforms the lives of street children by providing shelter, education, and agricultural training to help break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities for financial independence.

During the last rainy season, from November 2020 to April 2021, Salesians cultivated maize, beans, soya beans and sweet potatoes. The harvest was good and provided nutrition for the children at the center. During the upcoming rainy season, Salesians will increase the crop cultivation and are hoping to be able to start raising animals including poultry, goats, pigs and rabbits. Since the project launched in 2018, Salesian missionaries purchased the land, put up wire fencing around the farm and created an entry gate.

On the farm in Zambia, Salesians will increase crop cultivation and hope to start raising animals including poultry, goats, pigs and rabbits.

“The new farm is also a source of education for the young students,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “We appreciate our donors helping to support this initiative as it means a great deal to the community. The children are fed from this farm and are having a chance to learn skills they might not otherwise, which is helping them prepare for the future and an independent life.”

More than 40 percent of children between the ages of 7-14 do not attend school in Makululu. The area once had no formal education. Many of the local families rely on basic trades to earn a meager living and to feed their families. They set up stalls with vegetables, fish, fruit, stone slabs, furniture and products from China. There is great poverty in the community with many residents lacking electricity, enough food or enough money to buy needed clothing.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Don Bosco Children Home develops farm thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Father Joseph Nguyen Tuan Anh is one of 120 Vietnamese Salesian missionaries living in the Zambia–Malawi-Zimbabwe-Namibia (ZMB) Salesian Province. There he assists 90 boys who live at the Don Bosco Children Home. He is also in charge of the oratory.

The Don Bosco Children Home transforms the lives of street children by providing shelter, education and agricultural training to help break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities for financial independence. The home provides a nursery school that prepares young children for primary school, a youth center that accommodates up to 60 youth and agriculture training so youth can earn a living.

In Makululu more than 40 percent of children between the ages of 7-14 do not attend school. The area once had no formal education. Many of the local families rely on basic trades to earn a meager living and feed their families. They set up stalls with vegetables, fish, fruit, stone slabs, furniture and products from China. There is great poverty in the community with many residents living without electricity, enough food or enough money to buy clothing.

“My great joy is to see how our boys are changing day by day, the joy of working for the poor and needy boys who have no place to go,” said Fr. Nguyen Tuan Anh. “I am challenged to learn the local languages (especially Bemba) and provide professional skills needed for this specific youth work. I want to become more open to learning so that I become more and more useful for the needs of the boys.”

In 2019, Salesian missionaries working in the Makululu settlement were able to purchase close to 25 acres of land and develop a farm thanks to donor funding. Missionaries have developed the farm near the Don Bosco Children Home so it will be a source of food for the children and the local community. The farm is also utilized as an agricultural training center.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Zambia – A Vietnamese missionary among the street children of Africa

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Missionary helps transform lives of 90 street children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Bosco Youth Reach Out in Lusaka, Zambia, has launched a new song with former participants from the “Amplifying the Arts” project, which finished in November 2020. The project provided an opportunity for cultural exchange through arts programming and was funded by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, from a grant it received from the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka.

The project empowered vulnerable youth to tell their stories through American-inspired creative expression and to celebrate the diversity and unity of the human experience. With 150 youth auditioning to be a part of the project, 120 youth, aged 15-25, were selected to attend the training.

Youth, who came from challenging backgrounds and were vulnerable to at-risk behaviors, were encouraged to express their stories through music, spoken word and creative writing. Youth transcribed their stories into songs, artwork and poems to promote their voices through visual expression to a wider audience. They were also introduced to the basic principles and techniques of mindfulness and physical expression through yoga and other forms of mindful movement techniques that teach relaxation and discipline, as well as encourage a deeper sense of self-awareness as a means of encouraging self-expression and stress management.

The “Amplifying the Arts” project in Zambia empowered vulnerable youth to tell their stories through American-inspired creative expression.

Mentorship during the project was guided by Nhkani Znaga. The guidance encouraged youth to be more optimistic about their lives and talents. The mentors and facilitators reported changing mindsets throughout the program. The fights and bullying among children drastically reduced as the project progressed and children self-regulated during sessions.

After the project finalized, Bosco Youth Reach Out kept the studio it created for the project, and the organization plans to have mentors continue to work with a few of the participants.

“We are pleased that Bosco Youth Reach Out is continuing with this work after the project has ended,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “The youth who took part in the project were afforded new opportunities that broadened their perspective through learning new cultural practices. They also had the chance to improve their skills in creative and expressive art and mindfulness.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Bosco Youth Reach Out

Bosco Youth Reach Out Facebook

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Youth who participated in arts project launch new song first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Makululu, Zambia, are planning to build a House of Hope for street children with addictions and those dealing with mental health issues. The house will care for children 8 to 15 years old. It will be built next to an existing Salesian house, known as Ciloto, which in the local language of Bemba, means dream.

The project involves the construction of the house, a residential building, bathrooms and a water well. Funding is needed for the purchase of necessary equipment and the provision of food and assistance for at least 10 youth. The program will run 24 hours a day and offer individual psychological therapy and psychiatric treatment.

“The new House of Hope will be the first step in the process of recovery for children with the goal of reintegration into society,” explained a Salesian missionary from the Don Bosco Salesian Missionary Foundation in Warsaw, Poland, which sponsors the project. “The children will be examined by a psychologist and psychiatrist and then will be able to access the necessary treatments and therapies. The expected length of stay will be three to six months. Depending on their progress, the children will then be transferred to the existing Ciloto House where social reintegration will continue.”

The Ciloto House has 40 residents in the orphanage and 35 children who attend programs during the day. The children were thrown out of their homes due to problems with the law, addictions or mental health issues.

Through services provided at Ciloto House, eight of the children have returned to their families. Not all children are ready to attend the programs offered and need extra care. Those coming straight from the street face a number of problems that pose a threat to the children who have already faced them. This is why it is essential that the House of Hope be built to provide the first step in care for these children. Over the next year, Don Bosco Salesian Missionary Foundation will seek funding to start the construction of this project.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Zambia – “House of Hope” for children most in need

Don Bosco Salesian Missionary Foundation

Don Bosco Salesian Missionary Foundation Facebook

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Hope for street children with addictions and mental health issues first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

Thanks to funding Salesian Missions received from US Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia, 120 youth have opportunity for cultural exchange through arts program

(MissionNewswire) Youth in Zambia had an opportunity for cultural exchange through arts programming thanks to funding Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, received from the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia. The “Amplifying the Arts” project empowered vulnerable youth to tell their stories through American-inspired creative expression and to celebrate the diversity and unity of the human experience. The project also aimed to strengthen cultural ties between the U.S. and Zambia.

The project was launched in November 2019 with a talent identification event held by Bosco Youth Reach Out as an invitation to participate to youth in the surrounding areas. The event attracted more than 1,000 spectators, and 150 children and youth performed. Of the 150 performers, 120 youth, aged 15-25, were selected to attend the training.

The training workshops began in December and introduced youth to songwriting, dance, a traditional instrument, poetry, painting and guitar lessons. A talent show celebration, which brought together more than 600 people, was held in February to showcase what the youth had learned. Following the talent show, upwards of 160 children and youth began showing up to the workshops.

The “Amplifying the Arts” project in Zambia empowered vulnerable youth to tell their stories through American-inspired creative expression.

The program ran through March until the country went into lockdown because of the pandemic. During the lockdown, mentors used social media and other platforms to connect with the participants, sustaining engagement and attracting the youth to return upon re-opening. In-person workshops resumed in July with 70 to 80 attendees. Following safety precautions, participants began to work on their final art presentations. The project ended with an exhibition talent show for the community in September that brought together 336 spectators.

Participating youth, who came from challenging backgrounds and were vulnerable to at-risk behaviors, were encouraged to express their stories through music, spoken word and creative writing. Youth transcribed their stories into songs, artwork and poems to promote their voices through visual expression to a wider audience. They were also introduced to the basic principles and techniques of mindfulness and physical expression through yoga and other forms of mindful movement techniques that teach relaxation, discipline, and encourage a deeper sense of self-awareness as a means of encouraging self-expression and stress management.

The mentorship during the project was guided by Nhkani Znaga. The guidance encouraged youth to be more optimistic about their lives and talents. The mentors and facilitators reported changing mindsets throughout the program. The fights and bullying among children drastically reduced as the project progressed and children self-regulated during sessions.

Participants were also exposed to new platforms such as the Zambian National Broadcasting Channel. The network provided mentorship and guidance to participants. Natasha Tembo, a talented young singer and poet; Friday Siame an upcoming guitarist and musician; and David, a young upcoming producer and singer are now featured on the TV show “Folk Music Talk Show” on Fridays. In addition, two other young artists were offered the opportunity from the Salesians of Don Bosco to design a mural in the conference hall. Exposure opportunities will help these young girls and boys find a livelihood in the work that they do.

“We are grateful to the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka for the opportunity to provide vulnerable youth this chance for a cultural exchange through arts programming,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “The youth who took part in the project were afforded new opportunities that broadened their perspective through learning new cultural practices. They also had the chance to improve their skills in creative and expressive art and mindfulness.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Bosco Youth Reach Out

Bosco Youth Reach Out Facebook

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Youth share their stories through music, spoken word and creative writing first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Mary Help of Christians in Kasama, Zambia, was able to provide meals to youth in need 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 rice-meal donation was provided and distributed to the Sisters of the Child Jesus who are working in health centers and have communities with orphans, blind children and people who are albino. The donation was also shared with youth and children who come to the Mary Help of Christians oratory and parish.

The food arrived in May and become a lifeline in the face of the pandemic. Sister Godelieve, who works in Kasama, said, “The rice is the manna that we have waited for to help people. It’s normal for us to see poor children in need of nutrition but with the pandemic, many people are struggling.”

Sr. Godelieve added, “As a community we have many people coming to our door to beg for food. The rice is a solution for us. It allows us to help the poor who knock at our door. We give rice to our workers. It helps them to nourish their children. During the pandemic, most of people have found themselves without work. Therefore, when they receive rice, they can at least have a meal in a day.”

Mary Help of Christians also provided meals to the school in Mornese. Sr. Godelieve noted, “In the village, we also give food to our pupils as they are from the poorest families. Sometimes we cook it and they eat at school and sometimes we give them packs so they can carry home to share with their family.”

Geoffrey Mulenga, one of Mary Help of Christians workers said, “The rice I receive for my family I keep it for my youngest child. It helps him to have good health and be strong.”

Beauty Mwansa, who is 22 years old and is being supported by Mary Help of Christians Laura Center in Kasama, said, “My parents are deceased and I live with my grandmother with my sisters and brothers. I finished my secondary schools and have advanced on to additional schooling. We do daily wage work to survive, but in the face of the pandemic that is no longer possible and we have been very hungry. The Salesian Sisters have been supporting me through school and have provided meals for my family. It has helped all of us to survive this pandemic.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: At-risk youth and their families impacted by Feed My Starving Children rice-meal donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run City of Hope, located in Lusaka, Zambia, is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic under the guidelines set forth by the Zambian government. Girls in the program have already made face masks that they are wearing and distributing to others while also working on completing their school packages, studying, reading, and making crafts.

The Salesian sisters who operate City of Hope have also focused on working with teachers, mothers and other educators to teach children about issues of sexual and gender-based violence, which has increased during the lockdown within the communities. They have sent informational letters to youth to educate them on these subjects since they cannot teach in classrooms.

“We are trying to be close to them through these other means even despite the challenges around country-wide lockdown measures. So far, we are doing well and our message is reaching them,” said Sister Prisca Mulenga Mwila, a Salesian sister at the City of Hope.

Salesian sisters are also preparing various support projects for once the lockdown restrictions ease, including continuing with longer-term fundraising efforts to support all of the self-sustaining programs in the community. In addition, the Salesian sisters are harvesting four to five trays of eggs a day from the chickens they have on the farm.

The City of Hope was established to meet the needs of youth and their families living in the most severe poverty in Lusaka. The vast majority of children attending City of Hope programs are those who have been abused, live on the streets or are victims of child trafficking.

The City of Hope’s Open Community School serves those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9 and 17. Primary school classes make up the first four years after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

The City of Hope also offers a shelter that is home to at-risk girls referred through the social welfare system, the police, and other institutions and organizations. Many have been orphaned and have nowhere else to go. There are currently 36 girls who live at the shelter between the ages of 7 to 22. The shelter is not an orphanage but rather a safe place for girls to stay while they gain an education and make the transition either to living with other family or to a more independent life. To date, more than 150 girls have received services through the City of Hope’s shelter.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Sisters City of Hope

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: City of Hope supports at-risk girls and mothers through the coronavirus pandemic first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) More than 2,900 people, including youth, families, grandmothers and orphaned children, have access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The rice-meal donation was provided and distributed by Salesian Sisters who operate the City of Hope in the capital city of Lusaka in Zambia. The City of Hope received three shipments of 40-foot containers of rice-meals in 2019.

“We are very thankful for the donation of rice-meals for our students,” says Sister Prisca Mwila, who is in charge of the City of Hope. “Most of the rice is cooked at our schools and centers but from time to time we have given something to the families who are struggling to survive. They are instructed as to how to prepare the rice so as to get the maximum benefit from these rice-meals.”

For some students, the meals they receive at the City of Hope centers are the only meals they have each day. Provided to students during the school day, the food aid serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffer fewer illnesses and are more focused on their studies.

“Eating well, means studying well,” says Tapiwa, a grade three student and a beneficiary of the rice feeding program. “The rice-meal donation helps our students have an education, school meals, good health and a balanced diet.”

Jane Bwalya, a survivor of sexual assault, is another beneficiary. The lifesaving meals have provided a balanced diet so she does not have to go out looking for food, which puts her at risk of further assaults and exploitation. Thanks to the rice-meals, Bwalya is more settled and has even returned to school.

Another beneficiary is a woman with diabetes and HIV who, since eating the rice-meals, has become stronger and healthier. She is able to do go about her daily duties, feed her family and send her grandchildren to school well-fed instead of hungry. She says, “Thanks to your donation, I can stand and smile today.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: More than 2,900 youth and families impacted by Feed My Starving Children rice-meal donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries working in the Makululu settlement in Kabwe, Zambia, were able to purchase close to 25 acres of land and develop a farm thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Missionaries have developed the farm near the Don Bosco Children Home so that the food developed on the farm will be a source of food for the children and the local community. The farm itself will also be utilized as an agricultural training center. The Don Bosco Children Home transforms the lives of street children by providing shelter, education and agricultural training to help break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities for financial independence.

In Makululu more than 40 percent of children between 7-14 years old do not attend school. The area once had no formal education. Many of the local families rely on basic trades to earn a meager living and to feed their families. They set up stalls with vegetables, fish, fruit, stone slabs, furniture and products from China. There is great poverty in the community with many residents having no electricity, enough food to eat or enough money to buy proper clothing.

Today, Salesian missionaries operate the Don Bosco Children Home, a nursery school that prepares young children for primary school, a youth center that accommodates up to 60 youth, and now agriculture training so youth can earn a living.

“Access to quality education provides a stepping stone out of poverty for poor youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “We are grateful to our donors who provided funding so that the land could be purchased for the farm. This will enable Salesian missionaries to both have a food source for the community and use the farm for invaluable educational lessons.”

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian missionaries in the Makululu settlement buy land for new farm thanks to Salesian Missions donors first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Donor funding is supporting the renovation of two existing classrooms and equipping them with age-appropriate furniture, supplies and learning materials to provide a strong foundation for future education. Early pre-school education provides the opportunity for these young children to access a school environment and learn early education fundamentals before primary school starts.

“Access to quality education provides a stepping stone out of poverty for youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The education received at the Early Childhood Education Center will allow children to easily transition to a nearby Salesian primary school and then later into secondary school where students can begin to focus on finding a career path and learning the skills needed to lead a productive life.”

Salesian missionaries have been providing programs in Zambia since missionaries from Poland first came to the country in 1982. From the beginning, Salesian missionaries worked in parishes serving mainly poor youth in need. Many Polish Salesian missionaries continue to work in Salesian programs across the country today. They are joined by Salesian priests from Zambia and other countries around the globe who are dedicated to giving poor youth and their families hope for a better future.

One of the most well-known Salesian programs in Zambia is the City of Hope which operates in Lusaka. The vast majority of children attending City of Hope programs are those who have been abused, live on the streets or are victims of child trafficking.

Currently, there are more than 800 students enrolled in the City of Hope’s Open Community School which serves those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9 and 17. Primary school classes make up the first four years after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions Projects

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: New Salesian Early Childhood Education Center develops thanks to Salesian Missions donors first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Share the Light is a nonprofit organization created from projects developed by staff and students of the Salesian College Farnborough in the United Kingdom. The organization focuses specifically on helping youth in Mazabuka, a town in the Southern Province of Zambia. Having grown in recent years, Share the Light now includes a Scholarship Program, a Porridge Club and the City of Joy orphanage.

“Share the Light provides an opportunity for Salesian students to give back to the broader Salesian community through their work in Zambia,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Feeding programs, scholarships and programs that aid young women in gaining an education are all vital to combat poverty and give youth a chance for a better future in Zambia and around the globe.”

Volunteers at Share the Light consist of older students and teachers who specialize in the fields of graphic arts, mechanics, electricity and telecommunications. They visit Zambia every year near the end of June to help support the City of Joy orphanage run by Salesian Sisters in Mazabuka. The orphanage is home to a growing number of girls and young women who are unable to live with their families. Share the Light aims to meet the residents’ medical and nutritional needs and provide them clothing, school uniforms and school equipment. In addition, the organization provides transport to enable groups from the City of Joy to travel out together in safety.

Share the Light’s Scholarship Program provides children and older youth access to education, enabling them to achieve their goals and pursue a brighter future. It offers both financial and practical help to students at all levels of education.

The organization also focuses on nutrition. Its Porridge Club has become Share the Light’s longest running project. The club provides daily nutritious meals to the 700 students attending Luyobolola Community Primary School. The porridge provided at school not only gives children vital nutrients, it has improved their attendance and ability to concentrate and learn. Share the Light’s Nutrition Program also works to support the community in Mazabuka by providing essential food items, clothing and blankets for those who are sick or out of work. It has proved to be an essential lifeline for those in need.

Share the Light has also been awarded a Blanquerna Impulsa Award as the first finalist in the field of health. These awards aim to raise awareness of sustainable development to motivate and encourage the involvement of members of the educational community.

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

ANS – Spain – “Share the Light” project of Salesians of Sarriá are finalists in Fundación Telefónica al Voluntariado award ceremony

Share the Light

ZAMBIA: The Salesian College Farnborough operates Share the Light, an organization that helps youth in Salesian programs in Mazabuka

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian College Farnborough’s Share the Light organization receives award in recognition of volunteer initiatives in Zambia first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The connection to the town of Mazabuka was developed by Richard Maher, a former student at the university who spent several years living and working in Zambia after graduation. While he was there, he met Mrs. Mweete, the head teacher at Luyobolola Community School in Mazabuka, who has been instrumental in founding the Share the Light organization. As head teacher, Mweete noticed that an alarming number of students were dropping out of school due to a lack of sponsorship and it was through her determination to combat this crisis that Share the Light was founded.

Share the Light helps support the City of Joy orphanage run by Salesian Sisters in Mazabuka. It is home to a growing number of girls and young women who are unable to live with their families. Share the Light aims to meet the residents’ medical and nutritional needs and provide them clothing, school uniforms and school equipment. In addition, Share the Light provides transport to enable groups from the City of Joy to travel out together in safety.

Share the Light’s Scholarship Program provides children and older youth with access to education, enabling them to achieve their goals and pursue a brighter future. It offers both financial and practical help to students at all levels of education.

The organization also focuses on nutrition. Its Porridge Club has become Share the Light’s longest running project. The club provides daily nutritious meals to the 700 students attending Luyobolola Community Primary School. The porridge provided at school not only gives children vital nutrients, it has improved their attendance and ability to concentrate and learn. Share the Light’s Nutrition Program also works to support the community in Mazabuka by providing essential food items, clothing and blankets for those who are sick or out of work. It has proved to be an essential lifeline for those in need.

A long-term goal of Share the Light is for it to be operated by its advocates. A growing number of the Salesian College Farnborough’s graduates meet every year to share their experiences, ideas and objectives for the organization’s future. In 2012, the first group of advocates spent two weeks in Zambia where they had the opportunity to experience first-hand the value of the work being done by the City of Joy orphanage in the wider community. This experience inspired all twelve student advocates and became the foundation for the Advocates Program.

“Share the Light provides an opportunity for Salesian students to give back to the broader Salesian community through their work in Zambia,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Feeding programs, scholarships and programs that aid young women in gaining an education are all vital to combat poverty and give youth a chance for a better future in Zambia and around the globe.”

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

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

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Sources:

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

ANS – Zambia – “Share the Light”: Young people helping young people

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: The Salesian College Farnborough operates Share the Light, an organization that helps youth in Salesian programs in Mazabuka 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 “Nature for Water” explores how people can use nature to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century. UN-Water notes that environmental damage, together with climate change, is driving the water-related crises seen around the world today.

UN-Water estimates that worldwide 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services, and by 2050, the world’s population will have grown by an estimated 2 billion people, pushing global water demand up to 30 percent higher than today. UN-Water also indicates that around 1.9 billion people live in potentially severely water-scarce areas. By 2050, this could increase to around 3 billion people.

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

UN-Water highlights that nature-based solutions have the potential to solve many of the globe’s water challenges. It suggests doing more with “green” infrastructure and harmonize it with ‘grey’ infrastructure wherever possible. Planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and restoring wetlands will rebalance the water cycle and improve human health and livelihoods.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions has continued its “Clean Water Initiative,” making building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.

CAMBODIA

Salesian-run Don Bosco Kep, located in Kep Province, Cambodia, has completed a water system and sanitation project on the school grounds. The project entailed drilling a new well, and installing a water filter, new irrigation and a water treatment plant, in addition to new sanitation facilities. The water project is providing appropriate sanitation and fresh drinking water for 350 students and teachers on campus, as well as providing clean water for farming, fishing ponds and cooking. The addition of the new water treatment facilities is also preventing ecological contamination.

INDIA

Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative” is bringing water to the Marathwadi village in India. The project was implemented by local Salesian missionaries through Bosco Gramin Vikas Kendra (BGVK). Successive years of hardly any rainfall in the villages of Marathwadi and Kolhewadi, in the districts of Ahmednagar and Beed, had made the life of villagers miserable. Agricultural productivity was going down, cattle were not producing enough milk, the groundwater table was declining, people were migrating and children were suffering.

To improve water security and water management, BGVK focused on facilitating groundwater recharge and retention to improve soil moisture, de-silting the canal-bed, increasing green cover and laying a pipeline to the village. BGVK also completed an excavation of two dams for de-silting and recharging village wells, as well as constructing two drinking water tanks of 10,000-liter capacity each. The local villagers provided the technical support and manual labor, while Salesian Missions provided the financial support.

This project has benefited 1,200 people in two villages and saved at least 1,000 hours each day collectively for people out searching for water. It has also made the life of young girls and women in the villages more comfortable as they traditionally have the primary responsibility of finding water for their families.

RWANDA

Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Oratory in the village of Kabgayi, located south of the city of Gitarama in Muhanga district in the southern province of Rwanda, just completed a water well project in cooperation with Logic Engineering. The project included drilling for a new water well and installing an electric pump. A new water tank was also built to store large amounts of water. The new well provides water for youth who participate in the oratory’s activities, as well as the surrounding community that often faces water shortages.

The project was funded by Salesian Missions and has drastically improved the sanitation and hygiene of youth in the Salesian program. Students and their families are able to have access to clean drinking water and water for washing their hands and taking a shower. The water is also available for cleaning the program’s sports facilities and equipment. New bathroom facilities provide better sanitation as well.

ZAMBIA

The government of Zambia asked Salesian missionaries to start an agricultural school in Lufubu with the goal of establishing an alternative to fishing. The local community was over-fishing the lakes and needed a new source of food security that would combat hunger while preserving the environment. The school includes a working farm where the students gain hands-on experience with animal husbandry and the cultivation of vegetables and maize on a personal plot of land designated for each student. The farm includes 400 hectares of land, five of which are currently cleared. There is a river near to the farm that provides a reliable source of water year-round.

While the Salesian campus, which includes the agricultural school, farm and youth center, does have a bore hole that provides fresh water, it was limited. A stream about 200 meters away brings in fresh, clean water for washing, watering and even drinking, but unfortunately much of the water did not reach the Salesian storage tank because of the many leaks. Salesian Missions provided the funding for Salesian missionaries in Lufubu to replace the 200 meters of PVC piping to deliver the fresh water from the stream to the storage tank positively affecting the school and its students.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

World Water Day

The post WORLD WATER DAY: Salesian Missions highlights “Clean Water Initiative” projects that ensure youth have access to clean, safe water first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Youth Center had been relying on the original borehole that was dug as their only source of water. Due to the dropping water level that has been caused by the continued mining in Chingola, the borehole had collapsed. It also caused the loss of the submersible pump. A professional company advised the center staff that in order to meet the increased demand for water a new borehole needed to be dug and a new pump needed to be installed. Salesian staff also separated the water lines with the addition of new piping to each of the existing structures for better water circulation.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “This water restoration project will greatly impact the youth and staff who participate in education and social programs at the Don Bosco Youth Center. Having access to clean, safe water brings a sense of dignity to people and also reduces the number of water borne illnesses that people are susceptible to without it.”

Four different programs within the Don Bosco Youth Center are positively affected by this water project. Salesian missionaries offer technical education through the Salesian Technical College and Secondary Technical School. The college is currently offering four courses in metal fabrication, auto mechanics, general agriculture and information technology. In 2016, Salesian missionaries opened the secondary education programs, taking advantage of the new secondary curriculum in Zambia. Some of the school teachers live nearby at the Don Bosco Flats, which is part of the infrastructure of the Don Bosco Youth Center. The community is also finalizing an extension project that will allow 600 students in secondary technical school plus future boarding facilities for male students.

The clean water project also impacted youth who attend the youth center for recreational and other social and spiritual programs. Youth are able to take part in a range of activities from team sports like basketball, football and volleyball to other activities including reading in the library, swimming in the pool and playing music in the band. Another program, the Magone School, provides once a month programs for youth who need extra attention and a supportive environment, more than what is offered at their regular school. Youth are able to engage in educational lessons and recreation activities. Most important is the structure and care they receive from adults.

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

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

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Sources:

UNICEF – Zambia

Photo: Guido Dingemans for Salesian Missions/MissionNewswire

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Missions Clean Water Initiative Increases Water Access at Don Bosco Youth Center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The government of Zambia asked Salesian missionaries to start the agricultural school in Lufubu with the goal of establishing an alternative to fishing, because the local community was over-fishing the lakes and needed a new source of food security that would combat hunger while preserving the environment. The school includes a working farm where the students gain hands-on experience with animal husbandry and the cultivation of vegetables and maize on a personal plot of land designated for each student. The farm includes 400 hectres of land, five of which are currently cleared. There is a river near to the farm that provides a reliable source of water year-round.

While the Salesian campus, which includes the agricultural school, farm and youth center, does have a bore hole that provides fresh water, it was limited. A stream about 200 meters away brings in fresh, clean water for washing, watering and even drinking, but unfortunately much of the water did reach the Salesian storage tank because of the many leaks. Salesian Missions provided the funding for Salesian missionaries in Lufubu to replace the 200 meters of PVC piping to deliver the fresh water from the stream to the storage tank effectively.

“Having access to clean water is essential and brings a sense of dignity to the youth 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 access 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.”

Salesian Missions also provided funding to help support food production at the farm. Brother Robert Malusa, a Salesian priest in Lufubu, noted that eggs were a desired commodity of the agriculture school, but besides these few local chickens, the only other way for people to get eggs is to go and buy them in the neighboring city 50km away. People in the local community simply cannot afford to travel to make this purchase. The new funding to purchase chickens with both provide the eggs needed in the community and give Saleisan teachers an effective way to teach this kind of farming in the agricultural school.

Funding was also utilized to buy goats for the farm. Salesian missionaries wanted the goats to experiment with different kinds of cheese to vary the Lufubu diet of strict corn and fish as well as the occasional goat meat and chicken. Both projects help to increase the productivity of the Salesian campus and helped to make it more sustainable.

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

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

Sources

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Missions Provides Funding for Clean Water Project and Food Production at Agriculture School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“The remote location of the school and financial restrictions have limited access to books and other information so we are very grateful for the funding that has allowed us to complete this project,” says Br. Robert Malusa’s from the Salesian Agricultural School project in Lufubu. “In order to transform the curriculum and educational experience of students at the school, while accessing necessary knowledge to introduce new crops and breeds of animals that will contribute to food security in the local community, internet access was critical for the next step in development of our school and students’ learning.”

In the poor remote community of Lufubu, Salesian missionaries provide a youth center that serves 200 local children aged four to 20 and a church parish. In addition, the agricultural boarding school provides education to 53 students, aged 18 to 30. The government of Zambia asked Salesian missionaries to start the agricultural school in Lufubu with the goal of establishing an alternative to fishing, because the local community was over-fishing the lakes and needed a new source of food security that would combat hunger while preserving the environment.

The Salesian Agricultural School has potential for excellence as compared to the few other agricultural schools in the area because the school includes a working farm where the students gain hands-on experience with animal husbandry and the cultivation of vegetables and maize on a personal plot of land designated for each student. The school invites boarding students from neighboring villages to come and learn agricultural techniques that they can take back to enhance nutritional levels in their home communities.As a means of securing a reliable source of income to pay the $200 a month internet charges for the school and providing an affordable source of protein that is affordable to the people in the village and surrounding areas, Salesian missionaries also received funding to purchase 2,000 egg-laying chickens. Selling eggs at an affordable price to the local community will also promote the goal of establishing an alternative to fish as a source of protein. At a later date, Salesian missionaries also plan to open a small internet café to expand internet access to the local community, requesting a minimal contribution from users in order further support the work of the agricultural school and sustain costs of monthly internet-access.

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

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

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Sources:

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Agricultural School in Lufubu Receives Donor Funding for Internet Access and Nutritional Security Project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

At first, the Salesian sisters started a youth center and literacy classes. Later, they opened the Don Bosco Primary School that today serves 600 students and is one of the best schools in the district. The Salesian nuns also began to look at providing vocational education. They tried to start a school for cutting and sewing but realized because the population was scattered in small clusters along the road that it was difficult for people to come to a fixed school setting. The Salesian nuns then developed a traveling workshop for young women. One group turned into 30 groups scattered throughout the area that train nearly 500 women.

Most recently, the Salesian sisters started a project called, “Valponasca Learning Farm.” This farm offers agriculture vocational training and aims to increase the knowledge and skills of local farmers, which in turn increases overall food production. The project involves 150 women and small farmers. The project has three phases—periodic training, distribution of certified bean seeds and fertilizer, and personal hand-on training and experience on the farm. The initiative is marking the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, with a return that has already increased food production threefold with the potential for much more and a higher quality product.

“Training and professionalism are the way to change even the most remote villages in the heart of Africa,” says Sister Elisa Tonello, a Salesian nun who lives and works in Luwingu. “It is not enough to give the seed. There must also be training and a constant monitoring of progress so that the small farmers can share information and experience, feel united and reassured, and dream of new developments.”

In communities across Zambia, Salesian missionaries are working to provide basic education and skills training, agriculture training and workforce development services to poor youth and their families. The goal is to ensure that youth have the basic education to advance on in school to learn the skills needed for long-term stable employment so they can contribute back to their families and their communities.

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

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

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Sources:

ANS – Zambia – Women for Women: the mission and the projects of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Luwingu

Don Bosco Mission Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Sisters Provide Women Agriculture and Vocational Skills Training in Remote Town first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Father Andrzej Zdzieborski has been parish priest in Kabwe since 1984. Fr. Zdzieborski, along with other Salesian missionaries, operates a mission in Makululu, a shantytown just outside the city of Kabwe. They provide education and social development services for poor youth in the region. The area, heavily affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, has lost many of the community’s elders to the disease, leaving nearly 25 percent of the town’s children orphaned. Fr. Zdzieborski, who regularly celebrated Mass in English and in the local language of Bemba, recently has had to return to Poland because of a medical issues but hopes to return to the community  where he has made such a positive impact.

In Makululu more than 40 percent of children between 7 and 14 years old do not attend school. The area once had no formal education. Today, Salesian missionaries operate a nursery school that prepares young children for primary school and a youth center that accommodates up to 60 youth.

“Access to quality education provides a stepping stone out of poverty for poor youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The nursery school will allow children to easily transition to a nearby Salesian primary school and then later into secondary school where students can begin to focus on finding a career path and learning the skills needed to lead a productive life.”

One of the biggest challenges for families in Makululu is a lack of access to medical facilities. Families have nowhere to turn to for medical care. This is a serious problem, since many children are sick due to lead contamination because the local waters are polluted. The area is heavily polluted from the remnants of lead and cadmium that were once mined in the region. The air pollution is four times higher than allowed levels. The municipal wells where the people can get water are few and open only for a limited time. Often, people have to wait several hours to get water.

Many of the local families rely on basic trades to earn a meager living. They set up stalls with vegetables, fish, fruit, stone slabs, furniture and products from China. Many try to make enough to feed their families. But there is great poverty in this community with many of the residents having no electricity, enough food to eat or enough money to buy proper clothing.

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

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Sources:

ANS – Zambia – A Lifetime at the Service of the Missions

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Missionaries Provide Youth Center and Nursery School to Shantytown of Makululu 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 “Wastewater” focuses on the fact that the majority of wastewater from homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused – polluting the environment, and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials. UN-Water encourages the reduction of wastewater and its reuse of it. In cities, wastewater can be treated and reused for green spaces, and in industry and agriculture, wastewater can be treated and recycled for things like cooling systems and irrigation. Through this reduction and reuse, the natural water cycle will work better for every living thing.

UN-Water estimates that worldwide there are more than 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to their home and must spend countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources to look for water and cope with the health impacts of using contaminated water. 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.

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 and proper sanitation brings a sense of dignity to the children and families we serve in our programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “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 and keep them away from important study time.”

In honor and celebration of World Water Day 2017, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs around the globe that provide clean, safe water to those most in need.

CAMBODIA

Salesian-run Don Bosco Kep, located in Kep Province, Cambodia, has just completed a water system and sanitation project on its school grounds. The project entailed drilling a new well, installing a water filter, new irrigation and a water treatment plant, in addition to new sanitation facilities. The water project is providing appropriate sanitation and fresh drinking water for 350 students and teachers on campus as well as providing clean water for farming, the fishing ponds and for cooking. The addition of the new water treatment facilities is also preventing ecological contamination.

THE CONGO

Salesian missionaries at the Salesian Center of St. Charles Lwanga, located in Makelekele, a suburb of Brazzaville, the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo*, operate a parish, youth center and primary school. The center recently raised funds through the help of the Salesian Missions office in Madrid, Spain and  donors to develop a hydraulic system and water tower to collect and distribute water from the existing well for the more than 900 people who pass through the center daily. This is needed because interruptions to the water service are frequent in Makelekele and the surrounding areas.

The local Salesian parish in Makelekele has close to 5,000 people attending mass and other services. The Salesian youth center, open to local youth groups, offers a well-equipped library and a computer room. Nearly 250 youth access the center every day either to study or to have fun in a healthy educational way during their free time. The Salesian primary school is also open every day and 600 students attend morning or afternoon classes. The new water system will help to provide fresh, clean water to the students and families who take part in Salesian programs and for the surrounding communities.

RWANDA

Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Oratory in the village of Kabgayi, located south of the city of Gitarama in the Muhanga District in the southern province of Rwanda, just completed a water well project in cooperation with Logic Engineering. The project included drilling for a new water well and installing an electric pump. A new water tank was also built to store large amounts of water. The new well provides water for youth who participate in the oratory’s activities as well as the surrounding community that often faces water shortages.

The project was funded by Salesian Missions and has drastically improved the sanitation and hygiene of youth in the Salesian program. Students and their families are able to have access to clean drinking water and water for washing their hands and taking a shower. The water is also available for cleaning the program’s sports facilities and equipment. New bathroom facilities provide better sanitation as well.

SAMOA

Don Bosco College and Vocational Center in Salelologa, a village district at the east end of Savai’i Island in Samoa, has a new water tank system thanks to funding provided by Salesian Missions. The funding helped to provide water tanks and pumps for water storage necessary for the school, especially during Samoa’s dry season.

The college is located downhill from seven new water tanks so that the school water will be gravity-fed without the expense of additional water pumps. The college located three new water tanks at the new Don Bosco Hall, which is currently under construction. This will provide a separate water supply to a location situated away from the existing water pipes and avoid additional expense to the college. The new water tanks and associated pumps and pipes will be maintained by college maintenance staff as a part of their normal duties.

ZAMBIA

The government of Zambia asked Salesian missionaries to start an agricultural school in Lufubu with the goal of establishing an alternative to fishing. The local community was over-fishing the lakes and needed a new source of food security that would combat hunger while preserving the environment. The school includes a working farm where the students gain hands-on experience with animal husbandry and the cultivation of vegetables and maize on a personal plot of land designated for each student. The farm includes 400 hectares of land, five of which are currently cleared. There is a river near the farm that provides a reliable source of water year-round.

While the Salesian campus, which includes the agricultural school, farm and youth center, does have a bore hole that provides fresh water, it was limited. A stream about 200 meters away brings in fresh, clean water for washing, watering and even drinking, but unfortunately much of the water did not reach the Salesian storage tank because of the many leaks. Salesian Missions provided the funding for Salesian missionaries in Lufubu to replace the 200 meters of PVC piping to deliver the fresh water from the stream to the storage tank, providing a positive impact on the school and its students.

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Sources:

World Water Day 2017

UN-Water

Salesian Missions – Cambodia

Salesian Missions – Zambia

Salesian Missions – Rwanda

*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 Complete Water Projects Ensuring Youth Have Access to Clean, Safe Water first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Chudzynska is an educator at the local mission where she teaches math in a garage that has been transformed into a classroom. She teaches the children basic adding and subtracting, but above all she teaches them how to find happiness. Chudzynska is also a shoemaker and many of the children try to draw her attention by removing the soles from their sandals so she will spend more time with them. In addition, she is a nurse. Often, the children approach Chudzynska to show her their bruises on their bare feet or the scars from small fights in order to get a simple cure for an ailment, receive a hug or hear some reassuring words.

“I do all I can to be fair to everybody, but the most important thing is to be joyful while educating the children and be an an example to follow finding happiness in the simple things of everyday life,” says Chudzynska. “It does not matter whether I am a teacher, a shoemaker or a nurse. What matters is leaving a small imprint in the heart of the children.”

In Mansa, the Salesian Sisters operate a primary school and a new secondary school, which was opened in 2014. The secondary school addresses the need for education for youth who would otherwise not attend school at all or would have to travel very far distances to gain a secondary education. The school has spacious classrooms and administrative offices, and expansion is already being considered as the school’s programs progress. Started with an emphasis on the social sciences, the school’s administrators are hoping to expand programs to offer courses in natural sciences and technology.

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

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

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Sources:

ANS – Zambia – The Daily Life of the “Gringa” among the Children

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Young Salesian Volunteer Provides Education and Hope for the Future for Young Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In the first half of 2016, more than 3,000 packages of fortified rice were distributed. The rice is packed with soya bean and other natural vital ingredients. It is easy to cook and very nutritious for families receiving it. This distribution has been well received by the people in the villages and shanty towns in Zambia, particularly the poor families in Bauleni Township and village children in rural areas like Lufubu in the Luapula Province. Salesian programs across Zambia have received six containers of rice-meals from Stop Hunger Now and two other shipments of office furniture and other items this year.

While distributing the food donation, Salesian missionaries were also able to deliver other donated items including clothes, bathing soap, sports attires, office furniture, and water purifiers. These items were as part of  the Salesian Missions Gifts-in-Kind program to help support Salesian programs in more than 130 countries around the globe. Some of their partners include Stop Hunger Now and the Institution Recycling Network (IRN), an organization that matches surplus items with organizations and people who need them.

The donated items were distributed to those living in poverty and who are sick taking part in programs like the Home Based Care of the Archdiocese of Lusaka, Bauleni Home Based Care, Kalingalinga Hospice, St Barnabas Hospice, Chilanga Hospice, Cheshire Homes, Williams Home and St Luke Mission Hospital in Mpanshya,. Distributions of food aid and other items were also distributed through Salesian schools and youth centers.

“The food being provided is nutritious and it gives us energy,” says Linda Ngandu, a single mother of three. “I appreciate Stop Hunger Now for the food and would like all the donors to know how much we appreciate their support.”

As a result of these donations, Salesian schools and centers have become attractive and popular with local families. In some centers and schools the fortified rice has been given a nickname “vi musanina”, which in the local language means “you will gain weight or you will grow healthy.”

“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.”

Working and living in the communities they serve, Salesian missionaries are perfectly positioned to ensure that distributions of food and other aid reaches those who need it most. Operating primary schools, technical training centers, agricultural schools, youth centers, orphanages and programs for street children, Salesian missionaries are on the front lines assessing what youth and their families need most.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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

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

Sources

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Missions Gifts-in-Kind Program Makes a Difference for Those in Need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Thanks to donors these children now have the opportunity to learn to read and write, to get to know their country, to learn English and gain the skills to later find and retain livable wage employment while giving back to their communities. The needs in the community are many but Salesian missionaries are doing all they can to assist the poorest and to ensure that they do not waste the opportunities they receive.

Josephine, who recently completed seventh grade at the local Salesian school and accesses services at the Salesian oratory in Kazembe, is an example of a child helped through this Distance Adoption program. She lives with her parents and three sisters and three brothers but Father Slawomir, who operates the program, recently found out she had been sold by her parents to a 34 year old man for $30. Josephine went on her own to the police station where she was reunited with Salesian staff who took her home. The parents asked for forgiveness and broke the contract with the man.

One of the reasons parents sell their children is because they live in extreme poverty and feel like have little choice. With the support of the Distance Adoption program, Josephine now has the ability to continue school. Although she lives close to an hour away from the Salesian House and must walk to and from school, she always arrives eager and ready to learn. Fr Slawomir feels very grateful for the benefactors who support this program.

“Thanks to our donors, Salesian missionaries can help these children who might not otherwise be able to attend school,” says Fr Slawomir. “My greatest joy is to see the children walking along in their white shirts and going to school, all thanks to the Distance Adoption program. I also see hope in the eyes of their parents.”

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

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

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Sources:

ANS – Zambia – Distance Adoption – a way of helping the poorest young people

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Distance Adoption Program Helps Poor Youth Attend School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Many of the local families rely on basic trades to earn a meager living. They set up stalls with vegetables, fish, fruit, stone slabs, furniture, and products from China. Many try to make enough to feed their families. But there is great poverty in this community with many of the residents having no electricity, enough food to eat or enough money to buy proper clothing. The area is also heavily polluted from the remnants of lead and cadmium that were once mined in the region. The air pollution is four times higher than allowed levels.

One of the Salesian programs in Makululu is a nursery school, which prepares the children for primary school. Volunteers with the Salesian-run Don Bosco International Volunteer Service for Development (VIS) help to operate the school teaching and providing assistance to the young students.

“Makululu is my mission, and I am in charge of the nursery school,” says Sylwia Prządka a volunteer with VIS. “I speak and play with the children during my walks in the district. All the children come to the square close to the church. They greet me with a big smile. I try to stay with them. After a few hours we play in the dust, and then I too am dirty like the majority of the children after hours of play.”

Salesian programs in more than 130 countries around the globe provide education in order to break the cycle of poverty while giving the most vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth. There are 3,200 Salesian schools around the globe providing education to young students to prepare them for advanced technical and vocation studies. In addition, more than 850 Salesian vocational, technical, professional and agricultural schools give practical skills to youth to create productive and contributing adults in their communities.

“Access to quality education provides a stepping stone out of poverty for poor youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This nursery school will allow children to easily transition to the Salesian primary school and then later into continued education in the secondary school where students can begin to focus on finding a career path and learning the skills needed to lead a productive life.”

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

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

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Sources:

ANS – Zambia – My Mission is staying with them

UNICEF – Zambia

Salesian Missions – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesian Nursery School Provides Children a Chance to Prepare for Primary Schooling first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Despite Luapula province having vast rivers and lakes, residents face challenges accessing clean water. Salesian missionaries completed a water project that included drilling a new water well at the parish, which will provide clean, fresh water to the surrounding communities. Prior to the new well many youth could not participate in parish activities because they needed to spend the majority of their time in search of clean waters. The community was facing a health crisis because many were getting sick due to water borne diseases. It was also not uncommon that residents were also attacked by crocodiles when they went to the river for water.

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.

“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.”

The water project included digging a borehole 50 meters deep followed by the installation of a water pump. After that the tank and tank stand was completed. Salesian missionaries utilized 12 male students at the Salesian school to assist with digging and laying the water pipes around the church grounds. Students were able to apply some of the skills they learned in the classroom and gained hands-on experience. This allowed for four separate running water stations around the church grounds that provide water to the community. Now that the community has access to fresh water, students are able to fully participate in their educational programs and the other recreational programs provided at the youth center. There has also been a decrease in water borne illnesses within the community.

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

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

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Sources:

UN Water – World Water Day 2016

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: New Water Project Provides Clean Fresh Water for School, Youth Center and Parish first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Prior to the donation, Salesian Sisters at the City of Hope were forced to cut back their feeding program in centers across Lusaka to offer meals only three times per week. The rice meal donation allows the sisters to once again provide daily meals to youth at all their centers.

“We are very thankful for the donation of rice meals for our students,” says Sister Charmaine de la Chaumette, project coordinator at the City of Hope. “Most of the rice is cooked at our schools and centers but from time to time we have given something to the families who are struggling to survive. They are instructed as to how to prepare the rice so as to get the maximum benefit from these rice meals. We also help other community schools where we know the children come from very poor circumstances. From all of the City of Hope centers, we feed between 4,000 and 5,000 children a day.”

For some students, the meals they receive at the City of Hope centers are the only meals they have each day. Provided to students during the school day, the food aid serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffer fewer illnesses and are more focused on their studies.

“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, break the cycle of poverty in their lives and enable them to give back to their communities.”

In addition to the rice meals, the shipment also contained Sketchers shoes from Soles 4 Souls, which were provided to the youngest students enrolled in City of Hope programs. The remaining students received fabric for sewing projects that are completed during the students’ free time. The items they make include mats, patchwork items, pencil cases, cards and artwork.

The City of Hope was established to meet the needs of youth and their families living in the most severe poverty in Lusaka. The vast majority of children attending City of Hope programs are those who have been abused, live on the streets or are victims of child trafficking.

Currently, there are more than 800 students enrolled in the City of Hope’s Open Community School which serves those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9 and 17. Primary school classes make up the first four years after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

The City of Hope also offers a shelter that is home to at-risk girls referred through the social welfare system, the police and other institutions and organizations. Many have been orphaned and have nowhere else to go. There are currently 36 girls who live at the shelter ranging in age from 7 to 22 years. The shelter is not an orphanage but rather a safe place for girls to stay while they gain an education and make the transition either to living with other family or to a more independent life. To date, more than 150 girls have received services through the City of Hope’s shelter.

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

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

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Sources:

Salesian Sisters City of Hope

Stop Hunger Now

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Stop Hunger Now Donates Rice Meals to Salesian-run City of Hope first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, staff from the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs visited Ms. Crisafulli and her third grade students at the Academy of St. Francis of Assisi to talk about the shoe drive and share more information about the City of Hope and the students who will benefit from the shoe donation. Salesian Missions will coordinate the shipment and distribution of the shoes later this Spring.

“It was really wonderful to see so many students, especially the very young, focused and happy to be giving to others in need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive Director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries in Zambia are working with poor children and their families by providing education and social programs. Having appropriate shoes to wear is important for students’ overall well-being and health.”

The Salesian-run City of Hope, an organization and school, was created to meet the needs of those living in the most severe poverty in Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka. The vast majority of children attending City of Hope programs are children who have been abused or live on the streets and those who are victims of child trafficking.

Currently, there are more than 800 students who attend the City of Hope’s Open Community School which serves those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9 and 17. Primary school classes make up the first four years after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

The City of Hope also offers a shelter that is home to at-risk girls referred through the social welfare system, the police and other institutions and organizations. Many have been orphaned and have nowhere else to go. There are currently 36 girls who live at the shelter ranging in age from 7 to 22 years. The shelter is not an orphanage but rather a safe place for girls to stay while they gain an education and make the transition either to living with other family or to a more independent life. To date, more than 150 girls have received services through the City of Hope’s shelter.

“The City of Hope is helping youth in Zambia lay the foundation for a better future,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Donations such as shoes help our students to remain healthy while avoiding risk for injury, infections and diseases caused by walking barefoot. Healthy students are more prepared in the classroom, better able to focus on their educational pursuits and go on to create better lives for themselves while improving their communities.”

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

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

Sources

Academy of St. Francis of Assisi

Salesian Sisters City of Hope

UNICEF – Zambia

The post UNITED STATES: Third Grade Students at the Academy of St. Francis of Assisi Host Shoe Drive to Benefit Salesian-run City of Hope in Zambia first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

“Salesians in Zambia are responding to children in crisis through education and social programs that provide for their basic needs, eventually helping them to break the cycle of poverty and go on to lead productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco (which coordinated the delivery and distribution of the donated clothing).

The recent clothing donation benefited more than 5,000 people in need including those at Salesian orphanages, youth centers and schools who received the majority of the clothing. Salesian missionaries have noted that the new clothing has helped many students be more prepared for school while boosting their confidence. In addition to clothing young people, the donation was shared with elderly residents from surrounding villages and missionaries used the donation drop-off as an opportunity to visit those who are unable to leave their homes.

Salesian missionaries operate many programs in Zambia helping to improve the education, health and wellness of poor youth and their families. Several such programs are run through the City of Hope, an organization and school created to serve those living in the most severe poverty. The vast majority of children attending City of Hope programs are children who have been abused or live on the streets and those who are victims of child trafficking.

Currently, there are more than 800 students who attend the City of Hope’s Open Community School which serves those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9 and 17. Primary school classes make up the first four years after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

The City of Hope also offers a shelter that is home to at-risk girls referred through the social welfare system, the police and other institutions and organizations. Many have been orphaned and have nowhere else to go. There are currently 36 girls who live at the shelter ranging in age from 7 to 22 years. The shelter is not an orphanage but rather a safe place for girls to stay while they gain an education and make the transition either to living with other family or to a more independent life. To date, more than 150 girls have received services through the City of Hope’s shelter.

“The City of Hope is helping youth in Zambia lay the foundation for a better future,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Donations such as clothing and food help our students be more prepared in the classroom so they are able to focus on their educational pursuits and create a better life for themselves while improving their communities.”

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Sources:

UNICEF – Zambia

Salesian Sisters – City of Hope

The post ZAMBIA: More than 5,000 Poor Youth and Elderly Benefit from Recent Clothing Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

Salesians in the country continue to expand their programs to respond to the needs of poor youth. In early 2014, Don Bosco Secondary School Mansa was started to provide formal secondary school education to youth living in the Luapula Region of Zambia, located in the northern part of the country on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The school took two years to build and is a companion to an elementary school operated by Salesian Sisters that has been providing quality primary education for several years. Funding for the new school came from Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany as well as other partners. The new school reinforces the education mission of the Salesians in Zambia who have been educating poor youth living on the outskirts of Mansa for more than a decade.

For the past several years, in addition to the elementary school, Salesians have been running the St. James Catholic Parish and a youth center for young people from the heavily populated Chimese and Senama compounds. The new school will address the need for secondary education for youth who would otherwise not attend school at all or would have to travel very far distances to gain a secondary education.

The new school has spacious classrooms and administrative offices and expansion is already being considered as the school’s programs progress. Started with an emphasis on the social sciences, the school’s administrators are hoping to expand programs to offer courses in natural sciences and technology.

“Access to quality education provides a stepping stone out of poverty for poor youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This school will allow youth to easily transition from the Salesian primary school into continued education in the secondary school where students begin to focus on finding a career path and learning the skills needed to lead a productive life.”

Recently, the new secondary school was the setting for a meeting to mark the launch of a fast track teacher training program. The program is a collaboration between St. Eugene University and the Zambia Ministry of Education at Don Bosco Secondary School. Through this program, the Ministry of Education is upgrading the knowledge and certification of some 2000 teachers, as a way of improving education standards in the country.

To address the shortage of qualified teachers in schools, the teacher training program will enable teachers on government sponsorship to upgrade from certificate to diploma and from diploma to degree level. St. Eugene University will provide the advanced degree education to teachers, many of whom are graduating from Salesian schools.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system and we are dedicated to providing the support and training they need,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The value of strong teachers can be seen in the accomplishments of youth that graduate from their classes. Access to education and well-qualified teachers are critical to help youth learn job skills, improve their lives and find a path out of poverty.”

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Sources:

Don Bosco Secondary School Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Salesians Launch New Secondary School to Provide Ongoing Education for Marginalized Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In May, the City of Hope, run by the Salesian Sisters of Zambia and located in Lusaka, the capital and largest city in the country, opened a new primary and secondary school. The new school building replaced older structures that were no longer suitable to meet the educational needs of the growing student body. The new school will accommodate at least 1,200 students, 400 more than it was able to previously, and will now offer classes through Grade 12. The school’s completion, the result of numerous donors and sponsors, will have better qualified teachers and an overall higher standard of education. The clothing donation is one of many that is helping to make the new school a success.

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

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

The City of Hope was created to serve those living in the most severe poverty. The vast majority of children attending programs are street children and children who have been abused or are victims of child trafficking. Refugee children and those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation also attend the school.

“Salesians in Zambia are responding to children in crisis through education and social programs that provide for their basic needs and help youth break the cycle of poverty and go on to lead productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Currently, there are more than 800 students who attend the City of Hope’s Open Community School. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9 and 17 years. Primary school classes make up the first four years after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

The City of Hope also offers a shelter for at-risk girls that is home to girls referred through the social welfare system, the police and other institutions and organizations. Many have been orphaned and have no place else to go. There are currently 36 girls who live at the shelter ranging in age from 7 to 22 years. The shelter is not an orphanage but rather a safe place for girls to stay while they gain an education and make the transition either to living with other family or to a more independent life. To date, more than 150 girls have received services through the City of Hope’s shelter.

Also at the City of Hope, the Auxilium Skills Training Center provides technical, vocational and entrepreneurship training to young men and women. Close to 100 students attend coursework at the skills training center each year studying subjects such as hotel and catering services, housekeeping, pattern and design and information technology.

Originally started as a school for girls, the City of Hope expanded to accommodate boys and young men after the local community expressed a need. The Open Community School as well as the new formal primary and secondary school offer a feeding program providing high protein supplementary food, which for some students, is their only meal of the day.

“The City of Hope is helping youth in Zambia lay the foundation for a better future,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Donations such as clothing and food help our students be more prepared in the classroom so they are able to focus on their educational pursuits and create a better life for themselves and their communities.”

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Sources:

Salesian Sisters of Zambia – City of Hope

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Clothing Donation Helps Students at City of Hope’s New Primary and Secondary School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

Salesians in Zambia are responding to children in crisis through education and social programs that provide basic needs and help youth break the cycle of poverty and go on to lead productive lives. Recreation and sports activities are an integral part of Salesian social development programs.

Sports programs teach valuable skills to youth both on and off the field. They offer unlimited opportunities for growth by simultaneously developing leadership, teamwork and social skills. The recent ball donation made possible by Salesian Missions and One World Fútbol benefited youth at Salesian orphanages, youth centers, schools (particularly those in rural areas) and some nursery schools and kindergartens.

“Since receiving the fútbols, we have seen a lot of positive changes and improvements in the youth that benefited from this donation,” says Father Louis Malama, provincial economer of the Salesians of Don Bosco Providence in Zambia. “Youth are very happy, and participation in school and sports activities has improved. In our youth centers, the number of boys and girls participating in the program has also increased due to the sports and games that have attracted many of them that had not been involved before.”

As a result of the donation, Salesian in Zambia have formed partnerships with local organizations such as the International Training Center, Olympic Youth Center and the Kasisi and Makeni Orphanages. The donation was shared with the poor youth in these programs allowing them to expand their recreation and sports activities and learn more about teamwork. Salesians were also able to share the donation with some of Zambia’s government-run schools.

“This donation has also benefited our entire organization and we are now working together with other community organizations to empower even more youth and promote the benefits of sports in schools and in the compounds,” adds Fr. Malama.

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Sources

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: More than 144,000 Youth Have Access to Sports Activities Thanks to a Donation from One World Fútbol first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to UNICIEF, 65 percent of women in female headed households are forced to reduce the number of family meals per day to survive, especially in the months leading up to the harvest. Many children are malnourished and struggle with both physical and cognitive impairments due to inadequate nutrition.

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

Salesians in Zambia are responding to children in crisis through education and social programs that provide for their basic needs and help youth break the cycle of poverty and go on to lead productive lives.

In May, 120 youth from Lufubu, a village just north of the capital, Lusaka met for a self-awareness program focused on making good life choices. The program was organized by the Salesian Zambia Youth Delegate and Father Chester Lenczuk, rector of the Salesian community who also provides an ongoing behavioral program for local youth.

Substance abuse and early parenthood are common among youth in Lufubu. The self-awareness program brought in facilitators from Lusaka who helped the young participants reflect on issues they face while teaching them how to deal with pressure and abuse through the creation of safe environments.

“Youth in Zambia face many challenges to overcome poverty and lead healthy productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to providing education and job training skills, Salesians work to address a wide variety of issues youth face to help them overcome any challenge and go on to live happy and healthy lives supporting themselves and giving back to their communities.”

During the self-awareness program youth were encouraged to learn more about each other and their facilitators. They discussed topics such as healthy relationships while being challenged to know where they stand on issues in order to counter peer pressure and follow through on making good decisions. Participants were given time to express themselves and share with their peers the various difficulties they have gone through as well as their achievements. The facilitators allocated some special time to gather the participants’ concerns while establishing an open forum dialogue to discuss these concerns.

Recreation was also included in the program. The participants and facilitators visited Ntumbachushi Falls along the Ngona River in Luapula Province. Here youth were able to swim and spend time in a more relaxed atmosphere. The facilitators also used this time to begin dialogue on more difficult topics affecting youth like child-trafficking, sexual abuse and drug and alcohol abuse. The youth, while initially slow to open up and participate, began to debate the issues and, together with the facilitators, sought ways to deal with the challenges they face.

“It is sometimes difficult for young people to discuss uncomfortable topics but by inviting open dialogue and debate and creating a safe space, as the facilitators did, the young people were able to take part in learning how to make better choices in life.” adds Fr. Hyde.

Sources

ANS – Zambia – Self-Awareness Programme for Teens

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: Self-Awareness Program Helps Youth Address Peer Pressure and Make Positive Life Choices first appeared on MissionNewswire.