(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have improved the socio-economic living conditions of youth and young adults through job market training in Kankan and Siguiri, Guinea. The funding for the project came from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Donor funds were used to purchase training equipment for the St. John Bosco Centers in the two communities. The donation impacted 880 youth including 130 young women, ages 16-25, from the Kankan and Nzérékoré regions. The students come from families with low levels of education who earn their living mainly through the subsistence economy.

A Salesian explained, “Thanks to the additional training equipment available, the St. John Bosco Centers have been able to increase the number of classrooms where young people can receive training. This has made it possible to offer training to even more youth. In Siguiri, we have gone from 61 students in 2022-2023 to 100 students in 2023-2024. Similarly in Kankan, we have gone from 165 pupils in 2022-2023 to 181 pupils in 2023-2024. This project has been a great success.”

One of the students impacted was Emmanuel, who is attending vocational training at the center in Siguiri. He said, “The reason I came to the center was because I failed secondary school. I tried several times without success to take the baccalaureate exam, even though I had difficulty reaching the final year of secondary school. My classmates and parents advised me to do vocational training. I decided to train in building electricity and I’m in my second year.”

Emmanuel believes vocational training is important. He added, “My advice to my Guinean colleagues is to tell them that vocational training has a lot of advantages. We study to gain skills and a technical diploma that are in demand in companies. We can find work but also set up our own business and work privately to earn a living. That’s why I encourage my fellow students, because I’m proud to be doing vocational training.”

Despite its enormous human and natural potential, the Republic of Guinea is one of the world’s poorest countries. In the northeast of the country, about 74% of the population lives in extreme poverty. In other areas, many look to subsistence farming and employment in the informal sector, because people do not have the skills for the formal labor market.

The lack of prospects, but also the violations of human rights and ethnic tensions have led many Guineans to undertake the arduous journey to Europe. The number of asylum seekers originating in the country has risen sharply in Europe in recent years.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Republic of Guinea

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(MissionNewswire) Salesians provide education and social development programs for poor youth and their families in Conakry, Guinea. While Conakry is a modern city, most people rely on informal jobs that yield very little in economic terms.

After school, many youth spend their time trying to contribute to their family’s needs. They sell handkerchiefs and food at traffic lights, polish shoes, and act as window cleaners. In reality, these efforts do little to improve their parents’ economic condition. The government does not prioritize education and youth educational performance is at the bottom of countries in West Africa.

Salesians began their work in the country in 1986 and in 2015 started the Saint Jean Bosco School Group. In Kankan, they built the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center and in Siguiri, they created a school complex where the most vulnerable children and youth are prioritized.

At Saint Jean Bosco School, 370 students receive an education. The elementary school was established in October 2021 to improve the academic level of children, especially those with learning difficulties. The school has grown rapidly both in the number of students and the quality of education offered. Ninety percent of the children attending the school come from families with little means.

Don Bosco Missions has provided 39 scholarships for these students and aims to support 23 more in the upcoming school term. This is financial aid is for children who are 5- to 9-years old-and the funding will cover the first three years of elementary school.

One of the biggest challenges to education is creating awareness among families of the importance of sending their children to school instead of work.

Conakry has a population of about 12 million people who live in a subsistence economy that is not supported by the revenues derived from the natural resources that make the country rich. The country has the world’s largest deposit of bauxite, a mineral essential for aluminum production. A difficult world economic situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been compounded by the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Guinea Conakry – Distance support for children of Guinea Conakry

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Republic of Guinea

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The province of Kie-Ntem, in which the Diocese of Ebebiyín is located, is in Guinea’s northeast and has a population of 263,000 people. The area is especially rural and its provincial capital Ebebiyín is 221 kilometers from the next larger city of Bata. In this remote, impoverished diocese there are a number of parishes where the population lives without safe drinking water.

Salesian missionaries hope to alleviate this crisis, increase sanitation, improve the health of children, and supply clean drinking water by constructing wells and cisterns in 18 rural sites.

Kie-Ntem has three large administrative districts including the administrative district of Ebebiyín with 86 village councils, the Micomeseng district with 54 village councils and the Nsok-Nsomo district with 47 village councils. In each village council, there is a chapel or an oratory. The level of literacy within the rural population is still relatively low, and there is still a long way to go to achieve quality education.

The villages rely on agriculture and livestock but are unable to achieve more than a subsistence economy. Even though the only water available is of poor quality, it is impossible for residents to purchase commercialized mineral water. The poor quality water is consumed daily without any guarantee for health and often results in harmful consequences. Digging water wells and installing water tanks ensure that people have the clean, fresh water they need.

“Water is essential for life, and it’s critical that Salesian programs around the globe have access to safe, clean water for the health and safety of those we serve,” said Father Gus Baek, 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 to communities and promotes proper hygiene and safe drinking water.”

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. One in four primary schools has no drinking water service, with students using unprotected water sources or going thirsty.

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. UN-Water notes that more than 700 children under 5 years of age die every day from diarrheal disease linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

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

To give to this project and ensure that villages in the Diocese of Ebebiyín have access to clean, fresh water, give at Salesian Missions Clean Water Initiative.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions

World Water Day 2020

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According to UNICEF, although Guinea has abolished school fees, there remain substantial costs for learning materials, keeping education out of reach for many families. In addition, many teachers are poorly trained and unable to provide a quality education. As a result, those children in school often drop out to search for work on the streets with some falling victim to child trafficking and other abuse.

Salesians operate three programs in Guinea to help youth gain an education and learn social and vocational skills. In the city of Kankan, located in central Guinea, Salesians operate a vocational education and training program and a youth center. Students attending the vocational training program can choose courses in carpentry, mechanics and other fields that can lead to livable wage employment after graduation.

“All youth deserve a chance at a better life,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians help youth overcome barriers to success while teaching them how to take responsibility for their own lives. By providing youth an education and the necessary skills to find and retain employment, they are able to support themselves and help their communities.”

Some vocational students are not waiting to graduate to give back to the community. For several years, the youth center in Kankan has remained open every weekday afternoon to allow vocational students to volunteer their time with younger youth from the neighborhood. The students act as mentors and coaches dividing the youth into teams each afternoon to play soccer and engage in other recreational activities. Sports are used as a social and team building exercise for the youth. Without this opportunity, many youth would be left home alone or on the streets after school.

“Sports programs and activities teach young people both on and off the field,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

In addition to their regular studies, vocational students receive extra training on how to best work with youth and pass on the social, emotional and academic skills they are learning. Special days known as “Day in the Family” are also planned so participating neighborhood youth can showcase their new skills for parents and families. The vocational students also provide activities such as dance, music, theater and craft workshops for everyone to participate in.

The youth center in Kankan provides neighborhood youth a safe place for supervised play while providing extra training for the vocational students and an opportunity for them to give back to the community.

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Sources

ANS – Republic of Guinea – Salesian Work for Young People in Kankan

UNICEF – Republic of Guinea Poverty

The post REPUBLIC OF GUINEA: Salesian Vocational Students Paying It Forward Volunteering as Coaches for Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.