ECUADOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries had the funding to support Indigenous ministers, who are among the Achuar Indigenous population of Ecuador and Peru. The donor funding came from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. There were 260 local pastoral workers who took part in the training, 182 of whom are already active as ministers in their communities.

The project was developed at the Achuar Intervicarial Ministerial Training Center, an initiative that started in 2018. The training was held in a border area between Ecuador and Peru. As a result, Salesians were able to strengthen religious support in the Amazon, allowing communities to live their faith without moving away from their socio-cultural reality and worldview.

The training was carried out through intensive face-to-face workshops along with individual and distance study while the ministers carried out work in their communities. Periodic support was provided by assigned advisory ministers, who visited the communities.

The participating ministers were from 50 communities located in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador and Peru. Their livelihoods depend on hunting, fishing and agriculture. Mobility is one of the biggest challenges in the area, as access to the communities is only possible by plane, by river or by walking through the dense jungle.

Father Agustinus Domingos Togo, an Indonesian Salesian missionary, has been serving the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest for almost 11 years alongside the Achuar people. He said, “It has been a blessing for me to be sent to this land that I consider sacred. Here, I have discovered that the Gospel is already rooted in culture, in its values, in its way of living and understanding life. The mission we carry out follows the spirit of the Second Vatican Council to evangelize without imposing, walking alongside people, learning from them and sharing life.”

Fr. Togo added, “Currently, we have more Achuar ministers, including 11 married permanent deacons, who are the heart of the church in the jungle. We priests are few, so the mission depends deeply on the committed laity, catechists and ministers who support the faith in their communities. I am deeply grateful for the support of donors, who not only finance activities, but make it possible for the Achuar people to continue growing in faith, organization and hope, building a better future from their own identity.”

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Ecuador

UNICEF – Ecuador

The post ECUADOR: Salesians offer support to 260 local pastoral workers in Achuar communities thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been able to improve the learning environment for youth who are vulnerable and are studying at the Bosconia center in Piura, Peru. The project was made possible thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Students and staff previously found it difficult to focus in class due to the heat at the school. With the project, two air conditioning units have been added. Salesians also added a covering around the pool to limit the sun exposure for students.

Luis Angel Bregante Andrade, a 22-year-old student, was impacted by the donation. He lives in a challenging economic situation, and the area where he lives has a high poverty rate as well as high rates of crime and drug addiction. He studies at Cetpro Bosconia in the storage operations course and hopes to find a good job after graduation to help support his family.

Andrade said, “When we came to the auditorium, it was difficult for us to concentrate because the heat was very strong, and when some teachers also opened the windows, the air that entered was hot. We spoke to the director about this and the pool, as many of the students who used it got burned from the sun because there was no covering.”

He added, “Now with the project complete, we are happy with the pool roof and the air conditioning. This has provided us with the cool air we need to concentrate. We will be able to learn and fulfill our dreams. I am very grateful to the project, to the director and to Salesian Missions.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesians improve learning environment for students thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesians in Peru have launched a new educational initiative for Indigenous youth in the Achuar communities of Kuyuntsa, Checherta and Yankuntich. The Salesian oratory, adapted to the Achuar style, has been welcomed by the communities, especially by the youth. More than 200 youth are a part of the program.

Salesians offer specific courses for youth including an integration workshop designed to encourage socialization and help them learn Spanish as a second language. During the workshop, educators help students engage in group activities to promote communication, trust and friendship.

A work educational workshop helps students develop practical skills in agriculture and artisanal bread-making. The workshop aims to motivate youth to reflect on sustainable ways of generating income for their families, while also strengthening their autonomy, creativity and sense of responsibility toward their community.

A Salesian noted, “It’s not all about work and direct learning. We aim to help the whole person. A personal development workshop helps Achuar youth build self-esteem and improve their communication skills through exercises that enable them to develop skills in public speaking and expression. This activity was designed by educators to empower confident young Achuar individuals with a strong sense of identity and the ability to interact in a positive way with their environment.”

Finally, a cultural promotion workshop celebrates the richness of Achuar culture, strengthening youths’ sense of identity. Activities include storytelling of ancestral myths, practicing traditional dances and crafting local artisanal objects.

The Salesian added, “Through these and many other initiatives, Salesians and their lay collaborators continue to educate the most vulnerable and marginalized youth, such as the Achuar.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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

ANS – Peru – The Salesian Oratory at the Heart of the Missions: Formation of Young People in the Achuar Oratories

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: More than 200 Indigenous youth take part in new educational initiative first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesians operate the Mama Margarita Refectory in San Lorenzo, Peru, where many residents face challenging conditions of poverty. This is especially true for the elderly and Indigenous people who come to the city for health reasons, and then find themselves alone.

“Poverty is stronger and more evident among the elderly,” explained Tula Pizuri, head of the kitchen. “This canteen serves about 50 needy people every day. Those who have little money receive food there for their survival. Many of them are elderly and their children have emigrated to the city.”

Salesians have been in San Lorenzo for the past 25 years. In 2001, they established an educational and pastoral center for youth. In response to the visible poverty, especially among the elderly, the Salesian community opened the Mama Margarita Refectory in 2023. The locals know that the canteen is there for them and they visit without fear.

Operating with the cooperation of many people in the community, the canteen guarantees at least one meal a day to those in need. The canteen was started by Father Raúl Acuña with a team of committed lay people. While getting a meal, people are also provided a word of hope and encouragement.

A Salesian noted, “It’s fundamental for those who, due to various circumstances, find themselves without the support of their families. We demonstrate values of charity and service and provide hope where there might be none otherwise.” Given the needs of the area, Salesians are thinking of expanding the service, increasing the capacity of the dining room.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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

ANS – Peru – The Mamma Margret refectory: a canteen for the poor and the elderly

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Elderly receive meals first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries provide programs and support for youth and their families in Huancayo, Peru, which is located in the Andes Mountain range. Salesians have been in the city for more than 100 years educating youth and working to meet the community’s needs. One of the cornerstones of the Salesian presence in the area is the Salesian Youth Center.

When the center first started, it was only a courtyard where youth met, engaged with their peers and prayed. Over time, new buildings have been erected and the services expanded to better meet the educational needs of youth.

Today, youth from 13 to 30 years old come to the center to take a range of educational courses. Nearly all of them come from families with few financial resources. Most have complex family problems and the center is a second home for them. For a few, it’s the only place they feel cared for and safe. They can study, read, use the computer, play, and attend singing, music and theater workshops.

A Salesian missionary noted, “We think it is necessary to equip it to be the best, to be able to guarantee all the services to the less fortunate young people. We want to have a large multipurpose room that is welcoming and beautiful to look at.”

To complete the project, Mission Don Bosco, the Salesian Mission Office in Turin, Italy, is helping to furnish the new room so that it is a comfortable and safe space. The mission office will provide the funding for Salesians to buy new computers for young university students and promote youth group activities.

In addition, funding will buy different musical instruments including a drum set, keyboard, guitar and bass for music workshops. There will also be support for a music teacher to encourage youth to start artistic and musical training courses. An audio system with speakers, consoles and microphones, both for training courses and special events will also be purchased.

The Salesian said, “This project will ensure additional educational initiatives for youth in Huancayo to provide them the opportunity to grow and develop their passions.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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

ANS – Peru – Computers and musical instruments for the Salesian centre in Huancayo

Mission Don Bosco

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Youth center to expand first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Three Salesian oratories (youth centers) in Piura, Peru, are making infrastructure upgrades thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Bartolome Garelli, Maria Auxiliadora and Domingo Sage oratories needed significant reconstruction and new roofs. Donor funding not used for repairs will be used to purchase trophies and volleyball and soccer balls for sports championships.

These oratories operate with the support of Bosconia Social Work, which trains and supports volunteers who lead activities throughout the year. Each oratory serves more than 100 children ages 9 to 14, who attend recreation time every Saturday and Sunday.

The new roofs are providing protection for youth playing in the strong heat and the sun. Before the infrastructure repairs, the sun made it hot and uncomfortable for the youth. Salesians will be using the local Salesian technical school CETPRO for support to maintain the condition of the roofs.

Santiago Jose Vegas Solano, age 10, enjoys his time spent at the Maria Auxiliadora Oratory. He said, “I play there with my friends and cousins. We have a great time and in the end they give us chips, cookies and juices. Now we have a big roof and the sun doesn’t bother us.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: 3 Salesian oratories build roofs thanks to donor funding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco House, in the Magdalena del Mar neighborhood in Lima, Peru, was established to provide support for the wave of Venezuelan migrants who came to the city in 2018 and 2019. Today, it is a shelter that houses 45 young migrants and refugees between the ages of 18 and 25, as well as five families who are faced with extreme poverty. More than 700 youth have passed through Don Bosco House in recent years, including youth from Ecuador and Colombia.

Devastating inflation hit Venezuela in 2017, exceeding 2,000% and bringing a devaluation of the country’s currency (bolivar) by 97.6%. This has forced Venezuelans to migrate due to a lack of jobs or decent wages. According to a recent report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there are 1.3 million Venezuelans in Peru, constituting the largest foreign community in Peru. Peru has the second largest number of Venezuelan migrants in the world after Colombia. The large flow of migration has brought new social, labor and economic challenges for Peru.

At Don Bosco House, youth have the support of educators and psychologists, and they live in a family atmosphere that fosters personal and spiritual growth. These youth have experienced abandonment, separation, child labor and prison experiences.

Youth go through four phases of support at the house. During their introduction, Salesian staff spend time getting to know them, their background and what motivated them to seek support. After that, they get settled in and learn the dynamics of the house and what’s expected of them.

Once settled, youth look for work with the support of resume preparation and research. Youth also attend group training and have access to recreation, a music room and the internet. As youth become more independent, they are expected to take on household responsibilities and commitments. For youth who arrive with their families, work is done to help the family unit as they all get settled.

“The influx of migrants created many challenges for those forced to flee from Venezuela and for Peruvian communities that were not prepared,” said Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians have done what they can to provide support and services for migrants living in poverty, especially youth. The goal of the Don Bosco House is always to teach skills so youth and their families will one day live an independent life and be self-supporting.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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

ANS – Peru – A valuable accompaniment to children of Magdalena del Mar

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Venezuelan migrants find shelter, support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Nearly 1,400 people in Peru benefited from a donation from ASAP – Tools for Empowerment thanks to a partnership with Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Don Bosco Foundation received the donation and distributed it to seven Salesian organizations in 2022. Salesian organizations that received the donation include Bosconia Technical Education Center, Salesians in Piura, Salesian Polytechnic Education Center and Salesians in Monte Salvado, among others.

The donated tools and equipment have been used mostly by students in technical training centers. Students have access to them during the practical part of their training in courses focused on carpentry, automotive mechanics, electricity, industrial pattern making (textiles), metalworking and agriculture. The tools are also used for maintenance and gardening, and in the warehouse.

Students who have completed their training have also benefited from basic tool kits including hammers, pliers, screwdrivers and saws. Young Venezuelan migrants housed in the Magdalena Shelter benefited from baseball equipment for their recreational activities.

One of the recipients of the donation is Francis, a young Venezuelan migrant who resides at the Don Bosco House for Migrants and Refugees in Magdalena, Lima. As a result of the economic crisis and political persecution in his country, his entire family left Venezuela in search of new opportunities.

More than three years ago, Francis crossed the northern border into Peru and spent several days homeless before learning about the Don Bosco House for Migrants and Refugees.

Juan Pardo, coordinator at the Don Bosco Foundation, said, “In the last year, Francis has been able to study a technical career and has selected automotive mechanics. He has done well in his studies and has been borrowing basic tools while he saves for his own. After learning about the opportunity to receive donated tools, he applied for them. Now that he and his classmates have their own tool kits, he is more motivated to complete his studies and get a higher-paying position. This will allow him to support his family in Chile, Ecuador and Colombia.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

ASAP – Tools for Empowerment

Don Bosco Foundation of Peru

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Donation provides youth with tools for studies first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) More than 9,600 vulnerable people in Peru received nutritional support 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 shipment of rice-meals was provided to the Don Bosco Foundation in 2022 and distributed throughout the year to 10 civic and religious programs serving people who are sick and elderly, at-risk youth, and other marginalized populations.

Organizations that received the donation include the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Forsaken Elderly in Breña that serves a population of 500 poor elderly people. The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity is a home for 100 youth with terminal cancer and others serious diseases who are receiving treatment. The Brother Thomas Helm Center is a day shelter for youth who are in school. There are approximately 60 boys who participate. The Civic Action with the Joint Command of the Armed Forced provides basic needs for 4,550 people. Hogar San Camilo provides support to people with HIV. It serves approximately 280 people.

The rice-meal shipment also helped volunteers who distributed the meals. Sabina, age 26 and from Lima, delivered meals to the most poverty-stricken and dangerous area of Callao, the port of Lima. Within Callao is the Los Barracones neighborhood, which is known for gang violence. When Sabina arrived to distribute the donations of fortified rice packages, she noticed the lack of police presence in the community and anticipated a hostile atmosphere while distributing food to the households.

However, Sabina was surprised to see how welcoming and warm the beneficiaries and their relatives were when dropping off the meals. She said, “Going door to door, offering rice, being welcomed in the homes of the beneficiaries and exchanging some kind words” was an experience of regaining hope.

The volunteers were grateful for this experience and expressed their gratitude to the Salesians for giving them an opportunity to be active members in their local communities.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Foundation

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: More than 9,600 people receive nutritional support with rice-meal shipment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesian chapels in Peru received solar panels to help with electricity thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Solar panels were provided to Santa María de Cahuapanas, Barranquita, Chopiloma and one other chapel.

Given the size of the Santa María chapel, two solar panels were installed. Prior to the installation, the chapel did not have electricity. One Salesian said, “This is a very large chapel and many people participate in the Mass there. They have not had any electricity for a long time and during my visits I have suffered a lot to be able to celebrate Mass at night. One battery would not be enough to illuminate the whole chapel.”

The chapel is also undergoing other renovations including upgrading the roof and adding solar lighting. The work is being done in coordination with the local Catholic community. People have been grateful for the donation and the consistent electricity.

“We are grateful for donor support to provide this new source of electricity for Salesian chapels in Peru,” said Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions. “This provides an opportunity for people to attend church services more comfortably but is also helpful for the priests saying Mass.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian chapels receive solar panels first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Foundation of Peru is continuing its work to help families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in light of the ongoing challenge of COVID-19 orphans in the country, according to the Italian publication VITA. The article noted statistics from the British medical journal The Lancet, which state that for every two people who die from COVID-19 a child is left orphaned or without a grandparent to care for them. Between March 2020 and June 2021, globally nearly 2 million minors lost a mother, father or grandparent. In Peru alone that is estimated to be up to 100,000 children.

Recently, the BBC reported the story of one family in Peru. Gabriela Zarate lives in a small house on the outskirts of Lima with her husband and eight children. Four are hers and another four belong to her younger sister, Katherine, who died of COVID-19 in June 2020. Katherine died at a time when the hospitals were full and lacked oxygen for those suffering. When she was turned away from the hospital, her family took her home and cared for her, but without the money to buy her oxygen there was little they could do. One of the last things Katherine did was to ask Gabriela to look after her children.

In a statement to the media, Father Manolo Cayo, provincial of the Salesians in Peru, described the situation in the country, “The Don Bosco Foundation of Peru worked together with the Peruvian church in a campaign to ensure oxygen was able to be secured and provided in hospitals. We also worked with the food bank in dealing with the food emergency. We have carried out direct intervention campaigns in more than 90 soup kitchens.”

Fr. Cayo added, “We have been guaranteeing digital access to school for the poorest adolescents and young people for almost two years, given that in Peru there has been no schooling since March 2020 and only now, finally, there is talk of a return at the end of March of this year. This lack of school attendance complicates the serious problem of orphans caused by COVID-19.”

In the article, Corrado Scropetta, representative of WeWorld in Peru, explained further, “The serious situation of Peruvian children in relation to the COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented. Even before COVID-19, grandparents took care of many minors, especially in cases of early pregnancies. Now many have also lost this familiar figure. In the tragic nature of what this phenomenon entails on a social and psychological level, the economic aspect should not be underestimated, given that these boys and girls have also lost all forms of sustenance.”

Roberto Vignola, deputy director general of the Cesvi Foundation, also added in the article, “Children and young people have paid the highest price due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have lost parents or relatives who looked after them and for this very reason they often fail more to feed themselves regularly, they have had to drop out of school to support themselves, they live in a situation of mental distress and are increasingly exposed to the risk of exploitation, including sexual exploitation.”

Social workers believe that the impact of the pandemic on children has been overlooked since they are usually less affected by the disease than adults, although close to 1,500 Peruvian children have already died from COVID-19.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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ANS – Peru – Covid-19 leaves 100,000 orphaned minors

VITA – Covid-19, in Perù 100mila orfani

BBC – The drama of Peru’s COVID orphans

CEVSI Foundation

Don Bosco Foundation of Peru

Salesian Missions – Peru

WeWorld

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Don Bosco Foundation of Peru highlights country’s COVID-19 orphans first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Oratory in San Lorenzo, Peru, is celebrating 20 years in operation providing recreation and support for poor youth in the region. Youth are able to connect with their peers, benefit from ongoing educational and social support, and receive the advice and encouragement of trusted adults.

The oratory was launched March 1, 2001 when a small group of children was invited to play on the multi-purpose field near the parish church. There were games, sports and prayer. The goal was to provide an opportunity for youth in the region to do something productive with their free time. After this initial meeting, local children and older youth sought oratory activities. There were close to 150 youth attending regularly.

Catechetical activities began soon after with assistance from the students and staff of the Lauretan Missionaries Pedagogical Institute. Teams were formed, and the oratory began to organize leagues, games, and religious activities for Holy Week and Easter and the feasts of Mary Help of Christians, St. John Bosco, and St. Lawrence.

Salesians renovated a courtyard and created soccer fields and basketball courts. A hall for indoor games was built and regular picnics were organized. During school vacation periods, more and more youth began attending oratory activities. With an increase in attendance, Salesians launched school support, workshops and more sports leagues.

Even in the early years of the oratory, close to 400 youth participated in academic and religious performances and celebrations for the feast of Mary Help of Christians held on May 22 each year. In 2019, oratory activities expanded, and more outreach was done to reach youth in the Carabanchel, Las Flores, La Union and Monzantes neighborhood.

In 2021, activities resumed after closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts are being made to return to normalcy as activities are launched so youth can connect with adults and their peers.

“Salesian youth centers offer a safe place for youth to engage in constructive activities during leisure time—such as sports, art and music. Youth learn teamwork and social skills, which provide opportunities for growth and maturity,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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

ANS – Peru – Retracing the beginnings of the Salesian Oratory of San Lorenzo

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Oratory celebrates 20 years of serving youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Vulnerable populations in Peru who are struggling with food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns received food aid in 2020 thanks to a partnership between Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit” and Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. With the support of the Flexport.org Fund, Salesian Missions received fully-funded logistics services to ship this food aid to Peru and another shipment to Guatemala.

Don Bosco Foundation in Lima was the main recipient of the food aid, which was then distributed to other Salesian programs serving vulnerable youth and adults, including migrant families and women and children living in conditions of poverty. The majority of the distribution went to Salesian programs that host community kitchens that feed local communities.

Don Bosco Foundation found that requests for aid increased dramatically after the quarantine. The aid shipped by Salesian Missions provided significant support to help families who were no longer able to work and put food on the table. Don Bosco Foundation has helped to support more than 6,000 people during the pandemic with a variety of services.

“We appreciate Feed My Starving Children and the Flexport.org Fund for supporting vulnerable children and adults during this difficult time,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Don Bosco Foundation supports local initiatives to feed families and ensure they have their basic needs met. In the face of the pandemic, the Salesian response continues to be vigorous and tireless.”

In the early days of the pandemic, Don Bosco Foundation launched an awareness campaign to help educate people about COVID-19 and prevention efforts. They have made and distributed masks, sanitary kits and food to people in need while supporting local efforts like community kitchens.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Flexport.org Fund

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Vulnerable people receive food aid through partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have hit youth and families hard in Peru. While Salesian missionaries are working to provide emergency relief for families in need, they are still running educational and social development programs to help youth and families.

Don Bosco Foundation in Piura, Arequipa, Cusco, Misiones de la Selva, Lima, Chosica and Callao is providing 40,500 families with nutritional support as well as other services with the support from the Salesian Missions Office in Turin, Italy.

Don Bosco Foundation is working with families in need like Vania’s, a 9-year-old girl who lives in a poor area of ​​San Juan de Miraflores, in the district of Lima. Vania lives with her parents and two brothers in a wooden house that does not have electricity, drinking water or proper sewage. Despite the difficulties, her parents have always done everything for their children but are now losing all hope.

In addition, the Don Bosco Center, supported by the Don Bosco Foundation, is providing a home for street children like Carlos. He was born in the Cusco region and until a few years ago, his situation was like Vania’s. His father, who held a job, died, and his mother could not support the family. His youngest brother Alex was born with a serious disability and passed away at a young age.

The situation was challenging for Carlos, but then he found the Don Bosco Center. Carlos is now in the fifth semester of an electronics course with a clear goal to become a professional in the field. During the pandemic lockdown, he worried his dreams might be dashed. He was eager to do practical work and learn the trade. He is slowly readjusting and reengaging in his education even in challenging circumstances.

“We want to help all the children of the 40,500 families that the Don Bosco Foundation provides services for in order to allow girls like Vania to dream like Carlos,” said a representative from the Salesian Missions Office in Turin. “Scholarships are an important tool to help children continue their education. Ongoing support is also needed to ensure youth have the financial access to school clothes and books for ongoing education.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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ANS – Peru – Commitment of “Missioni Don Bosco” for Peruvian families

Salesian Missions – Peru

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The post PERU: 40,500 families receive nutritional support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Peru have launched a broad array of initiatives to help those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most significant is the campaign “Together for the Datem.” This campaign was organized by the Salesian parish in San Lorenzo and has raised enough funding to purchase four oxygen concentrators and 104 oxygen cylinders for those with COVID-19 within the Salesian Province of Datem del Marañón.

This remote area is often forgotten and people have few, if any, resources. A radio play, a lottery for a car and other activities were organized with the unanimous support of citizens, businesses, organizations, and municipalities. Members of the San Isidro community didn’t have funds to send, so they collected salted fish and brought it to the parish. Money from the sale of the fish went to help support the campaign. Aid has also come from abroad.

“We have witnessed very painful situations, and COVID-19 has brought death and doom,” said Father José Kamza, director of the Salesian Center in San Lorenzo. “The vast majority of people were left without daily income during the state of emergency. The greed of speculators for medicines and oxygen cylinders has come to the surface, but greater was the goodness of heart that shone in the initiatives encouraged by the Salesian missionaries.”

Fr. Kamza added, “Without health professionals, care teams, medicines and facilities to treat the sick, there was nothing but divine consolation. First of all, bringing the sacraments to the sick. Then, accompanying the families of the deceased to the cemetery to pray. Through Masses, prayers and spiritual assistance, they felt accompanied and comforted in these trying moments.”

Close to 1,800 families, out of 6,000 who live in the province of Datem del Marañón, received food baskets in the months when they could not work regularly. Food aid was provided to people in San Lorenzo, cities along the river and Indigenous communities.

The parish was supported in this initiative by the Peruvian Don Bosco Foundation, Caritas of Yurimaguas, and the Salesian Mission Office in Warsaw, and through the contribution of other private and state institutions.

Salesian missionaries also helped people in San Lorenzo and neighboring communities understand what subsidies they qualified for, such as subsidies for rural workers and self-employed workers, the #Yomequedoencasa bonus, and the Universal Family bonus.

Fr. Kamsa noted, “Salesian Brother José Gallego has become an expert in subsidies and grants, various pension, and administrative procedures. The Salesian parish was the only institution where those who did not have an internet connection could still access these services.”

Also, through the Don Bosco Foundation, the Salesian parish was able to purchase medications to help patients in the communities of San Fernando, Kuyuntsa, Wijint, Andoas and Puerto Alegria, and for families in San Lorenzo.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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ANS – Peru – “Salesian solidarity in the Amazon”

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: People in remote area receive medical supplies, food baskets first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) At the beginning of 2021, Salesian missionaries working and living in Peru reaffirmed their commitment to work for the construction of a more democratic, just and supportive nation. Through this process, they focused on four “flags” (priority areas) for their work. The first is their commitment to youth and people living in conditions of poverty and social exclusion.

“Today, we focus on the first of these flags: the priority for young people, the poorest, those at high social risk and vulnerability,” explained the Salesian Provincial Father Manuel Cayo. “For us Salesians, young people are our main concern. We were born to respond to their requests and challenges, and the reality of our country makes our task even more necessary and decisive.”

Fr. Cayo added, “In general, society views adolescents and young people with fear, as something dangerous that can harm them. At the same time, we got used to seeing them lying on the street, taking drugs or getting drunk. For a long time, the adolescent was seen as the future of the country and, therefore, was one of the most protected groups in society. Investments have been made in education and formation. Since the 1980s, they have become the most vulnerable sector. There are no more policies for this sector and today we have many young people outside the system, without life plans.”

Salesians have highlighted that the unemployment rate for men under 30 is 19.8 percent in Peru while the rate for women has reached 25.2 percent. Poverty is also increasing for youth, going from 26.9 percent in 2019 to 39.9 percent in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, according to UNICEF. There are more than two million children between the ages of 15-24 who neither study nor work. These conditions, coupled with a rise of alcohol and drug use, are leaving a whole segment of the population at risk of long-term poverty and social exclusion.

Don Bosco Foundation in Lima is one program helping to ensure youth have the education and social support they need to succeed. Providing youth access to technical training helps to ensure that they are learning employment and life skills needed to find and retain stable employment. Youth are then able to support themselves and give back to their families and communities.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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ANS – Peru – “Priorities for young people, the poorest, those at high social risk and vulnerability”

Salesian Missions – Peru

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The post PERU: Programs focus on youth and people living in poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Youth taking educational programs at Don Bosco Home in Breña, Peru, have access to new computers thanks to a donation. With the coronavirus pandemic, many students are having to learn remotely. Even students attending school in-person need after-school access to technology to study and do their homework. The donation is ensuring that youth have the ability to continue their studies and improve their academic performance.

Access to education for children and older youth in Peru is limited for youth living in remote regions and in poverty-prone areas of bigger cities like Lima. Many of these children walk up to four hours a day during their commute to and from school and are exposed to dangers such as sexual abuse, abduction for the purpose of human trafficking and induction into child prostitution.

Don Bosco Home is part of the larger Red de Casas Don Bosco initiative that serves hundreds of children and older youth, offering them a home, food, education, and spiritual and psychological support. Red de Casas Don Bosco includes 11 boarding homes in the cities of Ayacucho, Arequipa, Cusco, Huancayo and Lima (Breña and Rímac), as well as the Cusco Alto Andinas missions including Ampares, Calca and Quebrada Honda. At the Don Bosco Home, minors receive hospitality but also the opportunity to grow up in a familiar and cheerful environment where they can attend workshops, after-school courses and sports-related activities.

“Given the struggles in many communities across Peru, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities for education as well as access to safe places to play and connect with adults and their peers. They need to have all of their basic needs met as well as the support required to allow them to focus on their studies and learn new skills.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families for many years. They have also helped with rebuilding efforts after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more.

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ANS – Peru – New computers for young people of Don Bosco House in Breña

Casa Don Bosco

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The post PERU: Youth at Don Bosco Home in Breña have access to new computers to help improve their academic performance first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been working with street children in Lima, Peru, to ensure they have the education they need to grow and thrive. Casa Don Bosco, founded in 1993 and part of Mission Don Bosco, works closely with social services and institutions to offer minors a home, sit-down meals at regular times and guaranteed medical care, as well as psychological and spiritual support.

After the first contact is made on the streets, youth are offered an invitation to participate in the program. Youth are hosted in the reception center, which is set up as a family atmosphere. They choose a training course that will allow them to later find employment. In supporting their education, Casa Don Bosco provides housing and basic needs so youth can focus on their education. Casa Don Bosco currently has 68 participants, ranging from 12 to 25 years old.

“Giving youth living on the streets a second chance at education is essential to helping them thrive later in life,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth are dealing with much more than needing an education, so the wrap around services provided at Mission Don Bosco ensure youth can focus on their studies without worrying where they are living and where they will find their next meal.”

Salesian missionaries first arrived in Peru in 1891. Today, there are currently 16 Salesian centers and programs across all regions of the country. There are large schools attended by thousands of students and many parishes. There are also parishes and services provided in the Amazon rainforest with dozens and dozens of chapels scattered in villages so remote that missionaries are only able to visit once a year.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has 22 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

According to the World Food Programme, over the past decade hunger and poverty have significantly decreased in Peru thanks to consistent economic growth, investments in infrastructure, education and health, and an expansion of social programs. One of the country’s greatest achievements was the halving of chronic child malnutrition, currently at 13.1 percent. However, rates still vary widely among regions reaching peaks as high as 33.4 percent in remote rural areas in the Sierra and Amazon regions. Among indigenous people, especially in the Amazon, stunting rates have not decreased in the past 10 years.

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ANS – Peru – A future for the “pirañitas”

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Casa Don Bosco ensures youth have shelter and their basic needs met so they can focus on gaining an education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Foundation in Lima, Peru, supports community kitchens to help address issues of hunger in the region. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there are 3.1 million people in Peru who suffer from hunger. The fear is that this number will rise considerably with the pandemic.

In almost all of Lima’s poor neighborhoods and in its city center, families organize to cook what is given to them, often using wood to light the fire and recycled materials. They share meals among families to help ensure people have enough to eat.

Father Raúl Acuña, director of the Don Bosco Foundation, said, “We all remember the sad era of the 1980s when the poorest of Peru used this method to survive. There were days when we had nothing to eat and we suffered more than anything else for our children.”

Thousands of Peruvians and Venezuelan migrants in Peru are facing the same hardships today. According to the National Statistics Institute of Peru, there are roughly 1.2 million people in Lima who are currently unemployed. Some indications from the ESAN University speculate that this rate could rise to 4.2 million by the end of the year, primarily due to the pandemic.

Don Bosco Foundation supports local initiatives to feed families and ensure they have their basic needs met. In the face of the pandemic, the Salesian response continues to be vigorous and tireless. Salesians have launched an awareness campaign to help educate people about coronavirus and prevention efforts. They have made and distributed masks, sanitary kits, and food to people in need while supporting local efforts like community kitchens. Salesians continue to assess the situation in their centers and communities and provide relief to those most in need.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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ANS – Peru – Community kitchen: “We want to demonstrate that there is no authentic Christian life without social commitment”

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

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PERU

(MissionNewswire) Father Angel Carbajal and Father Pedro Da Silva, both Salesians in Peru, are taking care of families living amid the Castile landfill in Piura. The people living there are trying to survive by collecting plastic and cardboard from the garbage. Now, during the coronavirus pandemic, these are the people who are most at risk and those most forgotten.

Piura, a coastal city located in northern Peru, has the most coronavirus infections outside of Lima, the capital city. Hospitals in the city collapsed a month ago with fatal consequences, and now there is a lack of care for those who need it. During the pandemic, schools have been closed, but Salesian missionaries have continued to support the poorest among them.

When Fr. Carbajal and Fr. Da Silva visit the landfill they hear the suffering of people. People explain how family members have died, lacking oxygen. Others have approached the Don Bosco School in Piura to ask for something to eat because they have no food. The two Salesian missionaries have launched relief efforts and invited workers, parents, past pupils, friends and suppliers to help with the initiative.

The aid operation began in Salesian oratories with the families of the hundreds of children who endured the lockdown and quarantine. From there, Salesians moved on to providing aid within the community and especially to the Castile landfill on the outskirts of the city.

When Fr. Carbajal was asked why he took this risk to go there himself and not send others, he explained, “I did the same thing that Don Bosco would have done. It is pastoral charity in all its splendor. It’s the apostolic impulse that moves us to go towards those who need us.”

Relief efforts are still continuing within Salesian communities across Peru. Salesians are assessing the situation in their centers and communities and providing relief to those most in need.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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ANS – Peru – “My father, people die: oxygen is lacking, food is lacking …”. Salesians in landfills help the forgotten

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesians help support those living and collecting trash at the Castile landfill first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Father José Valdivia, provincial economer, has offered the courtyard of the Salesian Provincial House, which is located in the Breña neighborhood in Lima, Peru, to welcome migrants in need until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. About 90 Haitians were unable to travel to Ecuador because of the emergency medical declaration in Peru. They were left with the only option of sleeping in the streets. Now, they have been settled on the grounds of the Provincial House.

The Peruvian state and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in coordination with the Salesian Congregation, the International Organization for Migration and the nongovernmental organization Illari Amanecer, are coordinating the response during the mandatory asylum. The network is also searching for mattresses, beds and sleeping modules, and food to help the newly arrived migrants. Of the 90 people at the Salesian Provincial House, most are young families, including 25 minors, 32 women and 33 men.

“A few days ago, we communicated with Federico Agusti, UNHCR coordinator general in Peru, who asked, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the use of the structures of the Breña courtyard to welcome and host a group of Haitians who have nowhere to live. Many of them are children and mothers of families,” explained Fr. Valdivia. “This decision was made in the context of the invitation of the Salesian Rector Major and the Economer General to welcome the most vulnerable people or victims of this pandemic by making our structures available.”

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked Salesian missionaries to sign an agreement to set up temporary migrant assistance offices at the Salesian Institute, which is also located in Breña. The Salesian Institute is expected to receive an average of 1,000 people per day. In support of the migrant assistance offices, youth from the Don Bosco House joined other young Venezuelan migrants and refugees who live in the Magdalena del Mar neighborhood to help set up the spaces. They worked with representatives from UNHCR.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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ANS – Peru – UNHCR and Salesians united in favor of blocked migrants. “The poor will never find God indifferent”

PERU: Salesian missionaries sign agreement to set up temporary migrant assistance offices in support of Venezuela migrants and refugees

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesians offer courtyard of the Provincial House in Breña for migrants during the pandemic first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Giovanni Hurtado has found a way to give back to youth and the Don Bosco Foundation long after his childhood in the Magdalena del Mar neighborhood in Lima, Peru. Hurtado spent considerable time with the Salesians who had a school, formation house and parish in the area.

Today, at the age of 48, Hurtado wants to ensure that he is giving back in recognition and thanks for the support he received in his youth. Hurtado said, “I was lucky enough to meet the Salesians in a golden age when they were always in contact with young people.”

Hurtado now lives in Bad Vigaun, a municipality and spa town in the district of Hallein, in the Austrian state of Salzburg. He said, “As soon as I arrived in Austria, I asked for the nearest church. I wanted to talk to the parish priest and offer to sing at mass. I know I also had to something with the young people here.”

After a few years, Hurtado’s dream came true. With hard work and dedication, he founded the first oratory of the city, Pfarre Bad Vigaun. Hurtado based it on the Salesian oratory where he spent time as a child.

On Epiphany day in Bad Vigaun, youth visit homes to ask for charity donations to use for various educational and training projects around the world. The majority of the funding raised, 90 percent, is sent to Salzburg and then distributed to places that need help.

Hurtado worked to ensure that some of this funding was sent to the Don Bosco Foundation in support of the Yankaum Jintia Intercultural Technical Training Center, which was developed to meet the needs of poor youth living in the Peruvian Amazon. The center was launched in August 2016 and has become a common meeting place for youth of diverse backgrounds.

This training center seeks to improve the living conditions of indigenous families of the Achuar, Kandozi, Mestizos and Quechua ethnic groups in the Amazon. Youth are trained to be mechanics for outboard engines, as well as in carpentry, agriculture and animal husbandry. They are then able to contribute to the development of their communities.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica, and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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ANS – Peru – Giovanni, past pupil of Magdalena del Mar oratory: “I have to do something with local young people”

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Former Salesian youth giving back to his community and beyond to ensure youth have the same opportunity he had first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Lima, Peru, are working to accommodate migrants and refugees from Venezuela. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked Salesian missionaries to sign an agreement to set up temporary migrant assistance offices at the Salesian Institute, which is located in the Breña neighborhood of Lima. The Salesian Institute is expected to receive an average of 1,000 people per day.

Salesian Father José Valdivia, provincial economer of Peru, explained that the cooperation agreement was made through UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. UNHCR has noted, “People continue to leave Venezuela to escape violence, insecurity and threats as well as lack of food, medicine and essential services. With over 4 million Venezuelans now living abroad, the vast majority in countries within Latin America and the Caribbean, this is the largest exodus in the region’s recent history.”

According to UNHCR data, there are more than 4.5 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees in other countries. Colombia has hosted close to 1.3 million while Peru currently has more than 768,000. Prior to the launch of the migrant assistance offices, Salesian missionaries in Magdalena del Mar, Lima, opened the Don Bosco House for youth who arrive in Peru. Here they are offered food and accommodation.

In support of the migrant assistance offices, youth from the Don Bosco House joined other young Venezuelan migrants and refugees who live in the Magdalena del Mar neighborhood to help set up the spaces. They worked with representatives from UNHCR.

“Salesian missionaries continue to work in Venezuela and in other countries in support of those who have fled Venezuela in search of opportunity and a better life,” says Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The new Salesian migrant assistance offices enable youth to seek support as they learn to navigate their new country and restart their lives far away from home.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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ANS – Peru – Salesians and UNHCR united for Venezuela’s refugees and migrants

Salesian Missions – Peru

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World Bank – Peru

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PERU

(MissionNewswire) Mountaintop villagers in Watzapampa and Shinua Jangas-Huaraz, Peru, were able to run 2,500 feet of piping to bring clean drinking water to their villages in 2016, improving the quality of life for more than 1,200 people thanks to donor funding through Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.”

The communities are still feeling the positive effects from this donation. Since being able to access clean water, those living in the villages have had drinking water in their homes for the first time. The water is safe for human consumption and doesn’t expose people to life-threatening diseases. In addition, the community now has access to proper sanitation with the construction of a public restroom.

“Having access to clean water and proper sanitation brings a sense of dignity to children and families,” says Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Improving water and sanitation facilities also ensures that youth are living in an environment that promotes proper hygiene, reducing the number of waterborne illnesses.”

UN-Water estimates that worldwide 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and by 2050, the world’s population will have grown by an estimated 2 billion people, pushing global water demand up to 30 percent higher than today. One in four primary schools has no drinking water service, with students using unprotected water sources or going thirsty. In addition, UN-Water notes that more than 700 children under 5 years of age die every day from diarrheal disease linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

“Water is essential for life, and it’s critical that Salesian programs around the globe have access to safe, clean water for the health and safety of those we serve,” adds Fr. Baek. “In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions has continued its ‘Clean Water Initiative’ making building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Salesian Missions – Peru

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The post PERU: Salesian Missions funded piping for clean water in two villages, impacting 1,200 people first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Center Monte Salvado in Cusco, a city located in the Peruvian Andes, has an agriculture school that offers education to more than 200 children of local farmers who live in isolation. They bring their children to attend the only secondary school in the area. Half of the students live in the two boarding houses attached to the school.

The Salesian Center is located in a region close to the wilderness, 1,100 meters above sea level, and it sits on 80 hectares of land, not all of which is cultivated because some areas extend on the top of steep slopes.

There is a real family atmosphere among the students. They are in contact with nature and animals. They also learn to create jams and fruit buckets with the values ​​of patience and continuous dedication to see the results of their work. The students are working with orange trees, coffee and cocoa crops, and vegetables, along with chickens, rabbits, cattle and pigs.

The Salesian School faces challenges. It’s not easy to find teachers who will agree to give up the comforts of the city to teach at such a remote location. In addition, because the students’ families are very poor and cannot pay the tuition fees for attendance or room and board, the agricultural school sells animals and products to secure the funding needed to run the school. Being in such a remote poor area away from populated city centers makes selling the products challenging.

The school also lacks electricity from the main power supplies. Salesian missionaries have built a small hydroelectric plant that uses the water from the nearby stream. But when water is scarce during the dry season, the school often lacks the energy supply it needs to operate.

“The Salesian school is operating under difficult and challenging circumstances, but Salesian missionaries continue their work knowing how important it is these youth receive an education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth are able to gain an education and given back to their families and community.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Peru – Salesians for poor young people: working in the sierra and forest

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World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian missionaries educate more than 200 children of farmers at Salesian Center Monte Salvado in Cusco first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are utilizing an unused wing of the Salesian College in Lima, Peru, as a reception center for Venezuelan youth who have fled their country in search of a better life. The center current accommodates 52 young men aged 18-25 years old.

Father José Valdivia, the provincial economer of Peru, is in charge of the center. After working a long day on accounting activities, he joins these young men who are all returning from working 10-12 hours of labor and are sitting down to dinner. Fr. Valdivia stays with them after their meal and encourages them, and counsels those who are having a difficult time.

Fr. Valdivia is assisted by Father Marino Del Prà, an 88-year-old missionary, who currently resides in a home for the elderly. He was invited once to speak to the young men but has continued meeting with them to provide support and be another stable presence to listen and encourage them.

In addition to the two Salesian missionaries, the center also employs a cook, Roxana, who provides dinner each night when they come home from work. More than just serving dinner, Roxana is also an indispensable reference point for these young men who are far from their families.

“Salesian missionaries have been able to provide shelter for youth who have fled Venezuela in search of opportunity and a better life,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The Salesian reception center enables these young men to live in a comfortable and safe atmosphere where they have the support of their peers and adults as they learn to navigate their new country and restart their lives far away from home.”

Salesian missionaries first arrived in Peru in 1891. There are currently 16 Salesian centers across the country that provide schools, parishes, missionary chapels, oratories, youth centers and many projects to help aid the most vulnerable youth.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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

ANS – Peru – New frontiers of Salesians in Peru: “Don Bosco House” and Venezuelan migrants

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian missionaries provide housing and support to Venezuelan refugees in Peru first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PERU

(MissionNewswire) Two new educational buildings were developed to meet the needs of poor youth living in Kuyuntsa, Peru. These buildings were made possible with the support of Don Bosco Mondo in Germany. The education provided ensures that the dreams of Father Bollo, one of the first missionaries in the region, are coming true and giving rise to opportunities for youth from indigenous Achuar communities who would not have otherwise had the opportunity.

Salesian Father Raúl Acuña, director of projects, said, “We have created new opportunities for young people who come to Kuyuntsa to study. From a well, we’ve brought drinking water and we also use solar energy. It is a place to train and study.”

Arriving in Kuyuntsa is not easy. It is a long, difficult journey that requires sacrifices. Fr. Acuña added, “We aim to improve the life of Achuar youth in these indigenous communities through education and the development of their skills. This is why we started cultivating on land, to improve their diet and teach them that one doesn’t need to eat only cassava and bananas. In a short time since educational programs have been in operation, youth have learned to grow rice, corn and beans, and they are planting new trees.”

Attending the inauguration of the new buildings required a few hours journey along the rivers, but several people were in attendance including Salesian Provincial Father Manolo Cayo; Roswitha Maus, project manager with Don Bosco Mondo; Father Diego Clavijo, a local missionary; members of the Provincial social communication team; the Department of Education; and many others.

“These new educational buildings would not have been possible without the support of Don Bosco Mondo, the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, and the Salesian Mission Office of Peru,” said Fr. Acuña.

One of the challenges facing Salesian missionaries in Peru is creating opportunities for youth after they graduate from secondary school but are unable because of finances to pursue further education and training. To address this, Salesian missionaries are providing more technical and vocational training so youth are able to learn a skill and have access to long-term stable work that allows them to provide for their families and give back to their communities.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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

ANS – Peru – Inauguration of two internships for young people in Kuyuntsa: “It is very important to educate a people …”

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

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Father de Censi visited Chimbote frequently because he was concerned with the high levels of poverty among the children and families in the area. In Chimbote, Operation Mato Grosso now works with the Total School in addition to eight Salesian kindergartens and the Mamma Mia refectory which is attended by close to 1,000 people every day. The new Total School serves as a place where students can learn and receive free study materials, uniforms and lunch.

“Father Ugo taught us that we must welcome children for free. The most important thing is charity. If someone gives you something, it’s because he loves you, and that’s what we did with these children,” says Erica Lazzari, director of the Total School.

The Total School also provides moral, spiritual and artistic education in order to fully develop its students. Featuring spaces for carpentry, masonry, weaving, wood and ceramics, the school was built thanks to young volunteers from the Salesian oratory of the Andes who worked hard to obtain the necessary funds and built the structure for free during their school holidays.

“Given the struggles in many communities across Peru, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities for education as well as access to safe places to play and connect with adults and peers. They need to have all of their basic needs met as well as the support required to allow them to focus on their studies and learn new skills.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families for many years. They have also helped with rebuilding efforts after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more.

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

ANS – Peru – “Total School”, the last work left by Fr Ugo de Censi for the benefit of the poorest

World Bank – Peru

Salesian Missions – Peru

The post PERU: The Salesian-run Operation Mato Grosso launches new Total School to provide primary education in Chimbote first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries, who have been working in the region since 2001, have a presence in San Lorenzo, San Fernando and Kuyuntsa where they serve 8,000 children, adolescents and families. Some Salesian buildings were damaged during the quake and the Don Bosco Foundation in Peru has asked for assistance in reconstruction efforts.

“The largest and richest region of biodiversity in Peru is the Amazon,” says E. Ortiz, a Salesian missionary. “The area covers 60 percent of the country’s territory. It accounts for 31 ecosystems and 14,712 animal species, and hosts a plurality of ancestral cultures and over 60 ethnic groups. Yet the region is the most forgotten of all, due to the indifference of governments.”

In San Lorenzo, Salesian missionaries operate a parish, several chapels and an outreach service in the indigenous communities and along the banks of the Marañón river. In San Fernando, Salesian missionaries operate several chapels and facilitate the Intercultural Training Center known locally as Yánkuam Jintia. In Kuyuntsa, there are Salesian parishes, outreach missionary services and boarding schools for indigenous youth.

After the earthquake, Salesian missionaries responded with food and shelter for those in need. Since then, they have been developing a long-term strategy for reconstruction to help local communities prepare for natural disasters such as this. The overall goal is to improve the quality of life and help indigenous populations develop skills that allow them to deal with disasters in a family and community environment.

Because Salesian buildings were affected, the Don Bosco Center in Peru is seeking funding to help with reconstruction of the Intercultural Training Center in San Fernando so it can continue to provide quality technical education and human-Christian formation to the young indigenous people of the ethnic groups Achuar, Kandozi, Mestizos and Quechua.

A reception house for indigenous girls at the Salesian Missionary Society of San Lorenzo must also be repaired as well as two missionary chapels that were damaged in the earthquake.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

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

ANS – Peru – Earthquake destroyed even the memory: “We help our suffering brothers by giving them food and shelter”

CNN – Peru earthquake leaves one dead and several injured

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian missionaries respond to needs of indigenous populations after 8.0 magnitude earthquake in May first appeared on MissionNewswire.

While there is much talk about Peru’s economic growth, this is not reflected in the remote villages in the country’s interior. Salesian missionaries report that Calca’s poverty rate is very high and the community also has high rates of child malnutrition and family violence. Access to education for children and older youth living in the valleys is very limited. Many of these children walk up to four hours a day during their commute to and from school and are exposed to dangers such as sexual abuse, abduction for the purpose of human trafficking and induction into child prostitution.

The Don Bosco Home is part of the larger Red de Casas Don Bosco initiative which serves hundreds of children and older youth, offering them a home, food, education and spiritual and psychological support. Red de Casas Don Bosco includes 11 boarding homes in the cities of Ayacucho, Arequipa, Cusco, Huancayo and Lima (Breña and Rímac) as well as the Cusco Alto Andinas missions including Ampares, Calca and Quebrada Honda. At the Don Bosco Home, minors receive hospitality but also the opportunity to grow up in a familiar and cheerful environment where they can attend workshops, after-school courses and sports-related activities.

Recently, Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Home have developed a new music workshop that will provide both a cultural and psychological benefit. This program will help youth embrace their roots through the study of folk songs while supporting their psycho-physical well-being through music. Participating students will attend the course twice a week for two hours of lessons each session.

Traditional pan flutes in addition to triangles, wooden bass drums and modern musical keyboards will be utilized. The Don Bosco Home is in the process of raising funds to purchase the musical instruments (and is seeking donated instruments) in order to successfully launch the program.

“Given the struggles in many communities across Peru, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities for education as well as access to safe places to play and connect with adults and their peers. They need to have all of their basic needs met as well as the support required to allow them to focus on their studies and learn new skills.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families for many years. They have also helped with rebuilding efforts after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more.

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

ANS – Peru – Growing up with music: the goal of the Salesians in Calca

Don Bosco Mission

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Home develop new music program for youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, Red de Casas Don Bosco held the 12th meeting of its network bringing together 139 people including youth and educators from the 11 boarding homes run by the organization. The topics covered included formative activities that strengthen personality and challenges for educators in their work with youth. Salesian leaders from programs in Colombia facilitated the meeting.

Children and adolescents are one of the most vulnerable segments of Peru’s population. This vulnerability requires special protection from the state, family and community. Salesian programs work to meet the basic needs of poor youth and provide opportunities for education. Youth engaged in Red de Casas Don Bosco programs are all minors who have lived in situations of social risk and have been forced to survive in the streets, sleeping in parks and under bridges. They are children deprived of love and affection and many are victims of violence, exploitation and abuse.

The program is particularly relevant given Peru’s high rates of child labor. The country has one of the highest rates in South America with 21.8 percent of youth working, according to the International Labor Organization. According to a study by Mariana Benavente for her book, “Los niños de la calle,” 86 percent of children living in total or partial abandonment on the street believe they can have a good future.

“This is something Salesian missionaries who work with street children know. Children and young people need us to speak, to dialogue, to be heard and accompanied,” said Father José Valdivia, provincial delegate for Red de Casas Don Bosco.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families for many years. They have also helped with rebuilding efforts after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Peru – “Red de Casas Don Bosco”: committed to educating by offering proposals for the future

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Educators and youth from Red de Casas Don Bosco meet to discuss important topics in youth education and social support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Home is part of the larger Red de Casas Don Bosco initiative which serves hundreds of children and older youth, offering them a home, food, education and spiritual and psychological support. Red de Casas Don Bosco includes 11 boarding homes in the cities of Ayacucho, Arequipa, Cusco, Huancayo and Lima (Breña and Rímac) as well as the Cusco Alto Andinas missions including Ampares, Calca and Quebrada Honda.

Children and adolescents make up some of the most vulnerable segments of Peru’s population. Salesian programs aim to help poor youth gain an education while making sure their basic needs are met. All those enrolled in Red de Casas Don Bosco programs are minors who have lived in situations of social risk and have been forced to survive on the streets, sleeping in parks or under bridges. They have been deprived of love and affection and many are victims of violence, exploitation and abuse.

“Given the struggles in many communities across Peru, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities for education as well as access to safe places to play and connect with adults and older youth who are able to mentor them. They need to have all of their basic needs met as well as the support required to allow them to focus on their studies.”

Father Hyde adds, “We greatly appreciate all the Salesian Missions donors who have helped with this renovation project in Peru and other Salesian programs around the globe.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than 21 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, adequate housing, nutrition and education. Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families for many years. They have also helped with rebuilding efforts after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more.

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Salesian Missions Projects

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for renovation of building and basketball court at Don Bosco Home for Troubled Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, has warned that the continent faces a refugee “crisis moment” similar to that seen in the Mediterranean in 2015, according to a BBC article. UNHCR is in the process of setting up a special team to coordinate a regional response.

Peru is already home to nearly 400,000 Venezuelan migrants, most of whom arrived in the past year. Salesian missionaries in Peru are working to set up accommodations and programs to help migrants integrate into their new communities. They have heard first-hand the challenges migrants face like Roque Díaz who says, “There is no future in Venezuela,” and Ilich Márquez who notes, “It is very difficult to survive.”

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Venezuelan population that has arrived in Peru in recent months consists mainly of young men between 18 and 34 years of age who often possess a higher level of education. In response to the need, Salesian missionaries are launching a new program named Casa Don Bosco which will be located in an old vocational training house. The program will be supported by the Episcopal Conference, the Salesian Publishing House, the Food Bank of Peru and the Don Bosco Foundation which is the organizing body for Casa Don Bosco.

“Salesian missionaries in Peru and in countries around the globe operate projects and facilities for young refugees and migrants who have sought asylum and arrived in a new country without their family or a means for survival,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal is to help these youth in their daily lives and assist them in finding a home and employment while integrating them into their new communities.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has 22 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

According to the World Food Programme, over the past decade hunger and poverty have significantly decreased in Peru thanks to consistent economic growth, investments in infrastructure, education and health and an expansion of social programs. One of the country’s greatest achievements was the halving of chronic child malnutrition, currently at 13.1 percent. However, rates still vary widely among regions reaching peaks as high as 33.4 percent in remote rural areas in the Sierra and Amazon regions. Among indigenous people, especially in the Amazon, stunting rates have not decreased in the past 10 years.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Peru – Sons of Don Bosco, sons of a migrant, inaugurate house for migrants and refugees from Venezuela

BBC – Venezuela migrant crisis: Peru receives asylum requests

World Food Programme – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian missionaries launch Casa Don Bosco to provide services for influx of Venezuelan migrants in Lima first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The competition was aimed at young creatives from all of the Salesian centers in Peru. The participants were called to express, in an original way and with inspirational messages, the theme of the Salesian Rector Major’s Strenna 2018 entitled, “Lord, give me this water (Jn 4:15). We cultivate the art of listening and accompanying.”

“For this reason, we want young people to make the Strenna theirs. We want them to both understand it and share it through their own experience,” says Salesian Brother Cristian Becerra, provincial delegate for social communication. “Young people today think more with images than with words, and what they know how to do best is to tell stories.”

Five short film finalists were selected among all entries and presented on May 13. The first among them was “El gesto” by Ebert Efrain Gamarra Huaycochea from the Salesian Institute in Cusco. The film presented the need for small gestures in family life. A single gesture can make a big change is the final message of the film. The second film chosen was “Fuente de esperanza” by Fernando Marcelo Vera Cabrera, also from Cusco.

The third film was by Renzo Moreno Quino from the Salesian school Rosenthal de la Puente in Magdalena del Mar. The fourth film chosen was “Nuovo Don Bosco” by Ricardo Campana Moscoso from the Salesian Institute in Cusco. The fifth short film was by Adrián Unda Vivanco, from the Salesian school San Francisco de Sales in Lima, and was entitled “Sharing among friends.”

Film is a powerful medium that can communicate, educate, elevate and inspire viewers. The film competition was the celebration of youth in a positive and inspiring way, narrating stories of young people who face challenges and struggles in life with courage, determination and faith to emerge as inspiring individuals. The film competition is a unique tool to talk to youth in the language and setting that they connect with so easily.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has 22 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

According to the World Food Programme, over the past decade hunger and poverty have significantly decreased in Peru, thanks to consistent economic growth, investments in infrastructure, education and health, and an expansion of social programs. One of the country’s greatest achievements was the halving of chronic child malnutrition, currently at 13.1 percent. However, rates still vary widely among regions, reaching peaks as high as 33.4 percent in remote rural areas in the Sierra and Amazon regions. Among indigenous people, especially in the Amazon, stunting rates have not decreased in the past 10 years.

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ANS – Peru – “Gift us your story”: a short film competition

World Food Programme – Peru

ANS photo

The post PERU: Salesian missionaries launch new short film competition for young filmmakers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Yankuam Jintia,” or twilight, is how the Amazon natives refer to the Salesian missionaries who travel from one place to another, walking in the rain and mud of the forest or on the river. Their only vehicle was the small boat capable of carrying only a few people throughout their journey. The Salesians of Peru, who continue the missionary work of Fr. Bolla in that region, with the help of the Don Bosco Foundation of Peru, have succeeded in acquiring a new boat.

“The boat we have inaugurated and blessed is called María Auxiliadora and will be destined for long journeys on the river. It is our only means of transport to reach some otherwise inaccessible places in the Amazon,” explains Salesian Father Román Olesinski.

Thanks to the new boat, Salesian missionaries will be able to reach more than 120 communities. These are visits that last for three weeks and are an opportunity to visit schools to meet and educate young people and their families.

“The María Auxiliadora is also a house,” says Fr. Olesinski. “We navigate from one community to the next. On the boat we sleep, we cook. It is a floating and missionary house. Now we will no longer hear the ‘peke-peke-peke-peke’ sound for hours and hours that the last smaller boat made because we have this new larger more accommodating boat for our travels.”

Salesian missionaries in Peru provide education and social development services for poor youth and their families. Through education and vocational and technical skills training, Salesian missionaries provide youth the opportunity to gain the skills they need to find and retain long-term, stable employment. Missionaries also provide health clinics, feeding programs, shelter and other basic necessities to families in need.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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ANS – Peru – Salesian riverboats: from “Pekepeke” to “María Auxiliadora”

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: New boat helps Salesian missionaries travel to hard to reach communities in the Amazon first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This new training center seeks to improve the living conditions of indigenous families of the Achuar, Kandozi, Meztizos and Quechua ethnic groups in the Amazon. Youth will be trained to be mechanics for outboard engines, as well as in carpentry, agriculture and animal husbandry. They will then be able to contribute to the development of their communities and to create resources through the provision of services to third parties. Youth will reside in the Salesian boarding school and attend the four-month training modules of the Intercultural Education Center.

“The students are really worthy of admiration because they have to make a lot of effort to make their dreams come true,” said one of the Salesian missionaries who facilitates programs at the center. “It is not only the distance they have to travel, but many are behind educationally due to their poor preparation during basic school education. Even when they leave secondary school, many do not know how to read, write or understand Spanish correctly.”

The school recently graduated 150 students in its most recent class. They all benefited from both the education as well as living and learning to get along with people from different origins and backgrounds.

One of the challenges facing Salesian missionaries in Peru is creating opportunities for youth after they graduate from secondary school but are unable because of finances to pursue further education and training. To address this, Salesian missionaries are providing more technical and vocational training so youth are able to learn a skill and have access to long-term stable work that allows them to provide for their families and give back to their communities.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Technical Training Center: “Fr Bolla’s dream comes true”

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Technical training center helps prepare youth in the Amazon for long-term employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Eighty surgeries were performed during the medical clinic and 35 children and young adults received free dental examinations. Dentists also provided free oral health education. During the presentations, students also received free toothbrushes and toothpaste. Since 2005, Salesian missionaries have been offering similar medical clinics in Peru to improve the quality of life for people.

Offering these free medical and dental clinics is nothing new to Salesian programs. Salesian missionaries offer more than 200 medical clinics and hospitals, mostly in rural areas, that handle a wide range of medical care needs. Leprosy, otherwise known as Hansen’s disease, has been a focus of Salesian-run medical clinics for more than 100 years. Salesian hospitals for people affected by leprosy and leprosy control programs can be found in Brazil, Colombia, India, Thailand, Macau and a number of nations in Africa. HIV/AIDS prevention programs are also a vital component of Salesian healthcare initiatives in Africa. In many countries with Salesian programs, additional dental and other necessary health services are offered.

“The health of the young people we serve is very important to us,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The work we do in Peru and in programs around the globe goes beyond education. We serve the whole person by making sure the basic needs of health and nutrition are met, in addition to other social service needs.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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ANS – Peru – Surgical and Dental Campaign in Pucallpa

World Bank – Peru

Photo courtesy INFOANS

The post PERU: Don Bosco Foundation offers free medical and dental clinic for poor youth and their families first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Children and adolescents are one of the most vulnerable segment of Peru’s population. This vulnerability requires special protection from the state, family and community. Salesian programs aim to help poor youth gain an education and have access to the basic needs they require. Youth engaged in Red de Casas Don Bosco programs are all minors who have lived in situations of social risk and forced to survive in the streets, sleeping in parks and under bridges. They are children deprived of love and affection, and many are victims of violence, exploitation and abuse.

Throughout November, Red de Casas Don Bosco, with the support of the Don Bosco Foundation, will promote a fundraising campaign “Your hand supports a hope.” During the campaign, Red de Casas Don Bosco and the Don Bosco Foundation dedicated one day to local fundraising by carrying money boxes to various parts of the city and inviting people and local businesses to donate. All proceeds collected during the campaign will be used to support the services offered to the children living in the homes of the Salesian network.

“Given the struggles in many communities across Peru, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities for education as well as have safe places to play and connect with adults and older youth who are able to mentor them. They need to have all of their basic needs met and the support needed to focus on their studies and gain an education.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007, which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – “Your hand supports a hope”: campaign for “Red de Casas Don Bosco

World Bank – Peru

Photo courtesy of Casas Don Bosco (Peru)

The post PERU: Red de Casas Don Bosco and Don Bosco Foundation launch fundraising to aid more than 600 youth in Salesian-run boarding homes first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Some of the Salesian programs that received the donation include the Mama Margarita Workshop, the feeding center at the Maria Immaculate, students from CETPRO Bosconia, Maria Auxiliadora Association and the feeding center at the Madre Redentor Nueva Esperanza. The donation was provided as emergency food aid to assist Salesian programs that were involved in providing aid to flood victims.

The National Emergency Operations Center reported deaths from flooding at 94 with more than 700,000 left homeless. The flooding and subsequent mudslides were reported in 24 out of 25 regions in Peru, leaving hundreds of thousands displaced, with many having lost everything.Salesian missionaries living and working within these regions have been responding since the start of the flooding, despite their own programs, churches and facilities affected or damaged by the storms. Hundreds of families are receiving aid and other assistance from Salesian missionaries responding to this crisis.

With support of Salesian donations from countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries in Peru have been able to provide hundreds of family kits containing supplies, water and food including rice, sugar, noodles, cans of tuna and oats. Families were also in need of medical attention. Salesian missionaries were able to buy medicines for the Bosconia Medical Center so that it could attend to the medical needs of youth attending local Salesian programs and their families.

This emergency food aid donation is a continuation of the relief work Salesian missionaries are providing to families in need. The rice-meals were provided to families at the dining rooms in Salesian feeding centers and in shelters. Aid was also provided to students and professors at CETPRO Bosconia, which provides technical skills training to youth. Pedro Juarez Garcia is one of the CETPRO students who received the donation. He’s 20 and studying automotive mechanics. With the rice-meal donation he was also able to support his grandmother and uncles, who he lives with in Paita, located 20 minutes from Piura. The family is extremely grateful for the donation and it allows Pedro to focus on his studies and be better engaged in the classroom.

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

“The partnership with Rise Against Hunger allows Salesian Missions to expand its services for youth in need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Emergency food aid and 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.”

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Sources:

Mission Newswire – Salesian Missionaries Respond with Food and Medical Aid to Those Affected by Intense Flooding and Mudslides

Rise Against Hunger

The post PERU: Emergency Food Aid from Rise Against Hunger Helps Flood Victims Receiving Support from Salesian Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The CETPRO Center houses hundreds of young people and provides a family home for youth and an oratory that welcomes both boys and girls. The center works in cooperation with the Don Bosco Foundation of Peru and the Share Campaign of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference to train youth with special educational needs. Through this campaign, several young people with sensory disabilities benefit and are being successfully trained in screen printing and tailoring laboratories.

In addition, in coordination with specialists from the Service of Support and Consultation for the Care of Special Educational Needs (SAANEE), a seminar was organized for all CETPRO students to raise their awareness of the great efforts that their disadvantaged peers put forth to gain an education and how they face and overcome to achieve their goals. All students have been encouraged to show respect, tolerance and a willingness to help their peers who have different skills and to collaborate with them.

For children with disabilities access to education is limited and the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty is almost nonexistent. UNICEF notes in its State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities report that globally close to 61 percent of boys finish school but for boys with disabilities that number drops to 51 percent. For girls, 53 percent finish school but among those living with a disability, only 42 percent finish their education.

The UNICEF report also notes that studies across countries show a strong link between poverty and disability, which in turn is linked to gender, health and employment issues. The report further suggests that inclusion in mainstream schools and educational settings is usually most appropriate for children with disabilities and when teachers and personnel are trained to consider disability-related issues, they look upon inclusion of children with disabilities more positively.

“Children living in poverty with a disability are even less likely to attend school when compared to their peers,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth with disabilities have the same ability to achieve as their peers, if given the opportunity. CETPRO Santo Domingo Savio Technical Center is working to make sure that all students have access to the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to the social, cultural and economic vitality of their communities.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Campaign for awareness raising and training for young people with “different abilities”

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Center Provides Educational Programs for Students with Disabilities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries living and working within these regions have been responding since the start of the flooding, despite their own programs, churches and facilities impacted or damaged by the storms. Hundreds of families are receiving aid and other assistance from Salesian missionaries responding to this crisis.

With support of Salesian donations from countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries in Peru have been able to provide hundreds of family kits containing supplies, water, and food including rice, sugar, noodles, cans of tuna and oats. Families are also in need of medical attention. Medicines have been purchased for the Bosconia Medical Center so that it can attend to the medical needs of youth attending local Salesian programs and their families.

In the city of Piura, the sewer drainage system has been completely destroyed as a result of the flooding. Heavy rains, coupled with the destruction of the drainage system, can create a breeding ground for disease and health complications for its residents. Salesian missionaries in Piura are responding to those who need assistance and are seeking funding to launch a project aimed at providing preventative health information as well as materials and supplies. They are also holding informative talks on the safe storage and consumption of drinking water and delivering to each family a bucket tank with lid and brushes to clean it.

“Salesian missionaries are reporting that the collapse of drinking water and sewage systems in Piura is leading to an increase in acute diarrheal diseases,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Vulnerable people, especially children and the elderly, are particularly at risk of illness and infection. People are also exposed to the concentration of dust particles in the air from debris removal, which can increase respiratory infections and infectious diseases to the skin and conjunctivitis, among other illnesses.”

Salesian missionaries working at schools and youth centers in the regions near Piura are planning to provide up to 900 families with prevention education about these diseases. The information will include the dissemination of key messages that promote basic hygiene practices and the adoption of healthy habits. This work will also help communities strengthen their capacities to adopt operational measures to safeguard against dengue, malaria, diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections and dermatological problems, among others.

The rains that caused destruction in Peru have also hit Colombia, Chile and currently Argentina. The Domingo Savio Salesian House at Comodoro Rivadavia, which provides educational and social development programs through a school, a technical center and a parish, was not affected by the torrential rains, but many of the students and teachers have had their homes flooded. A significant number of volunteers are now helping people most in need in the city of Comodoro Rivadavia, a city that needs to be rebuilt according to its mayor Carlos Linares.

Salesian Missions, which helps to secure donations from those who wish to support Salesian missionaries’ work around the globe, is collecting donations for those who wish to help support these initiatives in Peru and other projects at SalesianMissions.org/give.

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PHOTO by Fabian Massoni (courtesy ANS); May not be used without permission.

Sources:

ANS – Argentina – Following the floods, the Salesians initiate solidarity campaigns to assist the affected families

NBC – Devastating Floods in Peru Displace Tens of Thousands

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Respond with Food and Medical Aid to Those Affected by Intense Flooding and Mudslides first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change and the effects of intense rains that can cause flooding and landslides in the country. In the city of Piura, the sewer drainage system has been completely destroyed as a result of the flooding. Weather like this, coupled with the destruction of the drainage system, can be a breeding ground for disease and health complications for its residents. Salesian missionaries living and working in Piura, one of the hardest hit areas, are already responding to those who need assistance and are seeking funding to launch a project aimed at providing preventative health information as well as materials and supplies.

“Salesian missionaries in the city are reporting that the immediate effect of the flood in Piura is the collapse of drinking water and sewage systems leading to an increase in acute diarrheal diseases,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Vulnerable people, especially children and the elderly, are particularly at risk of illness and infection. People are also exposed to the concentration of dust particles in the air from debris removal, which can increase respiratory infections and infectious diseases to the skin and conjunctivitis, among other illnesses.”

Salesian missionaries working at schools and youth centers in the regions near Piura are planning to provide up to 900 families with prevention education about these diseases. The information will include the dissemination of key messages that promote basic hygiene practices and the adoption of healthy habits. This work will also help communities strengthen their capacities to adopt operational measures to safeguard against dengue, malaria, diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections and dermatological problems, among others.

In addition, missionaries are seeking funding to be able to provide the residents of these communities supplies like plastic tanks with lids, cleaning brushes and kettles for the storage and consumption of drinking water. They would also like to be able to provide supplies to help with the disposal of stagnant water and trash. Food and shelter are also a priority for Salesian missionaries and they aim to provide canned fish, cookies and milk powder for children as well as mosquito nets, raincoats, blankets, plastic sandals, plastic mesh for doors and windows, solar powered lanterns, mosquito repellent and rodent traps.

Salesian missionaries also want to provide emergency kits with medical supplies like gloves, band-aids, and necessary medicines to help community members who are already suffering from these diseases and those working to prevent them.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Peru also faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Salesian Missions, which helps to secure donations from those who wish to support Salesian missionaries work around the globe, is collecting donations for those who wish to help support these initiative in Peru and other projects at SalesianMissions.org/give.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Peru

ANS – Peru Emergency: The Salesian Missions Office in Peru supports a national emergency

Peru Reports – Heavy floods in northern Peru, some call for suspending Pan Am Games

Weather.com – Flooding, Mudslides Strike Peru, Killing 72; Thousands Homeless

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Respond to Devastating Flooding, Prepare to Launch Health Project in Wake of Water Systems Collapse first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Youth from the Salesian parish of Mary Help of Christians kicked off the program in 2017 by going from house to house in Breña announcing that the program had started. As a result, more than 100 children are registered to participate. The workshops are offered by older youth that are part of the Salesian Youth Movement.

Lima, which has a population of close to 10 million people, is a chaotic and busy city with extreme wealth and poverty. According to the World Health Organization, Lima is also one of the 10 most polluted cities in Latin America. Youth living in the slums of Lima often have little chance to escape poverty, especially without access to education and caring adults who help them get on the right track in life. This Salesian program provides an avenue for volunteers and missionaries to meet local youth and introduce them to educational programming with opportunities for them to later connect more long-term into Salesian schools.

“Given the struggles in the community, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need opportunities to have safe play and connect with adults and older youth who are able to mentor them. They need to have all of their basic needs met and the support needed to focus on their studies and gain an education.”

In Lima, Salesian missionaries also provide a provincial house, Salesian College, Superior Institute and Technical Vocational Center and a house for homeless youth. Missionaries also operate the Mary Help of Christians parish, which provides communal meals for the elderly and sick residents of Breña. From Monday to Friday, people come to enjoy the afternoon meal at the Salesian parish. For some it’s the only meal they have each day.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007, which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Sol Bosco in 2017: the joy of belonging to the Salesian Oratory

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Sol Bosco Program Provides Recreation Activities, Skills Training to More Than 100 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Congress was attended by various companies in Peru that are working in strategic alliance with the Salesian Institute. Participants were able to receive information in the areas of electrical energy, electronics, production mechanics, car and motorcycle mechanics, welding and more. Companies had the opportunity to meet highly-trained youth between 18 to 35 years old who are ready to put the technical skills they learned at the Salesian Institute to work in real world environments.

Students attending the Congress were also able to highlight their expertise through showcasing different technical projects. One of those was the first integrated dual-spindle lathe prototype, a product of the Research, Development and Innovation Department of the Salesian Institute. Staff from the Institute provided the students technical expertise and support addressing the mechanical problems that arose in the project.

“The technical education provided at the Salesian Institute matches the skills needed at these companies in order to help youth make an easier transition from the classroom into stable, long-term employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesian missionaries live and work in the communities they serve, they are able to better understand the local economy and help create a bridge between companies seeking new highly-trained employees and youth seeking employment.”

This is particularly important given that there are 3.6 million Peruvians who are 12 to 18 years old who will one day need work. According to UNICEF, nearly 74 percent of these youth living in rural areas and 40 percent of those living in urban areas are living in conditions of poverty. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007, which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Technical education provided at institutes like the Salesian Institute are a way to help ensure youth have the skills needed for employment. Currently, there are 400,000 technical education students gaining important skills for their futures and the future of the Peruvian workforce and economy.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Salesian Institute: Prototype CNC Project at the Twenty-second Congress of Education, Business and Technology

World Bank – Peru

Salesian Missions – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Hold Technical and Business Congress to Help Youth Find Employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The city of Piura was chosen because it is ranked poorly for health conditions and access to medical and dental assistance. The area is the main producer and national exporter of organic bananas, mango, lemon, grapes and products like coffee, but even still, more than 35 percent of the city’s residents live in poverty. The medical clinic was also made possible through support from the Regional Government of Piura, Diresa, the Naval Station of Paita, the City of Paita, the Terminal Port Euroandinos, the Stella Maris Institute of Lima, the Salesian Institute and the Food Bank.

Eighty surgeries were performed during the medical clinic and more than 100 people accessed free dental examinations. Dentists also provided free oral health education to more than 1,000 schoolchildren in the region. During the presentations, students also received free toothbrushes and toothpaste. Since 2005, Salesian missionaries have been offering similar medical clinics in Peru to improve the quality of life for people.

Offering these free medical and dental clinics is nothing new to Salesian programs. Salesian missionaries offer more than 200 medical clinics and hospitals, mostly in rural areas, that handle a wide range of medical care needs. Leprosy, otherwise known as Hansen’s disease, has been a focus of Salesian-run medical clinics for more than 100 years. Salesian hospitals for people affected by leprosy and leprosy control programs can be found in Brazil, Colombia, India, Thailand, Macau and a number of nations in Africa. HIV/AIDS prevention programs are also a vital component of Salesian healthcare initiatives in Africa. In many countries with Salesian programs, additional dental and other necessary health services are offered.

“The health of the young people we serve is very important to us,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The work we do in Peru and in programs around the globe goes beyond education. We serve the whole person by making sure the basic needs of health and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – A medical-surgical and dental campaign for the needy

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Offer Free Medical and Dental Clinic to Poor Residents first appeared on MissionNewswire.

One of the challenges facing Salesian missionaries in Peru is creating opportunities for youth after they graduate from secondary school but are unable because of finances to pursue further education and training. To address this, Salesian missionaries are providing more technical and vocational training so youth are able to learn a skill and have access to long-term stable work that allows them to provide for their families and give back to their communities.

This new training center seeks to improve the living conditions of indigenous families of the Achuar, Kandozi, Meztizos and Quechua ethnic groups in the Amazon. Youth will be trained to be mechanics for outboard engines, as well as in carpentry, agriculture and animal husbandry. They will then be able to contribute to the development of their communities and to create resources through the provision of services to third parties. Youth will reside in the Salesian boarding school and attend the four-month training modules of the Intercultural Education Center.

“Education is a path out of poverty for many youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs provide a solid education for the future and allow students to take what they learn in the classroom and put those skills into practice with real world experience, which helps them develop both personally and professionally.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007, which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

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Sources:

PHOTOS from ANS

ANS – Peru – Inauguration of the “Yankuam Jintia” Centre for Intercultural Education

World Bank – Peru

Salesian Missions – Peru

The post PERU: New Technical Training Center Helps Prepare Youth in the Amazon for Long-Term Employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

One of the primary concerns missionaries are working to address is data they have locally that states more than 120,000 youth across Peru are working instead of participating in school. As noted by the Salesians, thousands of children are working in the street some selling candy and others shining shoes. This ongoing work provides a platform for the exchange of experiences and expertise among educators and youth dedicated to addressing the concerns of child labor and at-risk youth. The group has discussed specific interventions, social-skills training, education and technical skills training, and how to best meet basic needs for these youth in order for them to access educational programming.

“Education is a path out of poverty for many youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development art of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs provide a solid education for the future and allow students to take what they learn in the classroom and put those skills into practice with real world experience, which helps them develop both personally and professionally. The meeting held will help Salesian missionaries across Peru apply the lessons in successful Salesian programs to their own communities.”

In one successful Salesian program at the Don Bosco Young People’s Home in Lima, youth practicing their baking skills by making breads, sweets and traditional Christmas panettone, a sweet bread loaf. All from disadvantaged backgrounds, the students reside and learn at the Salesian-run home. They are provided shelter and nutritious meals and have access to education, employment and life skills training. The programs offered at the home aim to help youth break the cycle of poverty by providing them the skills to find and retain meaningful employment upon graduation.

Taking the skills learned in the classroom, students utilize a kitchen available at the home to practice their skills and become employment ready. They make the breads and sweets which are provided to staff and students at the home while also selling their baked goods in the community in order to raise funds to support other program activities. Programs like this help youth access the shelter and basic needs they require to be able to focus on their studies. It allows them to stop working and come in off the streets to access education and the skills-training they need for a better life.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Continue to invest in training young people

World Bank – Peru

Salesian Missions – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Educators Developing Strategies for Combatting Child Labor, Helping At-Risk Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian-run organization, founded in May 1968 by Father Miguel González, is providing programs in 23 countries. In Callao, the association has a house caring for children and providing youth with a space that is peaceful and quiet allowing students to effectively think and do their homework. Above all, the house provides a chance for youth to be around caring adults who support them and help them with their school work and other needs.

“Given the struggles in the community, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need to have their basic needs met and the support needed to focus on their studies and gain an education.”

Also in Callao, Salesian missionaries operate the San Juan Bosco Children’s Home within the community of Puerto Nuevo. The Children’s Home facilitates the Children of Lead project which is supported by the Don Bosco in the World Foundation and serves more than 80 youth from the area who have high levels of lead in their blood.

Puerto Nuevo’s population is contaminated by lead as a result of the environmental damage generated by the storage and transportation of lead ore to the community’s port. Most of the children participating in the Children of Lead project have levels of lead close to 19.9 micrograms per deciliter in their blood. This level is considered highly dangerous and can cause children to suffer cognitive delays.

Salesian missionaries who operate the Children of Lead project provide education and skills training opportunities to the participating children and adolescents while addressing their behavioral and cognitive difficulties. Often because of their cognitive and emotional difficulties, these students struggle in traditional classrooms and are less likely to achieve the higher levels of education necessary to break the cycle of poverty. The project provides specially trained staff to work with the students and also provides the expertise of a psychologist on staff.

The Children of Lead project aims to improve students’ educational outcomes through tutoring in reading, math and other academic subjects while simultaneously offering workshops in interpersonal communication, logic and educational psychology. Activities that include music and dance are also offered through the project and are designed to boost participants’ physical, mental and emotional development. In addition, participants have access to computer classes using online programs and games that help them develop reason and literacy as well as useful technological skills.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

(PHOTO: ANS)

ANS – Peru – Generous women are betting on the education of needy

MissionNewswire – PERU: Children of Lead Project Launches Environmental Awareness Campaign

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Programs Provide Safety and Education for Children Living in Poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

There are 18 different groups of women that prepare the meal each day. The groups take turns finding the food, often collecting donations door to door, and then preparing and serving the meal. Others come to talk and interact with those who have come to rely on the parish workers for their nutrition. For some volunteers, it’s a chance to give back to their community and to stay busy and connected. Fernando Soto used to accompany his wife, Esther Arce, from house to house to collect food. After she passed away, he continues his mission, with the task of running the refectory.

“We are grateful that, among so many problems, God has not forgotten us,” says Emilio Loo, who feels he is still useful, even though at 75 years of age he cannot find a job.

Meals provided to the sick and the elderly improve their health, mood and overall well-being. In addition, people are able to speak with Salesian staff and access other services as well as stay connected within their community.

Across the city, at the Don Bosco Young People’s Home youth are practicing their cooking and baking skills by making breads, sweets and traditional panettone, a sweet bread loaf, which benefits other Salesian programs like the one operating at the Mary Help of Christian’s parish. All of the youth are from disadvantaged backgrounds, so the students reside and learn at the Salesian-run home. They are provided shelter and nutritious meals and have access to education, employment and life skills training. The programs offered at the home aim to help youth break the cycle of poverty by providing them the skills to find and retain meaningful employment upon graduation.

Taking the skills learned in the classroom, students utilize a kitchen available at the home to practice their skills and become employment ready. They make the breads and sweets which are provided to staff and students at the home while also selling their baked goods in the community in order to raise funds to support other program activities.

“Education is a path out of poverty for many youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development art of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Programs like the one at the Don Bosco Young People’s Home in Lima allow students to take what they learn in the classroom and put those skills into practice with real world experience, which helps them develop both personally and professionally.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Refectory of Mary Help of Christians: the Miracle of Charity

Salesian Missions – Feeding the Hungry in Lima: A Miracle of Mercy

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Programs Provide Healthy Nutrition to the Sick, Elderly and Disadvantaged Youth in Need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Home to a wealth of history, stunning architecture and Machu Picchu (one of the Seven Wonders of the World), Cusco and the surrounding area is a popular tourist destination. Close to 1.3 million people reside there locally with almost 25 percent of its population under the age of 15. Salesian missionaries are very active in the region through schools, missions, shelters, a nursing home and oratories. The newly established oratory will allow the missionaries to meet the needs of more youth and families in need.

“Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years,” says Father Julio Acurio Yupanqui, Salesian youth director at the new oratory. “Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.”

This region of Peru is also home to a successful Salesian agriculture program. Although the area is difficult to access, coffee, cocoa and coca are cultivated in the Yanatile valley and the nearby basin of the river Lacco. The Salesian mission in Quebrada Honda is made up of the parish of Mary Help of Christians and the Experimental School for Agriculture and Livestock which educates more than 160 students, nearly half of whom board at the school.

The goal of the school is to provide young farmers with a basic education as well as advanced studies in the latest agricultural practices and modern technologies while moving towards efficiency in farming by exploring and testing new techniques in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and animal husbandry. The school provides both classroom education and hands-on agriculture and livestock training on a working farm on the school campus. Salesian missionaries at the school hope the agriculture degree program will entice more local youth to choose agriculture as their long-term livelihood.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The earthquake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – The Salesian Oratory of Cusco opens its doors to bring love to children and teenagers

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: New Salesian Oratory Opens its Doors to 300 Youth and Families in Poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Given the struggles in the community, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs. Students taking part in educational programs at the San Juan Bosco Children’s Home concluded their 2015 studies with a presentation of their accomplishments to Salesian staff and administrators. During the presentation, students played the guitar, sang and danced as well as showed off their new computer skills and academic achievements.

The Children’s Home facilitates the Children of Lead project which is supported by the Don Bosco in the World Foundation and serves more than 80 youth from the area who have high levels of lead in their blood.

Puerto Nuevo’s population is contaminated by lead as a result of the environmental damage generated by the storage and transportation of lead ore to the community’s port. Most of the children participating in the Children of Lead project have levels of lead close to 19.9 micrograms per deciliter in their blood. This level is considered highly dangerous and can cause children to suffer cognitive delays.

Salesian missionaries who operate the Children of Lead project provide education and skills training opportunities to the participating children and adolescents while addressing their behavioral and cognitive difficulties. Often because of their cognitive and emotional difficulties, these students struggle in traditional classrooms and are less likely to achieve the higher levels of education necessary to break the cycle of poverty. The project provides specially trained staff to work with the students and also provides the expertise of a psychologist on staff.

The Children of Lead project aims to improve students’ educational outcomes through tutoring in reading, math and other academic subjects while simultaneously offering workshops in interpersonal communication, logic and educational psychology. Activities that include music and dance are also offered through the project and are designed to boost participants’ physical, mental and emotional development. In addition, participants have access to computer classes using online programs and games that help them develop reason and literacy as well as useful technological skills.

“In an economically depressed area where jobs are scarce and future opportunity bleak, adults in Puerto Nuevo face an almost unimaginable choice,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They can refuse paid work and risk the effects of long-term poverty or they can reluctantly support the presence of mines and refineries at the risk of their children’s health. The immediate need to feed, clothe and shelter their families trumps any consideration of long-term well-being so Salesian missionaries work to help in whatever way they can.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Puerto Nuevo: over the violence there is a proposal Salesian

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Provide Education and Safety in Violent Community first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Although the area is difficult to access, coffee, cocoa and coca are cultivated in the Yanatile valley and the nearby basin of the river Lacco. The Salesian mission in Quebrada Honda is made up of the parish of Mary Help of Christians and the Experimental School for Agriculture and Livestock which educates more than 160 students, nearly half of whom board at the school.

The goal of the school is to provide young farmers with a basic education as well as advanced studies in the latest agricultural practices and modern technologies while moving towards efficiency in farming by exploring and testing new techniques in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and animal husbandry. The school provides both classroom education and hands-on agriculture and livestock training on a working farm on the school campus.

Salesian missionaries at the school hope the agriculture degree program will entice more local youth to choose agriculture as their long-term livelihood. With a long history of providing agricultural education, missionaries currently operate more than 90 agriculture schools around the world.

“Our students are the children of poor farmers,” says Father Martin Quijano, director of the Experimental School for Agriculture and Livestock. “We want them to love the work and learn as much as they can to make a better life for themselves and their families. After graduation many of our students become agronomists, scientists, animal breeders and biologists. I am extremely proud of what they do to help their community.”

Peru has high levels of income inequality and more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima, the capital city of Peru. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of employable skills, specifically among young people and women entering the workforce. In addition, Peruvians lack access to adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people and injured hundreds more in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Yanatile: mission territory

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Agriculture School Provides Education and Advanced Farming Techniques first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Children of Lead project serves youth who have high levels of lead in their blood due to environmental pollution. Youth participating in the “Sowing Oxygen” campaign have taken to the streets to promote awareness among community members and have planted seedlings in areas that have no green spaces. The purpose of the initiative is to sensitize citizens to the environment and help reduce pollution in the area.

Puerto Nuevo’s population is contaminated by lead as a result of the environmental damage generated by the storage and transportation of lead ore to the community’s port. Most of the children participating in the Children of Lead project have levels of lead close to 19.9 micrograms per deciliter in their blood. This level is considered highly dangerous and can cause children to suffer cognitive delays.

Salesian missionaries at the Children of Lead project provide education and skills training opportunities to the participating children and adolescents while addressing their behavioral and cognitive difficulties. Often because of their cognitive and emotional difficulties, students struggle in traditional classrooms and are less likely to achieve the higher levels of education necessary to break the cycle of poverty.

The Children of Lead project aims to improve students’ educational outcomes through tutoring in reading, math and other academic subjects while simultaneously offering workshops in interpersonal communication, logic and educational psychology. Activities that include music and dance are also offered through the project and are designed to boost participants’ physical, mental and emotional development. In addition, participants have access to computer classes using online programs and games that help them develop reason and literacy as well as useful technological skills.

“In an economically depressed area where jobs are scarce and future opportunity bleak, adults in Puerto Nuevo face an almost unimaginable choice,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They can refuse paid work and risk the effects of long-term poverty or they can reluctantly support the presence of mines and refineries at the risk of their children’s health. The immediate need to feed, clothe and shelter their families trumps any consideration of long-term well-being so Salesian missionaries work to help in whatever way they can.”

The outcomes for many of the participants of the Children of Lead project are good despite challenges along the way. By gaining an education and developing skills and talents through the project, many are able to gain stable employment and give back to their communities.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

“Those living in poverty in Peru are in great need,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Many need proper nutrition, shelter, healthcare and education in order to survive and thrive. Salesian programs are working to ensure those in poverty have the resources they need to lead safe, healthy and productive lives.”

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Sources:

Peru – “Sowing Oxygen”, the new campaign of the “Children of Lead” Project

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Children of Lead Project Launches Environmental Awareness Campaign first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries living and working in the region are leading a relief campaign through the Don Bosco Foundation in Peru. Volunteers at the campaign are collecting food, clothing, mattresses and other items and then delivering them directly to families in need.

“While Don Bosco Church in Chosica was heavily damaged, we are much more concerned about our parishioners there—all of whom have literally lost everything,” says Father Alejandro Arango Ramos, Rector Major of the Salesian presence in Peru.

To help support the Don Bosco Church in Chosica and provide aid to its parishioners, Salesian Youth Movement groups in Rimac and Brena, both districts within Lima providence, have organized a fundraising campaign and plan to donate the money raised directly to the church.

“Because Salesian missionaries live within the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “Our missionaries know the local landscape and are providing direct relief to those who need it most and they will remain throughout the long recovery process that accompanies disasters like this.”

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the August 2007 earthquake. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Peru has high levels of income inequality and more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of employable skills, specifically among young people and women entering the workforce. In addition, Peruvians lack access to adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people and injured hundreds more in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Salesians organize a solidarity campaign for the population of Chosica

BBC News – Peru mudslide emergency declared in Chosica near Lima

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Provide Aid after Avalanche Levels Homes and Destroys Infrastructure first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people and injured hundreds more in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

At a Salesian complex called the Don Bosco Foundation in Breña, a district of Lima, Salesian missionaries produce award winning wine which has been sold to the public since 2000. Profits from sales go to support local Salesian education and job skill training programs for youth.

Founded in 1930, the Salesian winery at the Don Bosco Foundation originally only produced wine for the Salesian church but later expanded to supply wine to other church congregations in Lima. In 2000, Salesian missionaries expanded the production further and began selling wine to the general public. The missionaries do not have farmland to grow their own grapes so they buy from local farmers instead and in this way, invest back into the community.

The Salesian wine production process has modernized through the years from the use of a manual grinder and old wooden barrels to automated equipment that produces and bottles several different types of wines. In 2014, three Salesian wines were awarded medals in a yearly competition held in Argentina that brings together wine brands from all over the world.

In addition to raising funds to support Salesian programs, the winery acts as a technical skills training program at the Don Bosco Foundation for local youth who are interested in winemaking. The Foundation accepts youth from all over Peru into the winemaking program and provides them with training and a place to live.

“Here we give them an opportunity to study and prepare for life,” says Marcos Calderon fundraising manager at the Don Bosco Foundation. “The processing plant for the Salesian wine is small compared to the large national producers but it is suitable for teaching the art of winemaking.”

Outreach workers from the Don Bosco Foundation help connect youth living on the street to the winemaking program. Interested youth are then able to work and study at the foundation. Depending upon their academic level, students can access secondary and remedial education before they advance to technical or vocational skills training. In addition to winemaking, there are a variety of degree programs to choose from such as computing, baking, auto mechanics, administration and others.

“The Salesian winery at the Don Bosco Foundation has received international attention for its great quality wines and winemaking program,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Most importantly, through this project, Salesian missionaries have been able to fund programs that provide shelter, nutrition and education to youth in need, making a difference in the communities in which they live.”

Sources

Don Bosco Foundation Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Award-Winning Salesian Winery Teaches Art of Winemaking first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people and injured hundreds more in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Youth at the Don Bosco Young People’s Home in Lima are practicing their baking skills by making breads, sweets and traditional Christmas panettone, a sweet bread loaf. All from disadvantaged backgrounds, the students reside and learn at the Salesian-run home. They are provided shelter and nutritious meals and have access to education, employment and life skills training. The programs offered at the home aim to help youth break the cycle of poverty by providing them the skills to find and retain meaningful employment upon graduation.

Taking the skills learned in the classroom, students utilize a kitchen available at the home to practice their skills and become employment ready. They make the breads and sweets which are provided to staff and students at the home while also selling their baked goods in the community in order to raise funds to support other program activities.

“Education is a path out of poverty for many youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development art of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Programs like the one at the Don Bosco Young People’s Home in Lima allow students to take what they learn in the classroom and put those skills into practice with real world experience, which helps them develop both personally and professionally.”

During the Christmas season the panettone is particularly popular. The students make the sweet bread in four different sizes and to the highest quality standard. The bread has been successfully sold in the local market for the last four years and Salesian missionaries operating the program hope that with the continued support of local companies and residents, the success of the baking program will continue.

Sources

ANS – Peru – Residents of Young People’s Home make Don Bosco Panettoni

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Students Put Baking Skills into Practice Making Breads and Sweets first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesians in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesians focus the majority of their programs on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Through the Don Bosco Woodcarvers Cooperative of Chacas, young men have the opportunity to become skilled craftsmen. Each year, the cooperative admits 25 new students from impoverished backgrounds who want to advance their education and learn the woodcarving trade. Some of the students have been orphaned and many others are living in farming communities on family farms with little land, few animals and limited opportunities.

“Every young person deserves a chance to have a better life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This program helps young men who have very limited future prospects for stable employment and provides them the education and skills necessary to escape conditions of poverty. They are then able to help their families and communities.”

The cooperative provides a free five-year residential education program, recognized by the government, which includes high school education and job training. In addition to traditional academic classes, the cooperative education teaches students to paint and work with glass, wood, metal and stone. In the third year of the program, each student chooses a specialty. Upon graduation, a tool chest of saws, hammers, chisels and other equipment is given to each graduate who then may choose to start his own business or become a member of the cooperative.

Currently, 650 woodcarvers in 10 different areas of the Andes belong to the cooperative. Some of the furniture created is donated to poor families in need in the area. Additional work is exported throughout South America, Italy and the United States. According to a recent Catholic News Service article, the young men in the cooperative are paid according to the number of pieces they finish per month. On average, the woodcarvers earn 1,200 soles (US$430) with more experienced and skilled graduates earning 2,000 soles. That amount, according to the article, is on par with what a teacher or a medical technician earns in the region.

The cooperative was started in the Peruvian Andes in 1979 by Italian Salesian Father Ugo De Censi and is part of Operatión Mato Grosso, an organization composed primarily of young Italians who volunteer time to help the very poor in Peru, Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia.

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Sources:

Catholic News Services – High in the Andes, Peruvian artisans create sacred art

Operación Mato Grosso

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Don Bosco Woodcarvers Cooperative Provides Education and Employment Opportunities for Poor Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007, which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica, and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesians in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families as well as help with rebuilding efforts. Among the first to respond when the earthquake struck, Salesians in the country were able to offer immediate humanitarian assistance. They established several new facilities offering food, shelter and education to approximately 500 children while their parents helped in reconstruction. Today, these youth centers serve as a model for expansion in other areas of Peru.

Since 2005, the Don Bosco Foundation of Peru has partnered with Ulysses Medical, a medically focused humanitarian organization and volunteer medical professionals to operate medical and surgical clinics for people living in extreme poverty in various regions of Peru. Most recently, a team of volunteer doctors performed 80 surgeries in Pucallpa, a city in eastern Peru located on the banks of the Ucayali River.

Three Italian and French doctors from Ulysses Medical as well as three Peruvian surgeons and an anesthesiologist collaborated to perform the 80 surgeries, which were primarily focused on the stomach and bladder to remove hernias and lipomas. This is the third time a medical clinic of this scale has been successfully operated in the area of Pucallpa. Two local organizations, the Lions Club and Yarinacocha Amazonian Hospital, also provided support to the clinic.

“Those living in poverty in Peru are in great need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many need proper nutrition, shelter, healthcare and education in order to survive and thrive. Salesian programs are working to ensure those in poverty have the resources they need to lead safe, healthy and productive lives.”

Due to the great need for medical care in the country, doctors from Ulysses Medical are planning to open another medical clinic in the city of Lima in November which will benefit close to 200 people.

“Good health is important and the more we can do to help those living in extreme poverty, without access to medical care, the better,” adds Fr. Hyde. “These clinics in Peru, like many other health clinics Salesians provide, rely on the support of volunteers and donated medical supplies so we are very thankful to our partners and those that help support our programs.”

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Sources

ANS – Peru – Humanitarian Medical Campaign in the mission area of Pucallpa

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Medical Clinic Provides 80 Surgeries for People in Need first appeared on MissionNewswire.