HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Nearly 200 youth attending programs at Lakay Don Bosco Cap-Haïtien in Haiti received nutritious food through a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, a nonprofit that helps underserved people worldwide achieve food security and resilience. The shipments of meals were distributed in the first half of 2025.

The Salesians operate on the outskirts of Cap-Haïtien, serving a community primarily composed of internal migrants. Traditionally, most of the population has migrated from rural areas, seeking economic opportunities but often encountering poverty and exclusion. More recently, the city of Cap-Haïtien has become overwhelmed by an influx of people from Port-au-Prince, who are fleeing the insecurity caused by armed gangs.

A Salesian said, “Rise Against Hunger meals contribute to the education of our youth and their success. Thanks to the nutritious meals, our young people don’t have to worry so much about food to be able to study. The meals contribute to the development of our young people since they contain protein and vitamins.”

Belot, age 16, is one of the youth who received the meals. He lives in a community operated by the Salesians with the Vincent Foundation. After losing his parents and living on the street, Belot now lives at the Lakay Don Bosco residence where he attends school, completes work duties and participates in group activities.

Prior to joining the Salesian program, Belot was severely malnourished. With the nutritious meals, he has now reached a healthy weight and grown physically stronger. After eating, he often plays soccer or creates new games with his peers. He hopes that through education, he can learn new skills to help him secure a well-paying job and create a better life for himself.

Lourdena Bien-Amie Pierre, teacher and food manager, said, “Since receiving the Rise Against Hunger meals, noticeable improvements have occurred in Belot’s life. He has grown stronger and healthier. The meals have helped him focus better on his studies, improving both his physical and intellectual development. I have great pride in Belot. I always call him hopeful, responsible and determined.”

Pierre added, “Overall, since the introduction of the meals in the community, I have observed significant positive changes. Youth are growing both physically and mentally, and the community is benefiting overall. As I say, ‘a hungry stomach has no ears,’ meaning that nourishment is key to learning and development.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include several primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) The Boys and Girls with Don Bosco Network closed the 40th year of work in the Dominican Republic in 2025, while also celebrating 90 years of Salesian work in the country. Today, the network has 12 local centers in the National District, Santo Domingo East, Barahona, La Vega, Jarabacoa and Mao, supporting more than 2,400 youth each day. Its programs include family support, education, technical training, youth leadership, health programs, environmental initiatives, sports and art.

Salesians held a Catholic Mass and Christmas concert in celebration. The Mass was presided over by Father José Pastor Ramírez, provincial of the Salesians in the Antilles, in collaboration with 15  Salesian priests from local Salesian centers.

In his homily, Fr. Ramírez explained that a country may have mountains, rivers and roads, but without bridges its people remain isolated. The bridge, he said, is not the destination or the goal, but it makes it possible for life to move forward.

In this way, he affirmed that the Salesian presence in the Dominican Republic has been a bridge of light that has allowed thousands of youth to pass to the other side toward opportunities, dignity and hope. Fr. Ramírez expressed his deep gratitude to the collaborators, volunteers, donors and institutional partners who have supported this mission over four decades.

On behalf of the Salesian Congregation, he urged the whole of society to renew its commitment to Dominican children and youth, recalling that there are still many gaps to close and that the country needs to continue strengthening spaces of care, education and support.

The Boys and Girls with Don Bosco Network began in 1985 as Canillitas con Don Bosco (Newspaper boys with Don Bosco) and has evolved, responding to the changing risks faced by youth. The formalization of the network in 1998, the territorial expansion, the addition of reception centers and the creation of the Don Bosco Foundation in 2013, have consolidated a comprehensive platform of care and social support.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – Joint celebration of 90 years of Salesian presence and 40 years of Muchachos con Don Bosco

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) The Stay with Us Shelter, located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, gives youth who have been living on the street a home, family, school and a safe space to grow up. In December, the shelter celebrated 25 years of dedicated service to those most in need, and it continues to welcome youth in situations of vulnerability and abuse.

As the shelter grew so did its services. The shelter now includes a day program for youth who need support on a daily basis. The shelter also offers school support, educational workshops, recreational spaces, and psychological support for both youth and their families.

Several events marked the anniversary. A celebration was held on Dec. 5 for those currently living in the home, followed by a Dec. 7 meeting with former residents of the home that included a Catholic Mass and continued with moments of sharing among current and former residents. On Dec. 8, the whole community celebrated the work of the shelter and the impact it has had on youth and families in the region.

At the conclusion of the celebrations, the Salesians at the center said, “We carry on and will continue our mission forming good Christians and upright citizens, as St. John Bosco taught us.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – The ‘Quédate con Nosotros’ (Stay with us) hostel celebrates 25 years of service and hope

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are working to provide support to nearly 2,000 people in Cuba* who have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa, the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record. Nearly 3 million people were left without access to basic services after the hurricane devastated areas. At least 750,000 people had to be evacuated after the destruction and rising waters, according to official figures from the country.

“There were still communities left without electricity and drinking water two weeks after the hurricane. People are still trying to recover all that was lost,” explained a Salesian missionary working in Cuba.

He added, “There are still areas of Santiago de Cuba, Guamá I and Guamá II that are completely isolated because the sea destroyed the road. The material damage left by Melissa is serious, with bridges destroyed, roads blocked, and a good number of houses partially or totally collapsed.”

The Salesian Mission Office in Madrid, Spain is working to reach the 2,000 particularly vulnerable people with the “Basic basket” program run by the San Juan Bosco Center in Santiago de Cuba.

Father Luis Manuel Moral, director of Salesian Missions in Madrid, said, “The situation continues to be very complicated, given the country had already been marked by an economic crisis and a great shortage of supplies. The hurricane has made the precariousness of many people even more acute, especially the most vulnerable, such as minors, families at risk, single mothers or elderly people who are alone.”

He added, “There are many areas where aid has not yet arrived and there is a great need for medicines, drinking water, mattresses and other essential supplies. Many of these things cannot be found in the city. Moreover, the chikungunya virus is spreading rapidly, and the lack of medicines and drinking water is aggravating the situation for many people.”

The Salesian community in Santiago de Cuba serves 14 communities. In addition to education and social support, the Salesians have a small dispensary and a youth center where children and older youth engage in social activities and receive school support.

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

ANS – Cuba – ‘The situation remains very complex with areas still isolated’

Salesian Missions

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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New Lakou Bosco Village supports youth to become self-sufficient adults

(MissionNewswire) For almost five years, Salesian Lakou Bosco, based in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe – a French overseas region in the southern Caribbean – has been supporting youth and their families. Through educational and social activities, the goal is to help at-risk youth have hope for a brighter future. The organization is about to construct a new village to provide even more services and is looking at youth needs to develop it.

The new Lakou Bosco Village will be a 280-square meter meeting place, including a large house with a living room, kitchen and workshop for handicrafts, a Lakou space (home in local Creole), a sports field and two multi-activity rooms that will house a multimedia space, workspace, playroom, and place for sports. The building will be constructed with environmental impact in mind using thermal insulation and solar panels while ensuring comfort.

To kick off this project, the organization held a seminar, led by the L’effet Papillon Association, which works to restore biodiversity in Guadeloupe. This event brought together volunteers, employees, youth and partners to reflect on the values of the project and its future.

The discussions highlighted kindness and openness to others, which are the pillars of Salesian Lakou Bosco. The organization’s charter emphasizes, “We welcome everyone unconditionally in the spirit of lakou, with solidarity and listening, respecting the dignity of each individual. These values guide every action, uniting a large family where everyone contributes their talents for the common good.”

Arthur Massiet, director of Salesian Lakou Bosco said, “Our actions revolve around young people in their living spaces including with family, in their neighborhood and school, and now the digital world. We aim to support youth in their personal and social development while helping parents to strengthen their role.”

The future village will embody these ambitions. Designed to be eco-friendly it will incorporate solar panels, water collectors and, thanks to a partnership with L’effet Papillon, an aquaponics pond and a green roof.

Salesian Lakou Bosco wants to introduce youth to green professions such as solar cooking and low-tech solutions, using recycled materials for simple and sustainable technologies. Massiet noted, “We want young people to become pioneers in ecology for a greener planet. At the same time, workshops, academic support, internships and cultural or sporting activities promote the empowerment of young people and the autonomy of families.”

Digital technology is also a priority area. Massiet explained, “Their virtual world is often foreign to us. We want to join them to understand, without judging.” Monitoring activities are planned, as well as support for families with digital administrative procedures with the help of social workers.

Salesian Lakou Bosco does not just provide support, it aspires to transform neighborhoods into spaces of collective responsibility. With its new village, Salesian Lakou Bosco is building a model where youth, supported by their community, are able to take control of their lives and become self-sufficient adults who contribute back to their communities.

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Photo Source

ANS – Guadeloupe – Lakou Bosco, five years of commitment to young people

Fondation Don Bosco

Salesian Missions

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Students received their certificates of completion from the Timoun Kap Teke Chans Vocational School in Haiti, known as Timkatec. The 94 graduates received certificates in trades including IT, construction, plumbing, electricity, tiling, cooking, sewing and cosmetology. The trade school supports vulnerable youth, offering them vocational training, basic education, shelter, food and essential care.

Called “The explorers of tomorrow”, the graduation event brought together youth mainly from Pétion-Ville and the surrounding areas, many of whom have overcome challenges.

A Salesian noted, “With everything politically going on in Haiti, the year was a difficult one, but it ended with thunderous applause as the new young professionals, with their smiling faces mirroring many hopes. In addition to the 94 graduates, several hundred parents and friends of the graduates filled the chapel for graduation, providing a warm and festive atmosphere to celebrate this important milestone.”

In an interview, Father Grégoire Laguerre, current head of Timkatec, recounted the difficulties encountered during the year and pointed out that it was only thanks to private donors that some financial gaps could be filled. However, this aid remains insufficient and fails to fully facilitate the continuation of training and assistance for youth, despite their important role in boosting their professional future.

Currently, several thousand youth in Haiti do not attend school. According to the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention and UNICEF, 25-30% of gang members are minors. Youth without an education or who are inadequately trained are easy prey for criminal groups, and many of them end up participating in illegal activities to ensure their daily livelihood.

Timkatec was founded in 1996 by Father Joseph Simon, a Haitian Salesian priest. Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

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

ANS – To combat juvenile delinquency, TIMKATEC trains around a hundred young people in manual trades

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) The Diocesan Center for Arts and Trades (CDAM) in Haiti, run by the Salesians of Don Bosco, celebrated the graduation of 114 young men and women. The graduates completed training in six fields, including IT, electricity, woodworking, construction, home arts and bar-restaurant services.

CDAM provides technical and vocational training for youth as well as educational and sports programs. Most of the students come from very poor backgrounds, so there are minimal tuition fees for those who can offer a small contribution.

A Salesian noted, “We applaud these graduates who have worked so hard to gain a skill for long-term employment. Haiti is challenged by ongoing violence and strife. Despite the great insecurity and misery, Salesian missionaries, along with many others, continue to stand by the Haitian people and students are working hard to develop a better life for themselves and their communities.”

The graduation began with a Catholic Mass led by Father Jacques Charles, who encouraged the graduates to be “pilgrims of hope” and to remain united in building a better future amid Haiti’s challenges. The celebration continued with cultural performances, speeches and heartfelt tributes. While the mood was festive, speakers emphasized the urgent need for job creation and investment in technical education to secure Haiti’s future.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country. CDAM opened its door to youth in 1983.

The 11 main centers each include several primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government.

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

ANS – Haiti – 114 Graduates of CDAM’s “Synergia” Class Celebrate Graduation

Salesian Missions – Haiti

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Casa Pinardi, a shelter for youth who are homeless and abandoned, reopened its doors in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, after work to renovate and enlarge the structure. Salesians added 18 new units to be able to take in more youth in need. Casa Pinardi has been a safe haven for children and adolescents in highly vulnerable situations since 1996, and prioritizes the social reintegration of youth through education, vocational training, and preparation for independent living.

Several dignitaries were involved in the opening of the new facility. One of them in attendance was Raquel Arbaje, first lady of the Dominican Republic and honorary president of the Cabinet for Childhood and Adolescence. She noted the importance of Casa Pinardi and how the center has been critical in the transformation of youth at risk.

Dr. Ligia Pérez Peña, executive chair of the National Council for Childhood and Adolescence, emphasized the fundamental role of the organization in strengthening the Dominican protection system and the rehabilitation of vulnerable children.

Father José Pastor Ramírez, provincial of the ANT province, noted that the Salesians maintained a commitment to being bridge builders for dignity and education. He explained, “Today we are celebrating the result of dedication to service, by the Salesians of Don Bosco and the National Council for Childhood and Adolescence, who have come together to renovate Casa Pinardi for the benefit of children in need.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – ‘Casa Pinardi’: a renovated shelter for vulnerable children and adolescents in Santo Domingo

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Families of students attending the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the Dominican Republic received meals to support their nutritional needs. The meals, impacting 550 people, were provided through a partnership between Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger, and Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Daughters of Mary Help of Christians distributed the meals to families during the second half of 2024.

Pierre Michel, a 24-year-old construction worker, was one of the recipients. His family, like many in the area, has faced significant economic challenges. Michel supports his wife and three young children, all of whom attend the Salesian school. Before receiving the meals, the family often struggled with having enough food, leading to added stress and concern about their well-being.

Michel is driven by his desire to offer a better life for his family. He immigrated from Haiti to the Dominican Republic in search of better opportunities and works long hours to meet his family’s basic needs. Despite the challenges, he remains determined to give his children a brighter future. Since his family started receiving the meals, their situation has greatly improved. Michel explained, “Now my children go to school more focused and full of energy because they have something nutritious to eat every day.”

The Rise Against Hunger meals have eased some of the financial strain on the family, allowing Michel to focus more on his work and less on day-to-day survival. The children are healthier and more engaged in school, and the family worries less about their next meal. Michel envisions a future where all children in his community have access to nutritious food, quality education, and a safe environment to grow and thrive.

Victor Flores, a community leader and volunteer in Jarabacoa who handed out the Rise Against Hunger meals, noted, “We have noticed a significant improvement in the health and morale of the children. They are more energized, participate more in school activities and show better academic performance. The community at large has witnessed a positive change, with healthier children and a more optimistic environment for the future.”

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) More than 2,300 youth in Haiti received nutritious food through a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger. The shipments of meals were received by the Salesians of Don Bosco and then distributed to the three Salesian centers of Don Bosco Technique, Lakay Don Bosco and the Vincent Foundation in the second half of 2024.

Vincent Foundation, located south of the city of Cap-Haïtien in the suburbs of Vertières, is the only space in the neighborhood that opens its doors to youth in the area to allow them a safe place for play, leisure and a meeting point. The foundation was able to distribute the meals to youth in the center who do not receive regular meals at home. Salesians report that there was a peaceful climate among the youth because they knew that a hot meal would be provided by the center.

At Lakay Don Bosco, Jeannot, age 15, was one of the recipients. He had been living with his grandmother after his mother died when he was age 5. Because of their poverty, he left his grandmother to join the armed gangs to find money and food. After meeting the Salesians, Jeannot is now one of the Catholic Scouts and is in school learning motorcycle mechanics. He is becoming healthy thanks to Rise Against Hunger meals, which allow him to eat twice a day.

Lourdena Bien-Aime Pierre, an educator and food manager, said, “Since receiving the Rise Against Hunger meals, the change within the community is very palpable because we see that the youth develop physically and also improve academically. Before, it was difficult to teach them since ‘a hungry belly has no ears.’ We have seen improvements for all of our students, especially Jeannot. The meals help him study and learn better. We are proud of him because he is committed, very responsible and he has determination.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include several primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have laid the cornerstone for the new Lakou Bosco Village in Guadeloupe, a French overseas region in the southern Caribbean. The new village will provide support to youth and families in need.

The new Lakou Bosco Village will be a 280-square meter meeting place, including a large house with a living room, kitchen and workshop for handicrafts, a Lakou space (home in local Creole), a sports field and two multi-activity rooms that will house a multimedia space, work space, playroom, and place for sports. The building will be constructed with environmental impact in mind using thermal insulation and solar panels while ensuring comfort.

The association has a team of nine employees and 40 volunteers supporting more than 40 families and 70 youth. It is funded by the French Fund for Family Benefits, and since September 2023, the European Social Fund.

“We intervene in our neighborhoods and through the school and the family to provide continuous support,” explained Rose Berthe Sapotille, president of the association. “Our approach is not limited to young people. We also work with their parents to offer them adequate support and strengthen their educational role.”

During the cornerstone ceremony, Bishop Guiougou expressed his satisfaction with the presence of the Salesians in his diocese, which, he said, “demonstrates the Church’s support for the initiatives developed to help children and young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods.”

After the speeches by authorities, several people who are accessing services from the association expressed what it means to them. Particularly touching was the account of Pierrick, who has just turned 12. The community is looking forward to the expanded space and the new programs that will be offered.

Salesians from the Saint Francis de Sales Province of France-Belgium South have been in the region since September 2020.

A Salesian explained, “After a call from Bishop Philippe Guiougou, Salesians arrived in Guadeloupe. They took over the parish of Baimbridge in the municipality of Les Abymes. With a desire to serve young people, they created the Lakou Bosco Association to provide support for the most disadvantaged youth and families. Salesians provide education and support youth in their search for new opportunities.”

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

ANS – Guadeloupe – Lakou Bosco Village: the Salesian work gets bigger

Fondation Don Bosco

Salesian Missions

The post CARIBBEAN: New facility for youth, families under construction first appeared on MissionNewswire.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) The Network of Boys and Girls with Don Bosco provides educational and pastoral services for youth in situations of vulnerability and exclusion in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba*. Founded in 1985 in the Salesian Province of the Antilles, the institution is marking its 40th anniversary serving youth and their families.

Youth in these centers have been living on the street, are unaccompanied migrant minors, have dropped out of school or have low levels of schooling, live in extreme poverty, and have been victims of violence. Salesians support and educate youth through a series of programs in education, sport, culture, art, technical and vocational training, school monitoring, faith education, the promotion of human rights, employment, and the environment, among other programs that help them have hope for the future.

A Salesian explained, “The institution began with the initiative of Father Juan Linares to support youth who were engaged with the María Auxiliadora youth center. The organization was working with youth who were working instead of being in school. They called themselves Newsboys with Don Bosco and were able to access support and education through the center.”

Currently, the institution has 12 youth centers located in four provinces in the Dominican Republic. Of these, five are residential homes, two of which are for girls. These centers are run by the Salesian Family and the Parish Missionaries of Mary Help of Christians.

The Salesian said, “We developed a staged educational process that seeks the human, social and spiritual development of these youth in a suitable family environment. These stages help to welcome youth into the program, socialize them with other youth, provide support and education, and help them connect with their community. The goal is to help them lead healthy and productive lives.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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

ANS – RMG – Social works that bring Don Bosco to life today: the Don Bosco Network, 40 years transforming lives and building a better future

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

*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 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Youth access education and services in 12 centers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are developing a new Lakou Bosco Village in Guadeloupe, a French overseas region in the southern Caribbean. Salesians from the Saint Francis de Sales Province of France-Belgium South have been in the region since September 2020. The new village will provide support to youth and families in need.

In Les Abymes, the capital city of 50,000 people, Salesians developed the Lakou Bosco Association, which serves youth and families by offering them support and education. The association has nine employees and 40 volunteers working with more than 40 families and 70 children. It is funded by the French Fund for Family Benefits, and since September 2023, the European Social Fund.

“We intervene in our neighborhoods and through the school and the family to provide continuous support,” explained Rose Berthe Sapotille, president of the association. “Our approach is not limited to young people. We also work with their parents to offer them adequate support and strengthen their educational role.”

The current premises of Lakou Bosco is used for a wide range of activities but is no longer sufficient to meet all of the needs. The new Lakou Bosco Village, part of the province’s Don Bosco Social Action Network, will provide a 280-square-meter meeting place with different living spaces, including a large house with a living room, kitchen and a workshop. There will also be a sports field and two multi-activity rooms.

The building will be built with environmental impact in mind using thermal insulation and solar panels while ensuring perfect comfort and a high quality of life for its future visitors. The foundation stone will be laid on Feb. 1, 2025.

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

ANS – Guadeloupe – The “Lakou Bosco Village” is about to be born

Fondation Don Bosco

Salesian Missions

The post CARIBBEAN: Salesians develop new facilities for youth in Guadeloupe first appeared on MissionNewswire.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Boys and Girls with Don Bosco, a Salesian organization committed to educating and supporting children in the Dominican Republic, celebrated its 40th anniversary in December 2024. The organization also received the Dr. Julio A. Brache Arzeno Award for Sustainability 2024, awarded in the education category by the Rica Foundation.

A Salesian noted, “Since the organization started in 1985, Salesians have worked tirelessly to offer opportunities to the most vulnerable children in Santo Domingo. Through a comprehensive model based on four pillars, search, reception, socialization and accompaniment, Boys and Girls with Don Bosco has become a beacon of hope and development for thousands of children.”

Father Ysidro José Ramírez, Salesian youth ministry delegate for the Antilles and director of the Boys and Girls with Don Bosco Network, explained, “Our mission is not to replace school, but to recover the joy of childhood. Seeing children, who no longer have to take on adult responsibilities and can instead enjoy their childhood, is our greatest reward.”

Over 40 years, the organization has provided a safe space where youth access education, medical care, food and an environment that promotes their development. The anniversary celebrates what has been achieved, and also focuses on education as a driving force for change.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – “Boys and Girls with Don Bosco”: Celebrating 40 Years of transformation and hope

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) More than 3,000 youth in Haiti received nutritious food through a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger. The shipments of meals were received by the Salesians of Don Bosco and then distributed to 11 Salesian centers and schools in the first half of 2024. Salesians facilitated school feeding programs, family meetings, professional training, primary and secondary education, apprenticeships, catechesis classes, and various other social activities.

Haiti faces ongoing political and social strife. The centers in Cap-Haïtien, including Lakay Cap and the Vincent Foundation, have experienced less political violence but have still felt the effects of the upheaval with rising market prices. Timkatec and Lakay Lakou are located in Port-au-Prince and have had to deal with the gangs and violence on the streets along with closures. Don Bosco Tech in Fort-Liberté has had an influx of people fleeing the capital for the relatively safer north and has seen an increase of children on the streets.

A Salesian noted, “We appreciate Rise Against Hunger and the solidarity from the United States for sending food for our youth. We can see the joy on the face of each child after eating and when they arrive home.”

Rodnel Ball, age 16, is one of the recipients and has been living at Timkatec for five years. He said, “When I arrived at Timkatec, I started to eat Rise Against Hunger meals every day. The meals are important to me because they give me strength and they taste good. Not only did I gain weight by eating the meals, but I also found the motivation to study. I study better. I like to sit with my classmates when I eat.”

Ball explained, “In the future, I want to become a great soccer player. For the moment, I’m in seventh grade and I’m learning about ceramic installation. I simply love this job and I would like to participate in a soccer championship after training.”

The first Timkatec school started in 1994 and was founded for children who had been living on the street. Later, it was expanded to include local children who had not had the chance to attend school until ages 8-10. The vocational schools were added so youth could learn a trade for employment.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) More than 9,700 Haitian refugees and their families, who fled their home country due to the ongoing political crises and settled in the community of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, have received meals to support their nutritional needs. The meals were provided through a partnership between Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger, and Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Daughters of Mary Help of Christians distributed the meals to families in need during the first half of 2024.

Most of the recipients work in construction or engage in maintenance work at a Salesian school. Many workers are undocumented and live in isolated places with their families in small, rented houses. They are not always paid fairly and have few labor benefits due to their migration status.

A Salesian explained, “The socio-political situation in Haiti continues to be a major difficulty, as workers are often exposed to unfair treatment, the risk of deportation and living in precarious conditions because they have entered the country illegally. The distribution of food helps to reduce some of these dangers. Some of them are very shy, and they show fear when you first interact with them and can resist help. However, the help they received has made them feel welcomed and has allowed them to integrate better into the life of the community and open up.”

Widenson Etinne, age 20, is one of the people who received the meals. He lives in a community with small homes built with recycled materials that are fragile, weak and unsafe. He fled Haiti for the safety of his family but faces other challenges in the Dominican Republic.

Etinne explained, “It is not easy for us to live in the Dominican Republic. We have had to leave our country running for fear of starving to death at the hands of the war that is going on. Here we have dealt with hunger and all kinds of necessities, and our families have suffered as well. When we finally managed to find a job doing construction work and working on the school, many things have improved, not only because we feel a little more secure and safe but also because we receive these meals that are so important to our nutrition.”

He added, “These meals taste very good and give us a lot of strength. We eat it with a lot of pleasure, knowing it is very good for our health because of the nutrients. We know how to prepare meals in many ways, using different recipes and adding different spices. My wife and son are also enjoying the meals. It gives us the strength to continue to work and live a better life.”

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

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 Salesian missionaries in Haiti.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries living and working in Haiti are doing their best to help vulnerable people as they too have faced the insecurity that is ravaging the country.

The United Nations has noted that the first quarter of 2024 has been the deadliest for Haitians with 2,500 people killed or injured due to gang violence. Children are particularly vulnerable. Close to 30-50% of the gangs have children in them. In addition, close to 180,000 children are displaced with many facing severe malnutrition.

“Life in Haiti, especially in the metropolitan area Port-au-Prince, is difficult to describe in words. We are in a state of almost total anarchy. People are generally unable to carry out their activities and the main roads are closed,” said Father Victor Auguste, a Salesian missionary who lives in Haiti, in a recent article in Agenzia Fides. “The violence of the gangs is causing a significant number of displaced people, especially women and children. Despite the great insecurity and misery, Salesian missionaries, along with many others, continue to stand by the Haitian people.”

In the article, Fr. Auguste added, “Every day we face enormous risks and when I hear that an institution has been attacked, I think about when it will be our turn. A few weeks ago several nuns were kidnapped. The perpetrators entered their house and took them away. After a few days, they reappeared. And the same thing happens to the civilian population. They disappear and the perpetrators ask for money to release them. We live in the midst of the events and, like our brothers and sisters, we face the same difficulties. But we never considered the possibility of leaving the country because that would mean giving up our mission to help the most needy in difficult times.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government.

It has been difficult for the Salesians but they persist with their mission. In the article, Fr. Auguste explained, “We live in a constant climate of insecurity, with forced displacement and famine. The problems of food, hygiene and drinking water must be solved urgently. It is also very difficult to ensure economic survival. The little money we had was intended for the enrollment of students. Now most of the schools in Port-au-Prince cannot open. As an economist, I have to ask the community for drastic rationing because we really do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is clear is that the gangs want to control the whole country. Most of the financial resources we have come from abroad. It is very difficult to get help in the urban areas because the communication routes are closed. However, something can be done in the rest of the country, especially in the north. There we can buy products and distribute them to those closest to us, such as students, their families and our collaborators.”

Fr. Auguste calls on the entire international community to participate in initiatives to help aid the Haitian people during this difficult time. He concluded, “Haiti has been in a serious political, economic and social crisis for years and for this reason it is difficult to mobilize concrete and practical help that can counteract the criminal gangs. We are grateful to all those who help us and for the interest they show in learning about this crisis that we are going through in silence and in the face of the indifference of the international community.”

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

Agenzia Fides – AMERICA/HAITI – Father Víctor Auguste: “The situation is difficult to describe in words”

United Nations – Deadly Violence in Haiti at Record High, Some Worst Scenarios Now Realities, Special Representative Tells Security Council, Urging Deployment of Support Mission

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Haiti have remained in the country but much of their school and youth center activities have stopped in the face of ongoing gang violence. Father Victor Auguste, a Salesian in the capital of Port-au-Prince, told Aleteia, “We are still working in areas that are very, very difficult.” Fr. Auguste reports there are times he isn’t even sure he can get to the church to celebrate Sunday Mass.

Haiti was plunged into extreme poverty after the 2010 earthquake and it has never recovered. Following the earthquake, Haiti faced an economic crisis, the impossibility of controlling violence in the streets, the assassination of its president and another earthquake in 2021. All of this, coupled with tropical storms and the COVID-19 pandemic, has thrown the population into a continuous humanitarian emergency.

The current explosion of violence started when acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his commitment to hold elections before August 2025, even though his term had ended on Feb. 7. He has been unable to return to Haiti after a trip out of the country, as gangs have closed the main international airport, according to an article in Aleteia. Henry had been serving since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Under pressure from criminal gangs, he has since resigned.

Aleteia also reported that police officer-turned gang leader Jimmy Chérizier has led an effort to unify the gangs. The gangs stormed Haitian prisons and released close to 5,000 prisoners. The country has been besieged by fires, shootings and attempted assaults on the National Palace.

According to the United Nations, more than 1,200 people have been killed since January and an additional 5,000 over the last year. This instability has also caused about 300,000 displaced people. With criminal gangs controlling about 80% of the territory of Port-au-Prince, hospitals are unable to treat the wounded, many shops have been looted and corpses of the victims remain unburied in the streets. There have already been several reported cases of cholera.

A Salesian noted, “The situation in Haiti is chaotic. There are no words to describe it. We are living in hell. Ordinary people, many of whom are engaged in selling wares on the streets and in public markets, are unable to do so, as gun violence is prevalent.”

As indicated in the Aleteia article, Fr. Auguste is hearing from many Salesians across Haiti. “I am receiving messages from confreres who have difficulties because they cannot find food. They cannot find some products in the market. But even if I had them in my house here, I cannot give them because I cannot go into the streets.”

Haiti is awaiting the deployment of an international security support mission led by Kenya and approved by the United Nations last October. A Salesian said, “We live in fear, because we don’t know what could happen from one minute to the next. This is our life and we ask you to pray and not to forget us.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

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

Aleteia – Haitian Church soldiers on in midst of gang violence; Pope asks prayer

ANS – Haiti – “We are living in hell”, say the Salesians amid the violence and chaos in which the country has sunk

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries from the St. John Bosco Province of the Antilles, through the Salesian Don Bosco Foundation’s youth ministry school sector and environment unit, have launched a renewable energy project in the Dominican Republic to equip seven polytechnic institutes with solar panels.

The project “Vocational qualification of vulnerable young people in the field of renewable energy and environmental awareness” will run through the end of 2025 and will be carried out in the provinces of Barahona, Santiago, La Vega and Santo Domingo.

The 580 solar panel modules will produce 295.8 kilowatts a year, which is equivalent to avoiding the emission of 274,906 kg of CO2 (a service equal to 46,218 trees that would be needed to convert CO2 into oxygen). In addition, the project will be completed with a series of other environmental awareness-raising activities.

The overall goal of the project is to help with the production of clean energy for the development of technical and vocational education, to protect the environment, and to give access to the labor market for youth trained in this sector.

A Salesian explained, “The technical baccalaureate in renewable energies started this year at the Don Bosco Polytechnic Institute in Santiago and the Cristo Rey Polytechnic Institute in Barahona. Before that only one technical school in the entire country offered this type of training and there is a high demand for qualified technicians in this technology from businesses. Similarly, in the seven schools where the project was launched, training in the installation and maintenance of solar panels will be offered, in coordination with the Dominican Republic’s National Institute for Technical and Professional Training.”

The project is being co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Don Bosco Mundo in Germany, and St. John Bosco Province of the Antilles in coordination with the Directorate of Vocational Technical Education of the Ministry of Education.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – Salesians carry out renewable energy projects to help youth employment and to protect the environment

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) The new documentary “Canillitas” is giving a voice to the more than 340,000 children working in the Dominican Republic, according to an article in Vatican News. The documentary is focused on the plight of six children, the Salesian organization Canillitas con Don Bosco, the founder of the program and the educators who support the children.

Alberto López Herrero, producer, explained the meaning of the word canillitas, which is a name for children who try to earn a living for themselves and their families by moving “las canillas”, or their legs, in many Latin American countries. He told Vatican News, “We make a documentary every two years set in a different country of the world to inform, denounce and raise awareness about a particular violated right of childhood. This word also gave its name to the first Salesian project launched in the Dominican Republic, which will soon be 38 years old.”

López explained to Vatican News that when most people think of child labor they think of factories in India or mines in Colombia but it’s an issue closer than most believe. He noted, “Even in our wrongly defined developed world, there are situations of child labor. Many children, including migrants, are subjected to this type of exploitation, sometimes finding themselves in a condition of slavery.”

Moisés is one of the children featured in the documentary. He recounted that from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m on Saturdays and Sundays, he would walk around the streets of his neighborhood, La Ciénaga, carrying a wooden crate on his shoulders with the products he needed to be a shoe-shiner.

He told Vatican News, “I really enjoyed making the documentary because it tells who I am, what I have lived, how I live, where I live and how I clean shoes.” Moisés does the work to help his grandmother and his mother buy things for the house. He has big dreams for when he gets older thinking about becoming an artist or a lawyer, changing from his initial desire to become a doctor.

Father Juan Linares, Salesian missionary in Santo Domingo, started the program in 1985 when there were 500,000 children working, according to Vatican News. Even though the number has decreased, there is still much work to be done. The goal is to make the children’s plight as public as possible to gain support for the children and the services that protect them.

Fr. Linares is coordinating the work with children living and working on the streets. “Every morning these children went out into the streets to sell their produce and we devised an accompaniment plan for them, especially with a view to their full development for the future. First, we got to know their reality, where they lived and what they did. We also studied the level of schooling as a primary element in order to set up an integral project based on research, reception, socialization and accompaniment. This was our experience, which was then replicated in other centers.”

The work is not always easy. Karen Montàs, director of Canillitas con Don Bosco, indicated that getting family acceptance is a challenge. Participating in the program means fewer hours working, impacting the family’s overall income.

“That is why, we first had to make them understand that children should not be on the street working but studying and that it is the adults who should take responsibility for supporting the family,” said Montàs in the article. “They feel the need to help their families by going to work so we have to occupy their free time after school with art courses and sports activities. Finally, it is not easy to find the resources to make the project sustainable.”

The program also helps adults gain news skills so they can find better, higher-paying employment so children do not have to work. Montàs explained, “It is necessary to educate people and children so that they do not remain in situations of poverty. It is also necessary to work with society so that employers do not hire children because it is cheaper. Finally, we need to pass targeted laws because child labor can be eradicated with public policies that guarantee basic rights to children.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Misiones Salesianas

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

Vatican News – “Canillitas”: The Salesian documentary that gives voice to exploited children

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) The first group of 35 students has graduated from the Salesian PLUS School of Communication in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The certificate they received means the students have successfully completed the seven steps that accredit them as Salesian communicators.

The PLUS school has been in operation for the last two years, and students have explored topics in communication, theology, writing, speech making, photography, and social networks. The program is focused on the development of knowledge and technical skills required by the people involved in the coordination of communication in Salesian programs and in the corporate sector.

Carlos Cuevas, of the Salesians of the Antilles Province Commission for Communication, organized the program. At the graduation, Father José Pastor Ramírez, provincial, encouraged graduates to continue to grow and develop as professionals in the world of communication and beyond. He stressed they are the ones who will lead the work in the future and show the world the true essence of the Salesians.

“Communication skills are vital in every facet of employment,” said Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The students in this program acquire numerous skills to advance the Salesian mission and find work in the corporate sector.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – Graduation of the first 35 students at the Salesian PLUS School of Communication

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Students attending Salesian schools and programs in Haiti received donated tote bags from World Vision thanks to a partnership with Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The bags were provided in March 2022 to the Rinaldi Foundation, the Salesian planning and development office, and distributed to 14 Salesian programs and schools across the country.

One Salesian said, “The donation was distributed in our communities to our students, to people in great need, and to people who work with us. The students use the school bags to carry their stationery, schoolbooks and textbooks. Students can now take better care of their belongings. Also, members of the community and parents of the students may use the bags to carry goods to and from the market.”

OPEPB or the Little Schools of Fr. Bohnen, after its founder, was one of the recipients of the donation. In the distressed Port-au-Prince areas of La Saline and Cité Soleil, where most parents do not have the means to care for their children, Salesian missionaries operate this network of 192 primary schools.

One of the students who benefited from the donation was Erick-Ardy Alexandre, who is in second grade. He said, “I am very grateful for the bag that I received and will share it with my mom to use when she goes to the market.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rinaldi Foundation

Rinaldi Foundation Facebook

Salesian Missions – Haiti

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Students at Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, had better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger.

In the second half of 2022, Rise Against Hunger rice-meals helped Salesians support the students as well as some community members. The beneficiaries were able to receive food and continue learning and teaching without disturbance. Youth were also able to stay in the program and learn a trade.

Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou is located in La Saline surrounded by the armed groups that have taken over. People living in this community often have little hope for the future because of their daily struggles to buy food and find work.

Lazarre Jean Daniel, age 17, was one of the recipients of the rice-meals. Daniel lives in Martissant, where gangs have completely taken over because the area is a popular transportation route in and out of the capital. Due to the violence and insecurity, Daniel’s mother placed him in a state-run home. However, he saw some boys left the home to live on the streets. It was after that he came to Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou.

Daniel said, “In the state-run home, we only ate twice a day, rice, corn, and cornflakes with milk. In my mother’s house, I had coffee with bread in the morning, and our second meal was either late afternoon or at night and there was not always enough to go around. Here at Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou, we eat three meals a day. We have the Rise Against Hunger rice, which is very tasty. I feel much stronger after eating the meals. The food is very important as it helps me to grow stronger.”

Daniel added, “After breakfast, I go to the welding workshop at Lakay. I like to learn, especially with my friends. We can laugh and tease each other while we are working on our projects. It is a good atmosphere and very encouraging. I want to learn my trade well and to get a good job once I finish my education.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rinaldi Foundation

Rinaldi Foundation Facebook

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Haitian immigrants and those living in poverty in the Dominican Republic received healthy nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger.

The shipment of rice-meals was sent to the Don Bosco Salesian Foundation and then distributed to nine centers during the second half of 2022. The recipients, who work most directly with Haitian immigrants, included Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Montalvo Center, Santo Domingo Savio School Home, Our Lady of Altagracia Parish, Scalabrinian Association, Association of People with Physical-Motor Disabilities, Villa Juana Parish, Corazon de Jesus (Family Ministry) and the Cruz Jiminian Foundation.

Due to the current political crisis, there are many Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic. The donation of fortified rice has helped many families who are waiting for the necessary documentation to formalize their stay in the country.

In addition, many immigrants remain inside detention centers before they are deported back to Haiti. However, there is not enough space in the centers for all the people who are there. Receiving one meal a day is important for their health and provides great peace of mind for the authorities and organizations working with them.

The Don Bosco Salesian Foundation provided support for youth and families in vulnerable situations. The foundation has 16 centers across the National District, Santo Domingo East, Barahona, La Vega, Jarabacoa, Moca, Santiago and Mao.

Marimenia Antonia, who lives in the community of Las Rosas, is one of the recipients. She said, “This rice has helped us, not only for my family, but to be able to provide for the Haitian immigrants who are detained in the detention centers of the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Some spend up to two days detained and the Dominican authorities do not give them food, but through the Montalvo Center, we bring them food so they can have at least one meal daily.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Haitian immigrants receive healthy nutrition first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Youth at Don Bosco Lakay in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, have better nutrition thanks to donations of rice-meals from Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger. The rice-meal donations, distributed in the second half of 2022, are made possible by an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger.

Don Bosco Lakay faced challenges when armed gangs paralyzed the country’s capital. As a result, there have been issues with sanitation and cholera from dirty water, as well as rising prices of food and other commodities.

Because of this, Don Bosco Lakay was unable to open its school for four months at the end of 2022. There is concern about the lasting impact this will have on youth who already missed schooling due to closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, Salesians provided extracurricular activities for youth in their care.

The rice-meals help provide for the shortfalls caused by the political turmoil and rising prices in the country. One of the recipients is Lélé Desclasses, age 16, who is currently a student in electrician courses.

Iguène Paulin, administrator of Don Bosco Lakay, explained, “When Lélé first came to our center, he was very small and underweight. However, even with his health issues, he was eager to be at our school as his family situation had not allowed him to have a consistent education. He is very smart and, with the help of a solid diet with nutrients, he has gained weight and strength. He is doing well in his education and shows a lot of promise.”

Desclasses’ family is among those who came to Cap-Haïtien to find work after leaving the rural areas of Haiti. Many who have done the same find poor housing conditions with few, if any, job prospects.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: Students ensured nutrition with rice-meals first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian Missions in Haiti.

(MissionNewswire) Students attending the Salesian-run Timkatec schools in Pétion-Ville, Haiti, had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger. The shipment provided rice-meals in the second half of 2022.

The first Timkatec school has existed since 1994 and was founded for former street children. Later, it was expanded to include local disadvantaged children who had not had the chance to attend school until ages 8-10. The vocational schools were added so youth could learn a trade for employment.

Additional rice-meals were distributed at the canteens in the three Timkatec schools and provided to students to take home during times of school closure. From July to September 2022, children were on school holidays, but the school boarders were there with social workers. They were able to access the meals during the school break.

The school should have reopened in October, but there was a political crisis in the country. Due to insecurity caused by gang violence and upheaval, all schools were closed. Salesians restarted the school year on Nov. 28 when it was safer.

Guylaine Bastien studied nursing and graduated from the Timkatec school. She is now a nurse at the school. Bastien said, “As a nurse, I am tasked with overseeing the health of the children at Timkatec. The children really like the Rise Against Hunger meals. I have noticed a significant change in the general health of the children. They have more strength and energy and fall sick less easily.”

One of the recipients was Adeler Cherry, age 17. He previously lived with his aunt but left home to live on the streets. He spent a day on the streets before coming to Timkatec, which he enjoys more than his aunt’s house.

Cherry said, “At Timkatec I eat three times a day while in my aunt’s house, we ate once a day. Before, I used to eat all kinds of food but never soy and rice, which I found delicious. It is very important for me to eat and stay healthy. Since consuming the meals, I am no longer sick. After eating, I like to go to class to learn to read and write. In the future I would like to travel, to have a house, to live well, and I know that I have to work hard for the realization of these dreams. I would like to become a tile technician so I can help my family and live my life better.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: Students access better nutrition thanks to rice-meals first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Healthy nutrition for Students and vulnerable community members in Haiti.

(MissionNewswire) Students and vulnerable community members in Haiti received healthy nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger. The shipment was received by the Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation and then was distributed to The Immaculate Parish and Cité Soleil schools in Port-au-Prince.

The Immaculate Parish in Drouillard, one of the oldest housing projects in Cité Soleil, is located in a very fragile neighborhood where the presence of state authorities is totally absent. It is an area ruled by armed gangs that impose their law on the population and fight among themselves, which limits the Salesians’ ability to travel. Often community members leave their homes to take refuge in public squares or at a friend’s house.

Father Victor Auguste, economer of the Rinaldi Foundation said, “The greatest challenge during this period was the insecurity around the country caused by the gang activity, especially in Port-au-Prince. Much of Haiti was shut down, making it difficult for people to move around safely. Parents were unable to bring their children to school or to participate in other activities, so this time we also distributed food to older women living in the community since they were in need and we were able to reach them.”

One of the recipients was Olguine Almonord, who struggles to feed herself and her children. Most of the time she has to rely on the charity of her family and friends for food. When they do not have anything to share, she and her family go without. To her, the meals from Rise Against Hunger created a sense of security knowing they would have at least one meal a day.

Almonord said, “Before receiving meals from Rise Against Hunger, we usually only ate if our neighbors or relatives shared their food, and very often we went the whole day without eating anything. Now my whole family eats each meal, even if it is not always enough. Rise Against Hunger meals have vitamins, which also helps my children’s growth.”

The rice-meals were also shared with schools. In Haiti, many children do not have access to a school lunch service, which has a direct impact on their education and academic success. The Salesian community makes every effort to provide students with varied, balanced and daily meals.

Carius Dumé, director at the Rinaldi Foundation, said, “School feeding also represents an important opportunity for some parents who are still in precarious situations. For many, ensuring a healthy, balanced and regular diet for their children is a daily struggle. In the country, two out of three students rarely eat at home in the morning before going to school.”

Dumé added, “Thanks to the hot meals distributed, students have better attendance rates at the primary school and vocational training center. The effects of the regular meals can be seen in their schoolwork. I know that the regular meals have helped strengthen their resilience against harmful shocks. With support from Rise Against Hunger, we have seen improvements in our schools.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rinaldi Foundation

Rinaldi Foundation Facebook

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: At-risk and vulnerable individuals benefit from food shipment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries organized a Christmas party for youth attending Salesian programs in Pétion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Salesians collaborated with other organizations and several past pupils of the Domenico Savio boarding school. The initiative offered 250 poor youth a meal and toys during the holidays.

A Salesian missionary said, “This was a good opportunity for poor youth to have time to relax with their peers and enjoy the festive holiday season. These youth who need so much love and support were reminded that there are caring adults looking out for their well-being.”

Salesians offer educational and social programs in Pétion-Ville including the Timkatec schools, which were founded in 1994 for former street children. Later, the schools were expanded to include local disadvantaged children who had not had the chance to attend school until ages 8-10. The vocational schools were added later so youth could learn a trade for employment.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Haiti – Christmas in Salesian work of Pétion-Ville brings food and gifts to poor children

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: Youth receive meal, toys during holidays first appeared on MissionNewswire.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in the Dominican Republic have launched the Salesian Environmental Training Center, known as EcoBosco, which is a space built to promote the environmental care and defense of natural resources. EcoBosco is located in Arroyones de Básima in the province of Villa Altagracia and is 45 minutes from the city of Santo Domingo.

EcoBosco was built with the support of the Swiss Salesian organization Jugendhilfe Weltweit through the Salesian Don Bosco Foundation. It also received funding from the Office for the Promotion of Nonprofit Associations granted by the Department of Community Participation of the Ministry of Education.

The goal is to train future leaders in the management and care of natural resources, as well as promote and develop sustainable actions for care, reforestation, and agriculture in the area. The center’s training programs will encourage youth to be more environmentally focused. EcoBosco has a multi-purpose hall with a capacity for 250 people, camping areas, two houses, a kitchen and dining hall, paths for access to a forest, a lagoon, a parking lot and other common areas.

This project was developed as a response to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ to raise awareness and increase action on the values ​​of integral ecology. This is one among many ecological projects Salesian missionaries have launched around the globe.

“Salesians are focusing on creating training programs and other initiatives to focus on environmental sustainability,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians are working to create an environment that is safe and caring for all life on the planet while building up a new generation of environmentally committed citizens and leaders.”

The center’s inauguration was attended by authorities from the province, environmentalists, Salesians, and youth from the Salesian ecological movement, who were able to learn first-hand about all the projects that will be developed there.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – Salesians inaugurate environmental training center “ECOBOSCO”

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Democratic Republic of the Congo

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Program to train environmental leaders first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Past Pupils of Malta organized a fundraiser to support Salesians in Haiti who continue their efforts after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,000 people and left thousands injured and homeless on Aug. 14, 2021. Under the leadership of Bryan Magro, president of the World Confederation of Past Pupils of Don Bosco, 10,000 euros was provided to purchase and distribute food and medical and health kits to the most affected families. The donation was made in collaboration among the Past Pupils of Malta and the Association of Past Pupils of the Dominic Savio College in Haiti.

“Youth in Haiti are suffering from the country’s natural disasters, economic conditions and ongoing civil strife,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Donations like this help to ensure that youth and their families have the nutrition and medical supplies they continue to need after another devastating earthquake.”

Salesian missionaries have initiated projects to help youth and their communities. New short-term training courses for young men and women were recently launched for those who want to find employment in the construction industry to help rebuild collapsed houses.

After the earthquake, thousands of people were left homeless and living in camps. Private organizations, religious congregations and volunteers provided humanitarian assistance to the victims in the absence of support from the state.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Malta – A fundraiser in support of Haiti organized by the Past Pupils

HAITI: Youth train to rebuild homes after earthquake

Salesian Missions – Haiti

*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 HAITI: Recovery continues 1 year after earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Women and children in Salesian communities in Haiti have access to better hygiene thanks to a soap donation secured by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The shipment of soap was from Eco-Soap Bank, a humanitarian nonprofit organization working to save, sanitize and supply recycled soap with hygiene education for the developing world.

The Rinaldi Foundation, the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Haiti, received the soap and distributed it. The first distribution was held on Mother’s Day to honor the mothers in the community. Salesians chose to prioritize mothers for the first distribution and included soap in the bags that were given out at church. The soap will be utilized for hand-washing, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, and other uses.

After the initial donation, soap was provided to children and older youth who are attending Salesian programs and schools including Fondation Vincent, Don Bosco Lakay OPEPB (the Little Schools of Fr. Bohnen), and the Salesian Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades (CDAM).

“Access to soap for cleaning and proper hygiene is important now more than ever,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “We appreciate the soap donation from Eco-Soap Bank that we have been able to provide to Salesian communities and centers. This donation helps to provide a sense of dignity to those we serve and cut down on illness.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Eco-Soap Bank

Rinaldi Foundation

Rinaldi Foundation Facebook

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Women and children in Salesian communities receive soap donation from Eco-Soap Bank first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Students attending the Salesian-run Timkatec schools in Pétion-Ville, Haiti, had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. The shipment provided rice-meals from December 2021 to January 2022.

The rice-meals were distributed at the school canteen and sent home with students in need. A Salesian reported, “Since the canteen was suspended for the months of November to December for lack of rice, we decided to make a first distribution of dry rice to take away on the occasion of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 7. The rice was distributed after mass in the courtyard of the Professional School: Timkatec 2.”

The Timkatec school has existed since 1994 and was founded for former street children. Later, it was expanded to include local disadvantaged children who had not had the chance to attend school until ages 8-10. The vocational schools were added later so youth could learn a trade for employment. Additional rice-meals were distributed at the canteens in the three Timkatec schools and provided to students to take home during times of school closure.

Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, said, “Salesian feeding programs not only help with a balanced diet, but they also allow students to focus on getting an education without worrying about where they will find their next meal. Hungry students have a harder time focusing on their education.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: Students benefit from food program partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Youth from the Lakay Don Bosco musical program, which is known as “With our musical instruments we fight violence,” recently put on an event to showcase their talents. There are more than 100 youth involved, who are from Lakay Don Bosco and the surrounding La Saline neighborhood on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The goal is to support youth through musical education to help them escape the violence in their neighborhoods.

“Salesian programs provide more than traditional education and include courses on music, art, and sports,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities for safe places to play and connect with adults and their peers. The Lakay Don Bosco music program is helping youth stay off the streets and learn a skill they enjoy.”

Lakay Don Bosco was established in 1988 in Port-au-Prince by an Italian Salesian priest. Father Attilio Stra launched the project to answer the needs of children and older youth who had been rejected and marginalized and lived in situations of neglect, negligence, or serious social risk. For more than 30 years, that has remained the mission of Lakay Don Bosco.

Currently, the Lakay project includes five facilities in Port-au-Prince and one, divided into two sectors, in Cap-Haïtien. Each of these structures was created to respond to needs of children and older youth living on the streets. In total, nearly 5,700 minors benefit from this project, which is facilitated by 57 staff members.

The Lakay project centers are each specialized for the various stages of life and types of assistance needed by youth. At Foyer Lakay, children live as a family for a period of four years until the completion of an apprenticeship in a technical profession. Lakay Program for Street Children provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Haiti – The youth of “Lakay” and “La Saline” fight violence with music

Rinaldi Foundation

Rinaldi Foundation Facebook

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Youth take part in music education to stay off streets first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have launched new short-term training courses for young men and women in Haiti who want to find employment in the construction industry to help rebuild collapsed houses after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,000 people and left thousands injured and homeless on Aug. 14, 2021.

After the earthquake, thousands of people were left homeless and living in camps. Private organizations, religious congregations and volunteers provided humanitarian assistance to the victims in the absence of support from the state.

Agents from the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Collectives identified houses to be demolished. Those that could be repaired received a yellow mark, and those that were intact according to inspectors were marked with green. The Armed Forces of Haiti and agents of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications demolished several buildings in the south, including schools, churches, and private homes. Reconstruction efforts have been slow and little has been rebuilt.

“This new training program is helping young people in Haiti learn the skills to help repair and rebuild homes in their community,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This is a win-win for all involved. These educational efforts will put people to work and help those still suffering in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

HAITI: Victims of earthquake still in need

Rinaldi Foundation

Rinaldi Foundation Facebook

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Youth train to rebuild homes after earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) More than 3,700 families across several Salesian programs and educational centers in Haiti had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. In the second half of 2021, two shipments were sent to Haiti to support nutritional efforts after the devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 14 killed more than 2,000 people and left thousands injured and homeless.

Families connected to Notre Dame du Rosaire Parish and Saint Ann Parish, along with students from Fondation Vincent and Don Bosco Lakay in Cap-Haïtien and in Port-au-Prince, were among the recipients. Don Bosco Lakay has specialized facilities depending on the type of assistance needed. At Foyer Lakay, children live as a family for a period of four years until the completion of their apprenticeship in a technical profession. The Lakay Program for Street Children provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince. There are also vocational training programs where youth are able to study and gain the skills needed for long-term employment.

Don Bosco Lakay in Cap-Haïtien is also in the planning process to open eight new departments including IT, electricity, sewing and tailoring, welding, motor mechanics, construction, and cosmetology. These courses will be targeted toward at-risk youth from the neighboring City-Champin.

One of the recipients of the food donation was a young man named Jonas Joseph, who goes by the nickname Ti Djo. He is 14 years old and was born in Shada, the largest slum in Cap-Haïtien. His mother died giving birth to him, and his father refuses to accept him as his son. He was raised by his grandmother, who lives far below the poverty line and cannot buy daily meals. As the situation grew worse, she sent Ti Djo into domestic service.

Ti Djo experienced the worst moments of his life. He lived with little sleep and was responsible for everything in the house. He also faced physical abuse from the family. It became too much for him and he left to live on the streets.

One day, an educator from Don Bosco Lakay befriended Ti Djo. Eventually, Ti Djo went into the Don Bosco Lakay program where he is taking welding classes.

Paulin Iguène, director of Don Bosco Lakay said, “Ti Djo used to be weak but now he is getting strong, and he especially likes Rise Against Hunger food. Ti Djo is smiling, jovial and engaged. He is also happy because we were able to get in contact with his grandmother who is still alive.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rinaldi Foundation

Rinaldi Foundation Facebook

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Food shipment supports more than 3,700 families after earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Students attending Fondation Vincent and Don Bosco Lakay in Cap-Haïtien and Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, had better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. In 2020, each center received a shipment of donated rice-meals to ensure students had a healthy meal during the school day.

Fondation Vincent provides education in six specialized workshops and has a working farm. Students in the agricultural program study modern practices and technology, and they explore new techniques in agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry. The farm allows students to bring what they learn in the classroom into hands-on practice where they grow bananas, peppers and cabbage. There are also rabbits, goats, cows, chickens, pigs, ducks and geese.

Jamesly Jean-Louis, age 22, is studying in the agriculture program at Fondation Vincent. When he completes his three years of study, Jean-Louis would like to create an agricultural farm with a chicken coop to provide access to certain foods that are otherwise rare in the region. Rise Against Hunger meals help Jean-Louis focus on his studies.

He said, “By eating a hot dish, I have strength to work for a whole day. It also encourages all students to work better.” Before Rise Against Hunger meals, Jean-Louis found it difficult to find something to eat, especially in the morning before going to the workshops. With the meals, he no longer goes to his training feeling weak.

The rice-meal donation was also sent to Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou. Each of Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou’s five facilities specializes in a stage of life and type of assistance needed by the youth served. At Foyer Lakay, children live as a family for a period of four years until the completion of their apprenticeship in a technical profession. Lakay Program for Street Children provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince. There are also vocational training programs where youth are able to study and gain the skills needed for long-term employment.

Daniel, age 15, is in the Don Bosco Lakay program. He was born to a teenage mother who was living on the streets in Cité Soleil. Daniel survived his early years thanks to neighbors. When he was 8 eight years old, he left his family and lived on his own on the streets for the next five years. To survive, he became a lookout for an armed gang. However, one day Daniel did not see a police car passing by, and it led to a shootout between the gang and the police. Daniel was forced to flee and go into hiding.

Before receiving Rise Against Hunger meals, Daniel struggled to find food while living on the streets. He often ate leftovers from restaurants or food out of the garbage, and many times he resorted to stealing food. Days would go by where he didn’t have anything to eat at all.

Now that Daniel receives food support, he is much happier and very grateful for those who have helped him. He’s made a lot of friends and is well respected. When he gets older, he would like to be a cabinetmaker.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rinaldi Foundation

Rinaldi Foundation Facebook

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian students receive better nutrition thanks to partnership with Rise Against Hunger first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Students attending the Salesian-run Timkatec schools in Pétion-Ville, Haiti, 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.”

A rice-meal shipment was sent to Timkatec in 2020. It was distributed among the boarding school and the canteens of three houses that serve more than 600 children and older youth attending school. In total, the food shipment fed nearly 700 people—643 students and 50 employees.

Timkatec has two schools that received the donation including one with 200 boys ages 10-19 and one for girls ages 8-16. Food is distributed in the canteen in the mornings before class or at noon. Timkatec also has two vocational schools with close to 450 older youth, both boys and girls. Food is provided in the canteen at noon during school days.

The Timkatec school has existed since 1994 and was founded for former street children. Later, it was expanded to include local disadvantaged children who had not had the chance to attend school until ages 8-10. The vocational schools were added later so youth could learn a trade for employment.

One of the people who received the donation was Jerry Coriolan, who lives at the school and works as a guardian for the younger children. Coriolan finished his studies at the Timkatec primary school and now works at the school to pay for his secondary school fees. He is currently in his third year of secondary school and has three more years to complete.

Coriolan was an orphan and suffers from anemia. He was regularly in the hospital for tests and had to take medication for his anemia. Since he has begun to eat the meals from Feed My Starving Children, he has gained strength and is currently in good health.

“It is important that youth have access to healthy nutrition so they are able to take part in school and other activities,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian feeding programs not only help with a balanced diet, but they also allow students to focus on getting an education without worrying about where they will find their next meal.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian School Sector, which provides education in the Dominican Republic, has launched the “Syllabus of the Salesian Ecological Movement: Integral Ecology, Reflection and Action for the Care of the Common Home.” The document proposes two years of education aimed at ecological awareness and helping students adopt more sustainable ways. It was written for ecological clubs at 15 Salesian secondary schools in the Dominican Republic and will impact 6,892 students.

The syllabus is in response to Pope Francis’ 2020 Laudato Si, which has as its theme “Good Christians and Upright Citizens.” Pope Francis underlined the importance of education and training that will help youth shape a lifestyle and foster environmental responsibility. Further, Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime noted the importance of concrete initiatives in the care of the environment. The first objective is encouraging the environmental commitment of youth.

Father William Batista, head of the Salesian School Sector, presented the expected impact of this syllabus for youth who receive this training. He said, “As Salesians, we can only courageously take on the challenge of formation from this perspective, which is renewing and full of hope, aware that the new generations are very concerned for the care of the planet which they will inherit from us. This is why we accompany our boys and girls in generating valuable initiatives and together we change our habits to help heal the world.”

This is one among many ecological projects Salesian missionaries have launched around the globe. Leading many of these initiatives is the Don Bosco Green Alliance, an international collective of youth from Salesian institutions and organizations that contribute to global environmental action, thought and policy. Membership is open to all Salesian institutions and organizations worldwide.

“The Don Bosco Green Alliance is helping Salesian organizations in more than 130 countries have a focus on the environment,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Don Bosco Green Alliance members work to create an environment that is safe and caring for all life on the planet while building up a new generation of environmentally committed citizens and leaders.”

The Don Bosco Green Alliance’s priorities are combating pollution, reducing global warming and eliminating disposable plastics. In each of these areas, it aims to partner with ongoing global campaigns promoted by UN Environment or other international organizations.

Members have also undertaken such initiatives as environmental education to increase green areas and planting trees, the reduction of the use of non-degradable materials, promotion of organic agriculture and home gardens, preservation and conservation of water, and increasing the use of renewable energy sources.

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are continuing relief services in Haiti after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,000 people and left thousands injured and homeless on Aug. 14. Homes and businesses have collapsed and infrastructure needs to be rebuilt. Missionaries recently distributed hot meals to 500 families in Les Cayes.

There is much work still to be done. Thousands of now homeless people are living in camps. Government coordination of humanitarian aid is still pending. Private organizations, religious congregations and volunteers are providing humanitarian assistance to the victims in the absence of support from the state, even though there are not enough of these agencies doing this work.

Agents from the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Collectives are identifying houses to be demolished and are designating them with a red mark. Those to be repaired are left with a yellow mark, and those that are intact according to inspectors are marked with green. The Armed Forces of Haiti and agents of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications have already demolished several buildings in the south, including schools, churches and private homes. No reconstruction efforts have started.

Salesian missionaries helped in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and have continued relief efforts. Father Cazy Guilteau, rector of the Salesian community, said that they have already assisted close to 2,500 victims. Daughters of Mary Help of Christians has assisted nearly 2,000 victims in three cycles of relief distributions.

Sister Aline Nicolas, director, noted that despite the fact that her school was completely destroyed, she is very concerned about the situation and is calling on benefactors to continue to assist the victims. She said, “We don’t want to keep them in continued dependence, but at the moment they are really in need.”

The Tzu Chi Foundation has been one of the most active international organizations in the southern part of the country in the last couple of weeks. In partnership with local institutions, it has distributed bags of rice and other food kits to thousands of victims.

Faced with the overwhelming situation, the Oct. 4 start of school has been delayed with headmasters of schools that have been destroyed concerned about how they will educate students going forward.

Salesian missionaries are no strangers to relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. They were instrumental in the emergency response and relief efforts in their communities after the 2010 earthquake. An integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti prior to the earthquake, they were among the first responders—providing shelter and medical aid; means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies and clean drinking water; and, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has set up a fund to help relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. To give to the Haiti fund at Salesian Missions, visit SalesianMissions.org/lp/Haiti-earthquake.

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ANS – Haiti – A Month After, a Sombre Picture Still

ANS – Haiti – Salesians distribute hot meals to 500 families affected by the earthquake

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians have been responding with relief aid to those who were impacted by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Aug. 14. More than 2,000 people are believed to have been killed with thousands more injured and left homeless. Homes and businesses have collapsed and infrastructure needs to be rebuilt.

Salesians responded immediately during the aftermath and are now working with the local population to provide relief to the victims. Salesian missionaries and sisters are involved in the distribution of food and health kits for 3,000 families. They are also providing plastic roofs and construction materials to create temporary shelters for 400 families.

Another project has been launched to build a school canteen to provide meals for those in need. Currently, 1,500 meals are being distributed to students with the Salesian Diocesan Center for Arts and Crafts (CDAM) and nearby schools.

Salesians are also involved in providing psycho-social assistance to families affected by the earthquake who have lost a loved one or who have been injured. In addition, Salesians have launched a vocational and technical training project for 700 youth. The training will be short and tailored specifically to prepare youth for rapidly finding a job and contributing to the country’s reconstruction.

Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, who facilitate educational programs in the country, are also committed to providing aid. Their community in Les Cayes suffered devastating damage during the earthquake. Sister Marie Mercie Raphael, economer, said, “Outside, among the collapsed buildings, people ran while the injured were pulled out of the rubble. The 2010 earthquake was still fresh in our memories. But the Lord saved me.”

“We will have to rebuild,” added Sister Raphael. “People immediately came to us in search of drinking water and food. Here, they gathered to sleep in the open, considering the risk of collapse under the aftershocks.”

Sister Rose Monique Jolicoeur, outgoing superior of the community and school manager, explained that despite the risk of collapse sisters continued to help those affected by the earthquake. She said, “We don’t talk about standing still. There is always hope! God’s hand has preserved us, because if the earthquake had occurred at eight in the morning, in full school hours, it would have been even more disastrous.”

Salesian missionaries are no strangers to relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. They were instrumental in the emergency response and relief efforts in their communities after the 2010 earthquake. An integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti prior to the earthquake, they were among the first responders—providing shelter and medical aid; means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies and clean drinking water; and, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has set up a fund to help relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. To give to the Haiti fund at Salesian Missions, visit SalesianMissions.org/lp/Haiti-earthquake.

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has launched a new fundraising appeal to help Salesians in Haiti who are responding to local needs after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck five miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes in the western part of the country, about 80 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince. The earthquake, which struck on Aug. 14, was stronger than the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country in 2010.

The cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie, located in Haiti’s southern peninsula, have reported major devastation with people caught under rubble and buildings and hospitals collapsed. Phone lines were also reported down in Petit Trou de Nippes.

To date, there are more than 1,900 people who have died and 7,000 reported injured, with hundreds more who are missing. Hospitals are at their maximum having accepted more than 5,700 patients. Rescue operations have been hampered by torrential rain and mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Grace, which swept through the area on Aug. 17.

There are no reported injuries at Salesian centers in the region. All of the buildings are intact with small collapses of walls surrounding the centers. Only one organization, belonging to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, suffered substantial damage in classrooms and an auditorium, but there are no reported deaths or injuries.

In a country where the population relies heavily on local churches for support, it’s the destruction and collapse of these buildings that has been the hardest to take for many. The aid provided through these churches is the only source for many in the absence of strong government institutions.

“Salesian missionaries, who were involved in rescue, relief and restoration operations during the last earthquake, have already mobilized to help those in need,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesians live in the communities in which they work and are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis. They have visited families to assess the damage and the needs of those who have been impacted. Salesian centers have also opened their doors to those who have been displaced.”

Salesian missionaries are no strangers to relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. They were instrumental in the emergency response and relief efforts in their communities after the 2010 earthquake. An integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti prior to the earthquake, they were among the first responders—providing shelter and medical aid; means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies and clean drinking water; and, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti.

Since then, Salesian missionaries have been focused on rebuilding community structures like schools, as well as helping residents rebuild their homes and their livelihoods. In 2015, through funding provided by donors to Salesian Missions, reconstruction was finished on the Salesian Youth Center in Fort Liberté. First opened in 2002, the youth center offers a broad range of formal and informal educational programs for local youth. It houses an elementary school, technical school, vocational training center, teacher-training program and one of the country’s only nursing schools.

Salesian missionaries were also a vital source of support and humanitarian aid following Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane that pummeled Haiti on Oct. 4, 2016. Missionaries used the same local connections and channels to provide much needed immediate aid and ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts as they did after the earthquake. A warehouse that was built using funds from Salesian Missions, made possible by donations from donors who responded after the earthquake, was utilized during the hurricane response.

About 60 percent of Haiti’s 11 million people earn less than $2 a day. The country has high rates of violence from armed gangs and is recovering from political turmoil. Haiti has been in the throes of a political crisis since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated on July 7. The government is not financially equipped to take care of repairs from this most recent earthquake.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

To give to the Haiti fund at Salesian Missions, visit SalesianMissions.org/lp/Haiti-earthquake.

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The New York Times – Haiti Quake Destroyed Many Churches, Shredding a Mainstay of Support

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) On Aug. 14, 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti five miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes in the western part of the country, about 80 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince. The earthquake was stronger than the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country in 2010. To date, there are more than 1,400 people who have died and thousands of people who are missing and injured.

The cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie, located in Haiti’s southern peninsula, have reported major devastation with people caught under rubble and buildings collapsed. Phone lines were also reported down in Petit Trou de Nippes. Hospitals are at their maximum having accepted more than 5,700 patients.

There are no reported injuries at Salesian centers in the region. All of the buildings are intact with small collapses of walls surrounding the centers. Only one organization, belonging to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, suffered substantial damage in classrooms and an auditorium, but there are no reported deaths or injuries.

Salesian missionaries, who were involved in rescue, relief and restoration operations during the last earthquake, have already mobilized to help those in need. They have visited families in the communities where they work to assess the damage and the needs of the families who have been impacted. Some displaced because of damage to their homes have been staying with Salesians at their local centers.

“A formal fundraiser has not been mobilized yet,” explained a Salesian missionary in Haiti. “However, there may be people who want to donate and know about what the Salesians are doing. We encourage those who can support our work to do so.”

About 60 percent of Haiti’s 11 million people earn less than $2 a day. The country has high rates of violence from armed gangs and is recovering from political turmoil. Haiti has been in the throes of a political crisis since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated on July 7. The government is not financially equipped to take care of repairs from this most recent earthquake.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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ANS – Haiti – Salesian efforts after earthquake hits the country

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) The Boys and Girls Don Bosco Network, located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, recently launched the “Protect Childhood” campaign. The organization has spent the last 35 years working to protect vulnerable children. Statistics in the country show that 62 percent of children between 1-14 years old suffer some form of abuse and maltreatment. Over its history, the Boys and Girls Don Bosco Network has supported more than 60,000 youth, impacting more than 25,000 families directly and benefiting more than 150,000 people indirectly.

The Boys and Girls Don Bosco Network ensures the promotion of children’s rights, and with this new campaign, it aims to raise awareness, educate, and inform the population how to prevent abuse and mistreatment. As part of the campaign, workshops, forums and other activities were held to spread the message that everyone is responsible and must play a part in keeping children safe.

Representatives from UNICEF participated in first forum entitled “The current reality of childhood in the Antillean country: challenges and tasks to guarantee the rights of children and adolescents.” Another forum was held with the support of the National Council for Adolescence and Childhood of the Dominican Republic on the theme “Public policies in favor of children: tasks and challenges for their implementation. A third forum entitled “Good practices” was a collaborative effort of various institutions that are part of the Coalition for Children.

Workshops, led by industry experts, addressed issues such as “Child labor as a form of child abuse,” “Good treatment” and “Prevention of child abuse in care centers for vulnerable children, adolescents and young people.”

“Salesian missionaries in the Dominican Republic provide more than traditional education and aim to provide for the whole person so youth can develop in a productive and healthy environment,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This campaign, among other initiatives, ensures youth have their basic needs met and have an opportunity to learn skills that enhance their life, bring them joy, and encourage their passion for learning.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire)  Lakay Don Bosco was established in 1988 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, by an Italian Salesian priest. Father Attilio Stra launched the project to respond to the needs of marginalized children and older youth who live on the streets in serious risk. For more than 30 years, this has remained the mission of Lakay Don Bosco.

Currently, the Lakay project includes five facilities in Port-au-Prince and one, divided into two sectors, in Cap-Haïtien. Each of these structures was created to respond to needs of children and older youth who are living on the streets.

Each of the Lakay project centers  specializes in a stage of life and the types of assistance needed by  youth. At Foyer Lakay, children live as a family for a period of four years until the completion of an apprenticeship in a technical profession. Lakay Program for Street Children provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince.

There is a three-step process for entering into the Lakay Don Bosco program. La Rue, which in French means street, is the first step and involves Salesian staff meeting youth and building trust. This step often takes place on the streets. The second step is Lakou, which means courtyard in Creole. This is when the child first comes to the Salesian reception center and learns about entering the program, which includes regular school or a vocational training program.

The third stage is Maison, which means home in French. This is when youth enter into the program formally and live at the Foyer Lakay family home. During this time, Salesian staff work on socio-family reintegration. This is also the time youth attend vocational school, joining a course program for beauticians, electricians, cutters and sewers, refrigeration technicians and carpenters. Currently, there 54 youth, aged 14 and older, in the Foyer Lakay program. Other youth from the neighborhoods adjacent to the school also study in the vocational training program.

“Teachers play a fundamental role at Lakay Don Bosco, especially during the pandemic, when they had to stay at the school for long periods of time and were unable to see their families,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The attention and individual support offered by teachers, including personalized educational programs for the weakest students, have produced exceptional results.”

Today, the vast majority of students are motivated, attend school with enthusiasm and understand the importance of the path they have taken. These youth are aware that they have received a second chance to improve their life and do not want to waste it.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

Each of the main centers includes a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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ANS – Haiti – “Lakay Don Bosco”: three stages to go from street minors to young people with a second chance

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) It has been 11 years since the earthquake in Haiti impacted 1.5 million people and destroyed 90 percent of schools in the affected regions. People have suffered as they have tried to rebuild their lives and the country’s infrastructure. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated already challenging conditions, and now more than 6 million people are living in poverty and 60 percent of the population is unemployed.

Salesian missionaries continue to work alongside the population, serving families, children and youth in the schools they have rebuilt, but it is not enough. The pandemic has considerably worsened social hardships.

“Salesians were among the first to commit ourselves to reconstruction after the earthquake, both helping people rebuild their lives and then the infrastructure,” said Father Jean Paul Mesidor, provincial of the Salesian Vice Province of Haiti. “We have worked hard to rebuild many of our centers, but over the years this momentum has faded. Today, everything is paralyzed and we have to face other emergencies such as the pandemic.”

Communities in Haiti are marked by violence, insecurity and poverty, and the pandemic is causing serious socioeconomic consequences. Fr. Mesidor noted many children have dropped out of school due to the economic problems of their families and thousands of people have lost their jobs.

During the months of lockdown, Salesians carried out awareness programs on protective measures, distributed more than 8,000 masks, provided hygiene kits and food to more than 3,000 vulnerable families, and launched a seed distribution project which included providing agricultural tools to help 1,500 families.

In addition, the Salesian Mission Office of Madrid, Spain, continues to invest in education with scholarships to help students without resources. Fr. Mesidor added, “We still believe in education as the only way out for the poorest children and youth. They will be poorer and poorer if they do not have access to education.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) The Rinaldi Foundation, the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Haiti, has started prevention and awareness activities to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. While Haiti currently has a very limited number of cases, there is real fear in the country due to the structural weaknesses Haiti has been subjected to for years. Primarily, Haiti has no national health system and relies on clinics facilitated by nongovernmental organizations and the church.

On March 19. Haiti’s president declared a state of health emergency throughout the country, which included the closure of schools and churches, a ban on rallies, limitations on travel, and encouraging hygiene and public health practices. But most of the population cannot afford these measures.

“There is no clean water anywhere to wash your hands as required, there is no electricity in the houses and there are not even hospitals. Many people live on the streets, so it is very difficult to remain closed somewhere,” reported a Redemptorist missionary to the agency Fides.

As soon as there was news of the virus’s arrival, the Rinaldi Foundation held an emergency meeting with all participants while keeping their social distance and taking extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of personnel. The Foundation also contacted all local communities to motivate them and raise awareness of how to deal with the situation, including the placement of water distribution points in Salesian centers, and other good practices.

At the same time, an awareness-raising campaign was launched through the Foundation’s Facebook page. The prevention messages are simple and easy to follow with explanatory images and Creole-language texts, the language that every Haitian speaks and understands very well.

Buckets of chlorinated water have also been placed in all Salesian communities so that the few visitors who arrive can wash their hands thoroughly. In some places, there is a container at the main entrance of the communities so those passing by may wash their hands. There are also messages that invite citizens to protect themselves from the coronavirus.

A representative from the Rinaldi Foundation said, “Around us we see people who were already living in suffering, with a large majority of people who need to go out every day to earn their daily bread. Now asking this majority to stay home to avoid spreading the virus will expose them to another challenge, that of finding food. Some are beginning to think that some people may die not from coronavirus, but from hunger. For this reason, we are evaluating if it will be possible to find the means to distribute not only sanitary kits (masks, gloves, soaps, disinfectants, chlorine, alcohol), but also food kits (rice, beans, spaghetti, oil, milk).”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades (CDAM) in Les Cayes, Haiti, has a new back-up electricity system for the school thanks to Salesian Missions donors. The vocational school lost its back-up electrical system during Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane that pummeled Haiti on Oct. 4, 2016. The devastating storm affected 2.1 million people including close to 894,000 children, caused close to 1,000 deaths and left nearly 141,000 people displaced.

CDAM trains more than 100 youth who are taking courses in masonry, auto mechanics, cabinet making, electricity and the household arts. The center’s infrastructure includes a multi-purpose room, a kitchen for home arts students, basketball and football fields, a computer lab, and rooms for courses and workshops. After the hurricane hit, the entire system used to strengthen CDAM’s electrical structure was destroyed. The system had been powered by an inverter and several batteries, which were already weak before the hurricane.

The back-up electrical system is essential to the operation of the school due to Haiti’s unreliable electricity supply and frequent blackouts. With the electrical system restored, the school will have the power needed to use the computer lab and classrooms when the city’s electricity is down.

“Most of the time, CDAM is forced to use its own energy resources because the energy ration provided by Haiti Electricity does not meet the center’s energy needs in the area,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “CDAM had to have an electrical system that would make up for the lack of electricity to allow the proper operation of the appliances used for lighting, ventilation, refrigeration but especially computer equipment. We are grateful for our donors who helped support this project.”

CDAM opened its doors to poor youth in Haiti in 1983. The center provides technical/vocational training for youth as well as educational and sports programs. Funding to operate the school comes from the support of donors from Fonds Misereor, school tuition fees and minor assistance from the Haitian government for teacher salaries. Since most of the students come from very poor backgrounds, Salesian missionaries charge only minimal tuition fees to those who can offer a small contribution, leaving the school facing economic limitations.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

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The post HAITI: Salesian Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades in Les Cayes restores back-up electrical system thanks to Salesian Missions donors first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Ten years after the devastating Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake struck Haiti, the country continues to face challenges and serious issues with hunger and undernutrition. Three-quarters of the population lives on less than $2 a day and faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population of 10.7 million people is undernourished. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

To ensure youth in six Salesian centers have access to better nutrition, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, launched its Hunger for Education project, which was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from September 2016 to March 2019. The project aimed to increase the health and learning capacity of students by implementing school feeding programs in Salesian centers within the country.

Overall the project provided lunch five days a week for 12,746 students at six school centers from January 2017 to Oct. 31, 2017, 15,541 students from November 2017 to September 2018, and 18,161 students from November 2017 through the end of the project on March 31, 2019.

The project helped support the shipment of 40 40-foot shipping containers of meals—16 from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger; 17 from Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable; and seven from Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.”

The donation was shared among Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves. The feeding programs also covered two months of summer programming at Les Cayes, Gressier, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Gonaives, Thorland, Petionville, Drouillard and the Salesian post-novitiate.

The Hunger for Education project has also helped to ensure each of the six Salesian centers had kitchens equipped to cook the rice-meals while training 15 school cooks to prepare the nutritious meals for students. Prior to this project, the Cardinal Keeler Center in Gonaïves had no kitchen at all. With funding through the project, the center was able to develop a new kitchen from the ground up, including cooking supplies.

“The new kitchen and feeding program have been well received by students from all disciplines within the school,” said Father Yves Jorcelim Pierre, director of the Cardinal Keeler Center. “This new kitchen has also provided access for teachers, support staff, cooks and managers to eat there as well. The feeding program and donation of food aid have been a great blessing to our center. Children are now assured a hot meal each day. Prior, many were coming to school on an empty stomach and knowing they had no food to go home to in the evening. Children are much more focused on their studies now.”

Salesian vocational training students who received meals from the Hunger for Education project expressed high levels of gratitude for having food to fuel their practical exercises. In Fort-Liberté, agricultural students work in the school’s fields from 8:00-11:00 a.m. every day, and they count on having food available when they are finished with their morning projects.

In Cité Soleil and Les Cayes, Salesian students work hard in vocational training workshops to learn skills in carpentry, welding, auto-mechanics, electricity, sewing and beauty. They rely on the meals to keep them going through practical training workshops as well as classroom learning. Before the feeding program began, administrators noted instances of vocational training students fainting during their practical exercises due to a lack of food. Now students have energy not only to make it through the day but also to stay after school to participate in soccer or other programs.

Each of the six participating school directors noted that the feeding program improved student academic performance and enhanced the learning environment. Students who previously were sleepy in the afternoon after recreation time had more energy to continue in their studies after meals were implemented during the school day. School directors also noted that report cards have improved and that their students study much better when they have proper nutrition.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Breedlove

Feed My Starving Children

HAITI: USAID-funded Hunger for Education project feeds 18,161 students at six Salesian centers

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: USAID-funded ‘Hunger for Education’ provided nutritious meals to thousands of school children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

A primary school student works in her classroom at one of the “Little Schools” in the Cité Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. Photo by Vancourt Wilky © MissionNewswire / Salesian Misssions

Since 1954, the Little Schools have provided an education and nutritious meals to children in poverty. Father Bohnen, a Dutch native, was assigned as head of the St. John Bosco elementary school in La Saline, where he encouraged local school teachers to form “little schools” for the children. His goal was to teach the children how to read, a first step in educating them. He also invited the children attending these “little schools” to come to the St. John Bosco cafeteria where they would receive a hot lunch. He further supported the schools by providing training and salary incentives for the teachers and a curriculum for all the schools.

Some of the Little Schools are located on the Salesian-run National Academy of Arts (ENAM) campus, where nearly every building collapsed during the devastating Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake. At the time of the quake, classes were still in session and just minutes away from dismissal. Hundreds of students on the campus were killed—many of the older students were studying to become teachers.

After Salesian missionaries sprung to action during the emergency response and relief efforts, with their networks critical during the aftermath, students returned to school at 60 of the Little Schools in October 2012. At first, the classrooms were under trees or makeshift tents. Today, all 192 schools are back in operation and have resumed activities, educating more than 17,000 students. Many of the schools’ physical structures still need to be rebuilt.

From 2017 to 2019, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, received a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for its Hunger for Education USAID International Food Relief Partnership project in Haiti. The project increased the health and learning capacity of students by implementing school feeding programs in five Salesian centers in Haiti. The OPEPB Little Schools in Port-au-Prince was one of the recipients.

Primary school children gather in the courtyard of one of the “Little Schools” in Port-au-Prince. Photo by Vancourt Wilky © MissionNewswire/Salesian Misssions

Fr. Bohnen knew that children could not focus on their studies on an empty stomach. The OPEPB has one the largest free cafeterias in the world equipped with two huge kitchens, two large dining halls and a recently added bakery to help meet the need for bread. As part of the Hunger for Education project, 8,620 students received daily lunch from the two main cafeterias.

“Many of our Salesian students in Haiti come to class on an empty stomach because there is little food in the homes where they  live,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions “With Salesian feeding programs, children who once arrived at school hungry and had to struggle through classes without food are now provided with a meal during the day. As a result, students have shown improvements in health, happiness and capacity to learn.”

Despite the ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti, the country remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. Three-quarters of the population lives on less than $2 a day and faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population of 10.7 million people are undernourished. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

For Salesian missionaries in Haiti, schools and youth programs fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

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Sources:

Photos by Vancourt Wilky © 2017 MissionNewswire/Salesian Misssions (permission required for reuse)

HAITI: Salesian Missions Receives Grant Funding from USAID for Hunger for Education Project

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: “Little Schools” provide education to more than 17,000 children in Port-au-Prince first appeared on MissionNewswire.

HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Five years after the devastating Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake struck Haiti and reduced the Salesian Youth Center in Fort Liberté, Haiti, to rubble, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, rebuilt it. The reconstruction project, made possible by many generous donors, was part of a promise made by Salesian Missions to aid in the reconstruction of the country as well as provide relief to Haitians following the earthquake.

In the initial aftermath of the devastating earthquake, Salesian missionaries in Haiti were instrumental in emergency response and relief efforts. They were among the first responders, providing shelter, clean drinking water, medical aid and a means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies, as well as, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti. Having served in Haiti for nearly 75 years at the time of the earthquake, Salesian missionaries were not outsiders rushing in to help, they were trusted members of the communities they served.

First opened in 2002, the youth center in Fort Liberté offered a broad range of formal and informal educational programs for local youth. It housed an elementary school, technical school, vocational training center, teacher training program and one of the country’s only nursing schools.

“The reconstruction after the earthquake offered an opportunity to enhance the center’s programs and services beyond their original scope,” explains Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “In addition to simply rebuilding the schools, youth facilities, dorms and missionary housing were added to provide more accommodations. A new water purification plant also provides clean, fresh water at affordable prices to residents of surrounding communities.”

Additionally, the Salesian Provincial House built on the property during the reconstruction includes several large rooms that may be used for and rented out as conference space, providing much-needed income for Salesian programs. All of the newly constructed buildings meet the standards for being earthquake-proof which ensures that funding for the projects has been utilized in a responsible, sustainable way.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 169 out of 189 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. Three-quarters of the population lives on less than $2 a day. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population of 10.7 million people are undernourished. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

HAITI: Salesian Missions Fulfills Five-Year Promise to Reconstruct Youth Center in Fort Liberté

World Food Programme – Haiti

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Once reduced to rubble, rebuilt youth center in Fort Liberté offers community even more resources first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries were instrumental during the emergency response and the initial aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. Missionaries had been in Haiti for nearly 75 years at that point, providing education and other social development programs for poor youth and their families long before the earthquake struck.

Salesian missionaries were among the first responders—providing shelter and medical aid, means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies and clean drinking water, and possessing an important understanding of how to get things done in Haiti.

The work of Salesian missionaries never wavered and didn’t stop when the rubble was cleared away. Missionaries have remained as they always were—an integral part of communities across the country. Rebuilding Haiti has not been easy. Over the last 10 years, Haiti has since faced a cholera outbreak, the destruction of Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane that pummeled the country on Oct. 4, 2016, and most recently, political unrest that closed schools and disrupted normal life for months.

“Even in the face of devastating emergencies and challenges, Salesian missionaries have persisted in Haiti to bring hope to youth in need,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries have continued to make progress rebuilding schools and programs with often limited budgets, challenges with supplies and delays in construction. The driving force to provide a better life for youth in need has remained the backbone of Salesian work and what motivates and compels the work even under the harshest of circumstances.”

BUILDING AND REOPENING SCHOOLS

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country that serve some 20,000 primary school students and 5,500 secondary school students.

The earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools in the country. In early October 2012, when more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school, it was no small feat. In Salesian schools throughout Haiti, more than 1,200 teachers had to be hired after the earthquake to ensure education for students. Most of these new teachers were trained at Salesian institutions. Missionaries also had to rebuild their own schools and programs that were destroyed.

The majority of Salesian primary school students, close to 17,000, are educated at the 192 Little Schools of Fr. Bohnen, named after their founder. These little schools are located in the distressed Port-au-Prince slums of La Saline and Cité Soleil. In 2012, only 60 of the schools were back in operation with many classrooms held under trees or makeshift tents. Today, all of the schools are fully operational and back to educating their young students, but many of the physical structures still need to be rebuilt.

Salesian missionaries are also building new schools. A new Salesian elementary school was built in Les Cayes in 2018 to accommodate additional students. The school, built through the Rinaldi Foundation, the Salesian planning and development office in Haiti, welcomed its initial first-grade class in September 2018. Featuring nine classrooms, student and teacher bathrooms, two computer rooms and administrative offices, the school will serve 360 children from the area each year. A second phase of construction will add more classrooms to the building.

Most recently in July 2019, Salesian missionaries launched a new initiative to train teachers of technical and vocational institutes. Called the ENTEC Technical School, the new school in Port-au-Prince aims to improve the quality of education and employment prospects of young Haitians by ensuring that their teachers have the most up-to-date training available.

Father Victor Auguste, director general of the Rinaldi Foundation, said, “It inspires me that Salesian missionaries are making a difference in Haiti to provide a better quality of education for the future of our youth. In all of our schools, we are doing our best to work not only to improve the physical structures but also there is a great desire and passion to teach a diverse field of subjects so that our students can achieve personal success and give back to their communities and continue to rebuild our country.”

REESTABLISHING YOUTH CENTERS

The Lakay House for Street Children, an indispensable Salesian-run center that provided shelter, education and food to dozens of street children with nowhere else to turn, was completely destroyed by the earthquake, leaving children without shelter. Lakay has been back in operation for some time and home to nearly 150 former street children. In addition to classroom studies, a donated school bus has made it possible for youth to take part in field trips to educational and historical sites around Haiti.

In 2015, from funding provided by donors, Salesian Missions fulfilled a long-standing promise to reconstruct the Salesian Youth Center in Fort Liberté, which had been reduced to rubble. First opened in 2002, the youth center in Fort Liberté offers a broad range of formal and informal educational programs for local youth. It houses an elementary school, technical school, vocational training center, teacher-training program and one of the country’s only nursing schools.

Salesian missionaries have also established the Thorland Youth Center Port-au-Prince, which is serving an estimated 650 youth and young adults aged 14 and older. At Thorland, Salesian missionaries operate a “school of soccer” that is successfully providing youth a healthy outlet for exercise, team play and connecting with their peers. An estimated 120 students, both boys and girls aged 9 to 19, are registered in this program.

DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE

When building new infrastructure, Salesian missionaries thought long-term. A warehouse that was built using funds from Salesian Missions, made possible by donations from donors who responded after the earthquake, was instrumental in the emergency response after Hurricane Matthew. The warehouse was used for not only for storage but also as the staging ground where missionaries and other volunteers assembled the initial 400 survival kits. A delivery truck also funded by Salesian Missions made the transport to Les Cayes possible. Due to poor road conditions in Haiti, this truck and others, now 10 years old, need to be upgraded. Salesian missionaries in Haiti are in search for funding.

FEEDING HUNGRY CHILDREN

Never forgetting that hungry children have a harder time learning in school, Salesian missionaries focused attention on feeding programs. Salesian students at six Salesian centers in Haiti received access to better nutrition thanks to a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Salesian Missions secured the grant for its Hunger for Education USAID International Food Relief Partnership project in Haiti. The project aimed to increase the health and learning capacity of students by implementing school feeding programs in Salesian centers within the country.

The project supported the shipment of 40 40-foot shipping containers of meals—16 from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger; 17 from Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable; and seven from Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.”

The rice-meals were provided to cover meals five days a week during the school term for eight months. The donation, which impacted 18,161 students, was shared among Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves.

Fr. Auguste said, “It’s impossible to think of quality of education without a feeding program in Haiti because ‘Sak vid pa kanpe’, which means an empty bag cannot stand by itself.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Despite economic, social and political unrest in the country, Salesian missionaries are continuing their work building schools and infrastructure, adding new training programs for students and teachers, funding and facilitating feeding programs, and most importantly, providing hope to youth for a better future.

Despite the ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti, the country remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

For Salesian missionaries in Haiti, schools and youth programs fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

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Photos:  Copyright © MissionNewswire / Salesian Missions – Permission required for use.

Sources:

FOUR YEARS LATER: Salesian Missions Has Not Forgotten Haiti

HAITI FIVE YEARS LATER: Salesians Continue Making Progress Long After Attention Has Faded

HAITI: New Salesian elementary school in Les Cayes provides education to 360 children each year

HAITI: Salesian Missions Fulfills Five-Year Promise to Reconstruct Youth Center in Fort Liberté

HAITI: Salesian missionaries launch the ENTEC Technical School to educate teachers of technical and vocational institutes

HAITI: USAID-funded Hunger for Education project feeds 18,161 students at six Salesian centers

Salesian Missions – Haiti

Interview with Father Victor Auguste, director general of the Rinaldi Foundation (Salesians of Don Bosco Haiti)

The post HAITI: Salesian Missions reflects on 10 years of rebuilding Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The collaboration is also focused on the Salesian employment office in order to ensure that it is providing youth what they need to successfully enter into the workforce. Student learning is being improved by offering teacher training and adapting content, infrastructure and educational materials to the needs of today’s workforce.

In addition, the project is promoting collaboration among the Salesian training centers and other regional technical and vocational schools in order to facilitate the exchange of teaching best practices. The project is also strengthening the capacity of the Salesian centers to provide business and entrepreneurial skills to students. The centers assist graduates as they enter the workforce, ensuring that they have the support that they need to succeed.

Throughout the project, emphasis is placed on gender equality, human rights and the environment in order to promote an inclusive and quality education. Thanks to this partnership with Via Don Bosco, students are already reaping the benefits. They are more confident in their ability to enter the workforce and more capable of contributing to the development of Haiti.

“Access to marketable skills training is critical for youth’s success later in life,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In order to provide those skills to youth, teachers must have access to quality training, use the most up-to-date materials in their industry and provide training in employment sectors that are hiring. This project will help ensure that Salesian centers in Haiti have what they need to provide the skills training that enables youth to go from school directly into the workforce.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 10 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 10 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government and their programs serve more than 25,000 Haitian children.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012 to 2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

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Sources:

The Rinaldi Foundation – Ready for Work

World Food Programme – Haiti

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: The Rinaldi Foundation and Via Don Bosco collaborate to provide teacher training and make improvements at Salesian technical training centers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project, which was funded for a second year in September 2018, is giving 90 more youth from Port-au-Prince the opportunity to participate in internships and enabling 12 young adults from Cap-Haïtien to have the chance to launch a new transportation service.

Working in conjunction with Lakou Don Bosco and Lakay Don Bosco, both in Port-au-Prince, 90 at-risk young adults were selected to benefit from the program in the first phase of funding. The initial phase of the project placed the youth in three-month internships at 43 different enterprises related to the participants’ previous studies.

During this period, they also received support from psychologists and program staff. Education was also provided on such topics as resume writing, interviewing for a job, stress management, rights and duties in the workplace, and ethics. In addition, a violence reduction curriculum was presented.

Upon the completion of the internships, additional support was provided for those young adults who had not yet been offered employment. Program staff aided some of the participants in the formation of nine small cooperative enterprises in the tailoring and cosmetology sectors. Additional opportunities were provided to other participants at Lakay Don Bosco in the production of goods for sale.

At the end of the first phase of the program, 85.5 percent of the participants had an opportunity to earn a living. This included 16 youth who found work after the internship, 43 who are now engaged in small cooperative enterprises and 18 youth who are involved in production work at Lakay Don Bosco.

“Salesian programs such as this provide the education and workforce development services to help youth find and retain employment, ensuring their future is productive,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Keeping youth engaged in their studies, while educating about the dangers of violence and risky behavior, helps youth stay focused on long-term goals and dreams and have hope for the future.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 10 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 10 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government and their programs serve more than 25,000 Haitian children.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012 to 2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

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Sources:

Rinaldi Foundation – Working toward Violence Reduction

World Food Programme – Haiti

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Rinaldi Foundation programs help youth gain work experience and find stable employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Rinaldi Foundation notes, “Education is a gateway to personal growth and economic opportunity, but for those in Haiti, obtaining a quality education can be a great challenge. Schools, especially in rural areas, are scarce and often of poor quality. Some teachers may be responsible for instructing more than 100 students in a single classroom. It is no surprise therefore that only 21.5 percent of the population have received a secondary-level education.”

The Rinaldi Foundation serves as the planning and development office of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Haiti. More than 22,000 youth and community members benefit from the schools, youth programs and ministry provided by Salesian missionaries in the country each year. For these Salesian missionaries, schools and youth programs fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, they have expanded their work to include 10 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 10 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government and their programs serve more than 25,000 Haitian children.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

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Sources:

Rinaldi Foundation – New Elementary School Les Cayes

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: New Salesian elementary school in Les Cayes provides education to 360 children each year first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In a speech given at the inauguration ceremony of the new technical school, the Superior of the Vice Province of Blessed Philip Rinaldi of Haiti, Father Jean Paul Mésidor, said, “Today we are happy to find ourselves in the situation of being able to continue believing in the future. If the present is uncertain, our presence here for the ENTEC inauguration expresses our determination to continue looking at the horizon to discover that ray of hope that will make us dream of a good Haiti, especially for her children. It is this optimism in the possibility of doing better and better that characterizes the work of the Salesians in Haiti these past 85 years.”

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing technical and vocational training in the country. They have continued their collaboration with national authorities through the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and with the National Institute of Vocational Training. Their current goal is to improve the quality of training for teachers and increase the skills of those teaching at technical and vocational training centers.

The ENTEC Technical School will provide a framework for permanent and ongoing formation of teachers and will endow them with solid pedagogical skills applicable to their sector. The intention is to establish a permanent body of educators at all levels capable of maximizing the performance and internal efficiency of technical and professional institutes.

This project received the support of the Spanish Cooperation, the Salesian organization, Jóvenes y Desarollo, and the Autonomous Community of Madrid.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system, and we are dedicated to providing the support and training they need,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian teachers face many challenges educating poor youth. Many of their students have faced severe poverty and often lack food, clothing and shelter. Some were previously living and working on the streets and others have faced war as child soldiers or become refugees in war torn communities. Salesian teachers meet these challenges head on, providing education and hope for a brighter future.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 10 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 10 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government and their programs serve more than 25,000 Haitian children.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Haiti – “ENTEC Technical-Vocational School” inaugurated

World Food Programme – Haiti

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian missionaries launch the ENTEC Technical School to educate teachers of technical and vocational institutes first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project helped support the shipment of 21 40-foot shipping containers of meals – eight from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger; nine from Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable; and four from Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.”

The rice-meals provided 18,161 students school lunch five days a week for 17 months, with smaller numbers during summer vacation months. The donation was shared among Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves. The feeding programs also covered two months of summer programming at Les Cayes, Gressier, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Gonaives, Thorland, Petionville, Drouillard and at the Salesian post-novitiate.

The Hunger for Education project has also helped to ensure each of the six Salesian centers had kitchens equipped to cook the rice-meals while training 15 school cooks to prepare the nutritious meals for students. Prior to this project, the Cardinal Keeler Center in Gonaïves had no kitchen at all. With funding through the project, the center was able to develop a new kitchen from the ground up, including cooking supplies.

“The new kitchen and feeding program have been well received by students from all disciplines within the school,” says Father Yves Jorcelim Pierre, director of the Cardinal Keeler Center. “This new kitchen has also provided access for teachers, support staff, cooks and managers to eat there as well. The feeding program and donation of food aid has been a great blessing to our center. Children are now assured a hot meal each day. Prior, many were coming to school on an empty stomach and knowing they had no food to go home to in the evening. Children are much more focused on their studies now.”

Salesian vocational training students who received meals from the Hunger for Education project, expressed high levels of gratitude for having food to fuel their practical exercises. In Fort-Liberté, agricultural students work in the school’s fields from 8:00-11:00 a.m. every day, and they count on having food available when they are finished with their morning projects.

In Cité Soleil and Les Cayes, Salesian students work hard in vocational training workshops to learn skills in carpentry, welding, auto-mechanics, electricity, sewing and beauty. They rely on the meals to keep them going through practical training workshops as well as classroom learning. Before the feeding program began, administrators noted instances of vocational training students fainting during their practical exercises due to a lack of food. Now students have energy not only to make it through the day but also to stay after school to participate in soccer or other programs.

Each of the six participating school directors noted that the feeding program improved student academic performance and enhanced the learning environment. Students who previously were sleepy in the afternoon after recreation time had more energy to continue in their studies after meals were implemented during the school day. School directors also noted that report cards have improved and that their students study much better when they have proper nutrition.

“Salesian missionaries strive to reach the poorest students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to receive an education. Many of the students come from families where food is not readily available and a large percentage of these students come to class on an empty stomach,” says Jessica O’Connor, senior international development officer at Salesian Missions. “The project has already had a great impact on students. Children who once arrived at school hungry and had to struggle through classes without food are now provided with a meal during the day, and as a result, students have shown improvements in health, happiness and capacity to learn.”

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 168 out of 189 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians.

Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country. Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades exacerbating an already challenging situation. Nine years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

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Sources:

Breedlove

Feed My Starving Children

HAITI: USAID Hunger for Education grant secured by Salesian Missions provides second food aid shipments to 6 Salesian centers

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: USAID-funded Hunger for Education project feeds 18,161 students at six Salesian centers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Including seven stages developed over the course of two years, the PROFAJ program trains youth and helps them develop leadership skills so they are able to work and collaborate with other youth. The training and course stages are focused on life, faith and action and enable participants to engage in the various processes of faith education.

The program is aimed at youth engaged in programs at Don Bosco and Daughters of Mary Help of Christian centers and those attending Catholic parishes in the various dioceses within the country. Over the past 10 years, PROFAJ has trained more than 1,000 youth, helping them to discover, promote and enhance their leadership skills.

“Many of these young people are now playing an important role in social life and have gained experience with youth animation. The PROFAJ program has undoubtedly helped them to acquire a series of experiences and skills that have been very important for their professional development too. These skills have been used to enhance their strengths and abilities by integrating them with proactive leadership,” explained Father Enrique Castillo, delegate for Youth Ministry in the Province of the Antilles.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving since 1996, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

“The work of Salesian missionaries in the Dominican Republic and in programs around the globe goes beyond traditional education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We aim to serve the whole person by making sure basic needs are met and youth have an opportunity to learn skills that enhance their life, bring them joy and encourage their passion for learning.”

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Sources:

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – PROFAJ: each year Salesians form +100 youths for leadership

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Salesian Youth Animators Formation Program trains 153 new youth leaders first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The back-up electrical system is essential to the operation of the school due to Haiti’s unreliable electricity supply and frequent blackouts. With the electrical system restored, the school will have the power needed to use the computer lab and classrooms when the city electricity is down.

“We are grateful for our donors who enabled this back-up electrical system to be restored as it’s essential to the operation of our school,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesian of Don Bosco. “Vocational and technical training programs help students become contributing adults in their communities. Schools in Haiti, and around the globe, go above and beyond educating. They also assist youth in making connections within industries while preparing them for the process of searching, finding and retaining employment.”

The Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades opened its doors to poor youth in Haiti in 1983. The center provides technical/vocational training for youth as well as educational and sports programs. Funding to operate the school comes from the support of donors from Fonds Misereor, school tuition fees and minor assistance from the Haitian government for teacher salaries. Since most of the students come from very poor backgrounds, Salesian missionaries charge only minimal tuition fees to those who can offer a small contribution, leaving the school facing economic limitations.

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 10 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 10 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government and their programs serve more than 25,000 Haitian children.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Missions donors provide funding to restore back-up electrical system at the Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades in Les Cayes first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The 75-meter structure has been needed in order to support and protect the chapel property, which runs along a nearby municipal drainage canal. The wall will prevent further soil erosion and protect the property against future flooding. The constructed wall is well anchored in the ground and is high enough and strong enough to contain the canal overflow.

More than 200 people who attend services at the St. Paul Chapel and live in the nearby neighborhoods have benefited from this construction. Additional work is expected in the next phase of the project once funding is secured. The goal is to build a slab over the canal for even more protection.

The Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation, which was provided the funding and facilitated the project, noted in an article on its website, “While we can look with satisfaction at the work that has now been completed, the journey to this point has not been without many challenges. Delays and setbacks resulted from the difficulty in finding a qualified backhoe operator, unstable soil conditions, difficulties obtaining needed supplies, and the constant need to pump water in order to fight water levels and flooding due to rain. We thank our dedicated staff for their perseverance.”

The Rinaldi Foundation is the planning and development office of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Haiti. More than 22,000 youth and community members benefit from the schools, youth programs and ministry provided by Salesian missionaries in Haiti each year. For Salesian missionaries in Haiti, schools and youth programs fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades, exacerbating an already challenging situation. Nine years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Haiti

Rinaldi Foundation

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Missions provides funding for retaining wall near Salesian-run St. Paul Chapel in Cité Soleil, benefiting more than 200 community members first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The rice-meals were distributed among Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou’s five facilities in Port-au-Prince, and one, divided into two sectors, in Cap-Haïtien. Each of these facilities was created to respond to the needs of children and older youth who have found themselves living on the streets. In total, nearly 5,700 minors benefit from this project which is facilitated by 57 staff members.

One of the recipients, 17-year-old René Wantoosly, is very grateful for the rice-meals. Wantoosly lives with his mother who has reduced mobility after a stroke. He has two sisters, one who is single mother and the other who is pregnant. His father passed away.

Wantoosly says, “With the death of my father, life seemed impossible. Being on the street, I had to look for a way to take care of my mom and sisters. All I could do is beg, clean the cars with a rag, load the trucks – all just to survive. I managed to enter Don Bosco Lakay after fighting on the street. Here, I got enough to learn a trade and receive three meals a day. The meals are not only filling, but they give me energy and strength to study and play ball with my friends.”

Wantoosly wants to be a carpenter and make furniture. He adds, “I am sure upon finishing my training at Lakay, I will have the opportunity to work and provide for myself and family. I can say that the rice brings us together and helps us build more friendships because it is tasty and we all like to eat.”

Each Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou facility specializes in a stage of life and type of assistance needed by the youth served. At Foyer Lakay, children live as a family for a period of four years until the completion of their apprenticeship in a technical profession. Lakay Program for Street Children provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince. There are also vocational training programs where youth like Wantoosly are able to study and gain the skills needed for long-term employment.

“Despite the critical situation of the boys live before coming to us and social and economic challenges Haiti faces in general, we know a plate of food fills stomachs, energizes the body and opens hearts,” explains Joseph Roliné, director of Don Bosco Lakay/Lakou.

He adds, “René is model student and has persevered despite many tragedies. He is in better health and he is able to concentrate more in class. Ever since we obtained support from Rise Against Hunger, the students have become more involved and volunteer more for kitchen cleaning duty. I ask myself why, perhaps winning the hearts and trust of the cooks has its benefits. The most selfless act I have seen because of the meals we serve is a student eating less to share with others. There is a better sensing of solidarity and fellowship. They share with the outsiders, and they value the work of those doing everything to ensure they have enough to eat.”

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades, exacerbating an already challenging situation. Eight years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Haiti

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions

The post HAITI: More than 900 beneficiaries across seven Salesian programs have better nutrition thanks to Rise Against Hunger rice-meal donations first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Operated by missionaries who are part of the Salesian Mary Help of Christians parish, the center includes a shelter for girls at risk and a day school for boys and girls. It is one of 11 centers facilitated by the Muchachos y Muchachas con Don Bosco network.

Julia Ann, a Korean volunteer who facilitated the project, has been overseeing the renovation of the workshops and the creation of artistic and craft projects at the Doña Chucha school. She began by transforming a computer room into a space where art can also be taught. Then she worked on the renovation of a classroom where girls learn handiworks.

Currently she is working on promoting an “Educational and practical manual of art and artistic education from recycled materials” which will be distributed to other Salesian centers. Julia Ann’s projects have benefited 85 girls who are living at the center and another 29 boys and girls who attend the school.

The center inaugurated the new classrooms at the end of November. After the unveiling of the commemorative plaques and the opening of the classrooms, the girls at the center expressed their joy and gratitude through a song and a moving speech.

“The work of Salesian missionaries in the Dominican Republic and in programs around the globe goes beyond education in reading and writing,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We aim to serve the whole person by making sure that basic needs are met and that youth have an opportunity to learn skills that enhance their life, bring them joy and encourage their passion for learning.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Even though the country’s economy has been steadily improving since 1996, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Dominican Republic – Inauguration of project “Dreams and hopes for children”

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: New project at Salesian center renovates classrooms for art education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since almost the beginning of Salesian educational programs, sports and recreation have been an integral part of the curriculum for youth. Whether formally or more informally, socio-sports programming has been a way for youth to relax, gain confidence and engage with their peers. Today, almost all Salesian programs in Haiti and across the globe have some form of recreation and in some, more formal socio-sports programs have been developed.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian 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 Salesian National Games are a great opportunity for youth across Haiti to come together and engage in fun competition and sportsmanship.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 10 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country. The 10 centers each have a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti are the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government. and their programs serve more than 25,000 Haitian children.

The Salesian-run Lakay Project includes five facilities in Port-au-Prince where the games were held. The project also has another facility, divided into two sectors, in Cap-Haïtien. Each of these structures was created to respond to needs of children and older youth who found themselves living on the streets. In total, nearly 5,700 minors benefit from this project, which is facilitated by 57 staff members.

The Lakay project centers are each specialized for the various stages of life and to the types of assistance needed by the youth. At Foyer Lakay, children live as a family for a period of four years until the completion of their apprenticeship in a technical profession. Lakay Program for Street Children provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince. Students from the Lakay Project, as well as other Salesian programs across Haiti, participated in the games.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades, exacerbating an already challenging situation. Eight years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

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Sources:

ANS – Haiti – VII edition of Salesian National Games

World Food Programme – Haiti

ANS photo

The post HAITI: More than 1,000 youth from Salesian programs across Haiti take part in the seventh edition of the Salesian National Games first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In March, a celebratory program was held at the La Saline center. The mass was presided by Father Jean-Paul Mesidor, the Superior of the Beato Filippo Rinaldi Vice Province of Haiti. In his homily, Fr. Mesidor traced the journey made by the Salesian missionaries through the Lakay project during these past 30 years and congratulated employees who had been present when the project first launched.

Currently, the Lakay project includes five facilities in Port-au-Prince and one, divided into two sectors, in Cap-Haïtien. Each of these structures was created to respond to needs that children and older youth have who found themselves living on the streets. In total, nearly 5,700 minors benefit from this project, which is facilitated by 57 staff members.

The Lakay project centers are each specialized for the various stages of life and to the types of assistance needed by the youth. At Foyer Lakay, children live as a family for a period of four years until the completion of their apprenticeship in a technical profession. Lakay Program for Street Children provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince.

The Lakay Program for Street Children is also a recipient of Salesian Missions Hunger for Education project, which has been funded by the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to increase the health and learning capacity of students by implementing school feeding programs in five Salesian centers in Haiti.

The project will provide a cost share for the shipment of 16 containers of meals, eight from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger, and eight containers from Stop Hunger Now, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable. The meals will be shared among seven Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves. In addition, school cooks will receive  training to prepare the cooked lunch five days a week to ensure proper nutrition that will benefit 12,733 students.

“Salesian missionaries strive to reach the poorest students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to receive an education. Many of the students come from families where food is not readily available and a large percentage of these students come to class on an empty stomach,” says Jessica O’Connor, senior international development officer at Salesian Missions. “The feeding programs through the Hunger for Education project will help ensure students receive the proper nutrition so they are prepared to focus on their studies and gain an education.”

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country.

Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades exacerbating an already challenging situation. Seven years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

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Sources:

ANS – Haiti – “LAKAY Don Bosco”: 30 years of joyful service

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: Lakay Don Bosco celebrates 30 years providing services to homeless, at-risk youth Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince first appeared on MissionNewswire.

While the official death toll is listed at 64, unofficial accounts have it significantly higher at more than a thousand. Puerto Rico has had homes, schools and other buildings destroyed. The hurricane dismantled the island’s electricity and communications system and cut off more than 3 million men, women and children from crucial humanitarian assistance. Residents were cut off without food, water, electricity or shelter from the harsh weather conditions.

More than six month later, the rest of the world has moved on to the latest news, but Puerto Rico is still struggling with the aftermath of this monstrous storm. Children and families live in roofless, severely water-damaged homes with exposed power lines, crumbling walls and empty food pantries. They stand in long lines waiting to purchase food, water and other basic necessities, with no guarantee of getting what they need. Nearly 200,000 people are still without electricity, unable to heat or cool their homes, store food properly or accomplish day-to-day tasks.

Salesian missionaries have six communities in Puerto Rico, including two in San Juan and one in each of the communities of Catano, Aíbonito, Aguadilla and Orocovis. Salesian sisters are also working in the communities of Aguadilla, Orocovis and Santurce. Because Salesian missionaries and sisters are living in the communities in which they work, they were among the first to respond with shelter and humanitarian relief, even when their own buildings and facilities were affected.

“If there’s a way to help, we’ll always find it,” says Sister Magna Martinez, a Salesian missionary serving at Colegio Maria Auxiliadore (Mary Help of Christians) in San Juan. Sr. Martinez and her colleagues remain passionately committed to helping the countless families who lost everything in the storm. Her words reflect the Salesians’ faith and tenacity, even as official relief efforts fall significantly short in meeting the ongoing and widespread need.

Back in September, immediately after the storm’s danger had passed, Sr. Martinez and her colleagues ventured into the streets of San Juan to assess damage and minister to victims. “When we saw their homes, our hearts were crushed,” recalls Sr. Martinez. “We didn’t have much to offer but realized: We have the school. We have the cafeteria. We can clean it all out and host as many people as we can.”

In those initial, chaotic days, Maria Auxiliadore filled with children and families with nowhere else to go. A similar scene played out across the island. Salesian missionaries opened their doors to both victims who needed help and to organizations seeking a central, trusted location to distribute it. In the community of Cantera, for example, volunteers from the Salesian youth center accompanied Father Carlos Piantini into the streets, visiting 500 families whose homes had been destroyed and delivering what small items of relief they had on hand.

“According to residents, Fr. Piantini and his volunteers were the first people to show up,” says Franklin Ortega, executive director of the Don Bosco Salesian Foundation, who toured Puerto Rico with Father Francisco Batista, provincial of the Antilles region, after the hurricane.

In Orocovis, Ortega reports missionaries lent space to the Department of Family Services, whose building was destroyed by the storm. From these new headquarters, officials were able to assist local residents (as many as 4,000 of whom desperately needed emergency shelter). And in Aguadilla, Sr. Maritza Ortiz and her fellow missionaries from Casa Juan Bosco fanned into the surrounding neighborhoods, checking on residents—especially the elderly and those who lived alone.

That help remains crucial, even now. Sisters Martinez and Ortiz continue to provide food, clothing, small household items and even mattresses to those who have yet to recover from Maria’s damage.

Karla, for example, is a mother of two whose family still lives in a home that would likely be condemned on the mainland. Yesenia struggles to meet basic needs for herself and her young son Jordan, who remains traumatized by the storm. And Doris suffers from a respiratory illness that requires supplemental oxygen—something she can’t always use, because electricity to her home is sporadic. Today, all three women persevere, in part, because of Salesian missionaries.

Although they are not students at the school, Karla’s children have found respite at Maria Auxiliadore while their mother works to rebuild. There, they enjoy meals, clothes and relief from worry as they play games with their peers. Missionaries have released videos of their ongoing work on the island.

Far too many residents still struggle to restore a sense of normalcy to their lives, which has been challenged by the absence of adequate assistance. Officials estimate that it will take billions of dollars, and perhaps decades of effort, to rebuild Puerto Rico’s infrastructure and economy. And it’s difficult to see where the money will come from, when traditional means of income—agriculture, tourism and manufacturing—have been crippled, if not completely destroyed. For this reason, missionaries also hope to leverage their local relationships in order to connect families with the resources they need, including financial assistance for purchasing materials to reconstruct their homes.

In response to the overwhelming need, Salesian Missions has launched its Puerto Rico Fund. Those who want to support these efforts are urged to make a donation online at salesianmissions.org/prhurricane.

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Sources:

ANS – Puerto Rico – Hurricane Maria damages thousands of homes and the Salesians prepare to help

ANS – Puerto Rico – The worst was not the hurricane, but the floods, the destruction and the lack of communications

New York Times – Puerto Rico’s Positive Business Slogans Can’t Keep the Lights On

USA Today – 6 months after Hurricane Maria, life in Puerto Rico is better — but will ‘never be normal again’

The post PUERTO RICO: Salesian Missions launches Puerto Rico hurricane fundraising campaign to aid ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The celebration recalled stories from the many people who still remember the painful events of the earthquake and its aftermath. They prayed for the more than 200 Salesian students who perished that day and for others they lost like Salesian Coadjutor Brother Hubert Sanon, the first Haitian Salesian, and for three other Salesian youth who were in formation at that time; Wilfrid Atismé, Valsaint Vilbrun and Pierre-Richard René.

In the afternoon, Salesian missionaries headed to the University of Quisqueya where two of the young Salesians were killed by the earthquake. In a room built for the occasion, the Salesians prayed for all the students who died at the site. The whole day was spent in an atmosphere of profound meditation and reflection on the fragility of human life.

In the initial aftermath of the earthquake, the Salesians were instrumental in emergency response and relief efforts. An integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti prior to the earthquake, they were among the first responders—providing shelter and medical aid; means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies and clean drinking water; and, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti. Having served Haiti for nearly 75 years, the Salesians were not outsiders rushing in to help—they were already beloved members of the community.

Since then, Salesian missionaries have been focused on rebuilding community structures like schools, as well as helping residents rebuild their homes and their livelihoods. In 2015, through funding provided by donors to Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, reconstruction was finished on the Salesian Youth Center in Fort Liberté. First opened in 2002, the youth center in Fort Liberté offers a broad range of formal and informal educational programs for local youth. It houses an elementary school, technical school, vocational training center, teacher-training program and one of the country’s only nursing schools.

Salesian missionaries were also a vital source of support and humanitarian aid following Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane that pummeled Haiti on Oct. 4, 2016. Missionaries used the same local connections and channels to provide much needed immediate aid and ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts as they did after the earthquake. A warehouse that was built using funds from Salesian Missions, made possible by donations from donors who responded after the earthquake, was utilized during the hurricane response. The warehouse was used for not only storage but also as the staging ground where missionaries and other volunteers assembled the initial 400 survival kits. A delivery truck also funded by Salesian Missions made the transport to Les Cayes possible.

Most recently, Salesian students at six Salesian centers in Haiti are receiving access to better nutrition thanks to a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Salesian Missions secured the grant for its Hunger for Education USAID International Food Relief Partnership project in Haiti. The project aims to increase the health and learning capacity of students by implementing school feeding programs in Salesian centers within the country.

The project is helping to support the shipment of 20 40-foot shipping containers of meals—eight from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger; eight containers from Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable; and four from Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.”

The rice-meals that are being provided cover meals five days a week during the school term for eight months. The donation is shared among Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves. As a result, 12,733 Salesian students are receiving access to a hot meal each day at school. The feeding programs also covers two months of summer programming at Les Cayes, Gressier, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Gonaives, Thorland, Petionville, Drouillard and the post-novitiate.

“Salesian missionaries strive to reach the poorest students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to receive an education. Many of the students come from families where food is not readily available and a large percentage of these students come to class on an empty stomach,” says Jessica O’Connor, senior international development officer at Salesian Missions. “The project has already had a great impact on students. Children who once arrived at school hungry and had to struggle through classes without food are now provided with a meal during the day, and as a result, students have shown improvements in health, happiness and capacity to learn.”

Despite the ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti, the county remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

For Salesian missionaries in Haiti, schools and youth programs fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Haiti

ANS – Haiti – Prayer and remembrance 8 years after the earthquake

Haiti – World Bank

The post HAITI: Salesian missionaries reflect back on loss of life and rebuilding efforts, marking 8 years since earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Twenty students, including nine young women, are the first to start the program and performed an exhibition promoting the value of baking at the opening ceremony. During the presentation of the course, it was also noted that the bread industry is a very important sector in the country, enabling intense economic activities at different levels of society and in various areas of the country, both urban and rural.

At the end of the training cycle, the country will have professionally-trained bakers. The goal is to provide this training so that students will be able to find and retain employment in a high-need sector. This also provides Haiti with advanced professionals in the industry. Everything has been taken into consideration including the development of appropriate, industry-standard spaces. Salesian missionaries will work to recruit new students and provide the educational supplies while professionals from the Grand Moulin des Antilles of Guadeloupe will train the students.

“There are thousands of bakeries in the country, but to a large extent, training in the sector takes place in the workplace,” said Les Cereales d’Haiti’s commercial director, adding that consumers rarely have access to quality flour products.

Father Jean Paul Mésidor, from the Salesian Provincial in Haiti, emphasized the importance of this new initiative, recalling that “training is a tool for the reduction of poverty and for social development.” He emphasized that in 10 months there will be a sweeping wave of innovation in the industry, thanks to the new professionals formed at the ENAM center.

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. After Hurricane Matthew, the Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation, in collaboration with Salesian technical and vocational training centers, launched a number of rehabilitation projects across the country.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent lives on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, health care and nutritious food.

Salesian missionaries arrived in Haiti in 1935 upon request from the Haitian government to run a professional school. There are now more than 200 Salesian-run schools in Haiti. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Salesian missionaries operate 10 main centers across the country, each of which has a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need.

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Sources:

ANS – Haiti – Quality training for future bakers

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian missionaries form new partnership to launch Haiti’s first vocational training for bakers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Puerto Rico has had homes, schools, and buildings destroyed. Thousands of people remain in shelters because their homes have been destroyed. Government officials fear without water and power that a dire humanitarian crisis looms. It’s been reported that it can take up to six months to restore these services to parts of the island.

Salesian missionaries have six Salesian communities in Puerto Rico including two in San Juan and one in the communities of Catano, Aíbonito, Aguadilla and Orocovis. Salesian sisters are also working in the communities of Aguadilla, Orocovis and Santurce. Salesian missionaries are reporting that all communities have been affected. Information has been coming in slowly with assessments of damage to both Salesian facilities and in their surrounding communities. Roofs have been damaged as well as trees uprooted and other property damage. Like many of the surrounding homes and businesses, Salesian houses, youth centers and educational facilities lack electricity and running water.

“Puerto Rico has been devastated by the hurricane and many people have lost their homes and their livelihoods,” explains Father Adan Marrero, a Salesian missionary in Puerto Rico. “Salesians have also suffered damage to infrastructure, sports grounds, schools and community residences, but all our colleagues and our beneficiaries are safe. We will continue to support our communities with shelter and food and other supplies as they are available, and we will be here for the long haul of rebuilding.”

Salesian Father Jorge Santiago from the Salesian Center in Cantera was able to communicate the needs in San Juan at this time. He noted the community was in need of medications, canned food, drinking water, mattresses and bed linens, and wood. Other Salesian communities are expressing the same needs. Salesian missionaries have been able to distribute bottles of water, clothing and other limited food supplies as they become available.

Within the Salesian community of San Juan Bautista in Orocovis, Salesian missionaries have two parishes, 11 chapels and a youth center. A river traverses the entire city and in the wake of the hurricane, flash flooding and mudslides destroyed all types of buildings, including the parish church and several buildings in its path. The three Salesian missionaries living in the community have been working hand in hand with the community, receiving people and opening their spaces to the Department of Family Services, who lost its building and require a place to coordinate and assist residents of Orocovis. It has been reported that 3,000 homes were affected in the first hours of the hurricane and at its peak point close to 4,000 people were in shelters. The Salesian community is in need of two electric generators and three cisterns on the roofs to supply water, among other needs.

The Salesian community and parish of St. Francis de Sales of Cataño is located 40km from San Juan. Two Salesian missionaries reside at this house and have the parish church and four chapels, all without electricity or running water. This community has found it very difficult to meet its food supply and fuel needs. The municipality of this district has set up a shelter in a nearby public high school for residents of this community that have lost their homes due to the heavy flooding. Salesian facilities in this community are also heavily damaged with roofs needing full repair, fallen trees and other debris on the properties, and other building damage. The Salesian community is in need of generators and water.

“Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities where they work, they are among the first to respond when disasters strike,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They are also well experienced in handling the logistics of a humanitarian crisis and ensuring that relief supplies are accessed by those who need it most.”

In response to the several devastating hurricanes in 2017, including Hurricane Irma and Maria, Salesian Missions has launched a new hurricane fund to support Salesian programs in countries affected by these devastating storms. Those who want to support these efforts are urged to make a donation online at salesianmissions.org/give-hurricane.

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Sources:

CNN – About 1 million Americans without running water. 3 million without power. This is life one month after Hurricane Maria.

The post PUERTO RICO: Salesian missionaries continue to assess their own damage from Hurricane Maria while aiding community residents first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Through the local parish, Salesian missionaries provide educational courses and workshops in subjects like English language, computer science, marketing, digital sound production, music recording, theater and crafts. Even though the official scholastic titles are granted by the government, a diploma is awarded at the end of the course. In addition, Salesian missionaries also operate a youth center, which is open to youth from the nearby neighborhoods. They can engage in sports, connect with their peers and learn about Salesian teachings.

“The approach with young people takes place through workshops, weekly training meetings, moments of sharing, retreats and summer pastoral camps,” says Father Miguel Ángel Fernández, a Salesian missionary in Camagüey. “Despite the historical and political situation in the country, Salesian missionaries are living and working among the country’s young people.”

The Salesian also provides other services to the local community including reception teams, catechists, marriage preparation, coordination of the Salesian Family (Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Salesian Cooperators, Association of Mary Help of Christians and Past Pupils), pastoral care, apostolate of mercy and a common room set up for 40 seniors to access meals. Salesian missionaries and volunteers also prepare monthly food kits for 12 families.

Cuba has a planned economy dominated by state-run enterprises, according to the CIA World Factbook. It notes most industries are owned and operated by the government and most of the labor force is employed by the state. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the Communist Party in Cuba encouraged the formation of worker co-operatives and self-employment.

Today, the official unemployment rate in Cuba stands at 2.5 percent, although unofficial stats more than double that rate. In 2015, Cuba ranked 68 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Development Program Human Development Index. Housing and transportation costs are low are low in the country, and Cubans receive free education, health care and food subsidies.

Special note: Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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Sources:

ANS – Cuba – Salesian Preventive System in Cuba through Social Action

CIA World Facebook – Cuba’s Economy

The post CUBA: Salesian Missionaries Provide Educational Workshops and Youth Center in Camagüey first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Residents are isolated, and even government officials and first responders are cut off from the outside world and struggling to assess the full scope of destruction to the island. CNN reports that the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration has confirmed that 4,000 members of the U.S. Army Reserves have been deployed to the island to help with Hurricane Maria recovery.

Salesian missionaries have six Salesian communities in Puerto Rick including two in San Juan and one in the communities of Catano, Aíbonito, Aguadilla and Orocovis. Salesian sisters are also working in the communities of Aguadilla, Orocovis and Santurce. Salesian missionaries are reporting that all communities have been affected. Information is challenging to get but what is known is that there are damages, including roof and water damage, to the physical structures in the Salesian centers of Cataño and Cantera in San Juan.

Because of the extensive communication challenges on the island, getting information to Salesian centers outside of Puerto Rico has been challenging. Salesians within Puerto Rico are having difficulty reaching one another. To date, there is still no word or updates from the Salesian communities of Aíbonito, Orocovis and Aguadilla.

“Puerto Rico has been devastated by the passage of the hurricane with 100 percent of the island without electricity. Many people have lost their homes,” explains Father Adan Marrero, a Salesian missionary in Puerto Rico, through a WhatsApp message. “The Salesians have suffered damage to infrastructure, sports grounds, schools and community residences, but we thank God for all the colleagues and our beneficiaries are safe.”

Fr. Marrero also sent some pictures of the parish house, the parish and San Francesco of Cataño. He also explained that calculating the cost of the damage is difficult at the present time because many transmission towers have fallen. They are without electricity so they are unable to truly assess the needs of the community.

Salesian Father Jorge Santiago from the Salesian Center in Cantera was able to communicate the needs in San Juan at this time. He noted the community was in need of medications, canned food, drinking water, mattresses and bed lines, and wood. As they are able, Salesian missionaries will continue to assess the needs of Salesian programs and the communities in which they serve and provide additional information about the relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

In response to the several devastating hurricanes in 2017, including Hurricane Irma and Maria, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco have launched a new hurricane fund to support Salesian programs in countries affected by these devastating storms. Those who want to support these efforts are urged to make a donation online at salesianmissions.org/give-hurricane.

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Sources:

ANS – Puerto Rico – Hurricane Maria damages thousands of homes and the Salesians prepare to help

ANS – Puerto Rico – The worst was not the hurricane, but the floods, the destruction and the lack of communications

CNN – Hurricane Maria: Puerto Rico officials describe ‘apocalyptic’ conditions

The post PUERTO RICO: Millions affected by Hurricane Maria and in need of assistance, Salesian missionaries prepare to assist first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The donation consisted of assorted medicine like NSAIDs, antibiotics, GI medication, and high blood pressure medication. Another shipment included additional medication and diagnostic and surgical supplies. It also included hygiene products, baby wash, toothbrushes, and crutches. The Dominican Republic was one of six countries to receive medical aid from Rise Against Hunger last year. Through its long-term partnership with Salesian Missions, Rise Against Hunger was able to provide these health clinics with medications, lab equipment, orthodontist and dentist equipment, and other supplies including those for nursing mothers.

Mothers of young children use the Salesian health clinics for routine exams as well as illness. Cheroly takes her daughter Andreli, age 4 months, for her regular vaccines and consultations with the pediatrician at San Pedro Apostal Dispensary. The nursing staff also showed her how to breastfeed, and she receives free medicine. The health clinics also care for adults in the community. Magaly, age 73, has visited the San Pedro Apostal Dispensary over the last three to four months for treatment for high blood pressure. Before, she could not afford the medicine she needed, but at the Salesian medical clinic she receives medicine and high-quality care free of charge.

“The work of Salesian missionaries in the Dominican Republic and in programs around the globe goes beyond education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We aim to serve the whole person by making sure that basic needs like health care are met in addition to other social service needs. The work of these Salesian health clinics ensures that our students, their families and people in their community have the health care they need. We appreciate the ongoing support from Rise Against Hunger to help ensure these clinics have the supplies they need to be fully operational.”

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Even though the country’s economy has been steadily improving since 1996, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

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Sources:

Rise Against Hunger – Donations of Medical Aid Change Lives in the Dominican Republic

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Rise Against Hunger provides medical aid to Salesian-run health clinics first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project is helping to support the shipment of 20 40-foot shipping containers of meals – eight from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger; eight containers from Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable; and four from Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.”

The rice-meals that are being provided cover meals five days a week during the school term for eight months. The donation is shared among Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves. As a result, 12,733 Salesian students are receiving access to a hot meal each day at school. The feeding programs also covers two months of summer programming at Les Cayes, Gressier, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Gonaives, Thorland, Petionville, Drouillard, and the post-novitiate.

The food aid shipments being received at Salesian centers and feeding programs are continuing to make an impact for students. The project has also helped to ensure each of the six centers has kitchens equipped to cook the rice-meals and trained 15 school cooks to prepare the nutritional meals for students. Prior to this project, the Cardinal Keeler Center in Gonaïves had no kitchen. This project allowed the center to develop a new kitchen from the ground up, including cooking supplies.

“The new kitchen and feeding program has been well received by students from all disciplines within the school,” says Father Yves Jorcelim Pierre, director of the center. “This new kitchen has also provided access for teachers, support staff, cooks and managers to eat there as well. The feeding program and donation of food aid has been a great blessing to our center. Children are now assured a hot meal each day. Prior many were coming to school on an empty stomach and knowing they had no food to go home to in the evening. Children are much more focused on their studies now.”

The Hunger for Education project also serves as an incentive for children living on the street to seek out one of the Salesian programs for street children, where they receive hot meals in exchange for education and job-skills training. Salesian schools provide opportunities for remedial education and tutoring through their youth centers and programs for street children. However, no matter how many hours a child may spend sitting in a classroom, it is hard to focus and retain any information if the child is hungry. Additionally, some parents in Haiti will only allow their children to attend school if a meal is provided because otherwise the child is needed at home to work and provide for the family.

In Cap-Haïtien, the Primary School of the Vincent Foundation and the Lakay Program for Street Children are both beneficiaries of this project. Students attending the agricultural school at the Vincent Foundation were about to give up classes because of how challenging it is to focus on studies on an empty stomach. Because of this project, students were able to take advantage of the school’s feeding program. For many students, the Hunger for Education project made the difference between staying in school and dropping out.

“Salesian missionaries strive to reach the poorest students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to receive an education. Many of the students come from families where food is not readily available and a large percentage of these students come to class on an empty stomach,” says Jessica O’Connor, senior international development officer at Salesian Missions. “The project has already had a great impact on students. Children who once arrived at school hungry and had to struggle through classes without food are now provided with a meal during the day, and as a result, students have shown improvements in health, happiness and capacity to learn.”

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country. Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades exacerbating an already challenging situation. Seven years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

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Sources:

Breedlove

Feed My Starving Children

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: USAID Hunger for Education grant secured by Salesian Missions provides second food aid shipments to 6 Salesian centers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, Salesian Missions Madrid, in collaboration with the Salesian Spanish organization Youth and Development, launched a training program with the Rinaldi Foundation in Les Cayes for 200 youth. The training takes place at the Diocesan Center for Arts and Crafts in one of the areas devastated by last year’s hurricane. The training program lasts for six months and includes training in five disciplines including metallurgy, carpentry, construction, hairdressing and hotel management courses.

“The courses are not just designed to be technical in nature, but they also provide a series of socio-cultural support activities to help participants grow and flourish in a context of human development,” said Father Jean Paul Mésidor, the Salesian provincial in Haiti during the inauguration of the courses. “The professional training aims to prepare students for the workforce as well as promote local entrepreneurship, helping young people to create their own small businesses.”

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. After Hurricane Matthew, the Rinaldi Foundation, in collaboration with Salesian technical and vocational training centers, launched a number of rehabilitation projects across the country. One project included the rehabilitation of 158 homes in the Bergeau district of Les Cayes and Camp-Perrin in the south department of Haiti to ensure that 790 people have a home again. Missionaries also started distributing seeds and agricultural tools to those who lost their crops and with them their livelihood. About 500 farmers benefited from this project, which also allowed the resumption of economic activities in selected areas.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, health care and nutritious food.

Salesian missionaries arrived in Haiti in 1935 upon request from the Haitian government to run a professional school. There are more than 200 Salesian-run schools in Haiti. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Salesian missionaries operate 10 main centers across the country, each of which has a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need.

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Sources:

ANS – Haiti – Technical-vocational Training for young people following passage of Hurricane Matthew

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Technical Training Provides Professional Skills to Youth Affected by Hurricane Matthew first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Collaboration between the Salesian programs and Schneider Electric was formed 16 years ago. The contract between the two organizations was initiated between CNOS-FAP (National Center of Salesian Works – Professional Training and Upgrading) and Schneider Electric. Father Luigi Enrico Peretti, the general director of CNOS-FAP noted that the collaboration is very strong because it is based on common principles and perspectives with the goal of training youth for the workforce.

“Schneider Electric is proud to work with the Salesian Congregation through training programs for local instructors and students from more disadvantaged contexts,” said Gilles Vermot Desroches, senior vice president of sustainability at Schneider Electric.

The goal of the new projects is to generate sustainable development by creating opportunities for social advancement for disadvantaged youth in the regions where the programs will take place. In the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a project will be started at the Ngagi Professional Training Center to teach students about solar energy. The project will also include work placement and the installation of solar panels to generate electricity for the whole structure.

In Pingull Kudal, India, funding from this project will update the equipment in the laboratory of the local Professional Training Center to offer students the opportunity to work in more modern facilities. In Haiti, a project will offer training courses for teachers, new equipment for laboratories, technical materials for students and a new system of electricity supply. In Maputo, Mozambique, funding will allow the purchase of new equipment and materials for students and an energy update program will be set up for teachers and students. The fifth project funded will take place in southern Italy and provide apprenticeship courses in the subjects of innovation 4.0, covering electricity, electronics and renewable energies.

“Collaborative partnerships between Salesian missionaries and corporations are essential to help us meet our mission to provide education and social development programs to poor youth around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries provide technical and professional training for future electricians in many Salesian schools. The Schneider Electric partnership allows us to have up-to-date training materials and equipment available for our students along with professional training support in our classrooms.”

Through the Schneider Electrical Foundation more than 10,000 students have received electrician training in Salesian programs in India, Latin America and Europe since 2009. In addition to providing education, Salesian training programs help students connect to internships that allow them to apply lessons learned in the classroom to real-life work environments.

“Salesian programs educate poor youth who would otherwise have few opportunities for education and employment,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Having access to professionals in the field gives our students an advantage not only in the classroom but in the workforce as well.”

Salesian missionaries are also actively engaged in building hospitals, schools and youth centers as well as other community infrastructure in more than 130 countries around the globe. Schneider Electric has assisted in the implementation of many of these projects by providing both the equipment and professional support.

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Sources:

ANS – Italy – An Impressive Donation for Five Salesian Training Projects

Schneider Electrical Foundation

The post GLOBAL: Five New Salesian Projects Start with Funding from Schneider Electric Foundation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project is providing a cost share for the shipment of 16 containers of meals, eight from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger, and eight containers from Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable. The meals, which are provided five days a week for the 10-month duration of the project, will be shared among Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves. As a result, 12,733 Salesian students will access a hot meal each day at school.

The first shipment of Breedlove and Rise Against Hunger containers was received at the Salesian centers, and feeding programs are underway. The project also helped to ensure each of the six centers had kitchens equipped to cook the rice-meals and trained 15 school cooks to prepare the nutritional meals for students.

“Salesian missionaries strive to reach the poorest students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to receive an education. Many of the students come from families where food is not readily available and a large percentage of these students come to class on an empty stomach,” says Jessica O’Connor, senior international development officer at Salesian Missions. “The project has already had a great impact on students. Children who once arrived at school hungry and had to struggle through classes without food are now provided with a meal during the day, and as a result, students have shown improvements in health, happiness and capacity to learn.”

In Cap-Haïtien, the Primary School of the Vincent Foundation and the Lakay Program for Street Children are both beneficiaries of this project. Students attending the agricultural school at the Vincent Foundation were about to give up classes because of how challenging it is to focus on studies on an empty stomach. Because of this project, students were able to take advantage of the school’s feeding program. For many students, the Hunger for Education project made the difference between staying in school and dropping out.

The Hunger for Education project also serves as an incentive for children living on the street to seek out one of the Salesian programs for street children, where they receive hot meals in exchange for education and job-skills training. Salesian schools provide opportunities for remedial education and tutoring through their youth centers and programs for street children. However, no matter how many hours a child may spend sitting in a classroom, it is hard to focus and retain any information if the child is hungry. Additionally, some parents in Haiti will only allow their children to attend school if a meal is provided because otherwise the child is needed at home to work and provide for the family.

At the Salesian Center Cardinal Keeler Gonaïves and the Salesian primary and secondary schools in Gressier, more students are attending school regularly because of the feeding program. Many previously missed classes or were not engaged during class because they were hungry and could not concentrate. Now with a rice-meal for lunch each day, more children are showing up for school and are better engaged in the classroom.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country. Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades exacerbating an already challenging situation. Seven years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

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Sources:

Breedlove

Salesian Missions – Haiti

Rise Against Hunger

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: First Rice-Meal Shipments Made to Six Salesian Centers Under the Hunger for Education USAID Food Relief Partnership Project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian programs in Haiti provide education, workforce development and social development services to assist youth in gaining an education and breaking the cycle of poverty. However, no matter how many hours a child may spend sitting in a classroom, it is hard to focus and retain any information if the child is hungry. Additionally, some parents in Haiti will only allow their children to attend school if a meal is provided because otherwise the child is needed at home to work and provide for the family.

Salesian food programs provide meals to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of these feeding programs, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates.

“Feeding programs are a necessity to meet the needs of the massive number of children in Haiti who are hungry today,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

Salesian Missions has been collaborating with Salesian missionaries in Haiti for more than 20 years, during which time hundreds of containers of donated goods have been sent to meet the needs of youth advancement programs. These shipments have included food items to feed the school children and youth center attendees, educational books and computers for the schools and youth centers, clothing for the children and hygiene supplies for cholera prevention.

“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,” says Fr. Hyde.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country. Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades exacerbating an already challenging situation. Seven years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

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Sources:

Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now)

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Recent Rice-Meal Donation Provides Better Nutrition to 1,500 Poor Youth and Their Families first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries arrived in Haiti in 1935 upon request from the Haitian government to run a professional school. There are more than 200 Salesian-run schools in Haiti. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Salesian missionaries operate 10 main centers across the country, each of which has a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need.

With an established presence throughout the country, the emergency response to the hurricane was efficient and comprehensive. The Salesian Vocational Training Center in Les Cayes, which did not suffer significant damage, became the logistics base for initial aid including distributing food to about 900 families, activities for youth, a place to recharge phones (thanks to a generator), and a place where people could seek shelter and access clean water.

The Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation of Haiti, which headed up the Salesian response to the hurricane, is also leading the rebuilding efforts. Salesian missionaries report that the current needs in Haiti include rebuilding housing, hospitals, schools and secondary roads. In addition, the Haitian people need restoration of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, access to food, clean water and electricity, and education.

The Don Bosco Missions Association in Turin, Italy is also supporting the work of Salesian missionaries in Haiti. In collaboration with the International Volunteers for Development, it has undertaken repairs to houses in a way that reduces the vulnerability to environmental disasters. The rebuilding project will supply materials needed for repairs and technical support to ensure sound construction practices for safe housing units.

Training and technical supervision by the staff of the Rinaldi Foundation and the vocational school teachers will also provide assistance during rehabilitation. The project includes the rehabilitation of 158 homes in the Bergeau district of Les Cayes and Camp-Perrin in the South Department of Haiti and will ensure that about 790 people will have a home again.

“Living and working within the communities they serve, Salesian missionaries are perfectly positioned to immediately assess the needs of those who have been affected by these natural disasters,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because these communities are home to Salesian missionaries, they also remain long after others have left. They are there for the long haul, rebuilding people’s homes, entire communities and people’s livelihoods.”

Missionaries are also planning to start distributing seeds and agricultural tools to those who lost their crops and with them their livelihood. About 500 farmers will benefit from this project, which will also allow the resumption of economic activities in selected areas. With an eye on long-term sustainability and ensuring reconstruction efforts in local communities, the Rinaldi Foundation is also planning an education project that will provide intensive training for 300 youth in the construction industry, including courses in metallurgy, carpentry and welding. Students who might not otherwise be able to continue their studies will  be able to access scholarships.

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

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Sources:

ANS – Haiti – Rebuilding safe houses after the emergency

Reuters – Hurricane Matthew toll in Haiti rises to 1,000, dead buried in mass graves

Salesian Missions – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Missionaries Launch Rebuilding Project Helping Those Displaced After Hurricane Matthew first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Nearly a thousand migrants from Africa, Haiti, Central America and Mexico have reached the border city of Tijuana to seek political asylum in the United States. But immigration into the United States is a concern for many migrants. While they wait to receive a response to their request some are being helped by Salesian missionaries who maintain programs in Tijuana. At one time Salesian programs saw 25 to 30 people per day but since the influx of migration, 150 to 170 people a day are seeking services from the program.

The border between the United States and Mexico spans 1,969 miles and has more than 20 checkpoints along its route. Constant migration is taking place between the two countries with Mexican migrant workers traveling to U.S. border towns seeking employment and immigrants from both countries crossing back and forth. In addition, there are cases of undocumented Mexicans being repatriated.

Many border towns are plagued by crime and violence such as the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, money and people where the consequences of social and political tensions between the two nations are felt. Salesian missionaries have been working in Mexico and in these border towns for more than 25 years and have recently increased cooperation between the Salesian Province of Mexico-Guadalajara and the Province of USA West. The goal is to work together to address the increase of violence and insecurity in the region and launch proposals for education, social integration, drug prevention and combating the effects of organized crime.

“Since the middle of this year Tijuana has been transformed by the arrival of thousands of Haitian migrants, but things have not worked out well,” says Father Felipe Plascencia, rector of the Salesian House in Tijuana. “Hundreds of people arrive every day but the U.S. authorities allow only a few dozen of them to enter, leaving thousands of migrants stranded on the border. It is not clear how long this situation will last. A rough estimate is that it will take approximately 10 to 12 months. The reception center will remain in operation as long as this extraordinary situation persists.”

Currently, Salesian missionaries are serving more than 9,000 people in six Salesian oratories, a parish and a public dining hall which serves food to close to a thousand homeless and migrant people every day. The programs are facilitated by six Salesian missionaries with the help of volunteers, local collaborators and benefactors in both Mexico and the United States.

Before opening the new reception center, Fr. Plascencia and Father Francisco González, economer of the Mexico-Guadalajara Province, blessed the building. The event was attended by various officials representing the Mexican federal administration, and state and municipal authorities involved in the activities for migrants as well as volunteers and supporters of the oratory.

“Working hand in hand with and guided by the Salesians was a wonderful and miraculous experience,” said Carlos Mora Alvarez, president of the State Executive Council for the Care of Migrants located in Baja, Calif., at the event. “This center is being opened for the benefit of our migrant brothers, regardless of creed, race or skin color.”

In addition to working with migrant populations, Salesian missionaries in Mexico primarily direct their efforts toward the country’s at-risk youth, including girls and young mothers. Creating safe havens and improving educational opportunities are essential to deter youth from life on the streets where they are susceptible to drugs and gang violence.

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Sources:

ANS – Mexico – The Salesians of Tijuana open a shelter for Haitian migrants

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian Missionaries Open New Reception Center for Haitian Migrants first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since 1987, Salesian missionaries have been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the United States. The border between the two countries spans 1,969 miles and has more than 20 checkpoints along its route. Many border towns are plagued by crime and violence, including the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, money and people. In 2014, the Salesian Province of Mexico-Guadalajara and the Western Province of the United States increased cooperation in order to work more efficiently to address the increase of violence and insecurity in the region and launch proposals for education, social integration, drug prevention and combating the effects of organized crime.

Salesian missionaries have created an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth lack educational and workforce opportunities. Many youth ending up in border towns like Tijuana travel from other countries in Latin America to the U.S. border because of violence and extreme poverty in their own communities. They are seeking safety and educational opportunities they have been unable to access at home. But once in these border towns, youth have no family or friends or anyone ensuring their safety. Salesian programs provide this safety net through Salesian youth and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

Salesian missionaries are also working across communities in Latin America to address the root causes of this migration and develop programs that assist youth with education and workforce development. The goal is to help these communities engage youth so leaving is not a necessity and they can stay in their home counties and eventually give back — making their communities stronger and more viable for themselves and later generations.

“Young people need environments where they feel safe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In many Latin American cities that are branded as violent and chaotic, Salesian work has revealed that there are many youth living there who are full of dreams and talents and who have high hopes for a productive and happy future free from violence.”

Salesian missionaries serve more than 9,000 people in six Salesian oratories, a parish and a public dining hall, which serves food to close to a thousand homeless and migrant people every day in Tijuana.  The entire project is facilitated by six Salesian missionaries with the help of volunteers, local collaborators and benefactors in both Mexico and the United States.

These innovative Salesian programs are preventing poor children from dropping out of school and are providing important opportunities for their future. At-risk children take part in Salesian programs that integrate education, social activities and technical training. Classes are also offered in sports, music, dance and drama and give youth access to safe environments and adults who serve as mentors. The goal is to guide youth back into mainstream education so that they can reach their full potential.

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Sources:

ANS – Mexico – Group of Salesian Volunteers from Western Province of USA in Tijuana

UNICEF – Mexico

PHOTO courtesy of ANS

The post MEXICO: Salesian Volunteers from the United States Support Programs for Migrants and At-Risk Youth in Tijuana, Mexico first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The project will provide a cost share for the shipment of 16 containers of meals, eight from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger, and eight containers from Stop Hunger Now, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable. The meals will be shared among seven Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves. In addition, school cooks will receive additional training to prepare the cooked lunch five days a week to ensure proper nutrition that will benefit 12,733 students.

“Salesian missionaries strive to reach the poorest students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to receive an education. Many of the students come from families where food is not readily available and a large percentage of these students come to class on an empty stomach,” says Jessica O’Connor, senior international development officer at Salesian Missions. “The feeding programs through the Hunger for Education project will help ensure students receive the proper nutrition so they are prepared to focus on their studies and gain an education.”

The Hunger for Education project also serves as an incentive for children living on the street to seek out one of the Salesian programs for street children, where they receive hot meals in exchange for education and job-skills training. Salesian schools provide opportunities for remedial education and tutoring through their youth centers and programs for street children. However, no matter how many hours a child may spend sitting in a classroom, it is hard to focus and retain any information if the child is hungry. Additionally, some parents in Haiti will only allow their children to attend school if a meal is provided because otherwise the child is needed at home to work and provide for the family.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country. Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades exacerbating an already challenging situation. Seven years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

Salesian Missions is proud to highlight the Salesian centers that will operate the Hunger for Education Project.

Cap-Haïtien: Primary School of the Vincent Foundation & Lakay Program for Street Children

Salesian missionaries in Cap-Haïtien work with children from very poor families in the area. Many of the parents are not able to buy conventional supplies for their children. Many children come to school with their stomachs empty every day and are unable to pay attention and study. To remedy this situation, Salesian missionaries within the central kitchen of the Vincent Foundation cook and distribute meals for 1,053 children per day who usually arrive at school without having eaten anything. The feeding program is also support by the Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation. Salesian missionaries will also provide meals to children at the Lakay Program for Street Children, which provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince.

Fort-Liberté: Don Bosco Polytechnic

Fort-Liberté is known as an area of high poverty, despite the small efforts of the Haitian government, the private sector and other international aid organizations. Fort-Liberté encompasses a very difficult socio-cultural and economic situation which has severely weakened the sustainable development of the area. Don Bosco Polytechnic is located amidst this atmosphere of poverty and distress. The Salesian Center in Fort-Liberté offers a wide range of educational programs and includes an elementary school, a technical school, a vocational training center, teacher-training courses and a school of nursing. Don Bosco Technical School prepares poor youth for jobs through traditional and professional training courses in the areas identified as most in need, including hydraulics, masonry, cabinet making, tailoring and administrative work. More than 1,300 children, adolescents, and young women and men, ages five to 25 years, will benefit from the Hunger for Education project in Fort-Liberté.

Les Cayes: Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades

The Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades (CDAM) opened its doors to the poor youth of Haiti in 1983. CDAM provides technical/vocational training for the youth as well as educational and sports programs. The Center relies on the support of donors from Fonds Misereor, minimal school tuition fees and some minor assistance from the Haitian government for teacher salaries.  Since most of the students come from very poor backgrounds, Salesian missionaries charge only minimal tuition fees to those who can offer a scarce contribution, and the school is thus faced with economic limitations. Salesian teachers in Les Cayes note some serious problems with students related to nutritional deficiency in the center.  Every year, teachers see too many failures and dropouts in the Salesian center because of hunger and malnourishment. These children become more likely to get sick and miss school, have more behavioral and emotional problems, and are less likely to be able to concentrate, solve problems and retain information. They are also generally more irritable and less successful. The Hunger for Education project will provide lunch for 400 beneficiaries per school day.

Gonaïves: The Center Cardinal Keeler

The Center Cardinal Keeler in Gonaives is a technical Salesian school that provides education to both young women and men who are between the ages of 16 to 35 years. The center has never had a central kitchen before but with the Hunger for Education project, Salesian missionaries will be able to implement one in order to regularly cook meals for 254 students five days a week. Providing students meals during each school day will help them with their academic performance and allow them to better concentrate on their school work.

Gressier: Primary and Secondary Schools

In Gressier, families fish and have access to land to farm. Because the area is rural, many families lack basic necessities. The Salesian missionaries run a primary school and secondary school, as well as a boarding home for students, an eating hall and a kitchen and chapel in Gressier. Classes run in the morning from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and in the afternoon the students study, play sports and work. Every school day, Salesian missionaries provide a hot meal to more than 900 students in addition to 75 teachers and minor staff who come from far away.

Port-au-Prince: OPEPB Little Schools

In the distressed Port-au-Prince slums of La Saline and Cité Soleil, where most parents do not have the means to properly care for their children, the Salesian missionaries operate a network of four preschools, 192 primary schools, and three vocational/technical schools known as OPEPB or the Little Schools of Fr. Bohnen, after its founder. Fr. Bohnen also knew that children could not focus on their studies on an empty stomach so OPEPB has one the largest free cafeterias in the world equipped with two huge kitchens and two large dining halls and recently added a bakery to the facility to help meet the need for bread. As part of the Hunger for Education project, 8,620 students will receive daily lunch from the two main cafeterias.

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Sources:

Breedlove

Salesian Missions – Haiti

Stop Hunger Now

World Food Programme – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Missions Receives Grant Funding from USAID for Hunger for Education Project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 10 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country. The primary 10 centers each have a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes,  Gonaïves, and Gressier.

In addition to other feeding programs available at Salesian schools, the Salesian-run Hunger for Education Project reaches more than 12,733 youth. The project will provide a cost share for the shipment of 16 containers of meals, eight from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger, and eight containers from Stop Hunger Now, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable. The meals will be shared among seven Salesian centers in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gressier and Gonaïves. In addition, school cooks will receive additional training to prepare the cooked lunch five days a week to ensure proper nutrition that will benefit 12,733 students.

“Salesian missionaries strive to reach the poorest students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to receive an education. Many of the students come from families where food is not readily available and a large percentage of these students come to class on an empty stomach,” says Jessica O’Connor, senior international development officer at Salesian Missions. “The feeding programs through the Hunger for Education project will help ensure students receive the proper nutrition so they are prepared to focus on their studies and gain an education.”

The Hunger for Education project also serves as an incentive for children living on the street to seek out one of the Salesian programs for street children, where they receive hot meals in exchange for education and job-skills training. Salesian schools provide opportunities for remedial education and tutoring through their youth centers and programs for street children. However, no matter how many hours a child may spend sitting in a classroom, it is hard to focus and retain any information if the child is hungry. Additionally, some parents in Haiti will only allow their children to attend school if a meal is provided because otherwise the child is needed at home to work and provide for the family.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas ranking 163 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country also faces the highest levels of severe food insecurity in the world, according to the World Food Programme. More than half of the country’s population was chronically undernourished during 2012-2014, representing a total of 5.3 million Haitians. Nearly 100,000 Haitian children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, causing irreversible stunted growth for close to 30 percent of all children in the country. Haiti’s economy has also been repeatedly affected by political crises and natural disasters in the last two decades exacerbating an already challenging situation. Seven years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s population of 11 million continues to face humanitarian and development challenges.

Salesian Missions is proud to highlight the Salesian centers that will operate the Hunger for Education Project.

Cap-Haïtien: Primary School of the Vincent Foundation & Lakay Program for Street Children

Salesian missionaries in Cap-Haïtien work with children from very poor families in the area. Many of the parents are not able to buy conventional supplies for their children. Many children come to school with their stomachs empty every day and are unable to pay attention and study. To remedy this situation, Salesian missionaries within the central kitchen of the Vincent Foundation cook and distribute meals for 1,053 children per day who usually arrive at school without having eaten anything. The feeding program is also support by the Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation. Salesian missionaries will also provide meals to children at the Lakay Program for Street Children, which provides shelter and educational services for street children in Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince.

Fort-Liberté: Don Bosco Polytechnic

Fort-Liberté is known as an area of high poverty, despite the small efforts of the Haitian government, the private sector and other international aid organizations. Fort-Liberté encompasses a very difficult socio-cultural and economic situation which has severely weakened the sustainable development of the area. Don Bosco Polytechnic is located amidst this atmosphere of poverty and distress. The Salesian Center in Fort-Liberté offers a wide range of educational programs and includes an elementary school, a technical school, a vocational training center, teacher-training courses and a school of nursing. Don Bosco Technical School prepares poor youth for jobs through traditional and professional training courses in the areas identified as most in need, including hydraulics, masonry, cabinet making, tailoring and administrative work. More than 1,300 children, adolescents, and young women and men, ages five to 25 years, will benefit from the Hunger for Education project in Fort-Liberté.

Les Cayes: Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades

The Diocesan Center of Arts and Trades (CDAM) opened its doors to the poor youth of Haiti in 1983. CDAM provides technical/vocational training for the youth as well as educational and sports programs. The Center relies on the support of donors from Fonds Misereor, minimal school tuition fees and some minor assistance from the Haitian government for teacher salaries.  Since most of the students come from very poor backgrounds, Salesian missionaries charge only minimal tuition fees to those who can offer a scarce contribution, and the school is thus faced with economic limitations. Salesian teachers in Les Cayes note some serious problems with students related to nutritional deficiency in the center.  Every year, teachers see too many failures and dropouts in the Salesian center because of hunger and malnourishment. These children become more likely to get sick and miss school, have more behavioral and emotional problems, and are less likely to be able to concentrate, solve problems and retain information. They are also generally more irritable and less successful. The Hunger for Education project will provide lunch for 400 beneficiaries per school day.

Gonaïves: The Center Cardinal Keeler

The Center Cardinal Keeler in Gonaives is a technical Salesian school that provides education to both young women and men who are between the ages of 16 to 35 years. The center has never had a central kitchen before but with the Hunger for Education project, Salesian missionaries will be able to implement one in order to regularly cook meals for 254 students five days a week. Providing students meals during each school day will help them with their academic performance and allow them to better concentrate on their school work.

Gressier: Primary and Secondary Schools

In Gressier, families fish and have access to land to farm. Because the area is rural, many families lack basic necessities. The Salesian missionaries run a primary school and secondary school, as well as a boarding home for students, an eating hall and a kitchen and chapel in Gressier. Classes run in the morning from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and in the afternoon the students study, play sports and work. Every school day, Salesian missionaries provide a hot meal to more than 900 students in addition to 75 teachers and minor staff who come from far away.

Port-au-Prince: OPEPB Little Schools

In the distressed Port-au-Prince slums of La Saline and Cité Soleil, where most parents do not have the means to properly care for their children, the Salesian missionaries operate a network of four preschools, 192 primary schools, and three vocational/technical schools known as OPEPB or the Little Schools of Fr. Bohnen, after its founder. Fr. Bohnen also knew that children could not focus on their studies on an empty stomach so OPEPB has one the largest free cafeterias in the world equipped with two huge kitchens and two large dining halls and recently added a bakery to the facility to help meet the need for bread. As part of the Hunger for Education project, 8,620 students will receive daily lunch from the two main cafeterias.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Program – Haiti

The post HAITI: Fighting Hunger in the Classroom first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries on the ground are reporting that four people from one family were killed following the collapse of a wall. Others who were seriously injured were taken to the hospital for medical treatment. Many have been left homeless and in need of food and shelter.

Foundation Vincent, the Salesian house in Cap-Haïtien, faces huge challenges as nearly the whole building is below the water level. A part of the wall has fallen and several classrooms are flooded with water and mud. Nevertheless, Salesian missionaries have been able to help and accommodate more than 50 families from the surrounding areas who have had their homes destroyed or badly damaged.

“While Salesian missionaries have been working to provide relief efforts in Les Cayes and other communities affected by Hurricane Matthew, those in the north are turning their attention to help families who have been affected by this flooding,” says Father Victor, a Salesian priest in Haiti. “It downpoured all weekend and many areas are flooded, affecting the entire community including our Salesian center. We are doing our best to offer food and shelter to those who need it as we continue to assess the situation.”

Living and working within the communities they serve, Salesian missionaries are perfectly positioned to immediately assess the needs of those who have been affected by these natural disasters. The Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation of Haiti, which has been heading up the Salesian response to Hurricane Matthew, has been working in communities across the country to provide assistance to those affected by the devastating hurricane. Salesian missionaries continue to provide emergency relief kits as well as clean water and soap to prevent the spread of cholera, which has already killed 13 and sickened 62 more people. The concern is with the lack of available water and proper sanitation, there will be another deadly outbreak of cholera.

Salesian missionaries are also looking to reconstruction efforts with the Rinaldi Foundation, which is preparing the distribution of building materials for those affected so that they can repair their homes or rebuild them. They are also planning an education project that will provide intensive training for 300 youth in the construction industry including courses in metallurgy, carpentry and welding. Students who might not otherwise be able to continue their studies will also be able to access scholarships.

Because the needs are so great in Haiti, Salesian Missions, along with other Salesian NGOs around the globe, has launched an emergency fundraising drive. Those who want to help victims of Hurricane Matthew are urged to make a donation online at www.salesianmissions.org/haiti-relief/give.

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Sources:

ANS PHOTO

ANS – Haiti – No peace for Haiti: floods hit the north of the country

MissionNewswire – HAITI: Missionaries Continue Relief Efforts After Hurricane, Plan for Long-term Recovery and Reconstruction

The post HAITI: Salesian Missionaries are Assisting More Than 50 Families Affected by Flooding in Northern Haiti first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian schools and programs are located throughout Haiti—including Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap Haïtien, Les Cayes, and Gressier. With an established presence throughout the country, the emergency response has been efficient and comprehensive. A warehouse that was built using funds raised by Salesian Missions (after the 2010 earthquake) has been utilized as a staging ground where missionaries and other volunteers assemble survival kits for distribution. In addition, a delivery truck, also funded by Salesian Missions, is making the transport to Les Cayes possible. The town—which is located in the area hardest hit by the hurricane—is home to Salesian schools and programs for the poor.

The Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation of Haiti, which has been heading up the Salesian response to the hurricane, sent a delegation to the south of the country to assess the damage caused by the hurricane and distribute emergency aid. The emergency relief kits are able to sustain five people for four days and contained rice, beans, salmon, sugar, olive oil and milk. Salesian missionaries have also been providing clean water and soap to prevent the spread of cholera, which has already killed 13 and sickened 62 more people. The concern is with the lack of available water and proper sanitation, there will be another deadly outbreak of cholera.

Salesian missionaries are also looking to reconstruction efforts with the Rinaldi Foundation which is preparing the distribution of building materials for those affected so that they can repair their homes or rebuild them. Missionaries are also planning to start distributing seeds and agricultural tools to those who lost their crops and with them their livelihood. About 500 farmers will benefit from this project, which will also allow the resumption of economic activities in selected areas.

With an eye on long-term sustainability and ensuring reconstruction efforts in local communities, the Rinaldi Foundation is also planning an education project that will provide intensive training for 300 youth in the construction industry including courses in metallurgy, carpentry and welding. Students who might not otherwise be able to continue their studies will also be able to access scholarships.

“Salesian missionaries are helping those in need with the distribution of food and water kits, but this phase should not last long. The second phase is the creation of a canteen to provide warm meals for all, but especially for the children and young people who access our programs,” says Father Jean Paul Mesidor, Superior of the Salesians of Haiti. “A third step will be to provide working tools to people so that they may begin to till their land so that the food source will remain accessible. Lastly, but most important, we will provide construction materials and offer education so people can get back to work reviving their own livelihood and rebuilding their communities.”

Slamming into the southern part of the island on Oct. 4 with wind speeds of up to 145 miles per hour, Hurricane Matthew ripped tin roofs from the fragile makeshift shelters in which tens of thousands of people had been living since the earthquake. Vulnerable to the storm’s fury, more than 1,000 people are confirmed dead. Roads and bridges collapsed, and communications systems failed—stranding victims from critical aid. The storm surge flooded entire farmlands, destroying up to 80 percent of food crops and killing significant numbers of livestock. Mudslides have clogged wells and sanitation systems. More than 50,000 people are now homeless, with food and safe drinking water desperately scarce.

The need is great, and time is of the essence. This is why Salesian Missions, along with other Salesian NGOs around the globe, has launched an emergency fundraising drive. Those who want to help victims of Hurricane Matthew are urged to make a donation online at www.salesianmissions.org/haiti-relief/give.

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PHOTOS: Salesian Missions / ich.tv – Bahare kh 2016

(Photos may be re-published as long as the above credit line appears.)

Sources:

ANS – Haiti – After Hurricane Matthew: New Forms of Solidarity

ANS – Haiti – Salesians continue to distribute aid and are already planning on rebuilding

Salesian Missions

The post HAITI: Missionaries Continue Relief Efforts After Hurricane, Plan for Long-term Recovery and Reconstruction first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Locals trust us and know we are a dependable presence to whom they can turn in times of emergency,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “And the fact that we have already-established infrastructure and logistical capabilities—like storage warehouses, transportation vehicles and distribution channels—as well as a unique knowledge of how to get things done locally, means that we can respond quickly and effectively.”

In fact, the warehouse was built using funds from Salesian Missions, made possible by donations from donors who responded after the 2010 earthquake. The warehouse was used for not only storage but also as the staging ground where missionaries and other volunteers assembled the initial 400 survival kits. A delivery truck also funded by Salesian Missions made the transport to Les Cayes possible. The town—which is located in the area hardest hit by the hurricane—is home to Salesian schools and programs for the poor.

Each relief kit—containing rice, beans, salmon, sugar, olive oil, milk and soap—is intended to provide for five persons for four days, according to Father Victor Auguste, deputy director of the Rinaldi Foundation of Haiti, which is heading up the Salesian response efforts following the hurricane.

The supplies to stock and assemble the kits were purchased locally, and additional donations are needed immediately to be able to continue the effort. In addition to food, clean water and soap will be essential if there is a hope to contain a cholera outbreak.

“It is a real catastrophe,” says Father Hubert Mesidor, a Salesian missionary serving in the Vice-Province of Haiti. “The destruction reminds us of the 2010 earthquake. And there is a real fear of a resurgence of the cholera epidemic.”

The need is great, and time is of the essence. This is why Salesian Missions, along with other Salesian NGOs around the globe, has launched an emergency fundraising drive. Those who want to help victims of Hurricane Matthew are urged to make a donation online at www.salesianmissions.org/haiti-relief/give.

Slamming into the southern part of the island on Oct. 4 with wind speeds of up to 145 miles per hour, Hurricane Matthew ripped tin roofs from the fragile makeshift shelters in which tens of thousands of people had been living since the earthquake. Vulnerable to the storm’s fury, more than 1,000 people are confirmed dead. Roads and bridges collapsed, and communications systems failed—stranding victims from critical aid. The storm surge flooded entire farmlands, destroying up to 80 percent of food crops and killing significant numbers of livestock. Mudslides have clogged wells and sanitation systems, and the cholera that Fr. Mesidor feared has already killed 13 people and sickened an additional 62. More than 50,000 people are now homeless, with food and safe drinking water desperately scarce.

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Sources:

PHOTOS courtesy of the Rinaldi Foundation.

ANS

Salesian Missions

SPECIAL NOTE TO PUBLISHERS:

This article can be republished without consent, as long as these attribution guidelines are met.

The post HAITI: Missionaries Distribute Survival Kits, Fear Cholera Outbreak first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“We cannot yet quantify our losses,” he said. “We want to thank everyone from around the world who has called or written to express their sympathy.”

Soon after the hurricane hit Haiti, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, launched an emergency fundraising campaign to purchase relief supplies and help missionaries on the ground provide assistance. Those who want to help are encouraged to donate online at https://www.salesianmissions.org/haiti-relief/give. Donations made through this page will go specifically for relief efforts in Haiti.

“What is most needed at times like this are cash donations,” explains Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “What aid workers and our Salesian missionaries on the ground need most are relief supplies, and the fastest way to make sure they get what they need is to donate money to organizations, like Salesian Missions, who already have people in the affected areas. We have missionaries, schools and programs helping the poor in cities and towns not only throughout Haiti, but also in the Dominican Republic, so this adds to our ability to coordinate response efforts.”

The UN is reporting that an estimated 1,000 people have died in Haiti due to the hurricane and estimates that some 1.4 million people are in need of immediate assistance. Salesian missionaries living and working in the area responded immediately to the crisis and are reporting that the southern part of the country, which consists of three departments, are completely isolated from the rest of the Haiti because the bridge linking to Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, has been destroyed.

In addition, farm lands and fruit trees which residents depend on for food in the region, once rich with vegetation and ready for the harvest, have been completely destroyed increasing the need for food aid and exacerbating ongoing food insecurity in the country. Because of the heavy rains and a lack of access to clean, safe water for drinking, there is also concern of a cholera outbreak. Cholera cases have been steadily rising in the country through 2016 and the concern is with floodwaters and overflowing rivers the conditions are ripe for an outbreak of this water-borne disease. Salesians report that to combat a potential outbreak the first truck with tablets for water treatment and water tanks arrived in Les Cayes on Oct 6, and currently six water trucks are on their way to Les Cayes and Jeremie. A water tank has also been made available to the hospital in Les Cayes.

Some schools in Haiti reopened on Monday, Oct. 10. But, according to UNICEF, some 100,000 children will be missing out on learning after their schools were either damaged or converted into shelters. National estimates note that at least 300 public schools have been partially or entirely damaged in the country and many others are being used to shelter displaced families.

Funds raised through the Salesian Missions emergency appeal will purchase the following relief supplies which have been identified as a priority by aid workers on the ground in Haiti: water, food (rice, beans, oil), sheet metal and plywood. The goal is to begin offering a hot meal to 3,000 children a day as soon as possible. The Sandals Foundation has already pledged $10,000 for this initial emergency effort.

After the January 2010 earthquake, Salesian Missions in New York worked in cooperation with the Rinaldi Foundation, which headed up Salesian relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. The experience both the Rinaldi Foundation and Salesian Missions gained from this work is invaluable at times like this. Not only are Salesian missionaries often called upon by the government to assist, their programs are trusted by locals who know it is a place to turn during emergencies. Infrastructure and logistical capabilities (such as storage warehouses, transportation and distribution channels) allow Salesian Missions to provide assistance during times like this. Additionally, partnerships are key to effectively respond to humanitarian needs during emergencies such as this. Salesian Missions works with organizations within Haiti, in the United States and around the globe, and therefore has access to the supplies needed.

Salesian missionaries arrived in Haiti in 1935 upon request from the Haitian government to run a professional school. There are more than 200 Salesian-run schools in Haiti and programs reach more than 25,000 children and youth. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Salesian missionaries operate 10 main centers across the country, each of which has a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Programs are focused on assisting the poorest and most vulnerable children (and their families) in countrysides, cities and slums. These include feeding programs and vocational and technical education to prepare youth for the workforce. Nutritional meals are a key element of the schools, ensuring children not only attend school but also are able to have the energy and focus to learn. In Port-au-Prince, Salesian missionaries operate one the largest free cafeterias in the world feeding more than 25,000 people daily.

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, working to raise funds and develop programs to aid youth and families in some of the poorest places on earth. Haiti is one of more than 130 countries around the globe where Salesians work to give hope and provide opportunity to vulnerable youth through education and skills training. Learn more about where the Salesians work and the programs they provide at www.salesianmissions.org.

Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, and is part of the Don Bosco Network — a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. Salesian Missions works in cooperation with the Rinaldi Foundation in Haiti, which is also part of the Don Bosco Network. Both organizations have immense experience and resources in handling humanitarian emergencies. Funds raised by Salesian Missions in the United States will be distributed to the Rinaldi Foundation.

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Sources:

ANS – Haiti – Hurricane Matthew: “As Salesians we must be where there are thousands of young people in need”

Gizmodo – Haiti Faces Nightmare Combination of Disease and Starvation After Hurricane Matthew

UNICEF – One week after Hurricane Matthew, at least 300 schools damaged in Haiti, over 100,000 children miss out on learning

The post HAITI: Salesian Missionaries Continue Relief Work in Aftermath of Hurricane Matthew first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti are the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government, and their programs serve more than 25,000 Haitian children. Salesian-run technical and vocational training centers focus on providing youth with the educational opportunities and social support they need to succeed.Those in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding villages offer courses in a variety of professional fields such as catering, woodworking, agriculture, electricity, mechanics and hotel management. Additional centers in Fort-Liberté and Cap-Haïtien specialize in the fields of health, agriculture, information technology, electricity and hotel management.

In 2015, nine new classrooms were built in the impoverished village of Bergeaud, located in the southwest seaport city of Les Cayes. Here, Salesian missionaries run a vocational training center for youth. The new classrooms are part of a new school serving hundreds of students in the area.

“Salesian schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve education and workforce development for youth, and we accomplish this by improving the skill and capacity of professionals in existing programs and helping graduates overcome obstacles to entering the workforce.”

In addition to the vocation and technical education, Salesian missionaries operate 192 primary schools and three vocational/technical schools known as OPEPB (in French: Oeuvre des petites écoles du Père Bohnen) or the Little Schools of Fr. Bohnen, in honor of its founder, in Port-au-Prince. Today, OPEPB is committed to working for the improved social welfare of more than 7,000 marginalized youth.

Further, Salesian Missions has been collaborating with Salesian missionaries in Haiti for more than 20 years, during which time hundreds of containers of donated goods have been sent to meet the needs of youth advancement programs. These shipments have included food items to feed the school children and youth center attendees, educational books and computers for the schools and youth centers, clothing for the children and hygiene supplies for cholera prevention.

In the past few years, Salesian Missions has partnered with a number of organizations that make these shipments possible including Feed My Starving Children, Stop Hunger Now, One World Play Project, Cross International, Mission Relief Services, the Order of Malta, Kids to Kids International, the Institution Recycling Network and Relief International, among others. Salesian missionaries have the infrastructure in place to ensure that these donations reach those who need it most.

Because Salesian missionaries live and work in these local communities they are also among the first to respond when disaster strikes. Salesian missionaries were among the first responders to the January 2010 earthquake that destroyed 90 percent of Haiti’s schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured.

After the 2010 earthquake, Salesian Missions in New York worked in cooperation with the Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation, which headed up Salesian relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. The experience both the Rinaldi Foundation and Salesian Missions gained from this work is invaluable at times like this. Not only are Salesian missionaries often called upon by the government to assist, their programs are trusted by locals who know it is a place to turn during emergencies. Infrastructure and logistical capabilities (such as storage warehouses, transportation and distribution channels) allow Salesian Missions to provide assistance during times like this. Additionally, partnerships are key to effectively respond to humanitarian needs during emergencies such as this. Salesian Missions works with organizations within Haiti, in the United States and around the globe, and therefore has access to the supplies needed.

Currently, Salesian Missions, the Rinaldi Foundation and Salesian missionaries in Haiti are actively assessing and responding to the needs of those affected by Hurricane Matthew. The Rinaldi Foundation’s experienced Planning Development Office is heading up the relief effort in Haiti.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Salesian Missions launched an emergency appeal to raise funds to help purchase relief supplies: https://www.salesianmissions.org/haiti-relief/give

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Sources:

OPEPB Programs

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Missionaries Provide Education, Social Welfare Programs for More Than 25,000 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

From there, the Salesian mission in Haiti grew to feeding programs and vocational and technical education to prepare youth for the workforce. Today, OPEPB, a Salesian development project committed to working for the improved social welfare of marginalized youth, serves more than 18,000 poor youth living in the slums of the Northern Bay of Port-au-Prince each year.

OPEPB supports 192 Little Schools and six elementary schools where reading, writing, mathematics, science, music and arts are taught to children ranging in ages from 7 to 15 years. These educational centers serve more than 7,000 children every year. Fr. Bohnen also knew that children could not focus on their studies on an empty stomach.

OPEPB has one the largest free cafeterias in the world. Every child enrolled in any Salesian program receives at least a hot lunch daily. The facility is equipped with two huge kitchens and two large dining halls and recently added a bakery to the facility to help meet the need for bread.

“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.”

Once students finish their elementary schooling, they are able to advance on to Salesian vocational schools where they have access to both secondary academics and occupational instruction in more than 16 different career paths. Students are able to take course programs like automotive body and repair, automotive mechanics, baking and pastry arts, business technology, carpentry, computer typography, electrical maintenance and construction, electronics, sewing, tailoring and welding, and more. The classes offered are implemented based on the changing needs of the country.

OPEPB currently has 200 students enrolled in the business technology program and approximately 2,400 students enrolled in the three vocational schools. In addition to classroom work, the schools also offer hands-on training and internships in real work environments to prepare students for the workforce. Upon completion of these programs, students are then hired in local industries, businesses or start their own shops. The placement rate for Salesian vocational schools in well into the high 90 percent.

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after a January 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. In 2012, more than 3 million children were able to return to school with more than 20,000 students educated in Salesian-run institutions.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

Salesian schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

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Sources:

OPEPB Programs

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Programs Serve More Than 18,000 Youth in Slums of Port-Au-Prince first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“What is most needed at times like this are cash donations,” explains Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “What they need are relief supplies and the fastest way to make sure they get what they need is to donate money to organizations already working on the ground in the affected areas like Salesian Missions. We have missionaries, schools and programs helping the poor in cities and towns not only throughout Haiti, but also in the Dominican Republic, so this adds to our ability to coordinate response efforts.”

Those who want to help are encouraged to donate online at https://www.salesianmissions.org/haiti-relief/give. Donations made through this specific page will go specifically for relief efforts in Haiti.

The storm is still active and the government in Haiti has asked people to stay where they are until it passes. In the meantime, Salesian missionaries on the ground in Haiti are preparing for relief efforts and will begin this work as soon as they are cleared to do so. They are working with Salesian Missions as part of this preparation.

Funds raised will purchase the following relief supplies which have been identified as a priority by aid workers on the ground in Haiti: water, food (rice, beans, oil), sheet metal and plywood. The goal is to begin offering a hot meal to 3,000 children a day as soon as possible.

After the January 2010 earthquake, Salesian Missions in New York worked in cooperation with the Rinaldi Foundation, which headed up Salesian relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. The experience both the Rinaldi Foundation and Salesian Missions gained from this work is invaluable at times like this. Not only are Salesian missionaries often called upon by the government to assist, their programs are trusted by locals who know it is a place to turn during emergencies. Infrastructure and logistical capabilities (such as storage warehouses, transportation and distribution channels) allow Salesian Missions to provide assistance during times like this. Additionally, partnerships are key to effectively respond to humanitarian needs during emergencies such as this. Salesian Missions works with organizations within Haiti, in the United States and around the globe, and therefore has access to the supplies needed.

So far, Salesian Missions has received word of damage to offices, schools and churches affected by the hurricane. Roofs have been lost and buildings are flooded. An agriculture program has suffered the loss of its crops and animals (including cows and goats).

Salesian missionaries arrived in Haiti in 1935 upon request from the Haitian government to run a professional school. There are more than 200 Salesian-run schools in Haiti and programs reach more than 25,000 children and youth. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Salesian missionaries operate 10 main centers across the country, each of which has a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers and other programs for street children and youth in need. Programs are focused on assisting the poorest and most vulnerable children (and their families) in countrysides, cities and slums. These include feeding programs and vocational and technical education to prepare youth for the workforce. Nutritional meals are a key element of the schools, ensuring children not only attend school but also are able to have the energy and focus to learn. In Port-au-Prince, Salesian missionaries operate one the largest free cafeterias in the world feeding more than 25,000 people daily.

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, working to raise funds and develop programs to aid youth and families in some of the poorest places on earth. Haiti is one of more than 130 countries around the globe where Salesians work to give hope and provide opportunity to vulnerable youth through education and skills training. Learn more about where the Salesians work and the programs they provide at www.salesianmissions.org.

Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. Salesian Missions works in cooperation with the Rinaldi Foundation in Haiti, which is also part of the Don Bosco Network. Both organizations have immense experience and resources in handling humanitarian emergencies. Funds raised by Salesian Missions in the United States will be distributed to the Rinaldi Foundation.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Hector Retamal / AFP (Licensed by Getty Images)

The post HAITI: Salesian Missions Launches Emergency Fundraising Campaign to Aid Relief Efforts Following Hurricane Matthew first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ASAP accepts tool donations at its Peachtree City, Georgia location and then utilizes volunteers to help refurbish and package the tools, both new and used. From there, the tool kits are sent to Salesian vocational training programs in Haiti to help graduates prepare for future work.

Tools are expensive and students graduating from carpentry, electrical, plumbing, auto repair and other similar training programs need tools in order to retain stable employment. The tool kits provided by ASAP are vital for those students who can’t afford to buy the tools they need for work.

“The partnership with ASAP has helped Haitian graduates gain employment and break the cycle of poverty,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many Salesian students do not have the financial resources to purchase the tools of their trade and find it challenging after graduation to be fully ready for the workforce. This donation will prepare students for that next step and make them more employable.”

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after a January 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. In 2012, more than 3 million children were able to return to school with more than 200,000 students educated in Salesian-run institutions.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

Salesian schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

Salesian-run technical and vocational training centers are operated throughout Haiti. Those in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding villages offer courses in a variety of professional fields such as catering, woodworking, agriculture and hotel management. Additional centers in Fort Liberté and Cap-Haitien specialize in the fields of health, agriculture, information technology, electricity and hotel management. All of these centers, as well as other Salesian-run programs in the country, focus on providing youth with the educational opportunities and social support they need to succeed.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve education and workforce development for youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We accomplish this by improving the skill and capacity of professionals in existing programs and helping graduates overcome obstacles to entering the workforce.”

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Sources:

A Self-Help Assistance Program

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: More than 230 Salesian Graduates Receive Workforce Readiness Tool Kits first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Last year, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. For Salesian missionaries in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing a foundation of lifelong learning for poor youth and teaching them valuable skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild the country after the earthquake, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. Over half of its population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank.

“Even before the earthquake, Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the world and was desperately in need of schools and qualified teachers,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The earthquake diminished the few educational opportunities available for a generation of girls and boys already facing a future with little hope. Education is one of the most crucial factors in determining whether or not a child can escape a lifetime of poverty so it is imperative we do all we can to rebuild.”

Once Mr. Oderda saw and understood the educational challenges in Haiti resulting from the earthquake, he was moved to act. To date, he has provided the financial underwriting for the construction of four of the nine classrooms with more on the way. When the project is completed, the new school will be comprised of the nine classrooms as well as a laboratory, library, infirmary, bathroom facilities and a teachers’ lounge, all fully  furnished. The new school will be able to serve 360 students aged 6 to 15 who will have the opportunity to gain the basic education needed to enter the Salesian-run technical school at the same location.

“My aim is to help a devastated country by building a school where young people can learn the skills for a real job, one that will allow them to become independent and free from the chains of poverty,” explains Mr. Oderda in a recent video he created about the project.

Salesians missionaries in Haiti are focused on providing education and technical training to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the Haitian people. Mr. Oderda chose to partner with Salesian Missions because of the organization’s nearly 80 years providing educational and workforce development programs and opportunities in Haiti. Salesian programs are made possible through the ongoing support of donors who help provide funding for this important work.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – A Meaningful Legacy for Haiti’s Children

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Loyal Salesian Missions Supporter Builds Classrooms for New School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The donated furniture from Asset 360 is being shared by Salesian programs across Haiti. Salesian-run educational institutions in Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital city, bring homeless children in off the streets and provide them with food, clothing, shelter and education. These schools then work to reintegrate youth back into society through a variety of small economic initiatives.

In addition to schools, there are Salesian-run technical and vocational training centers throughout the country. Those in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding villages offer courses in a variety of professional fields such as catering, woodworking, agriculture and hotel management. Additional centers in the cities of Fort Liberté and Cap-Haitien specialize in the fields of health, agriculture, information technology, electricity and hotel management. All of these centers, as well as other Salesian-run programs in the country, focus on providing youth with the educational opportunities and social support they need to succeed.

“Salesians in Haiti are focused on providing education and technical training to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the Haitian people,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Partnerships like those with Asset 360 help us to provide much needed supplies for our programs. Students find it easier to concentrate on their studies in a structured environment and the donated desks and chairs make that possible.”

Bedroom furniture such as beds and dressers were donated to Salesian students. The new furniture has given many a sense of dignity, especially those who have never had their own bed or dresser before.

“This is like a dream for me because where I was on the street before I never thought that one day I would have a bed for myself like rich people,” says a young student at the Salesian-run Lakay shelter and educational program in Port-au-Prince.

The shipment of furniture was the first of several donations provided by Asset 360 and coordinated by Salesian Missions. Salesian programs in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador will also receive shipments of donated furniture.

“This was a unique project at Bowling Green State University, in that multiple facilities were involved in the removal project on campus and multiple destinations were targeted for the shipments through Salesian Missions,” says Mark Berry, president of Asset 360. “Coordinating all of these moving parts was the challenge that we faced, and the campus community at BGSU could not have been more satisfied with the outcome.”

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. Over half of its population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day, and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank. Haiti continues to have significant needs in education, healthcare and nutrition.

Last year, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured.

For Salesian missionaries in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing a foundation of lifelong education for poor youth and teaching them valuable skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

ABOUT ASSET 360

ASSET 360 is an environmental services company specializing in the responsible repurposing of no longer needed surplus materials from a wide variety of clients. Any private organization or public institution generating surplus furniture, fixtures, equipment and supplies is paired with Asset 360’s extensive network of humanitarian relief organizations whose mission it is to provide relief supplies to needy communities here in the U.S. and in the developing world.

Asset 360 staff have shipped more than 3,000 shipping containers to over 40 countries, accounting for more than 45 million pounds of materials diverted away from already over-burdened landfills. Asset 360 clients realize significant financial, social and environmental benefits through the use of this surplus reuse program.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in some of the poorest places on the planet. The nearly 30,000 Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters—all dedicated to caring for poor children around the globe in more than 130 countries. The Salesians are widely considered the world’s largest private provider of vocational and technical training. Additionally, more than 1 million children attend Salesian primary schools, many of which are UNICEF-supported. Millions of vulnerable youth have received services specifically funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion.

The post HAITI: More than 700 Students Have Access to School and Bedroom Furniture Thanks to Salesian Missions Partnership with Asset 360 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries in the country offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities. The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and break the cycle of poverty as well as deter young people from life on the streets and the lure of gangs.

“Sports programs teach valuable skills to youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership and teamwork. Students also learn important social skills and are given opportunities to grow and mature.”

Through a partnership with the Salesians of Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation in collaboration with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Salesian Province of the Antilles, Salesian students in Santo Domingo have access to a socio-sporting school. Dominic Savio School House in Santo Domingo uses soccer as a tool for social integration, improving the quality of life for boys and girls who are at risk of social exclusion. Alongside the sports, the school provides various support services to children and their families such as tutoring, classroom space for homework, vocational training, healthcare, nutrition education and cultural and recreational activities.

The collaboration between Salesian missionaries and the Real Madrid Foundation has been very successful granting more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children the opportunity to participate in similar programs around the globe. This partnership has led to the development of 14 socio-sports programs in nine countries including Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Senegal and Brazil.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Even though the country’s economy has been steadily improving since 1996, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

Many students do not have the supplies necessary to complete their studies and teachers lack access to ongoing teacher education. As result, many youth lack the education and training to compete in the job market. To meet this need, Salesian programs in the Dominican Republic focus on education and vocational training to help youth learn the skills and trades necessary to find stable employment.

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Sources:

Dominican Republic – 3,000 athletes at Salesian Sports Festival

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

*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 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: More than 3,000 Athletes Participated in the 2015 Don Bosco Sports Festival first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In the initial aftermath of the devastating earthquake, Salesian missionaries in Haiti were instrumental in emergency response and relief efforts. They were among the first responders, providing shelter, clean drinking water, medical aid and a means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies as well as, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti. Having served Haiti for nearly 75 years, Salesian missionaries were not outsiders rushing in to help, they were trusted members of the communities they served.

First opened in 2002, the youth center in Fort Liberté offered a broad range of formal and informal educational programs for local youth. It housed an elementary school, technical school, vocational training center, teacher-training program and one of the country’s only nursing schools.

“The destruction and devastation after the earthquake was difficult to witness,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “A school campus once filled with students and full of life and activity was reduced to rubble and desolation.”

To support the ongoing reconstruction efforts, Fr. Hyde has traveled to Haiti dozens of times since the disaster. His most recent trip included a visit to Fort Liberté where he participated in a dedication ceremony for the newly rebuilt and re-opened youth center. The reconstruction after the earthquake offered an opportunity to enhance the center’s programs and services beyond their original scope. In addition to simply rebuilding the schools, youth facilities, dorms and missionary housing, a new water purification plant now provides clean, fresh water at affordable prices to residents of surrounding communities.

“Without the new purification plant, local water isn’t suitable for drinking,” says Fr. Hyde. “The new plant already has a steady stream of daily customers. Providing access to clean safe water is a priority for our missionaries so we are very happy with this new addition.”

There are also plans to construct a health clinic on or near the campus which will provide more than 160 nursing students with the practical training they need without having to travel great distances. Additionally, the rebuilding of a Salesian Provincial House on the property now includes several large rooms that may be used for and rented out as conference space, providing much-needed income for Salesian programs. All of the newly constructed buildings meet the standards for being earthquake-proof which ensures that funding for the projects has been utilized in a responsible, sustainable way.

During his most recent trip, Fr. Hyde also visited Salesian programs in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Gressier and Cap Haitien. At Cité Soleil, another new water purification plant will soon provide water to local, impoverished residents for free. In addition, in order to support demand, training opportunities in the field of clean water and sustainable systems design will be added to the curriculum offered by the Salesian technical school there.

In Gressier, the Salesian-run National School of Arts and Trades (ENAM) is up and running after having been completely destroyed and in elementary and technical training classrooms around the country, curricula focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to rebuild Haiti.

“We could not have made such remarkable progress without the ongoing and exceptional generosity of our many donors and on behalf of our Salesian missionaries on the ground in Haiti, we are very grateful for their support,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

For Salesian missionaries in Haiti, schools and youth programs fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

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Sources:

Haiti – Fort Liberté: a new building for the training of the young

Haiti – The re-construction of the Salesian centres

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Missions Fulfills Five-Year Promise to Reconstruct Youth Center in Fort Liberté first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Boys and Girls with Don Bosco began in 1985 as a pilot program to help young people selling newspapers on the streets of Santo Domingo access education and social development services. In more than 30 years of operation, the small pilot program has turned into a vast network of services operating out of several Salesian centers easily accessible by poor youth and their families. Programs begin by working directly with youth and continue by reaching out to family members through services that help them become a support to the young people in their lives.

Many youth turned to working on the streets to earn money to help them escape violence, broken families, substance abuse and neglect at home. Others were sent by their parents to earn a meager wage to help support the family. The wrap-around and supportive family services offered by the program are essential to help youth remain engaged in their studies and eventually finish elementary and secondary education.

“The program has been so successful due to its youth-centered approach which offers young people a choice in the services they access,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Since its inception, more than 30,000 families at risk from conditions of poverty, family breakdown and exploitation have accessed services.”

The program is supported by 300 volunteers who assist more than 3,000 poor youth between the ages of 6 and 17. Working to aid youth with what they need most, the program includes assistance finishing school or attending workshops to improve employment skills. Summer activities are also available.

Through the program’s history more than 20,000 youth have gone back to school, 25,000 have participated in summer activities and more than 20,000 have been trained in educational and employment focused workshops. Boys and Girls with Don Bosco continues to expand as the needs of youth change. Father Ángel Sánchez, Director of Boys and Girls with Don Bosco, is currently looking for an increase in the program’s annual budget in order to offer technology courses and hire and train more teachers.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Even though the country’s economy has been steadily improving since 1996, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

Many students do not have the supplies necessary to complete their studies and teachers lack access to ongoing teacher education. As result, many youth lack the education and training which would help them compete in the job market. To meet this need, Salesian programs in the Dominican Republic focus on education and vocational training to help youth learn the skills and trades necessary to find stable employment and break the cycle of poverty.

Sources

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: More than 65,000 Youth Gained a Second Chance at Education Thanks to Salesian Program first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, have been working for years to bring attention to the plight of the Haitian people, and so many others in the world. Almost exactly a year prior to the tragedy, Salesian Missions sent a team to Haiti to document the programs and the immense need for assistance. The videos, photos and information were utilized to tell the stories of people in need in countries around the globe and the Salesians’ dedication to helping them. In Haiti, they were truly making a difference under the most challenging of circumstances.

Nothing could have prepared the Salesians—or the Haitian people—for the massive devastation and heartbreaking loss that occurred on Jan. 12, 2010.

The world was finally paying attention to Haiti.

Soon after the earthquake struck, the Salesians pledged to continue working long after the cameras and reporters were gone (the latter, unfortunately, left sooner than anyone could have envisioned). The Salesians remained working in Haiti, not just long after the press, but in many cases long after other humanitarian organizations. While other organizations are set up to come in and help with a disaster (and then inevitably leave), the Salesians have been and will continue to be an integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti and in so many other needy places around the globe.

Many of the challenges facing the people (especially the youth) of Haiti, existed long before the disaster struck. Many were homeless. Children were hungry. Conditions were crowded. Water was in short supply. The earthquake added to the misery of thousands, including children who, despite the desperate circumstances, found their way to schools each and every day, with a hunger for knowledge that outweighed the hunger in their stomachs.

These schools are some of the many Salesian-run institutions in Port-au-Prince and around the country. In some cases, students even call the schools home. In addition to elementary schools, secondary schools, vocational training institutes and colleges, the Salesians provide shelter for homeless youth and programs for street children. At every program serving youth in Haiti, students not only receive educational opportunities and the support of caring adults, they also receive a nutritious meal daily. One Salesian kitchen in Cité Soleil alone baked 20,000 rolls of bread a day to feed hungry children in the most impoverished area of the nation’s capital.

As the lights on Haiti dimmed, the Salesians shifted from disaster mode to recovery and rebuilding mode—quietly, without attention, as they always have done. It has been five years since the earthquake struck, and much still needs to be accomplished. But progress is steady, and the Salesians are proud to report some of the specifics of their accomplishments:

• Salesian Missions has a growing, ongoing partnership with Stop Hunger Now, which includes delivering nutritional meals to those in need in Haiti.
• Salesian educators from Brazil brought new sports programs to Haiti.
• A recent donation from SoapBox Soaps, coordinated by Salesian Missions, more than 10,000 bars of soap will make their way into the hands of children and families in need in Haiti. The spread of cholera in the country in the years following a massive earthquake has added to the devastation.
• Salesian missionaries secured financial support from Mercedes-Benz for their “Food for Haiti” project which is designed to meet the nutritional needs of children affected by the earthquake. Currently, the project is improving the nutrition of 135 children aged 3 to 9 who live in La Saline and Cité Soleil, the two largest slums in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince.

• Ongoing professional development has helped rebuild Salesian educational centers throughout the country:

• Salesian “Little Schools” are making a big difference. More than 20,000 children receive education and food daily in the Little Schools of Father Bohnen —“Oeuvre des Petites Ecoles de Père Bohnen” — or OPEPB in French.
• Street children in Port-au-Prince are cared for in a rebuilt Lakay House for Street Children.
  An estimated 1,000 children study in the Salesian education center in Gressier.
• Nearly 800 children and young people go to the Timkatec school in Pétion-Ville, many of them former homeless street children.
• An estimated 340 young people are currently training in agricultural schools and vocational training centers in Cap-Haïtien.
• The vocational training center at ENAM re-opened its doors a little over a year after the earthquake. ENAM is the National Academy of Arts campus, where nearly every building collapsed during the quake. On Jan. 12, 2010, more than 200 students were buried in the rubble of the renowned school known for serving Haiti’s “best and brightest.” Also killed were teachers, staff and an 85-year-old Haitian-born Salesian brother.
• The Salesian-run trade school a Lakay (that teaches street youth carpentry, cabinetry, electrical and tailoring skills) — has a new building that is able to accommodate 200 students.
• In Fort- Liberté, the Don Bosco Technical School accommodates 2,000 youth, preparing them for jobs through traditional and professional training courses in the areas identified as most in need — including hydraulics, masonry, cabinet making, tailoring and administrative work. An estimated 160 young adults will soon become nurses through the Salesian nursing school (one of the only schools of its kind in the country). The new technical school — along with the restoration of the damaged areas of Don Bosco Polytechnic—is part of a collaboration with the Caracol Industrial Park. This industrial park is expected to be one of the largest in the Caribbean, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.
• The Salesian University Network installed and connected computers at 13 Salesian educational centers across the country. Hundreds of university students had a chance to continue their education when they were unable to return to school following the Jan. 12, 2011, earthquake. Since then, the computer labs and cybercafés have been instrumental in the education and empowerment of thousands of vulnerable youth in Haiti.

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Photo by Florian Kopp – Copyright : © imageBROKER / Alamy

Sources:

ANS News Agency

Salesian Missions

ProgressinHaiti.org

Catholic News Service

MSNBC / The Grio

The post HAITI FIVE YEARS LATER: Salesians Continue Making Progress Long After Attention Has Faded first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2012, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 200,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured.

For Salesians in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

Recently, Salesian missionaries secured financial support from Mercedes-Benz for their “Food for Haiti” project which is designed to meet the nutritional needs of children affected by the earthquake. Currently, the project is improving the nutrition of 135 children aged 3 to 9 who live in La Saline and Cite Soleil, the two largest slums in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince.

The “Food for Haiti” recipients attend the Little Schools of Father Bohnen —“Oeuvre des Petites Ecoles de Père Bohnen” — or OPEPB in French. They are a network of 50 small Salesian-run schools that were founded in 1954 to educate Haiti’s most vulnerable children. Most of the student’s families were already poor and lost everything in the earthquake, including the ability to feed their children and send them to school. With parents out of work with little means to provide adequate nutrition, or even a daily meal in some cases, many children suffer from acute malnutrition. As a result, additional health complications such as stunted growth, poor immune systems, tuberculosis, skin diseases, bronchitis and other ailments are prevalent among children.

The project focuses on providing a daily breakfast and hot lunch for school students with the goal of helping them flourish in school. For most, school is the only place a daily meal is offered. The food serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school, since parents often do not understand the importance of education for their children’s future.

Proper nutrition increases the cognitive abilities of children and increase their chances of staying longer in the education system. It also allows children to socialize and develop relationships with their peers, a process important for their rehabilitation and normalization after the psychological trauma of an earthquake.

“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 stay engaged with their peers and school activities helping them to remain in school and gain an education.”

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Sources:

ANS – Haiti – Mercedes-Benz supports children affected by the earthquake

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Bank – Haiti 

The post HAITI: Mercedes-Benz Contributes to Salesian Project Helping to Feed Poor School Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after a January 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. In 2012, more than 3 million children were able to return to school with more than 200,000 students educated in Salesian-run institutions.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

Salesian schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

The donated meals from Stop Hunger Now are helping to enhance the educational environment for poor youth at three Salesian centers in Haiti. Students in elementary, technical and vocational schools in Lakay, Lakou and Cap-Haïtien were among the recipients as well as many others from surrounding communities.

“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.”

For some students, the meals they receive at Salesian-run centers are the only meals they have each day. The meals are provided to students during the school day as well as to their families at a monthly meeting. This food aid serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school and as a result of the donation, school enrollment has increased and students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffer fewer illnesses and are more focused on their studies. Teachers are noting better student performance in class as well as less conflict among students.

With programs in more than 130 countries around the globe and extensive knowledge and experience with aid shipments, Salesian Missions has one of the largest networks currently working with Stop Hunger Now. Salesian Missions’ programs make up an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and the organization 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.

Salesian Missions’ partnership with Stop Hunger Now was developed in 2011 and since that time, 58 40-foot shipping containers including more than 16 million rice meals have been delivered to locations in 19 countries helping to nourish poor youth in Salesian schools and those in need of emergency aid during times of war, natural disasters and health crises.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand its scope of services to youth in need,” explains Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Stop Hunger Now is one of our favorite partners to work with because they are very flexible. They actively seek out opportunities to enhance shipments with additional donated items that the beneficiaries need, and they go the extra mile to help Salesian Missions meet any additional emergency requests for food that it receives.”

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PHOTO: Hannah Gregory / MissionNewswire

Sources

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Stop Hunger Now Meals Arrive at Salesian Centers, Helping More than 1,100 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Partnerships like this are vital in the effort to reduce the spread of disease in Haiti and around the globe. Oct. 15 of each year marks Global Handwashing Day, which seeks to raise awareness about this important issue. According to the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing, washing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries.

Working together, SoapBox Soaps and Salesian Missions are making an impact. Connecting supplies with programs on the ground—and ensuring their delivery and distribution in addition to measuring impact—is a key strength of Salesian Missions. The U.S. development arm is connected to an international network of Salesian missionaries, making it a valuable partner to companies and nonprofits that provide in-kind aid.

“Salesians are on the ground in Haiti working with children in need, so we were able to provide a pathway to bring the soap from the donors directly to the beneficiaries,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at Salesian Missions, the international development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Soapbox Soaps ensured the effectiveness of their donation by working with us to determine all the details of pricing and distribution beforehand.”

As a result of the donation, more than 140 boxes of soap—which will be used for personal hygiene—were provided to Salesian-run centers in Haiti. Salesians have been working in Haiti for many years and are positioned to enable organizations like SoapBox Soaps to reach people in need efficiently, even if the organization does not have an existing presence in the country.

Salesian Missions worked directly with the Salesian-run Rinaldi Foundation in Haiti to determine the brand, price and quantity of soap needed. Then, Salesian Missions made the request to Soapbox Soaps and coordinated the delivery to and distribution from Salesian centers in the country.

The World Health Organization estimates that close to two million people, mostly children under the age of five, die each year from hygiene and sanitation related illnesses. Most are from populations in developing countries who live in extreme poverty.

Since 2010, Haiti has experienced a deadly cholera outbreak and according to the United Nations, the country still hosts the largest number of suspected cholera cases worldwide with 698,893 cases and 8,540 deaths reported from October 2010 to the present. It is widely accepted that having access to clean water and soap is one of the best preventive measures.

“This donation is so vital to our programs in Haiti because it provides Salesian schools and homes for street children the ability to promote clean habits among the students and prevent the spread of disease in the institutions and local communities,” adds O’Connor. “By promoting the practices of washing and cleanliness, the Salesians not only teach students to care for their health and bodies, but also to respect themselves and have personal dignity.”

The donated soap is providing life-saving hygiene to several different Salesian-run sites in Haiti including the Lakay Center for Street Children, a school that brings youth in off the streets and offers them food, clothing, shelter and an education. Salesian institutions like Lakay then work to reintegrate youth back into society through a variety of education and workforce development initiatives.

“We started SoapBox to support amazing organizations like Salesian Missions,” says David Simnick, CEO of SoapBox Soaps,”Our whole mission is to empower customers with the ability to make the world a better place through everyday quality purchases.”

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS WORK IN HAITI

The post HAITI: Salesian Missions and SoapBox Soaps Partnership Puts Soap into the Hands of Youth and Families at Risk for Cholera first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Many students do not have the supplies necessary to complete their studies and teachers lack access to ongoing teacher education. As result, many youth lack education and training which would help them compete in the job market. To meet this need, Salesian programs in the Dominican Republic focus on education and vocational training to help youth learn the skills and trades necessary to find stable employment and break the cycle of poverty.

Boys and Girls with Don Bosco, nicknamed “Red Don Bosco”, is a network of educational and social programs operating out of 12 Salesian centers, eight of them located in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s capital city. Currently, the program is supported by 300 volunteers who assist more than 3,000 poor youth between the ages of 6 and 17. The programs work to aid youth with what they need most, including assistance finishing school or attending workshops to improve their employment skills. Summer activities are also available.

Boys and Girls with Don Bosco began in 1985 as a pilot program to help youth who were working selling newspapers on the streets of Santo Domingo access education and social development services. In more than 30 years of operation, the small pilot program has turned into a vast network of services operating out of several Salesian centers easily accessible by youth and their families. Programs begin by aiding youth and continue with staff reaching out to family members to include them in services while helping them to become a support to the young people in their lives. The program has been so successful due to its youth-centered approach which offers youth a choice in the services they access. Since its inception, more than 30,000 families at risk from conditions of poverty, family breakdown and exploitation have accessed services.

“You’ll find the young people in different parts of the city, at bus stops, in front of shops, opposite the hospital. That’s where they go to polish people’s shoes and sell whatever they can,” says Father Ángel Sánchez, Director of Boys and Girls with Don Bosco. “At first, we just observe them. Certainly there is no sense of emergency or crisis in our work, rather we are in a very promising situation to help when the time is right for youth.”

Through the program’s history more than 20,000 youth have gone back to school, 25,000 participated in summer activities and more than 20,000 have been trained in educational and employment focused workshops. Boys and Girls with Don Bosco continues to expand as the needs of youth change. Fr. Sánchez is currently looking for an increase in the program’s annual budget in order to offer technology courses and hire and train more teachers.

###

Sources:

ANS – Dominican Republic –In 30 years “Red Don Bosco” has changed the lives of 25,000 children at risk

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Youth-Centered Services Aid School Attendance and Preparation for the Future first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

In 2012, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured.

For Salesians in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

The donated meals from Stop Hunger Now are helping to enhance the educational environment for poor youth at three Salesian centers in Haiti. Students in elementary, technical and vocational schools in Lakay, Lakou and Cap-Haïtien were among the recipients as well as many others from surrounding communities.

“The shipment of packaged meals helps us to improve the nutrition of orphans and other vulnerable children,” explains Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Operating feeding programs for youth in Salesian schools whose families cannot afford to feed them is very important and integral to the success of our students and their ability to gain an education.”

The meals are provided to students during the school day as well as to their families at a monthly meeting. This food aid serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school and as a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffer fewer illnesses and are more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class as well as less conflict among students.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand its scope of services to youth in need,” adds O’Connor. “Stop Hunger Now is one of our favorite partners to work with because they are very flexible. They actively seek out opportunities to enhance shipments with additional donated items that the beneficiaries need, and they go the extra mile to help Salesian Missions meet any additional emergency requests for food that it receives.”

With programs in more than 130 countries around the globe and extensive knowledge and experience with aid shipments, Salesian Missions has one of the largest networks currently working with Stop Hunger Now. Salesian Missions’ programs make up an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and the organization 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.

“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.”

Sources

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Bank – Haiti 

The post HAITI: Fortified Rice Meals Help Improve Nutrition for Youth in Salesian Schools first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Many of the challenges facing the people (especially the youth) of Haiti, existed long before the disaster struck. Many were homeless. Children were hungry. Conditions were crowded. Water was in short supply. The earthquake added to the misery of thousands, including children who, despite the desperate circumstances, found their way to schools each and every day, with a hunger for knowledge that outweighed the hunger in their stomachs.

These schools are some of the many Salesian-run institutions in Port-au-Prince and around the country. In some cases, students even call the schools home. In addition to elementary schools, secondary schools, vocational training institutes and colleges, the Salesians provide shelter for homeless youth and programs for street children. At every program serving youth in Haiti, students not only receive educational opportunities and the support of caring adults, they also receive a nutritious meal daily. One Salesian kitchen in Cité Soleil alone baked 20,000 rolls of bread a day to feed hungry children in the most impoverished area of the nation’s capital.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, have been working for years to bring attention to the plight of the Haitian people, and so many others in the world. Almost exactly a year prior to the tragedy, Salesian Missions sent a team to Haiti to document the programs and the immense need for assistance. The videos, photos and information were utilized to tell the stories of people in need in countries around the globe and the Salesians’ dedication to helping them. In Haiti, they were truly making a difference under the most challenging of circumstances.

Nothing could have prepared the Salesians—or the Haitian people—for the massive devastation and heartbreaking loss that occurred on Jan. 12, 2010.

The world was finally paying attention to Haiti.

Soon after the earthquake struck, the Salesians pledged to continue working long after the cameras and reporters were gone (the latter, unfortunately, left sooner than anyone could have envisioned). The Salesians remained working in Haiti, not just long after the press, but in many cases long after other humanitarian organizations. While other organizations are set up to come in and help with a disaster (and then inevitably leave), the Salesians have been and will continue to be an integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti and in so many other needy places around the globe.

As the lights on Haiti dimmed, the Salesians shifted from disaster mode to recovery and rebuilding mode—quietly, without attention, as they always have done. It has been four years since the earthquake struck, and much still needs to be accomplished. But progress is steady, and the Salesians are proud to report on the specifics of their accomplishments.

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PROGRESS REPORT BY SALESIAN MISSIONS SINCE THE EARTHQUAKE:

SALESIAN NATIONAL SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND TRADE

Before the earthquake, this model of educational excellence provided hundreds of Haitian youth with the opportunity to broaden their cultural awareness and gain valuable trade skills. This all changed in an instant on Jan. 12, 2010. The earthquake leveled the campus and caused an enormous loss of life. More than 250 unsuspecting students, numerous teachers and three Salesian missionaries were killed. All of the machines, tools and equipment were either destroyed or stolen.

Today, the school is back in operation, utilizing temporary classrooms built by students as part of their training. Vocational students also built desks and tailored uniforms to replace those destroyed. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund has pledged up to $250,000 to equip graduates with machines, tools and equipment to help rebuild their country.

LAKAY HOUSE FOR STREET CHILDREN

This indispensable Salesian-run center provided shelter, education and food to dozens of street children with nowhere else to turn. The facility was completely destroyed by the earthquake, leaving the children without shelter.

Today, Lakay is back in operation and home to nearly 150 former street children. In addition to classroom studies, a donated school bus has made it possible for youngsters to take part in field trips to educational and historical sites around Haiti.

LE PETITES ÉCOLES (THE LITTLE SCHOOLS) OF FATHER BOHNEN

Le Petites Écoles (The Little Schools) of Father Bohnen was made up of small classrooms throughout Port-au-Prince, allowing the Salesians to provide food and an education to more than 20,000 children each day. When the earthquake struck, the devastation at the campus that housed the administrative headquarters was tremendous. Every building collapsed, leaving the children without classrooms. However, the children still came to the school compound after the earthquake, knowing it would continue to be a place they could turn for help. Soon after, classrooms were formed wherever possible, sometimes under the shade of a tree or tarp with just a few chairs and a salvaged chalkboard.

Today, The Little Schools have been resurrected in temporary buildings and have served more than 21,000 students in the past year. Children not only receive an education, but a nutritional meal and a safe haven.

HERE ARE MORE SIGNS OF PROGRESS AT A GLANCE, AS REPORTED BY SALESIAN MISSIONS:

• Temporary classrooms were provided soon after the earthquake, allowing children to return to school and have some sense of normalcy. Permanent classrooms continue to be built. The Salesians are fully committed to rebuilding their educational infrastructure.
• “Le Petites Écoles du Pere Bohnen” – the Little Schools of Father Bohnen – are back in operation and last year provided more than 21,000 children with nutritious meals and a valuable education.
• In Salesian schools throughout Haiti, more than 1,200 teachers have been hired since the earthquake – most of them trained at Salesian institutions.
• A Salesian partnership with local doctors and nurses ensured that victims of a Cholera outbreak were identified and received proper treatment. In addition, their widespread education program promoted healthy living habits that prevented the disease from spreading.
• The Timkatec 2 School was expanded with a new wing added. It boasted a record 71 graduates, with an enrollment that has grown from 430 students before the earthquake to more than 600 this year.
• The Salesians also opened the Timkatec 3 Girls School to provide an education for 186 day students and an overnight shelter for 40 children.
• St. Paul Chapel in Port-au-Prince was resurrected thanks to the thoughtfulness and generosity of Blessed Sacrament Church in Pennsylvania. Upon learning that their church would be closed due to consolidation, the Blessed Sacrament parishioners packed and shipped all the church furnishings to the Salesian chapel in Haiti.
• Impressed by Salesian accomplishments, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund partnered with the Salesians to provide vocational training in construction trades and marketable skills to 420 men and women. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund has also pledged up to $225,000 for the purchase of heavy machinery, tools and equipment. This will enable vocational students at the Salesians National School of Arts and Trades to have sustainable self-employment and to help rebuild their country.
• The Salesians completed construction of a warehouse that meets new safety requirements and building standards, serving as a model for new construction in Haiti. The warehouse provides important infrastructure allowing for the safe and efficient distribution of food and supplies.
• Pétion-Ville’s Dominique Savio Elementary School is providing an education to 870 children from ages 6 to 12. In addition, 540 boys and girls attend Dominique Savio College.
• In Cayes, 200 boys and girls are receiving valuable training in carpentry, masonry, mechanics, cooking, sewing and home decoration at the Salesian-run Diocesan Center for Arts and Crafts.
• The Cap-Haitian Agricultural Technical School has 140 students learning effective farming techniques, while an additional 200 youth are attending the Vocational Training School.
• In Fort-Liberté, more than 170 children—more than half girls—are receiving a basic education and approximately 160 young women are pursuing a degree at the School of Nursing.
• Through the new Salesian University Network, hundreds of university students who have been unable to return to school following the Jan. 12, 2011 earthquake will have a chance to continue their education. Thirteen computer labs or cybercafés are being established to help students stay up-to-date in their studies.
• At the Salesian Immaculate Conception Church in Cité Soleil, youth are taking part in  music and dance classes. They are learning to play the guitar, piano and drums—and enjoying the therapeutic benefits of music, helping them to better cope with the disaster they survived.

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PHOTO: Martin Diggs / Salesian Missions (MissionNewswire.org)

The post FOUR YEARS LATER: Salesian Missions Has Not Forgotten Haiti first appeared on MissionNewswire.