SENEGAL

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Tambacounda, Senegal, have opened the Beteya Guinar Boutique to sell chickens. The boutique is the result of a collaborative project promoted by the Don Bosco 2000 Association and co-funded by the Don Bosco Works in the World Foundations in Lugano and Milan, Italy.

The boutique is the culmination of work to create a supply chain for the production and sale of locally raised chickens in the projects facilitated by the Don Bosco 2000 Association. Part of the strategy to combat irregular migration, the boutique provided three Senegalese youth at-risk of emigration with an opportunity for training in Italy and a stable job upon their return to Senegal.

During the opening of the boutique, Father Giovanni D’Andrea, provincial of the Salesians in Sicily, stressed the importance of projects like this one for sustainable development of local communities. Agostino Sella, president of the Don Bosco 2000 Association, highlighted the success achieved in making the project economically self-sufficient. Through the model, the youth participating in the project are able to independently manage the sale of chickens, guaranteeing a stable future for themselves and their families.

A Salesian explained, “The Beteya Guinar Boutique offers high-quality products. In addition, the initiative has introduced innovative forms of sales such as spit chicken, which has already met with great success among local consumers. Don Bosco 2000 Association will continue supporting similar projects in other regions of Senegal, contributing to the economic and social development of the country.”

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has nearly half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy, and 1.3 million people faced acute food insecurity during the lean season in 2023. Salesian provide education and social programs for poor and at-risk youth and their families in the county to help them break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient.

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ANS – Senegal – “Beteya Guinar” Boutique opened in Tambacounda: an innovative and sustainable project by Don Bosco 2000

Salesian Missions – Senegal

World Bank – Senegal

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SENEGAL

(MissionNewswire) More than 300 youth, ages 5-17, play sports and learn values ​​thanks to the two socio-sports schools the Real Madrid Foundation set up in Senegal with the collaboration of the Salesian Mission office in Madrid, Spain. The programs are hosted at Salesian schools in Thies and Tambacounda. Most of the project’s participants come from local Salesian centers.

The partnership between the Real Madrid Foundation and the Salesians began in 2010 in Senegal and continued to schools in Central and South America. The first social-sports school was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2012, social-sports schools opened in Portugal. Today, the collaboration has 21 projects in 14 countries and serves nearly 4,000 children each season, using educational sport and its values as a catalyst for the social betterment of youth and communities.

Both the Real Madrid Foundation and the Salesians are aware that sports are important for social integration and the promotion of values like teamwork, communication, respect and team spirit. The social-sports schools are housed in Salesian schools. As part of the Real Madrid Foundation’s “They play, we educate” program, participants receive nutrition, family and psychological support, regular health checkups, the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts and reading, and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values, and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse are also provided.

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

In Thies, Salesians have 180 youth participants while in Tambacounda, there are 135. Twice a week, youth attend sports training sessions. On the other days, youth are engaged in educational lessons, extra sporting activities, and sessions that aim to foster good eating and hygiene habits. The pandemic changed and limited how much youth were able to engage in regular schooling and sports.

A coach with the program said, “During confinement, the children asked us for activities to do at home, and we noticed that they became more supportive and responsible. They listened to the outreach talks and the educational reinforcement paid off. They also offered to take care of the cleaning of the sports fields at the end of the mandatory quarantine period.”

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has nearly half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy, and a recent ban on street beggars has taken the only source of income away from many families. A report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school, which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

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ANS – Senegal – Study and sport, features of two “Don Bosco” socio-sports schools of Real Madrid in Senegal

Real Madrid Foundation

Salesian Missions – Senegal

World Bank – Senegal

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SENEGAL

(MissionNewswire) Salesian International Volunteering for Development’s (VIS) UNO project, “A New Opportunity,” is giving migrants a chance to start a business and have financial success back in their home countries. Salesians report that Senegal has 105,937 people living in Italy. Among them, 39.9 percent are inactive or unemployed.

Elhadi Ndiaye, a Senegalese worker and father, is one of the people who have benefited from this project. He is a father of six and has spent 19 years as a migrant in Italy where he worked in a leather and hide processing factory and then later as a sales person of costume jewelry and footwear.

When his residence permit expired and he could not guarantee that his self-employment business license would be renewed, Ndiaye became an undocumented migrant and was no longer able to meet his and his family’s needs, who were back in Senegal. The UNO project allowed him to return to Senegal permanently and develop his own business.

Ndiaye explained, “As soon as I arrived, through the UNO project, I had a grant to start a sheep breeding and fattening project in Gossas. I bought sheep at low prices and then resell them at a higher price once they have reached a good fattening condition. In addition, during the wintering period, the profits from sheep farming allowed me to cultivate a two-hectare land in my village to develop food crops. Currently, these breeding and cultivation activities have allowed me to successfully reintegrate into my community, abandon the migration, and take care of my family and the education of my children.”

Research in Senegal has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are doing so in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, Salesian project activities are now being targeted to provide scholarships and educational initiatives to help youth gain employment in their communities. Other initiatives are targeted toward adults in the hopes to provide more employment and business opportunities in Senegal so that they can return home.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has nearly half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy, and a recent ban on street beggars has taken the only source of income away from many families. A report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school, which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

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ANS – Senegal – Guaranteeing “A New Opportunity” and development projects at home: VIS commitment

Salesian Missions – Senegal

World Bank – Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Migrants return home, find success through project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SENEGAL

(MissionNewswire) Bosco Global recently launched the “Cultivating the skills of young people. Formation in agroecology in Tambacounda (Senegal)” project with the support of the Menorcan Fund for International Cooperation. The initiative is supporting the education and training for 10 students attending Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Tambacounda and their families, which includes about 50 people total.

Youth are learning about organic farming techniques, soil enrichment and water optimization. The students have been assigned rural plots, and some of them have already started working. The project will help curb desertification and enrich the soil that is now depleted due to a lack of nutrients and water, as well as climate change, which is shortening the rainy season.

Thanks to this project, some of the students are already thinking about setting up a business to market their crops. At the end of the agroecological training, students will also be offered a course on how to obtain microcredit.

“Providing education to help youth cultivate the land helps to make their farms more productive and show that farming can be a reliable source of income,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries provide education and workforce development paired with other social services to help poor youth break the cycle of poverty and have hope for the future.”

Research in Senegal has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are doing so in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, project activities are now being targeted to provide scholarships and educational initiatives to help youth gain employment in their communities.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has nearly half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy, and a recent ban on street beggars has taken the only source of income away from many families. A report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school, which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

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ANS – Senegal – Young people from Tambacounda engaged in agroecology

Bosco Global

Bosco Global Facebook

Salesian Missions – Senegal

World Bank – Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Youth learn organic farming techniques through new project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SENEGAL

(MissionNewswire) The Stop Trafficking campaign, facilitated by the Salesian International Volunteer for Development (VIS) and Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy, has launched additional activities to promote development and reduce migration in East and West Africa. For 15 months, project activities will focus on youth in Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bissau.

VIS, together with nongovernmental agency partners COOPI and Mani Tese, will implement the project “Investing in the future: protection, formation and employment for returning migrants, potential migrants and unaccompanied minor migrants in Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bissau.”

The goal is to improve the living conditions of youth in these countries to reduce the need and risk of migration, which often leads to exploitation and human trafficking. These are countries affected by food insecurity, high exposure to risks associated with climate change, drought and floods, and alarming poverty rates that have generated significant flows of internal migration as well as a significant loss of workforce.

First, the project will provide access to education through scholarships and work grants so that youth will be prepared for employment to meet current labor market needs. The project will also provide kits that will allow participants to start micro-enterprises in strategic sectors.

The project will also work to strengthen the existing formal and informal psycho-social care that young migrants receive when they return back to their home countries to help them reintegrate into their communities. Lastly, the project will raise awareness among youth about the risks of migration. It will also provide them with the resources to connect to education and employment in their own countries to reduce the need for migration. This will be done through a series of radio campaigns and cultural events such as theatrical performances, film screenings and debates locally as well as in Italy.

Previous Stop Trafficking campaign initiatives have already seen success. By providing analysis and research on the real reasons for migration, informing potential youth migrants about the risks of the journey and the real chances of success, along with giving individual guidance to those who want to leave, the campaign has worked to deter young people from leaving countries where people are most at risk of human trafficking.

Research in Senegal has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, project activities are now being targeted to provide scholarships and educational initiatives to help youth gain employment in their communities.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has nearly half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, have taken the only source of income away from many families. A report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

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ANS – Senegal – Returning migrants, young people and minors in mobility at center of new project

Salesian Missions – Senegal

World Bank – Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Stop Trafficking campaign launches new activities to provide access to education for poor youth at risk of migration first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“We started this travel project to bring Italians to Senegal for two weeks to discover not only the natural beauty of the country but also the villages, culture and food that is a world away from the migrants we welcome into our centers in Sicily. We wanted to experience some of their home and their culture,” declared Agostino Sella, president of Don Bosco 2000.

Recently, 13 volunteers spent time working with Don Bosco 2000 staff who have been assisting families and providing education programs to youth in Tambacounda. Father Enrico Frusteri, a Salesian missionary working in Senegal explains his experience.

“Before embarking on this missionary journey I wondered how I would have to behave with people who differed in culture and religion,” he says. “The attempt to give answers was insufficient because then you meet the joyful faces of many children despite the misery and the village chiefs who smile and shake hands with an authenticity that you almost forgot because now I share emotions mainly through social media.”

Volunteers have also expressed how much the experience in Senegal has changed their perception and enriched their lives. Saverio from Palermo says, “The experience in Senegal has certainly marked my way of seeing reality. You understand that everything that you have every day is a lot and that maybe it takes very little to be happy.”

Salesian missionaries are in need of volunteers to help operate their many programs in Tambacounda. A town of 80,000 people, there are few opportunities and prospects, especially for young people who represent the large majority of the Senegalese population and often serve as the main source of support for families. Many youth leave the area in search of opportunity but can fall victim to exploitation and trafficking. To address this issue, the Salesian-run International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS) has launched a project known as the “Action to combat irregular migration through support of local development in the Tambacounda Region.”

The project aims to create real opportunities for education and employment so youth are able to stay in their country of origin without feeling compelled to embark on a dangerous journey, often undertaken without knowing the real risks awaiting them. The campaign has already been successful in Senegal after research there has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, funds now are being raised through the campaign to provide scholarships to students in Senegal so they are able to access educational opportunities within their own country.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has nearly half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, have taken the only source of income away from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

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ANS – Senegal – A generous service where children know how to smile

World Bank – Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Italian volunteers spend time in Salesian programs in Tambacounda to aid poor youth and learn more about their culture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons was adopted in 2010 and urges governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat human trafficking in all its forms. The UN plan calls for integrating the fight against human trafficking into the UN’s broader programs to boost development and strengthen security worldwide.

UNODC notes that every year millions of children, women and men fall into the hands of traffickers, lured by false promises and deceit. Human trafficking has become a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise affecting nearly every country in the world. Those who have been trafficked are coerced into sexual exploitation, forced labor, domestic servitude, forced begging or stealing.

The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally: 81 percent of them are trapped in forced labor and 75 percent are women and girls.

This year, the theme of World Day against Trafficking in Persons is focused on “responding to the trafficking of children and young people.” The campaign highlights the fact that almost a third of trafficking victims are children.

Part of the statement of the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons reads, “Trafficking in persons is a vile crime that feeds on inequalities, instability and conflict. Human traffickers profit from peoples’ hopes and despair. They prey on the vulnerable and rob them of their fundamental rights. Children and young people, migrants and refugees are especially susceptible. Women and girls are targeted again and again.”

To mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2018, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs around the globe that provide life-changing education and prevention and awareness programs. Salesian Missions, headquartered in New Rochelle, N.Y., is the U.S. development arm of the international Salesians of Don Bosco.

COLOMBIA

Don Bosco City, one of the oldest and largest programs for street children in Latin America, has been working with youth for 52 years and has saved more than 1,300 of them from a life of violence. It is estimated that close to 6,000 minors continue to be utilized as child soldiers with thousands more having reached their 18th birthday after years of combat. The long rehabilitation process focuses on participants learning three key things—how to trust, how to have hope for the future and how to build relationships with others. Psychologists and teachers work together with the young participants, giving them the tools for a better future, including providing basic education and more advanced skills training that will lead to stable employment.

Since its start in 1965, Don Bosco City has rescued more than 83,000 boys and girls. Through its program, Salesian missionaries offer a multi-pronged approach designed to address the broad social issues that contribute to the poverty and exploitation these youth face while training them in the skills necessary to break the cycle of violence and poverty. Currently, there are 900 youth between the ages of 8 and 12 living and receiving education at the program.

GHANA

Salesian missionaries operate two centers in the urban area of Accra, the capital and largest city of Ghana. One is a home for children and older youth who have been victims of child trafficking. Currently, the Salesian home has 51 children ranging in age from 7 to 16 years. Some of the children are known as “wheelbarrow boys” because they come from extremely poor families with many children and work pushing and carrying diverse materials with carts and wheelbarrows. Other children come from the gold and diamond mines where they are utilized for their small size and ability to move about easily in the mines.

Children face a variety of hardships from being exploited as child laborers to being sold by their relatives, often to pay off a debt. In the Lake Volta region, it is estimated that there are approximately 21,000 children and teen laborers who have been prevented from attending school.

Salesian missionaries have also launched the Child Protection Center. Children come to the Child Protection Center via referrals from other nonprofits and from the police, usually following a complaint. The center offers shelter, counseling and education to help children make the transition out of trafficking and into long-term recovery. Often arriving at the center injured, with low self-esteem and little hope for the future, many become comfortable and settled into their new surroundings within a few weeks.

Academic classes are offered in the morning after which students are able to participate in group activities with their peers such as theater, music, dance, sports and games. Through the program, participants learn life skills, gain confidence and prepare for a happy, healthy future.

SENEGAL

Salesian missionaries operate an “Action to combat irregular migration through support of local development in the Tambacounda Region” project in Tambacounda, Senegal, a town of 80,000 people. This is part of the broader “Stop Human Trafficking” campaign Salesian missionaries are operating in several African countries.

In Tambacounda, there are few opportunities and prospects, especially for young people who represent the large majority of the Senegalese population and serve as a primary source of support for families. Many youth leave the area in search of opportunity but can fall victim to exploitation and trafficking.

The project is part of an initiative by VIS and Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy to develop projects and launch awareness campaigns to both stop and educate about the dangers of migration related to human trafficking. With a focus on youth leaving countries in Africa in search of a better life in Europe, the campaign aims to prevent young migrants from becoming victims of crime and exploitation.

By providing analysis and research on the real reasons for migration, informing potential youth migrants about the risks of the journey and the real chances of success, along with giving individual guidance to those who want to leave, the campaign is working to deter young people from leaving countries where people are most at risk of human trafficking. These include Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Ghana. In collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Africa, the campaign will also raise funds to help with program development in targeted countries in Africa.

The campaign has already found success in Senegal after research there has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, funds now are being raised through the campaign to provide scholarships to students in Senegal so they are able to access educational opportunities within their own country.

SPAIN

The Salesian Missions office in Madrid, Spain has been working with photojournalist Ana Palacios on a documentary about child trafficking called, “Child slaves, the back door.” The documentary notes there are some 152 million child slaves in the world, 72 million of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. It also notes that 50 percent of these 152 million children are between 5 and 11 years old.

As the documentary explains, human trafficking is considered modern slavery. The term “trafficking” is used in contexts including trafficking in human beings, forced labor, exploitation of minors, recruitment of child soldiers, child marriages, begging, organ trafficking, and sexual exploitation. The common denominator of all these crimes is that the forms of exploitation are varied and different.

Also known as #TheBackdoorProject, the documentary highlights the work of three Spanish non-governmental organizations and religious institutions, including Salesian Missions in Madrid. Salesian reception centers ensure the full transitional protection of exploited youth and carry out research to find their families or to offer alternatives for their social reintegration while also offering them education and social development services to meet their basic needs.

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COLOMBIA: Salesian Missions highlights work with former child soldiers on International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers

GHANA: Salesian missionaries have 4 centers across the country serving poor youth who are at risk of child labor and human trafficking

SENEGAL: Youth start vegetable garden and small farm together as part of the Stop Human Trafficking Now campaign

SPAIN: New documentary shines light on child slavery in Africa, work of Salesian programs

UN Statement

World Day Against Trafficking of Persons

The post GLOBAL: Salesian Missions highlights programs for victims of human trafficking on World Day against Trafficking in Persons first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In Tambacounda, there are few opportunities and prospects, especially for young people who represent the large majority of the Senegalese population and serve as a primary source of support for families. Many youth leave the area in search of opportunity but can fall victim to exploitation and trafficking.

The project aims to create real opportunities for education and employment so youth are able to stay in their country of origin without feeling compelled to embark on a dangerous journey, often without knowing the real risks awaiting them.

“Tambacounda is one of the places many Senegalese and others pass through to reach the neighboring towns and continue their journey to reach Europe and their long-held dream of opportunities to enhance their wellbeing,” explains Matteo Mancini, co-founder of the International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS) and the Tambacounda project.

The project is part of the overall initiative by VIS and Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy to develop projects and launch awareness campaigns to both stop and educate about the dangers of migration related to human trafficking. With a focus on youth leaving countries in Africa in search of a better life in Europe, the campaign aims to prevent young migrants from becoming victims of crime and exploitation.

By providing analysis and research on the real reasons for migration, informing potential youth migrants about the risks of the journey and the real chances of success, along with giving individual guidance to those who want to leave, the campaign is working to deter young people from leaving countries where people are most at risk of human trafficking. These include Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Ghana. In collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Africa, the campaign will also raise funds to help with program development in targeted countries in Africa.

The campaign has already found success in Senegal after research there has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, funds now are being raised through the campaign to provide scholarships to students in Senegal so they are able to access educational opportunities within their own country.

Youth who have found success in the program include Adama, Jeronime, Maxime and Doudou who are now working as a team to create a vegetable garden and small farm. They also have the assistance of Seny Diallo, who is a returning migrant who will act as their mentor and tutor. He is also able to explain to youth the challenges he experienced when he left Senegal.

As part of the project, the team will start a vegetable farm by preparing the soil, sowing and raising crops. On a plot of land owned by Adama, an indispensable well for irrigation will also be dug. Once harvested, the vegetables including okra, tomatoes, peppers and other local vegetables, will be sold at local markets.

The youth chosen for the project all have a particular skill set. Jeronime and Maxime attended a course on agriculture provided by VIS. Adama is the owner of the land, in the village of Nettebolou, on which the vegetable garden will be created. Doudou is an expert farmer and Seny is extremely motivated to provide others with a chance to stay in Senegal.

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ANS – Senegal – A small agricultural project to combat emigration and shout: “STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING”

World Bank – Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Youth start vegetable garden and small farm together as part of the Stop Human Trafficking Now campaign first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project aims to create real opportunities for education and employment so youth are able to stay and to live in their country of origin without feeling compelled to embark on a dangerous journey, often without knowing the real risks awaiting them.

“Tambacounda is one of the places many Senegalese and others pass through to reach the neighboring towns and continue their journey to reach Europe and their long-held dream of opportunities to enhance their wellbeing,” explains Matteo Mancini with VIS and co-founder of the Tambacounda project.

The project is part of the overall initiative by VIS and Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy to develop projects and launch awareness campaigns to both stop and educate about the dangers of migration related to human trafficking. With a focus on youth leaving countries in Africa in search of a better life in Europe, the campaign aims to prevent young migrants from becoming victims of crime and exploitation.

By providing analysis and research on the real reasons for migration, informing potential youth migrants about the risks of the journey and the real chances of success, along with giving individual guidance to those who want to leave, the campaign is working to deter young people from leaving countries where people are most at risk of human trafficking. These include Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Ghana. In collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Africa, the campaign will also raise funds to help with program development in targeted countries in Africa.

The campaign has already found success in Senegal after research there has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, funds now are being raised through the campaign to provide scholarships to students in Senegal so they are able to access educational opportunities within their own country.

“When I think of the impact of this project, I think of a boy from Koar, a small village, who emigrated some time ago and arrived in Italy,” says Mancini. “Upon learning about the project and the agricultural entrepreneurship promoted by VIS in his village, which brought together thirty young people, he chose to return to join the initiative, convinced that it is a credible alternative to leaving for another country and facing the risks.”

As part of the campaign, the Don Bosco Center is also providing information on the risks of illegal migration, including interviews with children who survived their migrant journey and returned home, videos, radio programs and local newspaper stories, in addition to sponsoring forums, films and debates in rural areas.

“From awareness programs in communities to radio programs, the Stop Human Trafficking campaign is utilizing a number of different methods to reach its audience,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The campaign is also using real stories of young people who have returned home after having been victims of human trafficking, which has been quite effective.”

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ANS – Senegal – Concrete alternatives for development to say: Stop Trafficking!

World Bank – Senegal

The post SENEGAL: New initiatives launch in Senegal cities as part of the Stop Human Trafficking Campaign first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“What would I have done when I was 20, without a job, in a village where electricity does not arrive and where there’s water only thanks to some wells and the yellow and white bins, with the rows of people waiting to be able to have a little to wash and to prepare food?” asks campaign collaborator Paola Schinelli.

Many youth taking part in the program at the Don Bosco Center of Tambacounda wonder the same thing. They know the risks the journey to the coast of Europe entails, but they say they are ready to face it because they can no longer bear the situation in which they live. They often ignore the true reality that exists in Europe. This includes the difficulties they will encounter once they arrive in Italy in obtaining a resident permit, a job, and house while trying to create a new life for themselves.

The campaign provides analysis and research on the real reasons for migration, informs potential youth migrants about the journey’s risks and the real chances of success, and gives individual guidance to those who want to leave. Through these actions, the campaign is working to deter young people from leaving countries where people are most at risk of human trafficking, such as Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Ghana. In collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Africa, the campaign will also raise funds to help with program development in targeted countries in Africa.

The campaign has already found success in Senegal after research there has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, funds now are being raised through the campaign to provide scholarships to students in Senegal so they are able to access educational opportunities within their own country.

“The actions we have carried out have taught us many things, made us come into contact with the phenomena of irregular migration that still today has no intention to cease, let alone change course,” says Schinelli. “During a mission in the Goudiry area, one of the project sites, I stopped to chat with young people in vocational training, youngsters who had already taken the route to the Mediterranean, but who said were willing to leave again should they not find work after the formation foreseen by the project, willing to risk their lives again along the formidable route.”

Salesian missionaries and VIS are continuing to work in the field in collaboration with the dioceses and local authorities to build alternatives in Senegal, Ethiopia and Ghana through development projects aimed at guaranteeing work for potential migrants in their home countries and through information campaigns to make them aware of the risks of travel.

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ANS – Senegal – “Stop Trafficking”: taking stock of nearly a year’s field work

The post SENEGAL: A year of field work shows success and challenges of stopping migration through the Stop Human Trafficking Campaign first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Education is particularly relevant in a country like Senegal. Salesian missionaries note that unemployment in the country is nearly 48 percent and many youth without skills are left out of the labor market. For those who attend the Don Bosco Center, 60 percent who graduate from the carpentry, mechanics or electro-technical courses manage to find work in the city.

Currently, the Don Bosco Center has 115 male students and 20 female students. Not only is the goal education, but it is also to create a skilled workforce so youth do not have to leave the country to find work. Many are forced to leave countries in West Africa in search of a better life only to become victims of exploitation and traffickers. Some reach their destination only to find they are no better off than they were in their home country. Salesian education programs encourage youth to stay and help them find employment and contribute positively to their communities.

“Access to education provides opportunities many have never imagined possible,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs are able to meet the diverse needs of students, allowing them to focus on their studies while gaining life skills that help them make better decisions and find future employment.”

Prior to the opening of Don Bosco Center, there were few places for disadvantaged youth to access the skills and qualifications necessary to develop a trade and gain stable employment. In addition to classroom training, students have the opportunity to apprentice in local businesses where they have access to hands-on training by professionals in their fields. In this way, students are able to apply the lessons and skills learned in the classroom in a real working environment while also accessing social skills training to prepare for stable long-term employment.

Currently, the machines and tools used for educational purposes at Don Bosco Center to educate future carpenters, mechanics and electricians are worn out due to their over-extended use, while others are technologically outdated. Salesian missionaries have continued their training and have developed a partnership with a technical school in Poitiers, France, that is willing to donate machinery, tools and utensils. Updated technology and equipment is always one of the challenges of educational institutions that operate on limited budgets, so Salesian missionaries must rely on donors and partnerships to fulfill this need.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has close to half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, have taken away the only source of income from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school, which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

Inequalities between men and women exist in the country with many women unable to access education or equal opportunities in the labor market. Women only represent 13 percent of all those employed. Contributing to the high rate of unemployment is a high rate of illiteracy among youth in rural areas, especially women and girls.

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – Salesian Professional Training: ongoing pursuit of excellence

World Bank – Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Salesian missionaries provide vocational training so youth are able to find and retain stable employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

By providing analysis and research on the real reasons for migration, informing potential youth migrants about the risks of the journey and the real chances of success along with giving individual guidance to those who want to leave, the campaign is working to deter young people from leaving countries where people are most at risk of human trafficking such as Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Ghana. In collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Africa, the campaign will also raise funds to help with program development in targeted countries in Africa.

The campaign has already found success in Senegal after research there has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, funds now are being raised through the campaign to provide scholarships to students in Senegal so they are able to access educational opportunities within their own country.

One young student that was helped by this program is 20-year-old Ahmed Ndiaye, who grew up in Linguere, a city located northeast of the capital city of Dakar is in Senegal. Ahmed left Linguere in 2009, to live with his brother in Dakar. He worked as an apprentice in a tailor shop and for years, grew up in conditions of poverty was forced by those who sheltered him and his brother to beg in order to reach every day the daily quota required to maintain them. They were beaten if they did not reach the target.

Ahmed lost his father a few years ago and he says that his mother has a lot of hope for him. As not to disappoint her he started to learn a trade and to study French. Many young Senegalese do not speak French, since they study only Arabic. Now Ahmed has joined the literacy course organized by the Don Bosco Center, which helps many young people to study and make up for gaps in their education, improving their employment opportunities.

But the literacy course is only a first step. Ahmed would like one day to attend a professional course, preferably an evening course, so that he can keep his day job. Ahmed has a dream to become a good tailor and a great business man. He lacks the money to start, but does not stop hoping and never fails to try because he does not want to disappoint his mother or himself.

“From awareness programs in communities to radio programs, the Stop Human Trafficking campaign is utilizing a number of different methods to reach its audience,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The campaign is also using real stories of young people who have returned home after having been victims of human trafficking, which has been quite effective.”

As part of the campaign, the Don Bosco Center is also providing information on the risks of illegal migration including interviews with children who survived their migrant journey and returned home, videos, radio programs and local newspaper stories in addition to sponsoring forums, films and debates in rural areas.

“This campaign has been successful in reaching thousands of youth and creating awareness of the many forms of fraud, trafficking and exploitation facing those who venture on such migrant voyages while at the same time giving information on the possibilities for development that exist in these countries,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Sources

ANS – Senegal – The commitment to “Stop Trafficking”, for young people like Ahmed

Stop Human Trafficking Campaign

The post SENEGAL: Youth are Positively Impacted by Salesian Stop Human Trafficking Campaign first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Both VIS and the Don Bosco Center invest and work together so that youth are given an adequate vocational education that will enable them to work and contribute to the growth and development of their own country,” says Michel Metanmo, a VIS operator in Senegal. “The greatest example of the work we do is seeing the success of the students during their last year in school. Through them we see a drive to build on their achievement and to not give up and surrender.”

Prior to opening the Don Bosco Center, there were few places for disadvantaged youth to access the skills and qualifications necessary to develop a trade and gain stable employment. To address this need, Salesian missionaries are offering vocational training in tailoring, cooking, plumbing, construction and yarn dying. In addition to classroom training in these subjects, students have the opportunity to gain experience in local businesses where they will have access to hands-on training by professionals in their fields. In this way, students will be able to apply the lessons and skills learned in the classroom in a real working environment while also accessing social skills training to prepare for stable long-term employment.

VIS and Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Center are in the process of expanding its facilities. They will begin construction of the second floor of the school, which will include a better reception are for students as well as increase the number of classrooms available. Increasing the number of classrooms will also help increase the number and diversity of subjects that will be taught and available to students.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has close to half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, has taken away the only source of income from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school, which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

Inequalities between men and women exist in the country with many women unable to access education or equal opportunities in the labor market. Women only represent 13 percent of all those employed. Contributing to the high rate of unemployment is a high rate of illiteracy among youth in rural areas, especially women and girls.

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – From School-Benches to Labour Market: in Dakar They Teach to Believe in the Future

World Bank- Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Don Bosco Center Graduates 30 Young Men Prepared to Join the Workforce first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has close to half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, has taken away the only source of income from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school, which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

Inequalities between men and women exist in the country with many women unable to access education or equal opportunities in the labor market. Women only represent 13 percent of all those employed. Contributing to the high rate of unemployment is a high rate of illiteracy among youth in rural areas, especially women and girls.

To address these challenges, Salesian missionaries opened Center Kër Don Bosco in January 2015 as part of an ongoing Salesian educational building project facilitated by Solidaridad Don Bosco, a non-governmental organization that is part of the broader Don Bosco Network in Spain. The new center provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

Boasting a large multipurpose room, computer room, three laboratories, two classrooms for literacy education, a meeting room and some offices, Center Kër Don Bosco  sits right in the middle of the neighborhood and is open to those seeking educational services. There is an information office which provides notices about upcoming training and work opportunities as well as counseling and career guidance. The facilities at the center are also available to community associations for organized meetings and activities as well as for sports, leisure and recreation activities for children and youth.

“Salesian missionaries opened the new center in Senegal to address the high rate of unemployment and limited skilled labor among poor youth in the Yoff district,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to serving local youth, the center is focusing on training women who are often underrepresented in the workforce and lack educational and advancement opportunities.”

Prior to the opening of Center Kër Don Bosco, there were few places for disadvantaged youth to access the skills and qualifications necessary to develop a trade and gain stable employment. To address this need, Salesian missionaries are offering vocational training in tailoring, cooking, plumbing, construction and yarn dying. In addition to classroom training in these subjects, students will have the opportunity to apprentice in local businesses where they will have access to hands-on training by professionals in their fields. In this way, students will be able to apply the lessons and skills learned in the classroom in a real working environment while also accessing social skills training to prepare for stable long-term employment.

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – Project on behalf of disadvantaged women comes to an end

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

Don Bosco Network

World Bank- Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Center Kër Don Bosco Trains 220 in Professional Trades and Literacy Education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The 2016 theme for International Women’s Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality.” This year the U.N is reflecting on how to accelerate and build momentum for the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its new commitments under the UN Women’s Step It Up initiative. This new initiative asks governments to make national commitments that will close the gender equality gap – from laws and policies to national action plans and adequate investments.

Some key targets of the 2030 Agenda include: ensuring that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes; ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation; and eliminating all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

“On this International Women’s Day, I remain outraged by the denial of rights to women and girls – but I take heart from the people everywhere who act on the secure knowledge that women’s empowerment leads to society’s advancement. Let us devote solid funding, courageous advocacy and unbending political will to achieving gender equality around the world. There is no greater investment in our common future.”— UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon’s statement on International Women’s Day.

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

“Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “It is very important for girls to attend school and gain an education. Girls that are empowered though education are more often able to achieve financial independence, marry at an older age and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

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

BOLIVIA

Started in 1992, the Casa Maín girl’s home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, provides shelter, nutritious meals and schooling for girls and young women with little access to education and those who were once living on the streets. Currently, there are more than 160 girls living and being educated at the home. Casa Maín is comprised of three houses and the girls are divided among them by age. The youngest girls, attending elementary school, live together in one house supported by several volunteer students from the secondary school. A second house provides shelter and peer support for girls attending secondary school while a third house is for young women attending the local university. The university students enjoy a setting that allows them to finish their degrees in higher education in a stable environment while learning how to live independently.

In addition to academic classes, the young women and girls at the home learn skills in communication and conflict management. Additional classes in dance, gymnastics and crafts are provided in the evenings and on weekends. Recently, the organization offered a three-week technology workshop to teach the girls basic computer skills including typing, word processing and drawing.

INDIA

Women from the slums of Mumbai, a densely populated city on India’s west coast, graduated from a Salesian-run 45-day skills training course. The women took courses in basic computing, English, tailoring, garment making, beauty care, hair dressing and mehndi (henna) application. The goal of the training was to help participants become better prepared for employment.

The Don Bosco Development Society in Mumbai which works to empower women in poverty to gain the skills and confidence they need to seek work, facilitated the training. For many of the participants, this was the first time they received educational training since the basic education they received when they were young. Salesian missionaries conducting the program modeled it after Skill India, an initiative by the Government of India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. After the course was completed, many of the students noted that through the course they gained a sense of self-worth that they had not had before. They also felt that the skills and confidence they gained would enable them to earn a living and support their families.

SENEGAL

Center Kër Don Bosco officially opened at the end of January in Dakar, the capital and largest city in Senegal. The new center provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women living in the Yoff district on the outskirts of the city.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

SIERRA LEONE

Salesians at Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone, have been running a Girls Shelter for the past two years. Here, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Those that access services at the shelter are also able to enroll in educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network. These programs train young women in the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

As part of the rehabilitation program at the Girls Shelter, young women take coursework in hotel management, hairdressing and tailoring. This training helps to empower them to overcome the discrimination they have faced, gain a greater awareness of their rights and boost their work prospects. It also helps to build character while allowing the young women the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives and their health. Recently, both the trainers and the students in these programs were able to present their skills and products to the general public at an exhibition in Freetown.

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Sources:

International Women’s Day 2016

UN – International Women’s Day 2016

The post INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights Women’s Education, Empowerment Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian programs in Senegal have a focus on sports education. Socio-sports schools in the cities of Dakar and Thies started their programs in 2012 and one in the city of Tambacounda has been in operation since 2010. The overall objective of the schools is to provide students between the ages of 5 and 17 with organized sports that promote positive values and teamwork. The sports programs are provided in addition to traditional vocational education programs and social development services.

During the Real Madrid Foundation’s training course at the Don Bosco Kër Center, Salesian educators learned sports techniques and advanced educational lessons. As part of the foundation’s “They play, we educate” program already operating in Salesian schools across the globe, participants receive nutritional, family and psychological support, regular health checkups and the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts and reading and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse are also provided.

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

The Don Bosco Kër Center is one of the newest Salesian centers in Senegal and provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women living in the Yoff district on the outskirts of the city of Dakar.

The center is part of an ongoing Salesian educational building project facilitated by Solidaridad Don Bosco, a non-governmental organization that is part of the broader Don Bosco Network in Spain. Salesian missionaries opened the new center in Senegal to address the high rate of unemployment and limited skilled labor among poor youth in the Yoff district. In addition to serving local youth, the center will focus on training Senegalese women who are often underrepresented in the workforce and lack educational and advancement opportunities.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has close to half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, has taken away the only source of income from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school. According to the World Bank, that number has reached 86 percent.

“Salesians in Senegal have been providing vocational and technical training programs to local youth and women for many years,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The constant expansion of our programs is important to us and provides access to education to all youth who want to improve their quality of life.”

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – The Real Madrid Foundation in the Salesian centre: “they play, we educate.”

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

World Bank- Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Salesian Educators and Coaches Attend Real Madrid Foundation Socio-Sports Training Course first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The center is part of an ongoing Salesian educational building project facilitated by Solidaridad Don Bosco, a non-governmental organization that is part of the broader Don Bosco Network in Spain. Salesian missionaries opened the new center in Senegal to address the high rate of unemployment and limited skilled labor among poor youth in the Yoff district. In addition to serving local youth, the center will focus on training women who are often underrepresented in the workforce and lack educational and advancement opportunities.

Prior to the opening of Center Kër Don Bosco, there were few places for disadvantaged youth to access the skills and qualifications necessary to develop a trade and gain stable employment. To address this need, Salesian missionaries at the center plan to offer vocational training in food production, construction and yarn dying. In addition to classroom training in these subjects, students will have the opportunity to apprentice in local businesses where they will have access to hands-on training by professionals in their fields. In this way, students will be able to apply the lessons and skills learned in the classroom in a real working environment while also accessing social skills training to prepare for stable long-term employment.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

“Access to education provides opportunities many have never imagined possible,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs are able to meet the diverse needs of students, allowing them to focus on their studies while gaining life skills that help them make better decisions and find future employment.”

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has close to half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, has taken away the only source of income from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school. According to the World Bank, that number has reached 86 percent.

“Salesians in Senegal have been providing vocational and technical training programs to local youth and women for many years,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The constant expansion of our programs is important to us and provides access to education to all youth who want to improve their quality of life.”

Sources

ANS – Senegal – Opening of the “Center Kër Don Bosco” in Dakar

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

Don Bosco Network

World Bank- Senegal

The post SENEGAL: New Don Bosco Center Offers Vocational and Literacy Programs for Poor Youth and Women first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in Senegal have been providing vocational and technical training programs to local youth for many years. The Vocational Training Center of Tambacounda, one of three Salesian programs in the country, recently announced the opening of a center of excellence in information technology and communication. One of the primary goals of the center is to provide young girls access to traditional professional courses. To date, only six out of 137 students are female.

A pioneer program in technical education and vocational training in Tambacounda, the center has trained over 2280 students in automobile mechanics and electrical work, both traditionally non-female dominated fields. Expansion of the program expects to attract more female students, granting further access to professional training.

“The constant expansion of our programs is important to us and provides access to education to all youth who want to improve their quality of life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The program in Senegal is one among many throughout the 132 countries we serve that highlights the importance of furthering education for girls.”

The Vocational Training Center of Tambacounda was opened more than 30 years ago with just four students enrolled in a course for the production of metals. With no classrooms to speak of, the students were taught under a tree. Since its humble beginnings, the center has expanded to include a wide variety of courses as well as a driving school that serves, in particular, students enrolled in the automobile mechanics courses.

“A visit to the center will show that we are up to date with the latest innovations, and fully in line with the changes and developments in information technology and clean energy,” says Brother Francesco Coly, SDB and director of the center. “In all the courses, from construction to hotel management, students are provided with knowledge of the latest developments in the industry.”

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – Tambacounda, a pioneer in vocational training

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

World Bank- Senegal 

The post SENEGAL: New Vocational Training Program Brings Opportunities to Girls first appeared on MissionNewswire.