PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical School Gabutu has responded with support as people living in the 2 Mile community, located in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, face uncertainty following recent evictions. Many families have been left displaced while awaiting a response to their appeal to the Investment Promotion Authority. Most of these affected residents are fourth-generation settlers with no land to return to in their provinces of origin.

A Salesian noted, “Despite offers of assistance from donors, progress toward a stable solution remains slow, and delays in official responses have increased the vulnerability of families, particularly women and children. In recent weeks, reports of evictions and the destruction of homes and property have further deepened the hardship. Several students residing in the affected areas have been impacted, with some withdrawing from school for the 2026 academic year.”

The Don Bosco Technical School has provided temporary food assistance to support the immediate needs of the displaced families. While the institution has no direct involvement in the land dispute, it has sought to respond to the humanitarian needs arising from the situation.

Father Ambrose Pereira, rector of the school, expressed appreciation to the staff, students, past pupils and parishioners of Mary Help of Christians Sabama for their generous outreach. Staff from Don Bosco Technological Institute, along with members of the pastoral team and several benefactors, also contributed to the donation drive.

People evicted from the 2 Mile community expressed gratitude for the support. The assistance has brought visible relief and renewed hope, especially among mothers and children affected by the evictions.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves, as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50% of adults are illiterate and 25% of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88% of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Don Bosco Supports Displaced Families in Port Moresby

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

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TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending Salesian schools, orphanages and youth centers in Timor-Leste had access to better nutrition through a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, a nonprofit that helps underserved people worldwide achieve food security and resilience through nutrition, education and economic empowerment. In the first half of 2025, Rise Against Hunger meals fed 1,766 youth across 24 centers around the country.

Dircia, a 17-year-old young woman, lives at the Franciscan Sister’s Youth Center and Boarding House in Tibar in the Liquica District. Liquica is a coastal and mountainous municipality in the northern part of Timor-Leste, with a population of 75,000. The local economy is based on agriculture with coffee, red bananas, cassava and livestock as key products. Farmers face challenges in accessing markets due to poor infrastructure and terrible roads.

Dircia had nine siblings, with two passing away when they were children due to malnutrition. Her mother passed away after delivering Dircia’s youngest brother. The siblings were sent to different youth centers and orphanages. She and her siblings all have experienced better nutrition through Rise Against Hunger meals.

Dircia is thankful for the Rise Against Hunger meals and said that they have taught her about taking care of others’ well-being first. She promises to study hard because she wants a good job in the future to improve her life and be of service to others.

Sister Erminia Soares, coordinator of Franciscan Youth Center, said, “Dircia is a very good, soft-spoken person who is always caring for others. She has a strong connection with her other siblings and often visits them at other centers. The Rise Against Hunger meals are very helpful because they provide for the nutritional well-being of our students who come from the very poor families in the countryside.”

Salesian missionaries and Salesian sisters living and working in Timor-Leste operate educational programs, three orphanages for youth who are poor and homeless, and a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents rebuild. Efforts are focused on helping poor youth through education and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Sabama, Papua New Guinea, brought together 50 participants for a session on gender-based violence held on March 8 at the Mary Help of Christians Parish. The session, led by Lucy Lavu, family life coordinator at the Archdiocese of Port Moresby, celebrated International Women’s Day.

The session aimed to educate youth on gender rights and equality. Lavu said, “It is important to understand ourselves to build better relationships.” She, along with her husband John, explained the differences between gender-based violence and domestic violence, as well as concepts of equality and equity. They also discussed the legal consequences of offenses.

Father Ambrose Pereira, parish priest, noted, “Our young people must be informed about the importance of respecting and positively engaging with all individuals, especially women and girls.” Another similar session is planned, along with additional youth empowerment workshops.

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education, as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves, as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50% of adults are illiterate and 25% of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88% of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, and Empowerment

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with the Don Bosco Araimiri community in Kerema, Papua New Guinea, provided nutritious meals to students thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The meals were distributed to various groups in the Salesian community.

The majority of the meals were shared with boarding students at Don Bosco Araimiri Secondary School. The 300 students who attend the school are from various villages and range in age from 19 to 25.

The meals were also shared with students in three learning centers operated by the Mary Help of Christians Parish which is run by Don Bosco Araimiri. Nearly 350 students, ages 5 to 9, use these learning centers. Many of the children are from families who are disadvantaged.

One of the beneficiaries of the donation is Michelene, age 7, who is from the village of Akapiru and part of the Mary Help of Christians Parish. She is in level two at the St. Michael Learning Center and had been lacking proper nutrition.

A Salesian explained, “Michelene was so happy and fully enjoyed the meal provided through this project. She expressed she is so grateful to the benefactors who make this feeding program possible. She hopes the project is able to continue.”

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education, as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves, as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50% of adults are illiterate and 25% of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88% of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

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SOLOMON ISLANDS

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Christ the King Parish in Tetere, Solomon Islands, organized the four-day “Wantok Bosco” youth camp that brought together more than 200 youth. The camp included moments of prayer, interaction with peers, culture and recreation. Salesians also facilitated four education sessions on important issues concerning youth, including the dangers of addiction, cultivating potential, building self-esteem and establishing life goals, and the challenges of faith for modern young people.

A Salesian explained, “This camp was a great opportunity for youth to come together to reflect on their faith while also learning about issues, like addiction, that impact people their age. Understanding what leads to addiction and how to prevent it in their lives is essential for their healthy growth and development. All in the all the camp was a good chance for youth to connect with their peers while learning important lessons.”

Salesian missionaries also operate a school in Tetere. The Don Bosco Rural Training Center is working to bring educational and workforce development opportunities to poor youth in rural areas. Programs at the center help youth gain a basic education as well as the vocational or technical skills needed to find and retain employment.

More than 200 young men and women are enrolled at the school to learn farming and other high-demand trades. Courses are offered in planting and care of crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, root crops and fruit trees, as well as in basic fish farming and forestry. There are also courses in basic mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, computer skills and dressmaking. In addition, literacy and music classes are available in the evening.

About 12.7% of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20-25% of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30% of those attending never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35% perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health care and other social services is very limited, and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity, and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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

ANS – Solomon Islands – Over two hundred young people gathered for human and Christian formation

Salesian Missions – Solomon Islands

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

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TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Fatumaca Elementary and Junior High School in Timor-Leste has grown its enrollment from 393 students to 579 and required more space. The school was able to construct a new classroom complex thanks to funding from Salesian Missions Australia and the O’Brien Foundation Australia, as well as from Salesians in Portugal and Timor-Leste.

The design of the complex allows for multiple uses, both during the school day and after hours. Father Alarico, project coordinator, said, “I would like to express my gratitude to the donors. The multi-purpose building with its generously proportioned classroom space will be ideal for the well-being of students and teachers.”

Students who gain a foundational education through the Don Bosco Fatumaca Elementary and Junior High School can advance on to Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, which provides vocational education that helps youth prepare for the future. Students have the opportunity to specialize in building construction, mechanical work, electrical installation and electronic communications. Partnerships with local radio and television stations provide hands-on work experience opportunities for the electronics students.

“Salesian missionaries provide a range of educational and social programs in Timor-Leste, ensuring youth have the services they need for a healthy, productive life,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth are also able to access a range of programs including health services, nutrition, education and general support services.”

Timor-Leste is home to 1.4 million people and has close to 42% of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. The country suffers from high unemployment, limited employment opportunities in the formal sector and job creation in the private sector that falls far short of demand.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions Australia

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions Australia News June 2024

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – Timor-Leste

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SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco High School and Vocational Center, located in Alafua, Samoa, has received new laptops and a projector from a local donor to improve the student’s education. Enrollment continues to grow at the school, and the need for technical education in the region is in great demand, far exceeding the capacity of the center.

A Salesian explained, “New classrooms are required to facilitate the growing numbers of students from underprivileged backgrounds and to ensure they do not miss out on the skills they need to find successful employment. It is a hope from the leadership team that one day the school will have a library to enhance the learning experience for both students and teachers.”

The center has continued to expand to accommodate the growing needs of students. In 2022, Salesians constructed classrooms for a hospitality program to ensure students have equipment that replicates a commercial kitchen and café.

The facilities were developed after research and consultation with the community. Salesian missionaries discovered that resorts in Samoa were having difficulty acquiring suitable employees with the appropriate hospitality skills. As qualified local staff are preferred rather than hospitality staff from overseas, Don Bosco Technical College has been working to fill the void.

“Courses offered at the center enable students to find and retain employment in the community, addressing the high youth unemployment rate,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal of Salesian education is for students to learn a skill that enables them to become self-sufficient and contributing members of their community. To do this, Salesians must offer coursework that fits the local employment needs.”

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions Australia

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions Australia News June 2024

Salesian Missions – Samoa

SAMOA: Students fill community employment needs

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Students gain technical education with new resources first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Youth in Salesian programs in Timor-Leste have access to better nutrition through a new year-long project that has launched thanks to a partnership with the Don Bosco Foundation Timor-Leste; Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco; and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger. The nutrition project, called “Rewrite the Future,” began in January and will run through December 2024.

“Rise Against Hunger is honored to work alongside Salesian Missions in Timor-Leste,” said Andrew Sullivan, Rise Against Hunger’s director of program management. “By leveraging our respective strengths and empowering the local community, we are working to end hunger together. This project is meeting immediate nutritional needs, while building in locally led sustainable solutions, to ensure people in the country have the long-term nourishment they need to live a healthy life. Rise Against Hunger supports the nutrition project by supplying meals, cash grants and technical capacity building for local procurement of food to Salesian Missions to address this critical issue.”

The project will provide healthy food to close to 2,000 disadvantaged youth in 28 centers across eight municipalities. Salesians will distribute maize, rice, corn, eggs, chicken, vegetables, potatoes, kidney beans/soya beans, cooking oil, sugar, salt, noodles and canned fish.

“This project provides an opportunity for poor and disadvantaged youth in Salesian centers to access healthy nutrition, and we appreciate Rise Against Hunger’s support in this endeavor,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “The goal is to improve the health of youth in our programs and support them in overcoming malnutrition. Further, youth will be supported during their education as they acquire essential job skills that will allow them to become self-sufficient.”

The project will also introduce new activities meant to support the feeding program and build sustainability at six pilot centers near Dili. The pilot program will provide kitchen garden training, hand-washing and hygiene initiatives, and malnutrition management activities.

Salesians started the first quarter of the project by preparing the meal plans with a nutritionist while holding training for staff. Food was also purchased, prepared and delivered to the 28 centers, which included schools, youth centers and orphanages. Salesians will be tracking health markers and school performance of the students at the six pilot centers as the project continues.

Salesian missionaries and Salesian sisters living and working in Timor-Leste operate educational programs, three orphanages for poor and homeless youth, and a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents rebuild. Efforts are focused on helping poor youth through education and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Youth access nutrition through partnership with Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger first appeared on MissionNewswire.

NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical School, located in Gabutu, Papua New Guinea, began the Servanthood and Leadership Training (S.A.L.T.), which is an annual program designed to get students active in the community. The goal is for students to graduate and serve the community as responsible citizens.

The program lasts three consecutive Saturdays with the students serving in the Bosco Mountain School, St. Therese Primary and Sevese Morea Primary School, St. Therese Clinic-Hohola, Cheshire Homes Center, and Mary Help of Christians Parish in Sabama.

Father Ambrose Pereira, parish priest of Mary Help of Christians Parish, said, “The parishioners were pleased to receive the 43 young students and their companions, who carried out their service in different places within the parish. They cleaned both inside and out, cut grass, and dealt with the excavation of a disposal and road adjustment pit. Youth also motivated the youngsters in the community to do other drainage work for the benefit of the community.”

After several hours of work, Fr. Pereira met with the youth in a moment of prayer. The youth shared their experiences and had lunch together after the work was done.

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50% of adults are illiterate and 25% of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88% of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Students graduate from the Don Bosco Technical School in the service of the community

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Students serve community first appeared on MissionNewswire.

NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian sisters, staff and student leaders from Mary Help of Christians Vocational Education Training Center, located in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, held the Laudato Si’ Camp 2024 in April. The two-day camp had the theme, “Laudato Si’ dreamers for a better world.” It taught environmental awareness, fostering a sense of responsibility and empowering participants to become agents of positive change in their communities.

The camp’s focus came from Pope Francis’ 2020 Laudato Si’, which had as its theme “Good Christians and Upright Citizens.” Pope Francis underlined the importance of education and training to help youth foster environmental responsibility.

More than 200 participants from schools and Catholic parishes came together for the camp. There were presentations by student leaders on the principles of the 5S (sort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain) and green skills. These presentations equipped the campers with knowledge and strategies to promote cleanliness and environmental sustainability.

A Salesian sister explained, “After the presentation, this was then put into practice in cleaning, organizing, and caring for the environment in different schools. The participants demonstrated exceptional teamwork and dedication, effectively sorting out trash for recycling and leaving a positive impact on the school environments they visited.”

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50% of adults are illiterate and 25% of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88% of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Photo courtesy of Don Bosco Green Alliance

Don Bosco Green Alliance – Laudato Si’ dreamers for a better world

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: 200 participate in camp first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Rural Training Center, located in Tetere Bay in the Solomon Islands, has received a 5KVA generator and two barrels of diesel thanks to support from the Australian government, according to an article in the Solomon Star. The donation will enhance the school’s business operations and generate power for staff and students. It will also enable students to use laptops recently provided by the Australia Pacific Training Coalition.

The generator and diesel donation is part of the partnership between the Australia Pacific Training Coalition and Don Bosco Rural Training Center, according to the article. The coalition has already donated the laptops, agricultural equipment, agribusiness equipment and a vehicle. The article notes that these contributions aim to strengthen the delivery of technical and vocational education and training programs at the school.

In the article, Father Peter Van, principal, expressed gratitude for the Australian government’s support. He said, “This kind support will directly address our need for a reliable power source to operate our training effectively. Our current power supply was insufficient to run our equipment and support crucial administrative tasks.”

The article also reported that Abigail Chang, Australia Pacific Training Coalition’s country director for Solomon Islands and Kiribati, noted, “Our collaboration began in 2020 and has steadily strengthened. We are committed to working together to deliver high-quality skills development programs in Solomon Islands.”

The Don Bosco Rural Training Center is working to bring educational and workforce development opportunities to poor youth in rural areas. Programs at the center help youth gain a basic education as well as the vocational or technical skills needed to find and retain employment.

More than 200 young men and women are enrolled at the school to learn farming and other high-demand trades. Courses are offered in planting and care of crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, root crops and fruit trees, as well as in basic fish farming and forestry. There are also courses in basic mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, computer skills and dressmaking. In addition, literacy and music classes are available in the evening.

The Solomon Star stressed Australia’s commitment to providing quality vocational education and training across the Solomon Islands saying, “With a strong focus on skills development, both institutions aim to empower young individuals and communities, fostering sustainable growth and prosperity.”

About 12.7% of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20-25% of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30% of those attending never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35% perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health care and other social services is very limited, and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Sources:

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

Salesian Missions – Solomon Islands

Solomon Star – Australia Provides power boost for Don Bosco Tetere Rural Training Centre

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: School gains reliable power first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian cooperators in Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, conducted a series of awareness programs in the villages belonging to the Mary Help of Christians parish, including Tobera, Malex and Ramale. The events started at the beginning of Advent and culminated on St. Stephen’s Day on Dec. 26. On Christmas day, gifts were given to 180 families. Salesians also extended these activities to the Rakunai parish on Christmas.

Salesians held a Christmas Mass as well as a celebration with songs and dances. This annual event is the result of collaboration between all members of the Salesian family and the friends of Don Bosco.

A Salesian noted, “This event brings much joy to the children and families we serve. It’s a time for the community to come together to celebrate the holidays and connect with one another. It’s also the time for Salesians and school staff at Don Bosco Technical School to celebrate the accomplishments of youth this past school term.”

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50% of adults are illiterate and 25% of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88% of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – The Salesian Cooperators in Kokopo close a month filled with activities and charitable initiatives

Don Bosco Secondary Technical School

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Annual event brings joy first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Institute, located in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, is working to build partnerships with industries to ensure that graduating youth have a smooth transition into employment. In June, the institute signed a collaborative agreement with Total Energy for scholarship funding.

The program recently held an event to award 90 students studying technical trades at the institute with scholarships for their continued education. It was also a time for Total Energy staff to meet the recipients of these scholarships.

In addition to students this year, the program is set to offer spots to a second cohort of 90 students next year. The scholarship spots will be given to students from the Gulf province and then extended to other provinces, working toward optimizing opportunities for young Papua New Guineans.

At the agreement signing with Don Bosco Technical Institute, Jean-Marc Noiray, managing director for Total Energy, said that priority is given to students from the Gulf because many often miss out on opportunities to advance their education. He said, “I do believe that every human being is born with the same amount of potential and some are lucky enough to develop it whilst others are not.”

Noiray reminded the students at the scholarship event to use their educational opportunities to be exemplary community members. He further encouraged them to register with the job portal once they have graduated from their courses to ensure that their skills are utilized. Total Energy also donated information technology equipment to the institute to be used by the students in workshops.

“Salesian missionaries provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce,” said Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Collaborations like this help to ensure that youth are gainfully employed after they graduate. This enables them to be self-sufficient and give back to their families and communities.”

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50% of adults are illiterate and 25% of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88% of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Linking up with Industry

Don Bosco Technical Institute

Don Bosco Technical Institute Facebook

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Students awarded scholarships first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending Salesian schools and youth centers in Timor-Leste had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. In the first quarter of 2023, Rise Against Hunger provided the funding that allowed the Don Bosco Foundation to buy and distribute locally sourced food to Salesian schools, centers and orphanages.

This project started in 2021. Since that time, Salesians were able to expand the project recipients from 11 to 14 programs. The additional programs include two Salesian orphanages, as well as Canossa Technical and Vocational Training Center in Manatuto.

The Brother Carlos Gamba Technical and Vocational Training Center in Fatumaca also benefited from the donation. The center was started in 2019 and provides youth an opportunity to gain an education and skills for future employment.

One of the youth recipients at the center is Osvaldo Cosme Nunes, who was not able to continue his education at a senior high school due to financial instability within his family. He was forced to stop his education once he graduated junior high school so that he could help his parents. After he left school, he  was caught by the police committing crimes.

Nunes was brought to the Brother Carlos Gamba Technical and Vocational Training Center. He is in the process of rehabilitation and gaining an education so that he can later find a job. He is grateful for Rise Against Hunger and the meals he receives at the center.

Brother Amilcar Da Silva, head of the center, said, “Osvaldo and his parents are happy for the second chance he received. He is studying to gain future employment so he can be self-sufficient and help his family. The food we are able to give our students enables them to focus on their studies and gain an education.”

Salesian missionaries and Salesian sisters living and working in Timor-Leste operate educational programs, three orphanages for poor and homeless youth, and a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents rebuild. Efforts are focused on helping poor youth through education and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: 14 schools, centers and orphanages receive food through partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Institute’s mission group in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, provides opportunities for students to serve together using their talents and sometimes meager resources to help others in need. They are agents of change for their peers, families and communities.

The mission group was started in 2018 by Rica Lavilla, who first came to Papua New Guinea as a volunteer under the Salesian Lay Volunteer Program. Today, she is a full-time educator at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in her eighth year of teaching.

Regarding the start of the mission group, Lavilla said, “Being young is not that easy, especially in today’s world. Young people are faced with a myriad of challenges. They are confronted with so many questions which can make life baffling and not that easy to handle. On the other hand, the youth are the future of our families, communities, the country and the world. Hence, we need to empower them to be agents of transformation not only for tomorrow but more importantly, today.”

One project of the group is the “Walking Kettle Project” which brings together mission group members at 7 a.m. once or twice a week to prepare hot tea and scones for others. Walking around the Parents, Citizens, and Teachers Association park, they pour tea and provide scones for those students who have arrived early to school. They also offer love and kindness.

“Hot tea and scones are being offered for free to students who come very early to school,” explained Lavilla. “Most of these students are the ones living far and have to walk for long distances in order to catch the bus and beat the traffic jam which is why they would leave their places as early as 5 a.m. without having breakfast.”

The mission group has also provided prison outreach, which took place in June 2022 at Bomana Prison. The group engaged the whole school community by asking for donations of bath soaps, laundry soaps, toilet paper, toothbrushes and toothpaste. The school responded positively and several cartons of these goods were brought to the inmates.

One of the youth who participated explained their experience. “Before entering the gate, we were asked by the warden to stand in line and to count aloud from the first person to the last. As we entered the gate, it felt dreadful for me because people were staring at us. While seated, one of the inmates called us to go and shake hands with them. I felt happy and believe that they felt the love and hope we brought with our visit. This is one experience that will go deep down in my heart. I was crying not because of sadness but because of joy, knowing that we brought hope in their life.”

Lavilla added, “When young people are given opportunities to serve, to have meaningful experiences, and to grow in their relationships with God, others, and themselves, they can be empowered agents of transformation in today’s human family.”

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50% of adults are illiterate and 25% of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88% of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Mission Possible: being agents of change

Don Bosco Technical Institute

Don Bosco Technical Institute Facebook

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Students learn to serve others first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Center in Samoa has developed a successful fine arts program for its students. The program was one of three introduced in 2020. Students are developing skills in carving furniture, creating stained glass windows, designing stencils for fashion designers, carving wood and stone, producing artistic pictures, and much more.

In a recent newsletter article about the fine arts program, Mane Su’a, principal of the Don Bosco Technical Center, said, “As only five major programs were taught in the school, I saw the need for more programs to be added to the curriculum for student selection and the sustainable development of the school.”

The school provides customized furniture for customers. Prior to the addition of the program, the school would need to hire out for someone to decorate this furniture. Su’a decided to bring someone on staff who could both do this work and teach the students. The fine art program instructor joined the construction team and began working with final-year construction students, carving furniture and painting artworks.

By the end of the year, the program had broadened students’ skills and creativity, fostering positive relationships with customers. At the beginning of the 2021 academic year, the program was separated from the construction department and a new trainer was recruited to assist with the delivery of the program. It was also integrated into the first-year students’ curriculum and interested students were able to select the program as their area of specialization.

Su’a noted, “The skills taught in the program are rare, but much needed in the community, and therefore very expensive. I confidently anticipate that this program will not only give the school a competitive advantage but will benefit the students in the long run. The skills can be commercialized, and today they have become one of the most respectable, high-paying jobs a student could get.”

As the program continued to develop, they needed a larger space. Su’a is grateful to supporters who donated through the Australian Salesian Missions and the staff and students at Salesian College Chadstone for assisting with the development of a new building. The building has been completed and the students are thriving in their new space.

Su’a added, “Overall, this program is playing an important role in the holistic development of our students in making plans for their projects and promoting creativity and innovation. There will be an opportunity to market students’ work and the school simultaneously, thus increasing the chances of employability. Today, both students and the school are able to build relationships with other professionals and customers. This will allow us to share work, find potential clients and promote the students’ future careers.”

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Australian Salesians Bulletin Autumn 2023

Australian Salesians Bulletin Autumn 2023

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions – Samoa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Fine arts program boosts employment, creativity first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending Salesian schools and youth centers in Timor-Leste had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger. In the second half of 2022, Rise Against Hunger provided funding to the Don Bosco Foundation so that locally sourced food could be bought and distributed to Salesian schools and centers.

A Salesian missionary with the Don Bosco Foundation noted, “The distribution enabled many beneficiaries to improve their health, which in turn supports them in their studies and extracurricular activities, as a way to prepare them for a good future. The schools, technical and vocational training centers, orphanages, and youth centers allow hundreds to finish their elementary and junior high school to advance to senior and university studies.”

One of the organizations that received the food was the Don Bosco Halicou Orphanage in Maliana, which consists of seven villages. The area is known as an important agriculture sector, especially rice production, and the population is heavily dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Don Bosco Halicou was established to help orphans and people living in extreme poverty. The Don Bosco Foundation has created academic opportunities for youth and sheltered thousands of orphans. Today, Don Bosco Halicou runs the orphanage, a junior high school and a vocational school with more than 100 students enrolled.

One recipient at the orphanage was Bosco da Consceicao Dos Santos, age 6. Dos Santos was born to a young mother who could not care for him. Due to financial problems, his grandparents could not care for him either. Dos Santos was brought to the Don Bosco Halicou Orphanage. Soon after he arrived, it was discovered that his mother passed away due to poor health. He never knew his father.

Dos Santos is in his second year of kindergarten. He is active and has received good grades in school. The food support has helped his health and focus on his studies. It has also provided him the energy to engage with his peers.

Salesian missionaries and Salesian sisters living and working in Timor-Leste operate educational programs, three orphanages for poor and homeless youth, and a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents rebuild. Efforts are focused on helping poor youth through education and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Youth access local food through partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries operate Don Bosco Agricultural College in the village of Fuiloro, Timor-Leste. Don Bosco Agricultural College courses cover agriculture, veterinary science and fisheries. In partnership with international, national and local agencies, the college has paired classroom learning with hands-on job experience through internships that last from February to April 2023. Students are working in Dili, Baucau and Lautem.

With an agriculture assignment, students are introduced to a combination of traditional and modern agriculture techniques. They learn about production, capital gain, input intensity and crop consistency. Students are also being introduced to mass production with machines.

Given the challenges with global warming, students are learning more efficient, safer and more environmentally friendly techniques. In some parts of Timor-Leste, there is barren soil and, with the advances of technology, students are working to improve the soil’s fertility. This practice is called agro-ecology.

In the veterinary field, students are introduced to veterinary science and the prevention of transmission of animal diseases to people. Veterinarians also play a critical role in environmental protection, research, food safety and public health. In-depth studies allow the students to learn best practices to benefit people and eventually contribute to the development of veterinary science in Timor-Leste.

Through the fisheries internship, students are introduced to raising and harvesting fish and other aquatic life. Students practice combining traditional and modern ways of fish farming. Students are also introduced to marketing and commercial ideas to prepare them for a labor market that has been demanding in the past decade. Aside from preparing the students for further study, the internships will also help them in the area of entrepreneurship.

“Internships such as these provide a great way for students to bridge the classroom and the workforce,” said Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries provide a range of educational and social development services at educational centers and programs in Timor-Leste. Poor youth are able to access education and social programs including health services, nutrition, education, and general support services that help them to lead healthy productive lives.”

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

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Sources:

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

ANS – East Timor – Students of Don Bosco Agricultural School of Fuiloro in Job Training Program

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Internships take students into workforce first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Activities that benefit youth started at the Salesian oratory in Fuiloro, Timor-Leste, with a kick-off event for the new year that included more than 100 participants. Salesian missionaries and sisters with Daughters of Mary Help of Christians operate the oratory together and provide programs and services for youth.

The event started with a religious talk and an overview of St. John Bosco’s life and devotion.  After the lecture, there were games and presentations of songs and dances from the various groups who attend oratory activities.

The oratory brings together local youth for afterschool and summer activities. The majority of youth come from poor families and have little opportunity for recreation activities or connection with peers and supportive adults in a safe and positive atmosphere.

“Salesian oratories 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 Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Salesian missionaries provide a range of educational and social development services at educational centers and programs in Timor-Leste. Poor youth are able to access education and social programs including health services, nutrition, education and general support services that help them to lead healthy, productive lives.

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Timor-Leste – Hundreds of young people participate in official opening of SDB and FMA activities at Fuiloro Oratory

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Youth benefit from safe activities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Students gathered at Don Bosco Secondary Technical School in Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, at the end of December for the closing of their annual programs. Salesians and benefactors joined the youth for an exchange of Christmas gifts. The day began with Catholic Mass presided over by Father Moise Paluku, parish priest, who urged youth to participate in parish activities planned for the coming year. He also encouraged them to be more active with their leadership skills in their respective communities.

During the second part of the day, students engaged in a singing competition with Salesian staff taking part as judges. The program ended with a gift offered by the Salesians and benefactors to all youth who participated in the program.

A Salesian missionary said, “This was a chance for Salesians and school staff to celebrate the accomplishments of youth this past school term. It was a time to enjoy the holidays and ensure that youth receive gifts and praise for their hard work.”

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million people. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Christmas celebrations together with young people

Don Bosco Secondary Technical School

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Student accomplishments recognized first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions Australia has begun a campaign to support the work of teachers in Samoa. Teachers and schools in the country lack resources to assist them in educating students. The campaign to “Sponsor a Teacher, Educate a Nation” will raise funds to provide resources, materials and training required for teachers to provide high-quality education for youth.

As part of the campaign, a video series has been produced. The first in the series features two young Salesian brothers discussing their lives and their role as educators. The video is available on YouTube. In the video, Brother Damien Taofinuu, religious education teacher at Don Bosco College and Educational Center Salelologa, said, “The thing I love most about teaching is that when I’m teaching, not only am I educating the students, but I learning something from them. Every day is a new experience and I learn something from it.”

Salesians in Samoa are committed to ensuring they are able to continue to provide quality education to poor and at-risk youth, and the schools are an important part of the community.

“We are so lucky that we have so many supporters that are invested in ensuring that our young people in Samoa have access to a good education,” said Lauren Hichaaba, delegate for Mission Animation and director of The Cagliero Project. “One really beautiful aspect of having a province that encompasses four countries — Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji — is that we are able to create strong relationships and bonds, particularly with our young people, despite the distance of the four nations.”

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Australia – Supporting our schools in Samoa: “Sponsor a Teacher, Educate a Nation”

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions – Samoa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Campaign launches to help teachers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical College in Alafua, Samoa, has constructed classrooms for the hospitality program to ensure students have equipment that replicates a commercial kitchen and café. This will provide students with a better quality and more cohesive educational experience. The development of these classrooms was made possible thanks to NCOBF Pty Ltd. and St. John Bosco Parish Engadine.

The new facilities were developed after research and consultation with the community. Salesian missionaries discovered that resorts in Samoa were having difficulty acquiring suitable employees with the appropriate hospitality skills. Qualified local staff are preferred rather than hospitality staff from overseas. Don Bosco Technical College is working to fill the void.

The hospitality program aims to introduce students to a variety of skills, while increasing their literacy, math, interpersonal and communication skills. After completing the program, students will come away with a variety of skills including preparation and serving of food, beverages, and alcohol; business technology; customer service and communication; and environmentally sustainable tourism.

Students are also preparing food that is available for sale for students and teachers. The funds collected are used to buy food and supplies for the course. When the facility is not utilized by the school, the space can be rented in conjunction with the college’s existing event space for private functions. This also provides an income stream for the course and school to ensure sustainability.

“Youth unemployment in Samoa is high, and this course enables students to find and retain employment as they fill a need within the community,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal of Salesian education is for students to learn a skill that enables them to become self-sufficient and contributing members of their community.”

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of the Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Don Bosco Technical College Alafua

Salesian Missions – Samoa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Students fill community employment needs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) The Maria Auxiliadora Medical Clinic, operated by Salesian sisters, is the only facility to provide medical care to patients living in villages in the Venilale district in Timor-Leste. The clinic provides medical care for those who otherwise would not receive any. Patients are treated for common ailments such as malaria, tuberculosis, asthma and pneumonia, with a focus on care for mothers and children.

Because a high percentage of the population lives in conditions of poverty and experiences food shortages, access to the Salesian clinic is an important alternative to a costly hospital visit. The clinic also promotes health education classes in local schools and nearby villages, while the mobile medical clinic serves remote villages by conducting health checks.

Sister Carolina, who operates the clinic, said, “It has been particularly concerning this year as the focus shifted to the pandemic with attention to other medical issues being neglected. We ensured that the clinic remained open so that we could continue conducting health checks and education on COVID-19.”

“Salesian sisters provide vital programming for women and children in these villages,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, the sisters are aware of local needs firsthand and are then able to develop programs to directly address those needs.”

Salesian missionaries and Salesian sisters living and working in Timor-Leste operate educational programs, three orphanages for poor and homeless youth, and a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents rebuild. Efforts are focused on helping poor youth through education and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2021

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Clinic focuses on care for women and children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Two Salesian educational centers in Samoa are ensuring that youth in poverty are able to access the education they need to have hope for the future. This is important given 50 percent of Samoa’s population is under the age of 20, and youth unemployment stands at nearly 18 percent. Don Bosco Technical College in Alafua and Don Bosco College and Technical and Vocational Center in Salelologa provide education and training focused on teaching employable skills so that all students have the ability to retain long-term employment.

Don Bosco College and Technical and Vocational Center provides a high school education that offers an integrated curriculum with academic and technical subjects. Through the school’s work experience program, students meet potential employers and are able use skills they have learned to gain employment. Dominic College Glenorchy has provided scholarships for poor students who otherwise would not have the opportunity of an education.

Don Bosco Technical College offers a three-year vocational education course for students who finish high school. All first-year students gain an education in a combination of trades including plumbing, motor mechanics, carpentry and hospitality. In following years, students specialize in a trade of their choosing and receive an accredited certificate in their chosen field. After graduation, many students secure employment and are able to help support their families while developing their careers.

The college has its highest enrollment with 40 girls among 180 first-year students. The college also promotes personal, moral and spiritual growth, leadership skills development, and teamwork through cultural and sporting activities. In recent years, enrollment has doubled, but not all students are able to complete their education due to financial difficulties. The school welcomes those who wish to donate to a scholarship fund.

“Salesian missionaries provide education for poor youth who might not otherwise be able to gain the skills for later employment,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “It’s more than just educating students though. Salesians adapt and add new programs to meet local needs and develop skilled labor for the local economy.”

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2021

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Don Bosco Technical College Alafua

Don Bosco College and Technical and Vocational Center Salelologa

Salesian Missions – Samoa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Youth gain job skills first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Youth Off the Streets, a Salesian program in Sydney, Australia, provides services to more than 3,700 youth each year. The program was started 30 years ago by Father Chris Riley as a comprehensive service network for at-risk youth.

Throughout his career, Fr. Riley has worked as a teacher, youth worker, probation officer, residential care person and school principal. He has always believed that there is no such thing as a child born bad, but instead youth face harmful environments, circumstances, and families that can negatively impact them and their behavior.

Fr. Riley’s vision was to empower youth experiencing disadvantages by providing positive options to help them build a better future for themselves. From modest beginnings, Fr. Riley spent three decades growing Youth Off the Streets into a leading non-denominational youth services organization.

Don Bosco House, the program’s first refuge in Sydney’s Inner West, opened its doors in April 1991. In 1996, Fr. Riley opened the Key College in Redfern, the first Youth Off the Streets high school for youth who had become disconnected from mainstream education. Fr. Riley went on to expand educational services within Youth Off the Streets to include six accredited independent high schools across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra region and the NSW Central Coast.

Fr. Riley also developed and implemented innovative strategies to help youth deal with trauma, abuse, and neglect. Many of these strategies have been adopted by schools and government agencies across Australia. Youth Off the Streets now offers a wide range of integrated support services and programs for youth and their families. These services are delivered by more than 200 staff and a community of over 330 dedicated volunteers.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Lex Lutherborrow, the chief executive of Youth Off the Streets, in a recent “Homeless Week” article where she said family breakdown and conflict more broadly, not necessarily including violence, was the biggest driver of youth homelessness. “Young people tend not to be the ones that you see on the street. They’re either in temporary accommodation or crisis accommodation shelters or sleeping in cars or tents or they couch-surf, staying with a friend or extended family until they outstay their welcome.”

Salesians in Australia and around the globe provide social support and education so that vulnerable and at-risk youth can find shelter, have their basic needs met and gain the skills for later employment so they can become productive members of their communities.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Australia – Saving one by one: “Youth Off The Streets” 30 years

Youth Off the Streets

The post AUSTRALIA: Youth in need served by comprehensive network first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) James Finlayson, an Irish retiree who grew up in Australia, has been working with Salesians in Comoro, Timor-Leste, for the past several months as part of the Cagliero Project, the Salesian missionary voluntary program of the Australian Province.

Finlayson has been teaching English and giving carpentry lessons to general construction students in the carpentry workshop. His background as a teacher has more than prepared him for his new mission. He recently helped students make models of various types of gabled roofs, as well as a basic structure for making concrete stairs.

One Salesian missionary said, “We wish Mr. Jim the best of luck and a good continuation of his stay in Timor-Leste, and we also want to extend our gratitude to the Cagliero Project for sending him to us. He is really helping the center and the students.”

Salesian missionaries and Salesian sisters living and working in Timor-Leste operate educational programs, three orphanages for poor and homeless youth, and a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents rebuild. Efforts are focused on helping poor youth through education and providing new opportunities for the future.

Established in 2007, the Cagliero Project fosters cooperation and support among the different provinces of the East Asia-Oceania Region, with volunteers having also worked in Thailand, Cambodia, Samoa and Zambia. The project gives volunteers an opportunity to contribute to the local Don Bosco missions and serve the poorest and most disadvantaged children in their programs.

Volunteers in the Cagliero Project are committed to working in the Salesian way, which means that youth are placed at the center of all work. This provides an opportunity for volunteers to contribute to Don Bosco’s mission, which is to serve the poorest and most disadvantaged children and make them good Christians and upstanding citizens.

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Sources:

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

ANS – East Timor – Jim’s experience, a retiree and volunteer of Cagliero Project

Cagliero Project

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Volunteer teaches English and carpentry skills first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Recently 153 students graduated from Don Bosco Training Center in Comoro, Timor-Leste. The recent graduates specialized in various fields including automotive, administrative, construction, plumbing, carpentry, electricity, welding and air conditioning.

Since it was founded more than 30 years ago, the training center has graduated thousands of students who have changed their lives through technical education. Don Bosco Training Center continues to expand its programs and is committed to helping the poorest youth in the community.

Salesian missionaries also operate Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, which provides vocational education that helps youth gain an education and prepare for the future. More than 200 students have the opportunity to specialize in building construction, mechanical work, electrical installation and electronic communications.

Partnerships with local radio and television stations provide hands-on work experience opportunities for the electronics students. Poor youth are able to access a range of programs including health services, nutrition, education and general support services. The school also offers room and board for students who need on-campus housing.

“Technical and vocational education is important to ensure youth have the skills needed to find and retain long-term stable employment,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students who are able to access education and find work are able to become contributing members of their communities, helping to support their families as well as community development.”

Salesian schools offer both classroom education and hands-on work experience. At graduation many Salesian students are more prepared for the workforce than other youth. Additional programs at the schools help students have a place to live, access nutrition and learn important life skills.

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

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Sources:

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

ANS – East Timor – 153 students from “Don Bosco” Training Center in Comoro receive their diplomas

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: 153 students graduate from Don Bosco Training Center in Comoro first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Salesian communities in Timor-Leste have initiated green activities for the care and protection of the environment. These activities are in response to Pope Francis’ 2020 Laudato Si’, which underlined the importance of education and training that will help youth foster environmental responsibility. Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime noted the importance of concrete initiatives in the care of the environment.

Several objectives are encouraging the environmental commitment of youth. The Salesian community in Quelicai has been planting rice two or three times a year to provide better nutrition to students and save money on the purchase of food. In Fuiloro, Salesians operate an agricultural school where they teach more advanced and green farming practices. The working farm at the school also provides food and vegetables for the community.

In addition, Don Bosco Comoro post-novitiate has created a vegetable garden in the backyard and is working with a private organization to collect plastic for recycling. Comoro Vocational Training Center is training students to sort trash found in and outside of the school. Father Jolino Vieira, a member of Don Bosco Green Alliance, supports the idea of an eco-friendly campus for the training center and will be ensuring it has plastic recycling machine.

The Don Bosco Green Alliance, which began in India in 2018, challenges its members to make pledges to live more eco-friendly lives. Members hold activities and programs to bring about concrete outcomes at institutional and individual levels. The alliance is focused on combating pollution, reducing global warming and eliminating disposable plastics.

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

“These initiatives in Timor-Leste are among many Salesians have launched around the globe with a focus on greener practices,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Not only do greener practices help the environment and ensure a better life for the youth we serve, but it also helps Salesians save energy costs, which is then used to aid programming.”

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

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Sources:

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

ANS – East Timor – Salesian communities strengthen their environmental activities

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Youth act to protect environment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) More than 300 people gathered together to celebrate the feast day of St. John Bosco and the official opening and blessing of the new Don Bosco Youth and Education Center in Suva, Fiji. The ceremony was presided over by Father William Matthews, superior of the Salesian Province of Australia.

During his homily, Fr. Matthews highlighted how the new center will be used to provide support for at-risk and poor youth in the region. While the local parish is still under construction, the center will also be used for Sunday Mass and parish activities. Fr. Matthews also extended his gratitude for Father Mikaele Leilua, the first Salesian parish priest of the St. John Bosco Parish, who oversaw the construction of the youth center until his sudden death in September 2021.

The Don Bosco Youth and Education Center will include a multipurpose community space, open areas for learning, a kitchen and dining area, a sporting and recreational facility, and a community garden. The idea is to make the center as self-sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. The project was funded by Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund in collaboration with the local Salesian community in Suva.

“This project will help ensure that local youth have access to the kind of social development programs that will get them on the right path in life,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The new community center will be a place for youth to gather with their peers, and access life skills training and educational support.”

Salesian missionaries have been a part of the Fijian community since 1999, primarily facilitating education for young Salesians from the Pacific region, as well as operating a local parish. During a visit in 2015, the Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime expressed a strong desire to see the Salesian community expand to include a strong youth-focused outreach, which was a motivating factor for this community center project.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Fiji – Official opening of new “Don Bosco” Youth and Education Center

Salesian Missions

The post FIJI: New community and learning space opens first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are focused on education in Timor-Leste to ensure students have the skills needed for employment. Schools offer both classroom education and hands-on work experience. At graduation many Salesian students are more prepared for the workforce than other youth. Salesians want youth to become self-sufficient contributing members of their community. Additional programs at the schools help students have a place to live, access nutrition and learn important life skills.

Don Bosco Co-educational Technical High School, located in Maliana, has boarding facilities and offers a three-year diploma course in general electricity. After school, students are encouraged to work in the vegetable garden, which provides food for the boarding home.

St. Anthony’s High School Baucau is a center of learning for poor youth in the region. The school has a special lunch program that ensures students have the nourishment they require to learn. Many students walk long distances to school without breakfast and have trouble concentrating all day without a healthy meal.

Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca provides vocational education that helps youth gain an education and prepare for the future. More than 200 students have the opportunity to specialize in building construction, mechanical work, electrical installation and electronic communications. Partnerships with local radio and television stations provide hands-on work experience opportunities for the electronics students. Poor youth are able to access a range of programs including health services, nutrition, education and general support services. The school also offers room and board for students who need on-campus housing.

“Salesian missionaries provide a range of educational and social development services at educational centers and programs in Timor-Leste,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Poor youth are able to access education, social programs and general support services that help them to lead healthy productive lives.”

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Salesian students prepared for workforce first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending Salesian schools and youth centers in Timor-Leste had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. A 2020 shipment provided donated rice-meals to ensure students and rural community members had healthy nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Don Bosco Foundation, the main recipient of the donation, shared the rice-meals among 11 Salesian centers and programs. Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, Don Bosco Technical High School Maliana, Don Bosco Training Center of Comoro, Don Bosco Laga Youth Center, and Don Bosco Lospalos Orphanage were among the recipients of the donation. The donation also went to Salesian primary and secondary schools and a local prison.

One of the recipients, Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, provides vocational education that helps youth gain an education and prepare for the future. More than 250 students, 11 percent of whom are girls, attend the school taking three-year courses in carpentry, mechanics and electronics. Each year there are more than 400 applications for 84 student spots. Final year students are required to design and produce a product that embraces much of what they have learned over the previous three years.

“Hungry students have trouble focusing on their studies and learning,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesians provide feeding programs in their schools and centers so youth are able to fully take part in the activities and school lessons. During the pandemic, when so many families faced an extra financial burden due to a lack of work, the food ensured that families had healthy nutrition to survive.”

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

Salesian missionaries in Timor-Leste have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Rise Against Hunger rice-meal shipment provides nutrition for 11 Salesian centers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries operate Don Bosco Agricultural College in the village of Fuiloro, Timor-Leste. With more than 75 percent of the population deriving its livelihood from farming, Don Bosco Agricultural College plays an important role in promoting better care of livestock and increasing the yield from crops.

In 2020, the college continued to work toward becoming more self-sustainable by increasing farm production of corn, animal feed, horticulture and coconut oil. With an increase in applications, enrollment now exceeds more than 200 students. A new dormitory was completed with new beds, lockers and furniture to accommodate more students living on the college’s campus.

Timor-Leste suffered a drought in the early part of 2020 that impacted parts of the country that rely on subsistence farming for both food and income. Father Trans, a representative of Don Bosco Agricultural College, said, “A long summer with very little rain reduced both feed for the animals and produce for the community, boarders and surrounding villages. Due to the lack of reliable rain, we were unable to sow corn and many of our plantings dried up. This certainly affected our ability to provide food. We have increased the volume of rice purchased, which is very costly.”

Don Bosco Agricultural College offers its students an opportunity to combine theory with practice through its hands-on approach. Students use the skills they learn in the classroom in the fields working on their farming techniques. Providing education to help youth cultivate the land helps make their farms more productive and shows that farming can be a reliable source of income.

Salesian missionaries provide a range of educational and social development services at educational centers and programs in Timor-Leste. Poor youth are able to access education and social programs including health services, nutrition, education and general support services that help them to lead healthy productive lives.

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2018

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2020

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: More than 200 students learn farming skills first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical College in Alafua, Samoa, currently has its highest enrollment with 40 girls among 180 first-year students. Since 1988, Don Bosco Technical College has been known for offering quality skills-based education to disadvantaged youth. Many of the students have not been able to complete mainstream educational due to poverty, family and social issues. This is a second chance at education for them.

Over the years, the college has become well-known throughout Samoa and the Pacific for its excellent technical training and focus on integral student development. Originally established as a school for young men ages 16-22, the college opened enrollment to girls in 2020.

Ms. Farene, a second-year student, is happy with her choice to specialize in plumbing. She said, “I felt that plumbing is my calling. I want to get a job to help my family as they’re not well off and I want to help them in any way I can.” Farene encourages young girls who want to become plumbers in the future to not hold back.

The college provides both classroom and hands-on learning to ensure students are prepared for the workforce. In 2019, the college extended the duration of the work experience for students from two weeks to four weeks.

The importance of a work-study experience has been backed by a study conducted by the Samoan Qualification Authority, which also found that the Salesian college has the highest number of graduates that go on to be enrolled in the private sector. The college places an emphasis on building confidence, self-esteem and teamwork, as well as a love of culture through singing and dancing.

Most recently, with the assistance of the Australian High Commission Office in Samoa, 20 sewing machines were purchased, and the college introduced a successful 10-week evening sewing course open to the local community.  The first course was organized after school hours and had a large number of participants. This was followed by two additional 10-week courses which recently finished. More than 40 women have already signed up for the next course.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2020

Don Bosco Technical Center Alafua

Salesian Missions – Samoa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Plumbing student encourages other young women first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Salesian sisters living and working in Timor-Leste have a medical clinic, a women’s training center, and orphanages for poor and homeless youth in the country. In the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

The Maria Auxiliadora Medical Clinic remains the only facility to provide medical care to patients in the villages in the Venilale district. The Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Fund has provided financial support so Salesian sisters can purchase medicines and milk powder for babies, as well as pay salaries. Almost 9,000 patients visit the clinic each year, often for skin conditions, malnutrition and tuberculosis.

The clinic’s priority is to care for mothers and children. Because a high percentage of the population lives in conditions of poverty and experiences food shortages, access to the Salesian clinic is an important alternative to a costly hospital visit. The clinic also promotes health education classes in local schools and nearby villages, while the mobile medical clinic serves remote villages conducting health checks.

Salesian sisters also operate a Women’s Training Center in Fuiloro, which offers courses in computing, basic office management and sewing. Students entering the program are mainly from rural poverty-stricken families. A high proportion of graduates secure work in Dili or Baucau.

The Venilale Salesian Sisters’ Orphanage accommodates 116 girls, aged 6-16. The girls are given an education and are encouraged to participate in recreational activities. Through the generosity of donors, two new rainwater tanks have been purchased and installed, saving the girls a daily 1.2 mile (2 km) walk with buckets to collect water. The water is used for drinking, washing clothes and showering.

The Laga Laura Vicuna Orphanage also ensures girls have a safe place to live and an education, and it is home to 98 girls, ages 6-16. Through education incorporating theater, dance, music, sewing and sports, girls are encouraged to develop their skills and talents. Nutritional meals are provided five times a day thanks to support from donors.

Laga has an extensive parish and consists of more than 40 villages, 24 schools and 38 pastoral centers, with many of them difficult to physically access. Parents connect with Salesian programs so their children receive an education that will help them find and retain stable employment and contribute positively to their communities.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet of the needs of the community,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, Salesian missionaries are aware of local needs first-hand and are then able to develop programs to directly address those needs.”

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2020

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – Timor-Leste

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Salesian sisters help country rebuild first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have launched a new Youth and Education Center in Suva, Fiji. The center includes a multipurpose community space, open areas for learning and a community garden. The space creates a central hub where youth can meet in a safe environment to connect with their peers and engage with Salesian mentors while learning new life skills. Construction was underway in 2020 and delayed because of weather, but the facility is now completed.

Stage two of construction has been planned to clear the surrounding land to build a netball, basketball, volleyball court and a rugby field where youth can enjoy time with their friends. This is an important part of the youth and community programs to encourage holistic development.

Brother Peter Minh Duc Nguyen explained, “In general, in many places in Fiji, the young don’t have a safe place to play. Young people play rugby, volleyball and other sports on the road, and this is very dangerous. The need for a protected and healthy playground is an urgent need. The youth program fulfills that demand and helps them to develop the whole person by exploring different activities.”

The center’s community garden has played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has provided space for the local population to plant and grow food to feed their families. This has been particularly important as many families are experiencing cutbacks to their work hours or have been unemployed. Salesian missionaries have also been providing outreach into the community and helping vulnerable families.

Just more than 44 percent of the population in Fiji is under the age of 25 and there are limited opportunities for employment. The community center will serve a vital role in helping these youth find the right path for their future.

Salesian missionaries have been a part of the Fijian community since 1999, primarily facilitating education for young Salesians from the Pacific region, as well as operating a local parish. During a visit in 2015, the Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime expressed a strong desire to see the Salesian community expand to include a strong youth-focused outreach, which was a motivating factor for this community center project.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2020

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Photo courtesy of the Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions

The post FIJI: Youth engage with mentors at new center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco College and Vocational Technical Center Salelologa, located on the Savai’i island in Samoa, provides training so local youth have an opportunity to gain skills for employment. Beyond education, the center is used for multipurpose community events, and it plays an important role  providing space to bring the community together.

The island is primarily made up of subsistence farmers, but there is a growing tourism business. In response, Don Bosco College launched the hospitality course to expand job opportunities for youth.

Don Bosco College is also offering an accredited certification in trades skills. The course is in its first year of implementation. Upon completion, graduating students are ready to enter the workforce. Students had the opportunity to showcase their products consisting of dressers, coffee tables, beds and cabinets to their families and community.

Although Samoa has remained relatively free of COVID-19, the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the already fragile Samoan economy. Border closures have crippled the tourism industry, which many families rely on for their livelihood. Many students are finding it difficult to pay schools fees, and in turn, schools struggle to meet operating costs. A number of donors stepped up to help support both students and the school.

“We would like to thank those who sponsored this project, our Australian supporters. We are grateful that our students have accomplished and learned new skills and gained knowledge which was our goal,” said Father Nukuluve, principal of Don Bosco College and Vocational Technical Center Salelologa.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2020

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Photo courtesy of the Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund

Don Bosco Samoa

Salesian Missions – Samoa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Hospitality course expands job opportunities for youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

TIMOR-LESTE

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Foundation in Timor-Leste received funding from Rise Against Hunger to provide healthy food for 1,375 beneficiaries in vulnerable situations in Dili, Liquica, Ermera and Maliana during the first quarter of this project. The overall goal is to reach 4,000 people. The funding came about from a Rise Against Hunger partnership with Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

With the funding, Don Bosco Foundation was able to help individuals across several programs including schools, orphanages, street children’s programs, refugee camps, programs for people with disabilities and directly to those living in rural areas including the elderly. Those who received assistance were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the flood that occurred on April 4, 2021. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Salesians went directly to the programs and individuals to deliver the food while ensuring all safety precautions were in place.

One of the recipients of the donation was the Don Boco Halicuo Orphanage run by Father Belzito dos Santos. The orphanage is located in a rural area within the Maliana district and cares for young children who are without parents or were not wanted by their families. In the 2021 academic year, the orphanage accommodated more than 150 children who stayed in boarding houses and attended school. As a newly established community, Don Bosco Halicuo Orphanage has had difficulties, especially in securing food and health care because the location is remote and lacks nearby public facilities.

Fr. Belzito has tried to find all possible food, clothing and other basic needs for the children, but the pandemic has greatly reduced the few incoming donations he had secured. He said, “It has already been some months that we have lacked food, so we are really thrifty in managing the little food we have aside from working harder to cultivate vegetables and exchange it with other food options. We have also sold some of our cows in order to buy food, but you made the children aware that we are not alone. Even though they are orphans, there are still many brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and families willing to feed us.”

Mario Ruken, one of the direct recipients of the donation, is attending the Don Bosco Comoro Technical and Vocational Education Center. The center received 60 emergency packages of food. Ruken is a poor young man who lived in Comoro with his brother and sister in a small hostel. Every month, the three siblings paid their own rent while attending university. To earn money, the siblings helped their neighbor, and Mario worked as an on-call driver.

However, everything changed for the siblings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many others studying in Dili,  Ruken lost his job. Additionally, the hostel was completely destroyed from the flood in Dili, and Ruken and his siblings lost everything they owned. Because of the pandemic lockdowns and closure of the university, Ruken’s younger brother and sister returned to their home in Oecusse. Ruken stayed in Dili to find work and sends money home to his impoverished family. With the food donation, Ruken has been able to sleep well again and is well nourished.

Ruken said, “Sincerely, I really don’t know who you are very well but for the fact that you support us with food, to extend our life if even only for a short period of time, you make us feel dignified.”

Timor-Leste is home to 1.3 million people and has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate, according to the World Bank.

Salesian missionaries in Timor-Leste have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post TIMOR-LESTE: Vulnerable people receive food through Salesian Missions, Rise Against Hunger partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Suva, Fiji, recently went to the villages of Muanikoso and Makoi to check on youth and provide them educational materials. Since the start of the pandemic and the lockdowns that followed, Salesians have been working to maintain relationships with youth in their programs and school. They have connected through calls, emails and social media.

Meetings have been organized on Zoom, but most youth in the villages do not have access to digital devices. In order to ensure these youth aren’t falling behind academically, the Salesian community decided to photocopy lessons and catechism activities, cook sweet doughnuts, and visit youth and their families while maintaining a safe distance.

Families appreciated the conversations and efforts that Salesians made to ensure youth had copies of the materials. The visits also included moments of prayer and the distribution of rosaries and copies of the Salesian Bulletin.

In Suva, thanks to the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund and support from the local community, Salesians constructed a new multipurpose community center. Once pandemic restrictions ease, the new center will provide youth a place where they can learn, engage in safe activities, and connect with peers and supportive adults.

The center includes a multipurpose community space, open areas for learning, a kitchen and dining area, a sporting and recreational facility, and a community garden. The idea is to make the center as self-sustainable and eco-friendly as possible.

Just more than 44 percent of the population in Fiji is under the age of 25 and there are limited opportunities for employment. The community center will serve a vital role in helping these youth find the right path for their future.

“This project is helping ensure that local youth have access to the kind of social development programs that will get them on the right path in life,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The new community center will be a place for youth to gather with their peers, and access life skills training and educational supports. In the meantime, Salesian missionaries are working to ensure that youth have access to continued education.”

Salesian missionaries have been a part of the Fijian community since 1999, primarily facilitating education for young Salesians from the Pacific region, as well as operating a local parish. During a visit in 2015, the Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime expressed a strong desire to see the Salesian community expand to include a strong youth-focused outreach, which was a motivating factor for this community center project.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Fiji Islands – Salesians on mission in villages of Muanikoso and Makoi

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions

The post FIJI: Youth receive educational materials at home through home visits first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua, Samoa, started a sewing course so students can learn to make clothing. Given its success in the first year, Don Bosco Technical Center and sewing teacher, Tasileta Tagiilima, extended the course to members of the local community so they could increase their skills and generate income. The first course was organized after school hours and had a large number of participants. This was followed by two additional 10-week courses which recently finished. More than 40 women have already signed up for the next course.

“Salesian missionaries in Samoa work directly with those who are poor and disadvantaged and need employable skills,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This sewing course has shown that people in the community are willing to advance their education and gain new skills if given the opportunity. This course will help people to become more self-sufficient and provide them an opportunity to earn extra income.”

The Don Bosco Technical Center was established in 1989 as a second chance for education for many poor youth who were at risk because they were excluded from formal education. Over the years, the center has become well-known throughout Samoa and the Pacific for its excellent technical training and focus on  student development.

The center provides both classroom and hands-on learning to ensure students are prepared for the workforce. The importance of a work-study experience has been backed by a study conducted by the Samoan Qualification Authority, which also found that the Salesian technical school has the highest number of graduates that go on to be employed in the private sector. The center places an emphasis on building confidence, self-esteem, and teamwork, as well as a love of culture through singing and dancing.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Samoa – Community Sewing Program

Don Bosco Technical Center Alafua

Salesian Missions – Samoa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Community members increase sewing skills, self-sufficiency first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical School, located in Gabutu, an area within the city of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, has launched the “Scraper Project,” which is a fundraising initiative to raise money for the Don Bosco Center run by the Sisters of Charity in South Sudan.

The scraper is an essential kitchen tool in every household in Papua New Guinea, and under the guidance of instructors, students have learned to create them. Through the sale of scrapers, students will support the construction of a new building and the purchase of machinery and equipment for the Don Bosco Center.

Salesian Father Pedro Sachitula stated that the whole educational-pastoral community, including the Association of Salesian Cooperators, is involved in the project, and stressed that the initiative is a concrete response of the school to the Salesian Mission Day 2021 theme of “One Father, One Family – Missionary Solidarity as Initial Proclamation.” Other fundraising activities will take place from June to October 2021.

“This initiative is an opportunity for Salesian students to showcase their skills while directly helping another Salesian center,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian students learn much more during their education than the skills to find employment. They also learn the importance of helping one another and giving back to their community and others in need. This is a win-win for students in both Papua New Guinea and South Sudan.”

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

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EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Dili-Comoro, East Timor, have sheltered 3,000 people who fled from their homes because of floodwater. A flash flood caused by torrential rains crippled areas around the capital city of Dili as well as nearby islands in eastern Indonesia, including the island of Flores and the western part of Timor Island, in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday.

Salesians say that local news sources are reporting more than 160 deaths as a result of landslides and homes buried under the mud. Roads are destroyed and thousands of people have been displaced. In Dili, river water rose as much as two to four meters above the ordinary level. Rescue workers continue to search for missing people and are working to restore the roads and streets in the affected area.

Those who have been displaced are finding shelter in the Comoro Don Bosco compound where they are being provided blankets, food and basic medicines. The entire Salesian community is working to provide for the flood victims. There are 11 Salesian communities within East Timor including technical and vocational education centers, a large oratory, a post-novitiate community with a philosophy study center, and the Salesian provincial house.

“Salesian missionaries are well-positioned in the community to help provide immediate assistance for those in need,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians are helping to support people now and will be there long after the floodwaters recede, helping families to rebuilt their homes and their lives.”

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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(MissionNewswire) Every Thursday and Saturday most youth from the St. John Bosco Parish attend activities at the Salesian oratory in Suva, Fiji. They participate in sports, games, socializing with their peers and meetings—all providing opportunities to make new friends. Given the number of youth coming from the villages of Muanikoso and the Makoi, Salesian missionaries have decided to open a new oratory.

Rugby is a popular sport at the oratories, and Salesians make sure that everyone can play, from the smallest children to older youth. Atonio Lealea, Salesian coadjutor, helps the younger children learn how to play the game and engage in other activities.

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

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Salesians in Suva were in the middle of construction of a new multipurpose community center. The new center will provide youth a place where they can learn, engage in safe activities, and connect with peers and supportive adults. With more than 44 percent of the population in Fiji under the age of 25, there are limited opportunities for employment. The community center will serve a vital role in helping these youth find the right path for their future.

The center will include a multipurpose community space, open areas for learning, a kitchen and dining area, a sporting and recreational facility, and a community garden. The idea is to make the center as self-sustainable and eco-friendly as possible.

“This project will help ensure that local youth have access to the kind of social development programs that will get them on the right path in life,” added Fr. Baek. “The new community center will be a place for youth to gather with their peers, and access life skills training and educational supports.”

Father Mikaere Leilua, a local Salesian parish priest, is overseeing the project. With restrictions on the workforce, the number of workers at the site had been reduced to 20, plus the foreman. Work on the project has continued to progress and will continue until completion.

Salesian missionaries have been a part of the Fijian community since 1999, primarily facilitating education for young Salesians from the Pacific region, as well as operating a local parish. During a visit in 2015, the Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime expressed a strong desire to see the Salesian community expand to include a strong youth-focused outreach, which was a motivating factor for this community center project.

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EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Father Francis Hung, from the province of Mary Help of Christians in China, has taken a special interest in supporting Salesian programs in East Timor. In 2018, Fr. Hung attended an Association of Past Pupils Convention in East Timor and saw firsthand some of the difficulties Salesians face in the country providing for youth in need.

When he returned to China, Fr. Hung collected many theological and philosophical books, equipment for mechanical workshops, and about 100 computers and uniforms that he sent in a first shipment of goods.

In 2019, a second container with more than 10,000 t-shirts were shipped thanks to past pupil Stephen Mok with the coordination of another past pupil, Michael Eng. At the end of 2019, H.P. Chan, another past pupil, moved the headquarters of his factory from Shenzhen to Thailand, leaving factory surplus unused. It included computer numerical control machines, which are extremely useful in industry, and he donated these machines to Salesians in East Timor.

Working with H.P Chan, Salesians shipped seven containers that included the computer numerical control machines, desks, cabinets, workbenches, hydraulic forklifts, projectors, microscopes, chairs, fans and more. A final container, making 10 in total, was shipped during the pandemic and included 300,000 face masks donated by past pupil Andrew Chiu. The shipment also included forehead thermometers, computers for distance learning and many other items.

“I want to express our sincere gratitude and our thanks to Michael Eng and Stephen Mok, who organized the Past Pupils of Don Bosco in Hong Kong to support Salesian programs in East Timor. I would also like to thank Fr. Francis Hung, who is the main driver of this charity work,”  said Father Adriano de Jesus, a Salesian missionary in East Timor.

Salesian missionaries are known for their education programs for youth around the globe. With countless elementary, secondary and university level educational centers as well as training and certification programs, Salesian missionaries are helping to provide a direct path out of poverty for many youth and their families. Programs rely on donations such as those provided by IRN to keep facilities functional for students and staff.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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ANS – East Timor – A magnificent example of inter-provincial solidarity and in the Salesian Family

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SOLOMON ISLANDS

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Institute Henderson, located in Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands, launched a new project in 2019 to provide education to children living near the Ranadi dump site in a suburb east of Honiara. The families who live there experience high rates of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. Most spend their days at the dump collecting materials that can be recycled.

Children often work with their parents, which prevents them from regularly attending school and receiving an adequate education. Due to the unsanitary conditions of the dump, the hygiene of these children and their families is precarious and negatively impacts their health.

Don Bosco Technical Institute Henderson launched a literacy center that serves children who are too poor to attend even a government school. Since March 2019, Salesian missionaries have been teaching children, between the ages of 4 and 13, to read, write and refine their calculation skills. There is also a Salesian course to raise awareness among parents so that they understand the importance of giving their children a proper education and are motivated to send them to school instead of working in landfills.

The process of enrolling children into the literacy center is thorough to ensure that children will make the most of the opportunity. A Salesian representative said, “We do a survey of the locality to identify the children who do not attend any school at all. We contact the parents and leaders of the landfill site. We collect information about the children, names, age and gender, as well as the occupation of their parents.”

Salesians bring the children to the school by truck in the morning and drop them back in the afternoon. They also provide intensive coaching in mathematics and English language. The program does not use textbooks, but instead lesson plans are customized to meet the children’s needs in the program at any given time. The system is based on “joyful learning” and uses games, songs and a variety of activities.

Children are separated into groups according to their progress and speed of learning. Periodic evaluations are done, and children may move to a higher level or to a lower one according to their performance and needs.

The Salesian representative added, “The program runs for one calendar year. At the end of the year, after completion of the course, promotion results and certificates are awarded according to each child’s performance. We are also studying the possibilities of enrolling them in regular schools in the following year.”

About 12.7 percent of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health care and other social services is very limited, and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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ANS – Solomon Island – Social Service Wing Of Don Bosco, at Henderson, Honiara

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EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run Opera Don Bosco Onlus Foundation in Milan, Italy, has launched a new global appeal to help create an infirmary to take care of the girls living in the Laga Laura Vicuña Orphanage in East Timor, which is run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and named after Blessed Laura Vicuña. Launched in 1996, the orphanage houses 104 girls aged 6-17. The plan is to create an independent area where health services are available, and the girls can be treated with privacy and respect.

In addition, providing a separate space enables girls to be isolated when they are sick and decrease the spread of contagious viruses. Improving the health of the girls also will help them attend school more frequently. Most of the girls are orphans or come from families who abandoned or abused them, and they left home seeking safety elsewhere. If not for the orphanage, many would not be in school.

Through education, including studies such as theater, dance, music, sewing and sports, girls are encouraged to develop their skills and talents. Nutritional meals are provided five times a day thanks to support from donors. Laga has an extensive parish and consists of more than 40 villages, 24 schools and 38 pastoral centers, of which many are difficult to physically access.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet of the needs of their students,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The health and safety of students is critical to ensuring they are able to gain an education and live a productive life. It’s especially important now as the world faces a global pandemic.”

Since the liberation of Indonesia in 1999, East Timor has had political freedom, but the living conditions of the people in the country, especially in rural areas, has remained critical. Many women are at risk of dying during childbirth, often because of a lack of a medical care and at times, women refuse health care, preferring the help of relatives and acquaintances. This has only served to increase the number of orphans in the country.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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ANS – East Timor – An infirmary for Laga orphanage

Opera Don Bosco Onlus Foundation

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Technical Institute, located in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, launched an integrated waste management plan to focus more on the environment. It is in response to the call from Pope Francis in his 2020 Laudato sì, which has as its theme “Good Christians and Upright Citizens.” Further, Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime underlined the importance of concrete initiatives in the care of the environment.

The integrated waste management plan has started with several activities. Trash cans were purchased so Don Bosco Technical Institute can begin separating trash collection to focus on recycling. Each week, staff members and some community residents sort the waste into the appropriate bins. The institute is also focused on how to dispose of the waste, since typically cardboard and plastic materials are thrown in the incinerator. The smoke generated can disturb the community and have a costly environmental impact.

In addition, three large compost pits were built at the back of the school, two in the Salesian residence and two more in the staff houses. The goal is to be “zero waste” to conserve resources, engage in responsible production and reuse waste materials, thereby avoiding incinerating waste or dumping it on land or in the water.

To ensure proper waste management, Don Bosco Technical Institute has organized a team made up of volunteers including eight staff members and six students. Each of them studies and works in different areas of expertise, ranging from school cleaning to collecting plastic, paper and glass. Meanwhile, efforts to recycle different types of waste are ongoing. A recycling shed has also been set up near the three compost pits. At the moment, much of the effort in waste management is conducted by students and staff, but the hope is to involve more people in the community as the initiative evolves.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students can focus on their studies.

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EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Foundation in East Timor was able to provide food support for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. Don Bosco Foundation collaborated with Salesian parishes to identify those most in need, including widows, the elderly, those living in poverty, those with disabilities and orphans.

Support was provided to people in three Salesian parishes including Mary Help of Christian Parish in Dili, Saint Peter and Paul Parish in Lospalos, and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Venilale. Over three months, a total of 1,174 beneficiaries were supported through these relief efforts.

One of the people supported by the donation is Joana da Costa, who is a widow with seven children. Her husband passed away five years ago from an illness. Since then, she has had to work harder and harder with the responsibility of being both mother and father to the family.

She said, “ln order to feed my kids and pay for their school needs, I am working as a cleaner in one company near my house. The money I’m earning isn’t enough to cover my family’s needs so I’m also working an additional job washing clothes for local families. I also started a small bakery. I finally was able to feed my children as well as have the money for other needs. Unfortunately, during these last few months, I could no longer work because of the pandemic. It caused us much hardship and stress. Thanks to the support of the Don Bosco Foundation, I was able to feed my family.”

Over three months, a total of 1,174 beneficiaries were supported through relief efforts in East Timor.

Salesian missionaries are known for their education programs for youth around the globe. With countless elementary, secondary and university level educational centers, as well as training and certification programs, Salesian missionaries are helping to provide a direct path out of poverty for many youth and their families. Because they live in the communities in which they work, they are perfectly positioned to help in times of crisis by providing relief materials and support to local populations.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua, Samoa, is continuing education for poor youth. Samoa has no COVID-19 cases after a strict lockdown of the country started in March. Both boys and girls can access education at the Don Bosco Technical Center and all courses are open to both.

The Don Bosco Technical Center was established in 1989 as a second chance for education for many poor youth who were at risk because they were excluded from formal education. Over the years, the center has become well-known throughout Samoa and the Pacific for its excellent technical training and focus on integral student development. Originally established as a school for young men ages 16-22, the center opened enrollment to girls, who have now completed their first semester.

The center provides both classroom and hands-on learning to ensure students are prepared for the workforce. In 2019, the center extended the duration of the work experience for students from two weeks to four weeks. This has already brought success. Four students who have been studying plumbing and sheet metal impressed the Samoan Water Authority with their know-how and dedication, and they were offered work immediately.

The importance of a work-study experience has been backed by a study conducted by the Samoan Qualification Authority, which also found that the Salesian technical school has the highest number of graduates that go on to be enrolled in the private sector. The center places an emphasis on building confidence, self-esteem and teamwork, as well as a love of culture through singing and dancing.

“Salesian missionaries in Samoa work directly with poor and disadvantaged youth to provide hope for a positive future through education and training as well as sporting, recreational and cultural activities,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries live in the communities they work which provides them the unique experience of understanding first-hand the hardships and challenges faced by residents. This allows missionaries to adapt and add new programs to meet local needs and develop skilled labor for the local economy.”

Samoa boasts one of the most stable and healthy economies in the Pacific region, according to the World Bank. Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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ANS – Samoa – First students of “Don Bosco” Technical Center in Alafua

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SOLOMON ISLANDS

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Gizo, the capital of the Western Province in the Solomon Islands, inaugurated the St. John Bosco Primary School. The ceremony was attended by 205 students who will attend first to fifth grade at the new school. Parents and community representatives were also present.

The new school has six classrooms and a multipurpose room, as well as three houses for school staff. The construction project also included a cemented path, enabling children to walk free from injury to and from the buildings.

The children attending the school come from communities located in the area most affected by the 2007 tsunami. This includes the fishing village of Nusabaruku and other small villages in the coves behind Nusabaruku. People must travel to Gizo from these small villages by boat. The new school is located on the top of the hill known locally as Millionaire Point, which has now been renamed Nusa-Bosco (Bosco Island).

The new school was made possible by the Salesian Missions Office “Don Bosco Mission Bonn” in Germany and Opera Don Bosco Foundation in Milan, Italy. Local authorities in the Solomon Islands leased the land to the Salesians where the school is built. The school was constructed by several past pupils of local Catholic schools, known as Diocesan Boys. These graduates have been trained by Italian volunteers who worked hard over the past 13 years in the post-earthquake and tsunami reconstruction program of the diocese of Gizo.

A Salesian missionary in Gizo said, “We are grateful to God for this gift to allow these 205 children to gain an education and grow into good Christians and honest citizens of the Solomon Islands. We might not see the fruits of what we are planting right now, but the children will receive the fruits of their education.”

About 12.7 percent of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending never completing school. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health care and other social services is very limited, and the poor to nonexistent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Salesians were already in lockdown during this time. Fiji, however, has dealt better than some nations with the pandemic. To date, there have been only 18 people stricken with coronavirus and no deaths. When the first coronavirus case was confirmed on March 19 by the government, the Pacific Regional Seminary immediately went into lockdown, including all the affiliated colleges.

Salesian schools have held online classes, and lecturers were given special workshops on how to teach online. One of the biggest challenges is often slow, and at times, no internet connection and frequent power outages. Overall though, Fiji might be back to normal more quickly than other nations.

“If Fiji keeps the course, it will be able to confidently rank itself among the nations that are leading the world in stomping out coronavirus,” said Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in a recent address. He added that Fijians must keep vigilant in the war against the virus.

Given the progress, the government has decided to ease some of the restrictive measures. On April 26, Fiji resumed all passenger inter-island travel, by air and sea and allowed social gatherings of 20 people or less. Schools will remain closed until June 12.

Salesians in Suva were in the middle of construction to build a new multipurpose community center. The new center will provide youth a place where they can learn, engage in safe activities, and connect with peers and supportive adults. With more than 44 percent of the population in Fiji under the age of 25, there are limited opportunities for employment. The community center will serve a vital role in helping these youth find the right path for their future.

The center will include a multipurpose community space, open areas for learning, a kitchen and dining area, a sporting and recreational facility, and a community garden. The idea is to make the center as self-sustainable and eco-friendly as possible.

“This project will help ensure that local youth have access to the kind of social development programs that will get them on the right path in life,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The new community center will be a place for youth to gather with their peers, and access life skills training and educational supports.”

Father Mikaere Leilua, a local Salesian parish priest, is overseeing the project. With restrictions on the workforce, the number of workers at the site has been reduced to 20, plus the foreman. Work on the project was progressing slowly, but now, the progress is even slower. Salesians continue to hope and work for progress.

Salesian missionaries have been a part of the Fijian community since 1999, primarily facilitating education for young Salesians from the Pacific region, as well as operating a local parish. During a visit in 2015, the Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime expressed a strong desire to see the Salesian community expand to include a strong youth-focused outreach, which was a motivating factor for this community center project.

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ANS – Fiji – Salesians overtook lockdown and typhoon times

FIJI: Salesian missionaries build a new community center in Suva thanks to donor funding

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technological Institute, located in Boroko, Papua New Guinea, has reopened its doors after the COVID-19 isolation. Students and teachers can resume classes with new added safety measures in place. These measures, provided by the Ministry of Education, include rigorous checks at the entrance, a change in lesson times, temperature measurement and frequent handwashing.

Students who have returned to class are determined to make the most of the year ahead and to complete all unfinished work in order to obtain their diploma at the end of the year. For many students, being out of school wasn’t just about missed lessons. Students in Salesian schools sometimes eat their only meal a day at school.

During the quarantine, Salesian students made the best of their time. Students from the Don Bosco Technological Institute, Savio Haus and Mary Our Help made short songs on the topics “Stay at home” and “Social distances”. Other young people shared their thoughts on the risks of coronavirus and on the need to take care of the planet and keep the environment in which we live clean.

“We are encouraged that Salesian students in Papua New Guinea are able to return to school after their quarantine,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The safety of our students is important so the rigid safety measures put in place will be followed by staff, teachers and students. The goal is to be able to get students back in the classroom learning and preparing for the future while keeping their health and safety a priority.”

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – DBTI students return to attend classes

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EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) More than 1,200 youth attending Salesian schools and youth centers in East Timor had better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. The shipment, which arrived in the last quarter of 2019, provided donated rice-meals to ensure students had a healthy meal during the school day.

Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, Don Bosco Technical High School Maliana, Don Bosco Training Center of Comoro, Don Bosco Laga Youth Center, Don Bosco Youth Center Baucau and Don Bosco Lospalos Orphanage were all recipients of the donation.

“Hungry students have trouble focusing on their studies and learning,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Proper nutrition is needed to fully take part in classroom and in-field training. Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

In the city of Maliana, Don Bosco Technical High School is an important educational center. It serves more than 250 students, 11 percent of whom are girls, who take three-year courses in carpentry, mechanics or electronics. Each year there are more than 400 applications for the 84 student spots. Final year students are required to design and produce a product that encompasses much of what they have learned over the previous three years.

Rise Against Hunger partners with Salesian Missions, which works to identify needs and coordinate delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals, 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.

East Timor is home to 1.26 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 42 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions

The post EAST TIMOR: More than 1,200 youth attending Salesian schools and youth centers received better nutrition thanks to Rise Against Hunger rice-meals first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Just more than 44 percent of the population in Fiji is under the age of 25 and there are limited opportunities for employment. The community center will serve a vital role in helping these youth find the right path for their future.

The center will include a multipurpose community space, open areas for learning, a kitchen and dining area, a sporting and recreational facility, and a community garden. The idea is to make the center as self-sustainable and eco-friendly as possible.

“This project will help ensure that local youth have access to the kind of social development programs that will get them on the right path in life,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The new community center will be a place for youth to gather with their peers, and access life skills training and educational supports.”

ASMOAF, in conjunction with the Australian Social Communications team, has released a new video that celebrates the progress that has been made. The video updates donors on the impact of their contributions while highlighting the potential of the center and the need for further support.

Father Mikaere Leilua, a local Salesian parish priest, is overseeing the project. In the video, he expresses his deep gratitude to the donors. The project is well underway, having initially suffered setbacks related to wet weather and delays in the delivery of steel beams. It is hoped that the construction of this center will be a turning point for the Salesians in Fiji, providing them with even greater means of empowering local communities.

Salesian missionaries have been a part of the Fijian community since 1999, primarily facilitating education for young Salesians from the Pacific region, as well as operating a local parish. During a visit in 2015, the Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime expressed a strong desire to see the Salesian community expand to include a strong youth-focused outreach, which was a motivating factor for this community center project.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Fiji – A multi-purpose community center construction is well underway – and will be completed in 2020

Salesian Missions

The post FIJI: Salesian missionaries build a new community center in Suva thanks to donor funding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian programs in East Timor have new school furniture thanks to a donation made possible by an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and IRN (Institution Recycling Network). IRN matches surplus items with organizations and people who need them. The donation, which was received in October 2019, included 295 tables and chairs.

Blessed Philip Rinaldi Junior High School in Venilale received 100 items while 50 went to the Don Bosco Senior High School of Laga. The remaining items were sent to Saint Francis of de Sales Philosophy Institution in Dili Comoro.

Blessed Philip Rinaldi Junior High School provides a foundation of education for students to advance to higher levels of learning. The school accommodates up to 200 students but some of the facilities are old and destroyed. The furniture from IRN will ensure students are learning in a good educational environment.

The Don Bosco Senior High School of Laga recently built an additional building, supported by the Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Fund, to accommodate the increased enrollment of students who are accessing this rural school. The school needed furniture to prepare the classroom.

Similarly, St. Francis of de Sales Philosophy Institution is a new Salesian school that required furniture to complete its classrooms. Salesian missionaries in East Timor are grateful to both IRN and Salesian Missions for ensuring that students are able to learn in a comfortable environment.

“Having tables and chairs and the proper environment in the classroom gives our students dignity and allows them to better focus on their lessons,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “We are grateful for IRN and the ongoing partnership we have had to send much needed furniture to Salesian schools and programs.”

IRN was started in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every educational, commercial and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

Salesian missionaries are known for their education programs for youth around the globe. With countless elementary, secondary and university level educational centers as well as training and certification programs, Salesian missionaries are helping to provide a direct path out of poverty for many youth and their families. Programs rely on donations such as those provided by IRN to keep facilities functional for students and staff.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

IRS – The Reuse Network

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: 3 Salesian schools have tables and chairs thanks to Salesian Missions partnership with IRN first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Xavier Loipio, 33 years old, credits the success in his life to the time he spent at Don Bosco Technical School in Gabutu, an area within the city of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. He graduated from the school in 2009 with a degree in maintenance fitting and machining. Loipio started his career as a marine fitter at PNG Dockyard Ltd and has worked in the industry successfully for 10 years.

Life wasn’t always that easy for him. Loipio explained, “I dropped out of high school, lived the life of a drug addict for three years and had an attitude problem. Then to make ends meet, I resorted to selling betel nut. As the days rolled on, I often wondered, ‘What will I do with my life?’ One day I was encouraged by Father Jess Escala, the former principal at Don Bosco Technical School, to enroll in the school, so I did. At Don Bosco, I received what I needed to succeed including punctuality, counseling and time management. Don Bosco was the light at the end of my tunnel to become an outstanding citizen, a successful and professional skills person and a role model in my community.”

With the skills he acquired at Don Bosco Technical School, Loipio went on to obtain his tradesman certificate at Port Moresby Technical College, certificate III in machine fitting in mechanical trade at the Australian Pacific Technical Coalition, and an advanced diploma–I.V.Q Level 3 in oil and gas maintenance at Kumul Petroleum Academy, South Pacific Employment Institution.

“One of my greatest accomplishments has been as president of the Australia Pacific Technical Coalition Alumni PNG from 2017-18. During my time there, I met educated professionals in the technical and vocational training and educator sector,” said Liopio. “These are the people who have inspired me to become someone in life. I am grateful to all of them. I am also one of the pioneers of Kumul Petroleum Academy/South Pacific Employment Institution as well as part of the fourth graduating class from the ExxonMobil training program. With my leadership qualities, I am presently working as a mechanical technician team leader with Comlek Electrical Engineering Ltd, an Australian-based company.”

Loipio added, “Without Don Bosco, I would not have been able to accomplish these things. I am eternally grateful to Don Bosco for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Don Bosco still changes lives of youngsters

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Don Bosco Technical School graduate credits the education he received for later success in life first appeared on MissionNewswire.

EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca in East Timor have access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. The shipment was made in the third quarter of 2019.

Salesian missionaries provide educational and social development services at the Salesian complex Don Bosco Fatumaca. Poor youth are able to access a range of programs including health services, nutrition, education and general support services. The school also offers room and board for students who need on-campus housing.

Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca provides vocational education that helps youth gain an education and prepare for the future. More than 250 students, 11 percent of whom are girls, attend the school taking three-year courses in carpentry, mechanics and electronics. Each year there are more than 400 applications for 84 student spots. Final year students are required to design and produce a product that embraces much of what they have learned over the previous three years.

“The Rise Against Hunger meals are supporting us to meet the basic needs of youth in our programs and enabling them to have full stomachs in order to study and have the energy to take part in different activities to prepare for the future,” says Father Gui Da Silva. “We saw many more students graduate this past year and able to get a job immediately or continue on with us for advanced studies. I enjoy being able to follow up with students and see how they are excelling since we have been providing the Rise Against Hunger rice-meals.”

One of the beneficiaries, 20-year-old Geovanio Goncalves, is very grateful to be studying at Don Bosco Technical School. He is working hard to complete his program of study. The Rise Against Hunger meals ensure that he had enough to eat so he can focus on attending school and having the energy to study. Goncalves admitted there were times that he had to fight for just enough to eat because of the political instability on East Timor. He’s glad now that he’s in a supportive environment and working towards a brighter future.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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 as well as care for those in need of emergency aid during times of war, natural disasters and health crises.

East Timor is home to 1.26 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 42 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Youth attending Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca have access to proper nutrition thanks to Rise Against Hunger rice-meals first appeared on MissionNewswire.

EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries provide a range of educational and social development services at the Salesian complex Don Bosco Fatumaca. Poor youth are able to access programs including health services, nutrition, education and general support services. The school also offers room and board for students who need on-campus housing.

Don Bosco Technical School provides vocational education that helps youth gain an education and prepare for the future. More than 250 students, 11 percent of whom are girls, attend the school and take three-year courses in carpentry, mechanics and electronics. Each year there are more than 400 applications for 84 student spots. Final year students are required to design and produce a product that embraces much of what they have learned over the previous three years.

A course in motherboard replacement and reprogramming for televisions was recently provided. The students were able to repair the television sets of local people in the community. This new technology training will prepare the students for future job opportunities.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet of the needs of their students,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, Salesian missionaries are aware of local needs first-hand and are then able to develop programs to directly address those needs.”

Salesian missionaries are also working in village of Fuiloro, where they operate the Don Bosco Agricultural College. With more than 75 percent of the population deriving its livelihood from farming, Don Bosco Agricultural College plays an important role in promoting better care of livestock and increasing the yield from crops.

With an increase in applications, enrollment now exceed 200. The college aims to be more self-sustainable by increasing farm production of corn, animal feed, varied horticulture, coconut oil and improved livestock intake. A new dormitory has also been completed with new beds, lockers and furniture for students who live on the school’s campus.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

Photo courtesy of Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: Salesian missionaries provide technology and agriculture training to give youth the skills to find employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Papua New Guinea provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

At Don Bosco Technical Secondary School in Rapolo, a populated area in East New Britain, Salesian missionaries are grateful for the efforts and commitment of lay people who serve poor youth and their families. Every weekend, lay volunteers lead Catechism classes for the young children attending the newly established parish.

Every Sunday, lay volunteers also visit different communities and offer basic checkups on blood pressure and sugar levels for the people of the villages. This helps people to focus on their health so that they may live long and healthy lives.

Other lay volunteers dedicate themselves to working directly with youth in classrooms and courtyards. They offer children assistance and provide them supportive adults to listen, interact with them and be good role models.

This year, Stephen Stafstrom, who is 21 years old and from Florida, and Matthew Nguyen, also 21 years old and from Texas, are part of the Salesian Missions Lay Missioner program working in Papua New Guinea’s capital city of Port Moresby.

Salesian Lay Missioners make a one- to three-year commitment and are assigned to a Salesian mission, typically a school, youth center or parish, in one of the 132 countries where Salesian missionaries are active around the globe. Missioners spend time teaching, guiding and counseling children and their families, as well as learning about different cultures and communities. They become part of a close-knit team of Salesian missionaries, volunteers and lay staff working together to bring hope to poor youth and their families.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – The universal call to the Mission

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Salesian lay missionaries volunteer in Rapolo community providing education and support to local youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries and Salesian sisters living and working in East Timor have three orphanages for poor and homeless youth in the country, as well as a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

The Venilale Salesian Sisters’ Orphanage accommodates 116 girls, aged 6 to 16 years. The girls are given an education and are encouraged to participate in recreational activities. Through the generosity of donors, two new rainwater tanks have been purchased and installed, saving the girls a daily 2 km walk with buckets to collect water. The water is used for drinking, washing clothes and showering.

At another orphanage focused on ensuring girls have a safe place to live and an education, the Laga Laura Vicuna Orphanage is home to 98 girls, aged 6 to 16 years. Through education incorporating studies such as theater, dance, music, sewing and sports, girls are encouraged to develop their skills and talents. Nutritional meals are provided five times a day thanks to support from donors. Laga has an extensive parish and consists of more than 40 villages, 24 schools and 38 pastoral centers, of which many are difficult to physically access. Parents connect with Salesian programs so their children receive an education that will help them late find and retain stable employment and contribute positively to their communities.

Salesian missionaries also have a specific orphanage for boys. The Lospalos Don Bosco Orphanage accommodates more than 100 boys, aged 6 to 16 years, who are attending local schools. Salesian missionaries help the boys develop survival skills, including after school work in the vegetable garden. It helps boys put some of the skills they learn in the classroom into a real-world environment and teaches them how to provide for themselves.

In addition to these orphanages and technical and vocational training centers, Salesians in East Timor also provide the Maria Auxiliadora Medical Clinic, which offers essential medical care for the poor in Venilale and 13 surrounding villages. There were more than 9,300 patients treated for common ailments such as malaria, tuberculosis, asthma and pneumonia.

The clinic’s priority is to care for mothers and children. Because a high percentage of the population lives in conditions of poverty and experiences food shortages, access to the Salesian clinic is an important alternative to a costly hospital visit.  Health education programs in local schools and villages are also conducted.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet of the needs of their students,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, Salesian missionaries are aware of local needs first-hand and are then able to develop programs to directly address those needs.”

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

Photo courtesy of Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: Salesian missionaries provide orphanages and medical care for poor and homeless youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Agricultural School is educating 1,000 students from elementary to senior secondary grades in the Lospalos district of East Timor. Agriculture education plays an important role in promoting better care of livestock and increasing the yield from crops. The school is aiming to become more self-sufficient by increasing farm production of corn, animal feed, varied horticulture and coconut oil, along with improved livestock intake.

School buildings, however, are in urgent need of renovations. Some are more than 50 years old and the roofs and ceilings need replacement. In the past year work has been done on upgrading the dormitories, but there is still work to be done in the bathrooms. Donations have been directed to the running costs of the school, namely for student fees, scholarships and transport costs, as well as vehicle maintenance. The agricultural program is helping to produce goods on the farm that are consumed in the boarding house.

In Maliana, the Don Bosco Co-educational Technical School, with the generous support of the Montagner Zembruzuski Family Foundation, built a new basketball court for the students for socio-sports education and replaced the roof on the boys’ dormitory. In addition, a training seminar was held for the electrical trade teachers and participants from the Don Bosco schools in Comoro and Fatumaca. The training helped teachers access the most up-to-date information in the field in order to pass that knowledge onto their students.

At the Don Bosco Training Center in Comoro, short-term courses in motor mechanics, building, electrical wiring and IT are provided. Students are able to access on-the-job training. In the last year, students participated in fencing 200 meters around the workshops. Other work experience projects included manufacturing 52 study tables and repairing 20 existing tables and 22 chairs.

“Technical education is important to ensure youth have the skills needed to find and retain long-term stable employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students who are able to access education and find work are able to become contributing members of their communities, helping to support their families as well as community development.”

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: Vulnerable youth are benefiting from Salesian agriculture and technical skills training first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SAMOA

(MissionNewswire) Both the Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua and the Don Bosco Co-educational High School and Vocational Center in Salelologa, continue to provide education and training to the local youth in Samoa. Both schools provide educational opportunities for students whose parents are unable to finance their education.

Now in its 30th year, the Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua provides education for young men aged 16-22 who have not been able to complete mainstream schooling due to poverty, prior drop-outs, or other serious family and social problems. Recently, the center extended the duration of the work experience students take from two weeks to four weeks. This has already brought success. Four students who have been studying plumbing and sheet metal so impressed the Samoan Water Authority with their know-how and dedication that they were offered work immediately.

The importance of a work-study experience has been backed by a study conducted by the Samoan Qualification Authority, which also found that the Salesian technical school has the highest number of graduates that go on to be enrolled in the private sector. The center places an emphasis on building confidence, self-esteem and teamwork, as well as a love of culture through singing and dancing.

The Don Bosco High School and Vocational Center at Salelologa offers education to 300 students. Many come from remote villages on a school bus made available through the school. The center offers an integrated curriculum with academic and technical subjects designed to provide students with employment and human relations skills, as well as self-reliance.

The school boasts excellent facilities, which are also used by the community and as a sporting venue for competitions held against other schools in the area. Recently, the Samoa Observer newspaper held its Samoan Schools Short Story competition, which has prize divisions for each level of high school in both Samoan and English languages. In the article about the event, it was noted, “It was evident from a massive block of yellow and green uniforms that students from Don Bosco dominated in numbers at the prize giving.”

The teachers were pleased with the results and pointed out that at last year’s competition nine students received placement in the standings and this year it was 13 students. Two students placed first in their respective categories.

“Salesian missionaries in Samoa work directly with poor and disadvantaged youth to provide hope for a positive future through education and training as well as sporting, recreational and cultural activities,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries live in the communities they work which provides them the unique experience of understanding first-hand the hardships and challenges faced by residents. This allows missionaries to adapt and add new programs to meet local needs and develop skilled labor for the local economy.”

Samoa boasts one of the most stable and healthy economies in the Pacific region, according to the World Bank. The poverty rate, once just over 26 percent, has dropped closer to 20 percent as the country strives to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals, a blueprint driving efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

Don Bosco Technical Center Alafua

Salesian Missions – Samoa

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Salesian missionaries provide education and workforce development programs for poor and at-risk youth at two educational centers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Venilale and Laga are rural environments about 100 km from the capital of Dili. The area is mountainous with rainy and cold weather almost all year. It is a subsistence economy, with nearly all of the families cultivating rice for food. Youth in the region who are not able to find work and are not happy with work in the fields leave for more urban areas.

The rice-meals are provided to girls in the Laga Laura Vicuna Orphanage, which is home to 98 girls, aged 6 to 16 years. Through education incorporating studies such as theater, dance, music, sewing and sport, girls are encouraged to develop their skills and talents. Nutritional meals are provided five times a day thanks to support from donors.

Laga has an extensive parish and consists of more than 40 villages, 24 schools and 38 pastoral centers, of which many are difficult to physically access. Parents connect with Salesian programs so their children receive an education that will help them later find and retain stable employment and contribute positively to their communities.

The donation was also shared with the Venilale Salesian Sisters’ Orphanage, which accommodates 116 girls, aged 6 to 16 years. The girls are given an education and are encouraged to participate in recreational activities.

“The rice-meal donation has been a critical part of helping these young girls have the proper nutrition they need to focus in school,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

Rise Against Hunger partners with Salesian Missions, which works to identify needs and coordinate delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals, 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.

East Timor is home to 1.26 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 42 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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Sources:

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Rise Against Hunger rice-meal donation helping girls in Maria Auxiliadora Foundation programs to have access to better nutrition first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This shipment, which arrived in January 2019, provided donated rice-meals to youth during the school day to ensure students had a healthy meal each day and to seniors and other youth who attended Salesian programming in parishes.

“Hungry students have trouble focusing on their studies and learning,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “Proper nutrition is needed to fully take part in classroom and in-field training. Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

In the city of Maliana, Don Bosco Co-Educational Technical School is an important educational center. The school is currently focused on improving its overall facilities, including the kitchen and dormitory, and enlarging its provisions of filtered drinking water.

At the Don Bosco Technical School, vocational education helps youth gain an education and prepare for the future. It serves more than 250 students, 11 percent of whom are girls, who take three-year courses in carpentry, mechanics or electronics. Each year there are more than 400 applications for the 84 student spots. Final year students are required to design and produce a product that encompasses much of what they have learned over the previous three years.

One young student, Joao Zacarias, noted that he’s very grateful for the rice-meals because it has enabled him and his friends to focus on their studies and have the energy for other activities. He’s grateful for the support of Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger.

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.

East Timor is home to 1.26 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 42 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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Sources:

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Youth attending Salesian programs received access to better nutrition thanks to Rise Against Hunger donated rice-meals first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Children are very often working with their parents which prevents them from regularly attending school and receiving an adequate education. Due to the unsanitary conditions of the dump, the hygiene of these children and their families is precarious and negatively impacts their health.

Since March, Salesians missionaries have been teaching courses to children, between the ages of 4 and 13, to read and write and to refine their calculation skills. Upwards of 70 students attend these lessons. Courses are also organized for older children who want to specialize in welding or manufacturing or work in the hotel sector. To date, there have been about 25 applications to participate in these lessons.

The Salesian courses are aimed at raising awareness among parents so that they understand the importance of giving their children a proper education and are motivated to send them to school instead of working in landfills.

In order to help the families replace the income that the children made while working, the Don Bosco Technical Institute has also created a program aimed specifically at mothers which allows them to use the institute’s land to grow vegetables which they can then sell back to the market.

The Don Bosco Technical Institute has been providing education and skills training in the electrical, automotive, carpentry and machine fitting maintenance trades as well as life skills training and employment assistance for more 250 students over the last 16 years.

While the majority of students are male, the institute has been working to increase the enrollment of female students by encouraging them to take courses in more typically male-dominated trades as well as providing opportunities for those who previously left school due to marriage or pregnancy. Currently, most young women begin at the institute with life skills training followed by courses in teaching and nursing.

“Most of the students at the Don Bosco Technical Institute are from poor families and many have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “There, they are getting a second chance by learning skills that will enable them to find employment to support themselves and their families.”

About 12.7 percent of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to healthcare and other social services is very limited and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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

ANS – Solomon Islands – A project with teens and children of Ranadi dumps

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

Salesian Missions – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Don Bosco Technical Institute launches new program providing education to youth living near the Ranadi dumps in Honiara first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The West Papuan community has more than 2,000 people who are living in five camps across Port Moresby. They had been promised resettlement to allocated state land by the previous government, but have yet to be resettled. With this uncertainty, leaders from the camps approached the Catholic Bishops Conference for help in reducing some of the ongoing challenges at the camps such as food security, clean water, education, land and housing.

Caritas launched its support by providing educational scholarships to 20 West Papuan youth so that they can attend courses at the Don Bosco Technical School, Gabutu. The short four-month courses give disadvantaged young men and women an opportunity to attain basic certificates in computing, administration, electrical and motor mechanics.

Thomas Wangai, one of the scholarship recipients, will soon to be studying metal fabrication and welding. He spoke of the hardships he faced and said the scholarship was a turning point in his life. He noted, “I am honored to receive this scholarship. I faced many negative situations, but I never lost faith. I am grateful to God that He has heard my prayer.”

Hans Wonsiwor, representative of the Nine-Mile West Papua community, also expressed how much the scholarships meant. “I’m proud of the partnership between Caritas and the Don Bosco Technical School. I thank them both in providing this wonderful scholarship program to assist the West Papuan Community.”

Salesian missionaries in Papua New Guinea provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

“’They welcomed angels’ is our Mission theme for 2019. In keeping with the theme, we are happy to welcome the West Papuan refugees and offer them education at Don Bosco Technical School in Gabutu. The program will develop their skills, and most importantly, help them find a decent job,” says Kenneth Gonzales, deputy principal for technical affairs at the Don Bosco Technical School.

Caritas Australia’s Program Quality and Support Coordinator in Papua New Guinea, Marie Mondu, emphasized the need for empowerment and a sense of purpose to be imparted to the refugees. She says, “Refugees in Papua New Guinea today need our help, particularly our brothers and sisters from West Papua. This program provides them with the tools necessary and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.”

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guinean’s live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in the country. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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ANS – Papua New Guinea – Second Chance Scholarship for West Papuan Refugees

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

Salesian Missions – Papua New Guinea

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Caritas and Don Bosco Technical School partner to provide scholarships to refugees from West Papua first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua has 22 instructors and teachers, two office staff and five Salesian missionaries who work collaboratively to operate the school. The first year the school was launched it had 74 students and has since grown by 74 percent to reach 198 students in 2019.

This increase of students is due to the proactive use of social media as well as joint action and information sessions in the Upolu and Savai’i islands with government and mission colleges in 2018. In addition, Salesian missionaries are growing a partnership with the Samoa Qualification Authority which accredits vocational training programs and also offers scholarships and subsidies for equipment and school upgrades.

Since most of the students attending Don Bosco Technical Center come from families who experience financial hardship, scholarship programs are vital. The partnership with the Samoa Qualification Authority is important for this reason as well as for its international certification standard for graduates and accreditation of program quality which ensures that Salesian education is up to the standard necessary for youth to find job placements after graduation.

“To sustain our school facility, we are working on projects that involve carpentry and welding and trying to maintain our school building with school fundraising activity. Government grants are also a good help. Since 1979 we have been grateful to the AUL Salesian province center in Melbourne and its Mission Office for the continuous support,” says Mr. Mane, principal of Don Bosco Technical School.

The Don Bosco High School/Vocational Center at Salelologa is now in its eighth year and has 224 students and 22 teachers. Many students come from remote villages on a school bus made available through the school. The center offers an integrated curriculum with academic and technical subjects designed to provide students with employment and human relations skills as well as self-reliance.

Salesian missionaries are looking at how they can better incorporate outdoor education, including games and sport, into the overall program. In November 2016, a new facility, Father Elio Proietto’s Hall, was officially opened after receiving funds from the Salesian Rector Major, the Don Bosco Mission in Turin, Italy and Salesian Missions in Madrid, Spain. With this additional facility, Don Bosco Salelologa continues to serve as an important center of education, meetings, conferences, youth gatherings and sport on the island of Savai’i. In addition, the new hall aids in self-sustainability because it will be rented out for events. In July 2019, it will host boxing matches that are part of the 2019 Pacific Games.

Samoa boasts one of the most stable and healthy economies in the Pacific region, according to the World Bank. The poverty rate, once just over 26 percent, has dropped closer to 20 percent as the country strives to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals, a blueprint driving efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men and youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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ANS – Samoa – Salesian presence soon to celebrate its 40th anniversary

Don Bosco Technical Center Alaufa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Salesian missionaries highlight growth of programs for upcoming 40th anniversary celebration first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Youth shared their views on climate change, stressing the importance of raising awareness of the issue among their peers and highlighting what can be done to reduce their environmental impact. The event, which was broadcasted by the local NBC TV station, was organized in collaboration with the Social Communication Office of the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea-Solomon Islands, led by Salesian Father Ambrose Pereira.

“In Salesian programs around the globe, youth are focused on environmental causes, helping to make their communities and the world around them a better place to live,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs focus on providing youth an education and meeting their basic needs, but also go far beyond that, helping youth develop leadership skills and giving them a platform to discuss the issues they care about most.”

In addition to the work in Papua New Guinea, Salesian missionaries facilitate the Don Bosco Green Alliance which is an international collective of youth from Salesian institutions and organizations that contribute to global environmental action, thought and policy. The alliance focuses on creating an environment that is safe and caring for all life on the planet while raising up a new generation of environmentally committed citizens and leaders.

Salesian missionaries in Papua New Guinea provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guinean’s live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in the country. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Salesian students talk about climate change on the radio

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Salesian students from Don Bosco Technical School participate in interactive broadcast program talking about climate change first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to the article, Bishop Capelli was a Salesian missionary in the Philippines for 35 years before coming to the Diocese of Gizo in the Solomon Islands in October 2007. The Diocese of Gizo is comprised of 40 islands with a total population of 136,347 inhabitants, 11 percent of whom are Catholics.

Bishop Capelli arrived in the Solomon Islands six months after an earthquake destroyed homes, schools and churches there. In an interview with the Missioni Don Bosco portal, Bishop Capelli said, “My first task was to encourage the people to rebuild the cathedral, the seven parishes and the 12 schools.”

With financial support from the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Capelli was able to take flying lessons and the diocese received an ultralight small airplane. Using the plane, which Bishop Capelli has piloted himself since 2011, he visits hospitals, schools and communities, bringing medicine and basic necessities, according to Crux.

Bishop Capelli indicated that isolation is a major challenge for people in his diocese, adding that this is resolved only with presence. He said, “Presence is possible only if there is a means to take you.” Thanks to the airplane, Bishop Capelli can visit each mission location three to five times a year. Without the option of a plane, he would have to travel by boat which is more costly and dangerous, he told Askanews, according to the Crux article.

Bishop Capelli has been particularly busy since October 2018 when he decided to send one of the two priests in his diocese to Italy for advanced studies. He noted to Crux, “We have been working a lot these years with young people and the new generations to train catechists and leaders in the communities. I’m not afraid!”

Salesian missionaries offer social development and educational programs in the Solomon Islands, giving youth a chance to gain an education and prepare for the workforce. This is particularly important as nearly 12.7 percent of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending, never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health and other social services is very limited and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Crux – The pilot bishop of the South Pacific

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Bishop Luciano Capelli flies across dozens of islands bringing food and medicine to those in need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Cagliero Project fosters cooperation and support among the different provinces with volunteers having also worked in Thailand, Cambodia, Samoa and Zambia. The project gives volunteers an opportunity to contribute to the local Don Bosco missions and serve the poorest and most disadvantaged children in their programs.

“It’s an honor to be one of the first volunteers of the Cagliero Project in East Timor,” said Collins. “I have certainly received a fantastic welcome, and I’m determined to help as much as possible and at the same time learn from the local community. The pre-novices of Los Palos are very interested in improving their skills in English and are really curious about Australia. Here there is a real cultural crossover.”

Collins added, “There is a unique link in history between Australia and East Timor and the Cagliero Project is now further strengthening this link.”

Salesian missionaries and Salesian Sisters living and working in East Timor operate educational programs, three orphanages for poor and homeless youth and a medical clinic. In the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world, the Salesian community has been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“The welcome at the Don Bosco Centec Vocational Training Center in Dili-Comoro has been unique,” said O’Brien. “Here I help three young Salesians with English lessons. In particular, we make prayers and readings in English to improve the language, so they will be prepared if they want to study abroad.”

Collins and O’Brien want to emphasize how much they were amazed by the great faith of the people of East Timor. “It’s striking to see how much faith there is in the Timorese, despite the difficult conditions of life. This is undoubtedly the fruit of constant missionary activity in this land,” they said.

East Timor is home to 1.26 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 133 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2016. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 42 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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

ANS – East Timor – Los Palos and Dili are first destinations of Australian Volunteers of Cagliero Project

Cagliero Project

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: Two Australian volunteers are working in Los Palos and Dili as part of the Cagliero Project first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This shipment, received in October 2018, was one of two shipments sent to Salesian centers in East Timor. The second arrived in January 2019. The donated rice-meals are provided during the school day to ensure students have a healthy meal each day.

“Hungry students have trouble focusing on their studies and learning,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Proper nutrition is needed to fully take part in classroom and in-field training. Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

In the city of Maliana, the new Don Bosco Co-Educational Technical School has already become an important center of education. The school is focused on improving its overall facilities, including the kitchen and dormitory, and enlarging its provisions of filtered drinking water. At the Don Bosco Technical School, vocational education helps youth gain an education and prepare for the future. It serves more than 250 students, 11 percent of whom are girls, who take three-year courses in carpentry, mechanics or electronics. Each year there are more than 400 applications for the 84 student spots. Final year students are required to design and produce a product that encompasses much of what they have learned over the previous three years.

In addition to technical education, Salesian missionaries in East Timor focus on agriculture training. In the city of Fuiloro where 75 percent of the population earns a living though farming, the Don Bosco Agricultural College plays an important role in promoting better care of livestock and increasing crop yields. In 2017, there was an increase in enrollment applications and now more than 200 students take courses at the college. The school is aiming to become more self-sufficient by increasing the farm production of corn, animal feed, varied horticulture and coconut oil and improving livestock intake.

Rise Against Hunger partners with Salesian Missions which works to identify needs and coordinate delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals, 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,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Operating feeding programs for youth in Salesian schools whose families cannot afford to feed them is very important and integral to the success of our students.”

East Timor is home to 1.26 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 133 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2016. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 42 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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EAST TIMOR: Salesian missionaries focus on technical skills training and educational programs for women and young girls

Rise Against Hunger

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions

The post EAST TIMOR: More than 3,300 youth attending 11 Salesian centers have access to better nutrition thanks to shipment of rice-meals from Rise Against Hunger first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian Lay Missioners make a one to three-year commitment and are assigned to a Salesian mission, typically a school, youth center or parish, in one of the 132 countries where Salesian missionaries are active around the globe. Missioners spend time teaching, guiding and counseling children and their families as well as learning about different cultures and communities. They become part of a close-knit team of Salesian missionaries, volunteers and lay staff working together to bring hope to poor youth and their families.

This year, Stephen Stafstrom who is 21 years old and from Florida, and Matthew Nguyen, also 21 years old and from Texas, are part of the Salesian Lay Missioner program working in Papua New Guinea’s capital city of Port Moresby. Both are committed to carrying out God’s message through volunteerism and answering the call to give to youth in need.

Stafstrom says, “I graduated last May 2018 from the University of Central Florida. All my life I have been surrounded with witnesses of ‘yes’ to God’s call in their lives. From my mother’s example as a youth minister at my parish to the name of my parish itself “Annunciation,” the theme of choosing God’s will for your life has always been apparent; I have tried to live my life accordingly.”

Nguyen who graduated from St. Matthews University in 2017 notes, “My parents immigrated to America during the Vietnam War when they were very young, and consequently, I was raised in America, learning English and assimilating into the culture. I speak no Vietnamese and many times would have to learn a little Vietnamese here and there to communicate with some of my peers. This taught me what it means to be unable to communicate efficiently with others, yet I have also learned the joy of being able to communicate at all.”

Salesian missionaries in Papua New Guinea provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guinean’s live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in the country. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Salesian Lay Missioners: A Renewed Adventure with the PGS Vice Province

Salesian Lay Missioners

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Salesian Missions Lay Missioners begin their work in Salesian programs in Port Moresby first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In April 2016, the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea declared that a detention center for asylum seekers on the island of Manus, established by the Australian government through an agreement with the government of Papua New Guinea, was illegal and unconstitutional.

Today, some 400 refugees are still waiting to be resettled, subjecting them to a series of human rights violations and social jeopardy. In an attempt to find a solution to the current situation, Salesian Father Ambrose Pereira, secretary of the Communication and Youth Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, launched the roundtable discussion.

“On December 15, 2017, I met the first two refugees who had been taken away from the Isle of Manus and sent to the Bomana penitentiary,” explained Fr. Pereira. “Last year was characterized by constant interaction with refugees from Sri Lanka, Iran, Iraq, Syria and many other countries. Fortunately, some have been resettled, but most of them are still in Papua New Guinea.”

The roundtable, entitled “Manus Refuges,” brought together the government, the Church, students, refugees and Papuan citizens for an open discussion. Monsignor Bernard Unaballi, bishop of Bougainville, strongly committed himself to finding a definitive solution and suggested the Christmas period for a deadline. Despite this, no agreement was reached and the refugees spent their sixth Christmas in terrible conditions.

“I have waited with hope, but the promised meetings with the Prime Minister and the Australian High Commissioner never materialized,” explained Fr. Pereira. “The offices are now closed and everyone has returned home for the holidays while beyond 400 refugees struggle to gain access to essential health and services.”

Salesian missionaries in Papua New Guinea provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies. The Don Bosco Technical School in Gabutu, an area within the city of Port Moresby, is providing close to 1,000 students a chance to gain the skills needed for employment. Some students have already graduated and are now employed at the school. Martin Dai, the current principal, was one of the first 120 students who graduated from the Don Bosco Technical School in 1988.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guineans live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem accessing school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation.

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ANS – Papua New Guinea – Christmas with Manus refugees: “The People who walk in darkness shall see a great Light”

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Salesian missionaries hold roundtable to discuss situation of 400 refugees in need on Manus Island first appeared on MissionNewswire.

More than 200 young men and women are enrolled at the school to learn farming and other high demand trades. Courses are offered in planting and care of crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, root crops and fruit trees as well as basic fish farming and forestry. There are also courses in basic mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, computer skills and dressmaking. In addition, literacy and music classes are available in the evening.

“Most of the students who attend the center are from poor families who have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “At the Don Bosco Rural Training Center, these students are getting a second chance to acquire skills that will enable them to find a job and support themselves and their families.”

The center benefits from a partnership with the Rotary Club of North Balwyn, located on the outskirts of the city of Melbourne in Australia, which helps provides program and infrastructure support as well as encouragement to the Salesian missionaries and teachers who operate the center. The club’s support has injected new life and enthusiasm into the center through new ideas and practical suggestions.

The Rotary recently supplied the center with 90 chickens and training in poultry care. The eggs produced are a sustainable source of protein for the students and the care of the chickens serves as a hands-on educational lesson. The four-hectare rice plantation has remained a constant source of income for the school producing eight tons of rice annually.

Graduates of the school have found success with companies throughout the Solomon Islands. Salesian missionaries have partnerships with local companies to help students gain both job training placements and full-time employment. All participants have received glowing feedback from their managers.

Working together, the Don Bosco Rural Training Center and the Ministry of Agriculture are looking to establish a partnership with a nearby cocoa and tree plantation for student placements and with the Solomon Islands National University to increase the levels of training that students and teachers receive.

“The Don Bosco Rural Training Center has the potential to be one of the Solomon Islands’ greatest producers of a new generation of youth who possess the energy, technical skills and integrity to help advance the country,” adds Fr. Hyde.

About 12.7 percent of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending, never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health and other social services is very limited and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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

ANS – Solomon Islands – Don Bosco provides a second chance

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Don Bosco Rural Training Center provides educational initiatives and partnerships to ensure youth find and retain employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

After the visit, Fr. Priyanga and another Salesian priest reflected on the squalor that the residents lived in and held a meeting with other Salesians and community leaders. The Salesian provincial for the region expressed full support and encouragement of the Salesian community in Henderson to reach out to the people, particularly the youth of this poor community as well as an adjacent community. He noted that, “Reaching out to them and examining how we can help these poor people is a very concrete expression of Don Bosco’s missionary spirit for the community.”

The Salesian community in Henderson has started setting up regular meetings with youth and their families and are working together with the community to see how Salesian missionaries can help provide education, sanitation and an oratory for youth.

In Honiara, Salesian missionaries operate the Don Bosco Technical Institute Henderson and the Laura Vicuna Hostel, a residence for female students at the institute. The institute and hostel work in collaboration to provide education and technical skills training to poor youth to prepare them for employment.

The Don Bosco Technical Institute has been providing education and skills training in the electrical, automotive, carpentry and machine fitting maintenance trades as well as life skills training and employment assistance for more 250 students over the last 16 years. In 2015, the institute added new workshops, built a basketball court for recreational activities and added six apartments for staff members who require accommodation on campus.

While the majority of students are male, the institute has been working to increase the enrollment of female students by encouraging them to take courses in more typically male-dominated trades as well as providing opportunities for those who previously left school due to marriage or pregnancy. Currently, most young women begin at the institute with life skills training followed by courses in teaching and nursing.

The Laura Vicuna Hostel, operated by Salesian Sisters, provides safe accommodation for 36 young women from economically deprived backgrounds who have come to Honiara to attend university. The hostel is at maximum capacity and has a growing waiting list of young women who wish to live at the hostel and study and at the Don Bosco Technical Institute.

Responding to local need and numerous requests, the Salesian Sisters have been providing a five-month home economics course for women from disadvantaged backgrounds who have had very little formal education. In the Solomon Islands, only 20 percent of female adults are literate. The home economics program offers classes in basic literacy, math, computing, dress making, cooking and health awareness. Students learn practical skills in sewing and textiles as well as home and small business management. Many choose additional classes in music, basket weaving and gardening.

“Most of the students at the Don Bosco Technical Institute are from poor families and many have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “There, they are getting a second chance by learning skills that will enable them to find employment to support themselves and their families.”

About 12.7 percent of the population of the Solomon Islands lives below the poverty line. Roughly 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending, never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuate the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health and other social services is very limited and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Solomon Islands – Going beyond our boundaries touch the lives of those around us

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Salesian missionaries are working to address needs of poor youth and their families living in Ranadi landfill first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, Martin shared the story of one of his former students. He says, “My wife Rebecca was on her way back from work when she saw a 19-year-old young man waiting at the bus stop. Everyone who knew him told her that he was looking to steal and take people’s bags away. But Rebecca decided to approach him, and it all started with a simple greeting. The young man opened up to her, offering to accompany her from the bus stop to home. Sometimes he offered to help her by carrying her bags. Rebecca took a risk. She trusted him because the boy had a good heart.”

Rebecca introduced him to Martin and explained that she believed him to be honest, trustworthy and protective of women. She asked if her husband could help him and suggested that if he wanted to, he could enroll in the training course for the development of job-oriented skills at the school.

Martin met the young man, who asked to be called Usky, to learn more about him. Usky did not know his mother and father and mainly lived at the bus stop. He accepted Martin’s offer to gain an education at the Don Bosco Technical School. He started as a welder. Teachers found him to be an honest and responsible young man and a hard worker. The school became a home for him and after he graduated, he found work as a clerk. Today, Usky is a full-time employee at the Don Bosco Technical School in Gabutu. He, like Martin, is able to give back to the school that gave him so much.

Papua New Guinea has a population of approximately 7.5 million. It is a resource-rich country with oil, gas and gold reserves as well as fertile land capable of producing high crop yields. Despite this, an estimated 40 percent of Papua New Guinean’s live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, according to the World Bank.

Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school in Papua New Guinea. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with the country’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Usky’s touching story

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Don Bosco Technical School provides young students in poverty an opportunity for education and long-term employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, a group of young Australians representing the Cagliero Project and the Salesians of Don Bosco in Australia visited Samoa to work directly with local programs. The Cagliero Project is an immersion program that runs once a year and sends volunteers for six to 12 months to give younger Salesian youth an opportunity to experience a different culture and understand what the life of a missionary might be like.

“Salesian missionaries in Samoa work directly with poor and disadvantaged youth to provide hope for a positive future through education and training as well as sporting, recreational and cultural activities, and this volunteer opportunity is a great chance for young Salesian students to give back,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries live in the communities where they work which provides them the unique experience of understanding first-hand the hardships and challenges faced by residents. This allows missionaries to adapt and add new programs to meet local needs and develop skilled labor for the local economy.”

Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua was established in 1998 and currently has 245 students – all young men from Samoa and Tokelau. Students have the opportunity to choose from general or specialized trade training. The technical training is complemented by courses in Samoan and English, mathematics, technical drawing, computer studies and religion.

In addition, the center promotes personal, moral and spiritual growth, skills leadership development and teamwork through cultural and sporting activities. The students at Don Bosco Technical Center learn skills that are in demand in Samoa. Upon graduation, many secure work almost immediately which is a significant achievement in a country with high unemployment.

The Don Bosco High School/Vocational Center at Salelologa is now in its eighth year and has more than 300 students. Many come from remote villages on a school bus made available through the school. The center offers an integrated curriculum with academic and technical subjects designed to provide students with employment and human relations skills as well as self-reliance.

Salesian missionaries are looking at how they can better incorporate outdoor education, including games and sport, into the overall program. In November 2016, a new facility, Father Elio Proietto’s Hall, was officially opened after receiving funds from the Salesian Rector Major, the Don Bosco Mission in Turin, Italy and Salesian Missions, Madrid, Spain. The local school community also came together to host a fundraising walk around the island of Savai’i. With this additional facility, Don Bosco Salelologa continues to serve as an important center of education, meetings, conferences, youth gatherings and sport on the island of Savai’i.

Samoa boasts one of the most stable and healthy economies in the Pacific region, according to the World Bank. The poverty rate, once just over 26 percent, has dropped closer to 20 percent as the country strives to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals, a blueprint driving efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men and youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Samoa – Cagliero Project Immersion

Don Bosco Technical Center Alaufa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Salesian students from Australia visit Salesian vocational and technical training programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Technical education is important to ensure youth have the skills needed to find and retain long-term stable employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students who are able to access education and find work are able to become contributing members of their communities, helping to support their families as well as community development.”

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

In addition to technical education, Salesian missionaries in East Timor also focus on agriculture training. In the city of Fuiloro, where 75 percent of the population earns a living through farming, Don Bosco Agricultural College plays an important role in promoting better care of livestock and increasing the yield from crops. In 2017, there was an increase in enrollment applications and now more than 200 students take courses at the college. The school is aiming to become more self-sufficient by increasing farm production of corn, animal feed, varied horticulture and coconut oil, along with improved livestock intake.

Salesian missionaries also have a focus on educating young women and girls in East Timor. The Salesian-run Madalena Morano Center in Fuiloro offers women courses in computing, basic office management and sewing. There are 54 women who come from families facing high poverty. Many graduates secure work in Dili or Baucau. In Laga, 98 girls aged 6 to 16 are provided a home, an education and a secure environment at the Salesian-run Laura Vicuna Orphanage. Traditional education is taught in addition to studies in theater, dance, music, sewing and sports to encourage young girls to develop their skills and talents.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 133 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2015. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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Sources:

ANS – East Timor – The fruits of “Maliana Don Bosco” project

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions Australia – 2017 Newsletter (Annual Report)

The post EAST TIMOR: Don Bosco Co-Educational Technical School provides job skills training to 106 poor youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In the city of Maliana, the new Don Bosco Co-Educational Technical School is already an important center of education. In 2016, 28 students graduated with 18 accepted into further studies at the university level. The school is focused on improving its overall facility including the kitchen, dormitory accommodations and provision of filtered drinking water. Another Salesian technical school, Don Bosco Training Institute in the city of Comoro, has more than 200 students, 40 percent of which are female. A number of students receive support from the Australian Ron Archer Trust and the John Herbert Foundation to complete their studies. Courses are offered in general construction, automotive and office administration. After graduation many students secure employment in Dili while others return to their home village.

In addition to technical education, Salesian missionaries in East Timor also focused on agriculture training. In the city of Fuiloro where 75 percent of the population earns a living though farming, Don Bosco Agricultural College plays an important role in promoting better care of livestock and increasing the yield from crops. In 2017, there was an increase in enrollment applications and now more than 200 students take courses at the college. The school is aiming to become more self-sufficient by increasing farm production of corn, animal feed, varied horticulture, coconut oil and improved livestock intake.

Salesian missionaries also have a focus on educating young women and girls in East Timor. The Salesian-run Madalena Morano Center in Fuiloro offers women courses in computing, basic office management and sewing. There are 54 women who come from families facing high poverty. Many graduates secure work in Dili or Baucau. In Laga, 98 girls aged 6 to 16 are provided a home, an education, and a secure environment at the Salesian-run Laura Vicuna Orphanage. Traditional education is taught in addition to studies in theatre, dance, music, sewing and sports to encourage young girls to develop their skills and talents.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet of the needs of their students,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, Salesian missionaries are aware of local needs first-hand and are then able to develop programs to directly address those needs.”

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 133 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2015. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

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Sources:

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

SALESIAN MISSIONS U.S.A. –  East Timor

Salesian Missions Australia – 2017 Newsletter (Annual Report)

The post EAST TIMOR: Salesian missionaries focus on technical skills training and educational programs for women and young girls first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian mission of Araimiri was launched in 1980 by Father Valeriano Barbero, Father Rolando Fernandez and Salesian coadjutor Joseph Kramar. Currently, the school educates 250 students. Secondary education provides youth the foundation for later vocational and technical education youth need to find and retain stable employment. Education helps youth break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities.

UN-Water estimates that worldwide there are more than 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to their home and must spend countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources to look for water and cope with the health impacts of using contaminated water. For those who have no access to clean water, water-related disease is common with more than 840,000 people dying each year from water-related diseases.

Women and children often bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households globally and spend 140 million hours a day collecting water. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has made building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.

“Having access to clean water and proper sanitation brings a sense of dignity to the children and families we serve in our programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Improving water and sanitation facilities also ensures that teachers and students are working and learning in an environment that promotes proper hygiene and has safe drinking water, reducing the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools and keeping them away from important study time.”

Having access to basic needs like water and sanitation in schools and within local communities is important in a country where 28 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with Papua New Guinea’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

Salesian missionaries in the country provide primary and secondary education as well as technical skills training to prepare youth for the workforce. Missionaries also help to ensure that basic needs like shelter, food and water are met so students are able to focus on their studies.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Salesian Missions provides eight new water tanks giving students access to clean water first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Sr. Trinh also communicates with their families back home and arranges for payment of penalties. In addition, she gathers all the necessary documents and tickets for them to fly back home to Vietnam. Sr. Trinh is a Vietnamese Salesian Sister working in a girls’ skills training institute in Sideia Island, diocese of Alotau.

“It is very disturbing that these young Vietnamese fishermen might be victims of human trafficking,” says Bishop Rolando Santos of Diocese of Alotau-Sideia. “It is a serious abuse on the rights and dignity of these young men to be sent out by their recruiters to fish in illegal waters without a proper license and without any guarantee of protection or security. Once caught, they are almost totally forgotten and abandoned. The rights of these young men need to be respected and a better employment worthy of their dignity be afforded to them. There is an urgent humanitarian need to put a stop to this.”

Sr. Trinh was already able to successfully process the repatriation of 87 Vietnamese fishermen. About 18 more will soon follow and be able to rejoin their families back home, thanks to the courage of Sr. Trinh and the support given by her Salesian community.

“The governor of Milne Bay Province has expressed his deep gratitude to Sr. Trinh for the help she has given in facilitating the case of the Vietnamese detainees. The diocese is proud of her and her charity is truly heroic,” adds Bishop Santos.

Twenty-eight percent of the country lives below the poverty line. Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals has to do with Papua New Guinea’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

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Sources:

ANS – Papua New Guinea – A heroic sister helps her fellow countrymen: a Vietnamese FMA in Sideia Island

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Salesian Sister Helps Incarcerated Vietnamese Fishermen to be Freed and Repatriated to their Home Country first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Mühlbauer spent eight months with the Don Bosco School in Fatumaca, teaching when he could and engaging the students during free time and other social activities. Once he become more acclimated in the second half of the school year, he was fully integrated in the school schedule and taught more classes. Mühlbauer organized his own English courses for the primary and junior high school and took advantage of other opportunities where he could assist when they became available.

“The time in East Timor has been so extraordinary to me that I can hardly put it in only a few words,” says Mühlbauer. “I learned so much during my time there. The students taught me Tetum, a completely new language for me. I also learned to be more spontaneous. Coming from Germany, I grew up in a very structured culture. Everything had to be planned and every plan had to work out exactly as it was planned. Now I just do things, without much planning, which is actually something I really like about Timorese people. You do things and find people who help you do it. Helping complete strangers is something you can rarely find, but here it is normal to help each other, share your meal or give somebody a ride along the road.”

Salesian missionaries provide a range of educational and social development services at the Salesian complex Don Bosco Fatumaca. Don Bosco Technical School provides vocational education that helps youth gain an education and prepare for the future. More than 250 students, 11 percent of whom are girls, attend the school taking three-year courses in carpentry, mechanics and electronics. The complex also offers a primary and secondary school for young students from local villages and a successful agriculture school with programs that reach 15 of the surrounding villages.

Poor youth are able to access a range of programs at Don Bosco Fatumaca including health services, nutrition, education and general support services which help students prepare for an independent future. The schools also offers room and board for students who need on-campus housing.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the United Nations Development Program Human Development Index, the country ranked 133 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2015. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

ANS – East Timor – “I learned more than I gave”

World Bank – East Timor/ Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: Salesian Volunteer Teaches English at Don Bosco Fatumaca School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian Bishop Luciano Capelli reports that 63 houses in local villages, built with traditional materials, have been damaged and others will have to be rebuilt. Poor telecommunication infrastructure in the area has made it difficult to quantify the full extent of the damage caused by the earthquake. Bishop Capelli is seeking support for children and families directly affected by the earthquake. He is in need of supplies such as tarpaulins, water purification tablets, buckets, soap, sanitation products, mosquito nets and tents.

“The kindness and support of people abroad strengthens and encourages the local people in the face of adversity and helps to restore a sense of optimism in families as they recover from their losses. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a real difference,” said Bishop Capelli.

Salesian missionaries provide primary and secondary education as well as technical training and workforce development to poor youth in the Solomon Islands. In addition, missionaries provide supportive social development services to help youth meet their basic needs so they can focus on their schooling. Salesian missionaries live and work in the communities they serve so they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis and ensure that aid reaches those most in need.

“Most of the students who attend Salesian programs in the Solomon Islands are from poor families and have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through Salesian schools, students are getting a second chance to acquire skills that will enable them to find a job and support themselves and their families.”

For example, at the Don Bosco Rural Training Center in Tetere Bay, 40 women and 44 men are enrolled at the school to learn farming and other high demand trades. Courses are offered in planting and care of crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, root crops and fruit trees, as well as basic fish farming and forestry. There are also courses in basic mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, computer skills and dressmaking. In addition, literacy and music classes are available in the evening.

With almost 40 percent of the population living in poverty, the Solomon Islands is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific region, according to UNICEF. About 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending, never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuates the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health and other social services is very limited and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Sources:

Salesians – Australia – Pacific

UNICEF – Solomon Islands 

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Salesian Missionaries Working to Rebuild After 5.2 Magnitude Earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The school’s two founders, Sr. Sara Park and Sr. Florentina Cho, settled in Kimbe in early Dec. 2016. They rented a hall from a local Catholic parish and started their humble new school with two make-up classrooms. The official start was on Feb. 6, 2017, when the Salesian sisters finalized the registration of the first students, graduates of the eighth grade, and held the first school year opening ceremony.

Another group girls, graduates of grade 10, requested that they be able to continue their education as well and join the school. The Caritas Sisters accepted them, and they started Grade 11 with more than 100 new students. Right now, 115 girls are studying at the secondary technical school. The students are learning the technical skills needed to either advance into higher learning or gain employment.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet the needs of their students,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, Salesian sisters are aware of how important providing access to education is for girl and have created programs to directly address those needs.”

Providing education for girls and young women is particularly important in Papua New Guinea, where girls also have substantially less access to basic education and healthcare than their male counterparts. Violations of women’s rights are also nearly systemic throughout the country, with nearly two-thirds of women having experienced violence.

Twenty-eight percent of the country lives below the poverty line. Close to 50 percent of adults are illiterate and 25 percent of children are unable to attend school. Part of the problem with getting to school, work and hospitals have to do with Papua New Guinea’s infrastructure. In rural areas, where nearly 88 percent of the population resides, there are few roads or means of transportation to get to schools or places of employment.

Sourcs

ANS – Papua New Guinea – Caritas Sisters open a new Secondary Technical School

World Bank – Papua New Guinea Poverty

The post PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Salesian Sisters Launch New Technical Secondary School for Girls first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Each year, UN-Water sets a theme for World Water Day corresponding to a current or future challenge. This year’s theme “Wastewater” focuses on the fact that the majority of wastewater from homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused – polluting the environment, and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials. UN-Water encourages the reduction of wastewater and its reuse of it. In cities, wastewater can be treated and reused for green spaces, and in industry and agriculture, wastewater can be treated and recycled for things like cooling systems and irrigation. Through this reduction and reuse, the natural water cycle will work better for every living thing.

UN-Water estimates that worldwide there are more than 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to their home and must spend countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources to look for water and cope with the health impacts of using contaminated water. For those who have no access to clean water, water-related disease is common with more than 840,000 people dying each year from water-related diseases.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has made building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.

“Having access to clean water and proper sanitation brings a sense of dignity to the children and families we serve in our programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Improving water and sanitation facilities also ensures that teachers and students are working and learning in an environment that promotes proper hygiene and has safe drinking water, reducing the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools and keep them away from important study time.”

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

CAMBODIA

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

THE CONGO

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

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

RWANDA

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

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

SAMOA

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

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

ZAMBIA

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

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

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Sources:

World Water Day 2017

UN-Water

Salesian Missions – Cambodia

Salesian Missions – Zambia

Salesian Missions – Rwanda

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

The post WORLD WATER DAY: Salesian Missionaries Complete Water Projects Ensuring Youth Have Access to Clean, Safe Water first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The technical school is part of the broader Salesian complex of Don Bosco Fatumaca, which provides diversified services and educational programs to best fit the emerging needs of its students. The complex also offers a primary and secondary school for young students from local villages and a successful agriculture school with programs that reach 15 of the surrounding villages. Poor youth are able to access a range of offerings at Don Bosco Fatumaca including health services, nutrition, education and general support services which help students prepare for an independent future. The schools also offers room and board for students who need on-campus housing.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet of the needs of their students,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, Salesian missionaires are aware of local needs first-hand and are then able to develop programs to directly address those needs.”

More than five years ago, Tony Jurd, an electronics engineer who spends several weeks at the school each year, worked with the technical school students to set up an FM radio station in the school. Today, the radio station operates for a few hours each day and is very popular in villages that are up to 50 km away. In addition to providing information on health and other matters, the radio station broadcasts segments responding to local music requests.

In 2013, with the help of Jurd, the school developed an electronics project that included the creation of a television station that broadcasts to surrounding villages. The station was fully operational at the end of 2014 and has now garnered a great deal of interest and enthusiasm from both teachers and students. Transmitting to a radius of about 30 km, the television programs include locally produced Tetum material, educational sessions and local information. The students have installed secondhand television sets enabling the surrounding villages to receive the broadcasts.

As part of the project, students are trained to operate and maintain the television transmission unit as well as to build and install antennas. Managed entirely by teachers and students, the television and radio stations provide electronics students with hands-on broadcasting and facilities operating experience and up-to-date training opportunities for future employment in the media.

“Salesians in East Timor are engaging in a wide range of programs to improve the lives of poor youth and their families following years of war,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The television and radio projects are helping students learn new skills and preparing them for employment in a sought-after field.”

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the United Nations Development Program Human Development Index, the country ranked 133 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2015. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesians in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca

World Bank – East Timor/ Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: Don Bosco Technical School Provides Students Hands-on Broadcasting Education and Experience first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Samoa is located close to the equator and experiences climatic extremes each year. The wet season typically has heavy rainfall over an extended period of time. The corresponding dry season can result in extended periods without any significant rainfall at all. Interruptions to the water supply to homes and schools during the dry season can occur frequently. This has caused problems for Don Bosco College and Vocational Center due to the reliance on the town water supply.

The provision of a suitable alternative water supply will assist with the day-to-day operations of the college and allow for a substantial reserve supply of water throughout the year. An assessment was conducted to determine the likely water storage requirements for Don Bosco College and Vocational Center, which has an enrollment of 300 students with expected increases over the next few years. A local contractor was engaged to provide advice on the project and determined that ten 10,000 liter water tanks would provide a supply of water sufficient for the college requirements.

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

“The absence of a reliable water supply had consequences for the college’s ability to provide safe and hygienic facilities for staff and students,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Improving water and sanitation facilities ensures that teachers and students are working and learning in an environment that promotes proper hygiene and has safe drinking water, reducing the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools keeping them away from important study time.”

Samoa boasts one of the most stable and healthy economies in the Pacific region, according to the World Bank. The poverty rate, once just over 25 percent, has dropped closer to 20 percent as the country strives to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals, a blueprint driving efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men and youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country. Salesian programs in Samoa are working to provide youth with an education and training as well as the necessary resources to find and keep employment.

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Sources

Don Bosco College and Vocational Center

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Salesian Missions Funds New Water Tank Project at Don Bosco College and Vocational Center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Over the years, the infrastructure has deteriorated seriously as a result of lack of resources for maintenance, and it is now seriously damaged. The ceilings, windows, doors, the pipes for water and the energy systems have all suffered major damage, and the building currently has too many problems for people to continue to live in it. The orphanage normally hosts about 100 children. The goal is to have the funding to repair and renovate so it once again becomes a safe place for children to live and concentrate on their studies.

Salesian missionaries in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Since the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“Salesian missionaries offer a wide range of programs that work to improve the lives of the people of East Timor. These include programs that provide access to nutrition, education and healthcare, all services that are essential to creating a sustainable society and optimistic future,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

The Don Bosco Orphanage provides for children’s basic needs such as housing, nutrition, clothing and education. Schooling at the orphanage aims to impart life skills such as responsibility, self-discipline and organization as well as offering traditional early education to prepare students to go on to mainstream high schools. The orphanage owes much of its success to donors who have helped to provide everything from beds and furnishings to school uniforms, clothing and school supplies.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the United Nations Development Program Human Development Index, the country ranked 133 out of 188 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2015. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Sources:

ANS – East Timor – Restoration of the Don Bosco orphanage, which houses 100 children

Human Development Index 2015

Salesian Missions – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Don Bosco Orphanage in Need of Funding to Help Repair, Renovate Facility first appeared on MissionNewswire.

More than 200 young men and women are enrolled at the school to learn farming and other high demand trades. Courses are offered in planting and care of crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, root crops and fruit trees as well as basic fish farming and forestry. There are also courses in basic mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, computer skills and dressmaking. In addition, literacy and music classes are available in the evening.

The center recently marked its 10-year anniversary with a celebratory gathering that was attended by more than 500 young people. The event included talks on leadership and youth taking responsibility for the future of their nation, numerous sporting activities and a vibrant concert that showcased a variety of talents.

“Most of the students who attend the center are from poor families who have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “At the Don Bosco Rural Training Center, these students are getting a second chance to acquire skills that will enable them to find a job and support themselves and their families.”

The center benefits from a partnership with the Rotary Club of North Balwyn, located on the outskirts of the city of Melbourne in Australia, which helps provides program and infrastructure support as well as encouragement to the Salesian missionaries and teachers who operate the center. The club’s support has injected new life and enthusiasm into the center through new ideas and practical suggestions.

Over the last few years, the Rotary Club of North Balwyn has made several donations to the Don Bosco Rural Training Center. This monetary support has funded a three-month intensive training course in rice cultivation for the center’s deputy principal as well as the installation of three new water pumps, a concrete rice-frying platform, 400 mosquito nets and timber for new bunks at the student boarding house.

One of the most important contributions to the center was the purchase and installation of a windmill in 2013, made possible by financial assistance from the Rotary Club, that ensures the supply of fresh water to the rice paddy fields that are integral to a feeding program for the students and teachers. Considered one of Don Bosco Rural Training Center’s greatest achievements is expanded rice production throughout the Solomon Islands by former students who applied the skills learned in Don Bosco programs in their home villages.

“Don Bosco Rural Training Center has the potential to be one of the Solomon Islands’ greatest producers of a new generation of youth who possess the energy, technical skills and integrity to help advance the country,” adds Fr. Hyde.

With almost 40 percent of the population living in poverty, the Solomon Islands is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific region, according to UNICEF. About 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending, never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuates the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health and other social services is very limited and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions Australia Province Newsletter – Year in Review 2015

Salesians – Australia – Pacific

UNICEF – Solomon Islands 

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Don Bosco Rural Training Center Provides Education for More Than 200 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Technical Institute has been providing education and skills training in the electrical, automotive, carpentry and machine fitting maintenance trades as well as life skills training and employment assistance for more 200 students over the last 13 years. Within the last year, the institute has added new workshop materials and built a basketball court for recreational activities and six apartments for staff members who require accommodation on campus.

While the majority of students are male, the institute has been working to increase enrollment of female students by encouraging them to take courses in more typically male-dominated trades as well as providing opportunities for those who previously left school due to marriage or pregnancy. Currently, most young women begin at the institute with life skills training followed by courses in teaching and nursing.

The Laura Vicuna Hostel, operated by Salesian Sisters, provides safe accommodation for 36 young women from economically deprived backgrounds who have come to Honiara to attend university. The hostel is at maximum capacity and has a growing waiting list of young women who wish to live at the hostel and study and at the Don Bosco Technical Institute.

Responding to local need and numerous requests, the Salesian Sisters have been providing a five-month home economics course for women from disadvantaged backgrounds who have had very little formal education. In the Solomon Islands, only 20 percent of female adults are literate. The home economics program offers classes in basic literacy, math, computing, dress making, cooking and health awareness. Students learn practical skills in sewing and textiles as well as home and small business management. Many choose additional classes in music, basket weaving and gardening as well.

In 2013, the technical school introduced new courses in the basics of hospitality and tourism for young men and women seeking employment in hotel management and the hospitality industry. The school’s curriculum continues to expand based on the employment needs of the local community and student interest.

“Most of the students at the Don Bosco Technical Institute are from poor families and many have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “There, they are getting a second chance by learning skills that will enable them to find employment to support themselves and their families.”

The Solomon Islands is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific region with almost 40 percent of the population living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The majority of the country’s children live in remote areas where access to education is limited. Close to 25 percent of youth never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuates the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Limited access to health and other social services and a lack of transportation, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Technical Institute, Solomon Islands

Salesian Missions Australia Province Newsletter – Year in Review 2015

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Salesian Missionaries Help Youth Learn a Trade at Don Bosco Technical Institute first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The most common health issues treated at the clinic include malaria, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, hypertension, malnutrition (especially in children), skin diseases, asthma and urinary and lung disorders. Financial support from the Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund helps to support staff salaries, medications and the cost of vehicle and clinic maintenance. Necessary medical equipment and items such as bandages, gloves, gauze and other medical supplies have been donated to the clinic.

The Maria Auxiliadora Medical Clinic is one of more than 200 medical clinics and hospitals, mostly in rural areas, that handle a wide range of medical care needs and are operated by Salesian missionaries. Leprosy, otherwise known as Hensen’s disease, has been a focus of Salesian-run medical clinics for more than 100 years. Salesian leper hospitals 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 East Timor 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.”

East Timor has endured a decades-long civil war and is home to 1.1 million people. According to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index, in 2007, East Timor ranked 162 out of 182 countries for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has just over 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages.

Access to nutrition, education and health services is essential to creating a sustainable society and optimistic future. Salesian missionaries in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Since the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“The Salesians are engaged in a wide range of programs to improve the lives of the people of East Timor,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

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Sources:

Salesian Missions Australia Province Newsletter – Year in Review 2015

World Bank – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Salesian-run Medical Clinic Provided Care for More Than 7,300 People in Poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Through the programs, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians provide for the basic needs of young East Timorese including housing, nutrition, clothing and education. Educational programs aim to impart life skills such as responsibility, self-discipline and organization in addition to offering traditional schooling that enables students to advance to technical and skills training programs to prepare for the workforce.

East Timor has endured a decades-long civil war and is home to 1.1 million people. According to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index, in 2014, East Timor ranked 128 out of 187 countries for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has just over 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages.

Salesian missionaries in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Since the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“Salesian missionaries offer a wide range of programs that work to improve the lives of the people of East Timor,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education. Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment, break the cycle of poverty in their lives and give back to their communities.

“Feeding hungry children is often the first step to providing an education,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Once children have their most basic needs met, they are then able to concentrate on their studies and further their education.”

Stop Hunger Now partners with Salesian Missions (in New Rochelle, N.Y.) which works to identify needs and coordinate delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals, supplemented with additional supplies when available. The partnership was developed in 2011 and since that time, more than 60 shipping containers, including more than 16 million rice-meals, have been successfully delivered to 19 countries around the globe. The meals and life-saving aid has 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 Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand the scope of services to youth in need,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Operating feeding programs for youth in Salesian schools whose families cannot afford to feed them is very important and integral to the success of our students and their ability to gain an education.”

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Sources:

World Bank – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Donation of Nutritious Rice-Meals by Stop Hunger Now Benefits More than 1,100 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Since the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“Salesian missionaries offer a wide range of programs that work to improve the lives of the people of East Timor. These include programs that provide access to nutrition, education and healthcare, all services that are essential to creating a sustainable society and optimistic future,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

The Don Bosco Orphanage in the city of Lospalos accommodates 109 boys in grades three to nine. The orphanage provides for the boys’ basic needs such as housing, nutrition, clothing and education. Schooling at the orphanage aims to impart life skills such as responsibility, self-discipline and organization as well as offering traditional early education to prepare students to go on to mainstream high schools. In 2014, more than 20 boys left the orphanage to continue their education in high schools around East Timor.

“Successfully completing their early and high school education is the prerequisite for more advanced professional and technical training. Training that will help youth find and retain employment allowing them to break the cycle of poverty and lead productive lives,” explains Fr. Hyde.

The Don Bosco Orphanage owes much of its success to donors who have helped to provide everything from beds and furnishings to school uniforms, clothing and school supplies.

For Arlindo Silva, aged 14, the Don Bosco Orphanage made continuing his education possible. Due to family circumstances, he had to move to his grandmother’s village which was a substantial distance away from his school in Lospalos. Without any means of travel to get to his school, it was unlikely that Arlindo would be able to advance to the seventh grade. His grandmother reached out to the Don Bosco Orphanage where Arlindo was accepted and is now living and continuing his studies. Arlindo has adapted easily and made friends and thrives on the orphanage’s routine with structured time for play, chores and school work. In addition, Arlindo enjoys three meals a day and a stable place to live and learn.

“Youth need a secure and stable environment where all of their needs are met so they can more easily focus on their education. The Don Bosco Orphanage meets its students’ needs while providing them with a sense of family and community,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Don Bosco Orphanage Helps Youth Prepare for Academic Achievement first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men and youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

Salesian programs in Samoa are working to provide youth with an education and training as well as the necessary resources to find and keep employment. Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua, a town just outside the capital city of Apia in the north central part of the country, provides vocational education and trade skills programs to prepare students ages 15 to 23 for employment.

“Salesian missionaries in Samoa work directly with poor and disadvantaged youth to provide hope for a positive future through education and training as well as sporting, recreational and cultural activities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries have established a presence in local communities allowing them to experience firsthand the issues residents face. This way, they are able to adapt their programs to meet each community’s individual needs.”

The Don Bosco Technical Center provides a second chance for close to 270 young men, many of whom have struggled to successfully complete or continue their education in mainstream schools. Both two-year and four-year training programs are offered with specialties in welding, motor mechanics, woodwork, electronics and plumbing. In addition, students study Samoan, English, mathematics, technical drawing and life skills.

Significant emphasis is placed on workshop and practical experience to help students apply skills learned in the classroom to real life work environments. Because of the quality of education provided and the lack of trained tradespeople in Samoa, more than 85 percent of graduates secure employment in the country. Some graduates have chosen to emigrate to New Zealand or Australia and have had success finding employment in those countries as well.

The center also offers sporting and recreational activities including fautasi (long-boat), games and traditional singing and dancing in addition to promoting personal development. In an effort to expand and meet the needs of students, the school plans to introduce solar electricity and complete a computer laboratory and internet facilities for staff and students.

“Salesian missionaries living and working in Samoa are able to tailor educational programs to ensure the best employment opportunities for students after they graduate,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The addition of life skills training and personal development opportunities help students make good life choices and become better employees.”

Sources

Don Bosco Technical Center Alaufa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Don Bosco Technical School Places 85 Percent of Graduates in Workforce first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Limited access to healthcare and other social services and a lack of transportation, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

In April, the Solomon Islands faced two devastating cyclones that killed 23 people and left more than 9,000 homeless as a result of devastating floods, landslides and strong winds. According to an Australia Network News report, the capital city of Honiara and the whole island of Guadalcanal were declared disaster zones. Responding to this crisis, Salesian programs and schools opened their doors to affected families in need of shelter and other assistance.

For students attending the Salesian-run Don Bosco Technical Institute Henderson, in the Solomon Islands’ capital city, Honiara, it was a chance to help their community and give back to those in need.

As part of their term project, students in the machinist fitting and maintenance program made drum ovens for six families staying at the school during the flooding. Although the students had only been in the program for three months, within just a few weeks’ time, they were able to craft the ovens using two and a half drums and show off their skills in welding, cutting, grinding, polishing and painting as well as utilize the safety measures they had learned.

“While learning we could make something useful for a needy family, I feel very happy,” says Willie Laumanu, one of the contributing students.

Students in the carpentry program assisted additional families by donating tables, chairs, garden diggers and open fire potholders they had created. The garden digger was an innovative design, a sharpened flat plate of metal welded on a four inch round hollow pipe, created by George Oge, a former graduate of the institute and now the supervisor of its maintenance department.

The Don Bosco Technical Institute has been bringing new opportunities to poor youth in the area through education and skills training in the electrical, automotive, carpentry and machine fitting maintenance trades as well as life skills training and employment assistance for the past 10 years.

While the majority of students are male, the institute is working to increase enrollment of female students by encouraging them to take courses in more typically male-dominated trades as well as providing opportunities for those who previously left school due to marriage or pregnancy. Currently, most young women begin at the institute with life skills training followed by courses in teaching and nursing.

“Most of the students at the Don Bosco Technical Institute are from poor families and many have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “There, they are getting a second chance by learning skills that will enable them to find employment to support themselves and their families.”

This past year, the institute introduced a new course in the basics of hospitality and tourism that provides training for young men and women seeking employment in hotel management and the hospitality industry.

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Sources

ANS – Solomon Islands – Students of Don Bosco distribute drum ovens and other gifts to ex-refugee families

Australia Network News – Solomon Islands National Disaster Council issues all clear in wake of deadly Honiara floods

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Salesian Students Helping Those Affected by Recent Flooding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Limited access to health and other social services and a lack of transportation, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

The Solomon Islands face devastating cyclones during monsoon season which runs from November through April. In early April of this year, two cyclones tore through the Solomon Islands leaving a wake of destruction in their path. The Australia News Network reports that 23 people have died and 9,000 were left homeless after the devastating floods, landslides and strong winds. According to the same report, the capital city of Honiara and the whole island of Guadalcanal have been declared a disaster zone. The chairman of the Solomon Islands National Disaster Council says Honiara needs reconstruction, not rehabilitation, for roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

There are also growing fears of an outbreak of disease due to damage to the sewerage system and water supplies, which in some areas are completely destroyed. The National Disaster Management Office says dysentery, malaria, dengue fever and other diseases related to poor sanitation are all a real risk. The Solomon Islands Water Authority says 40 percent of Honiara is still cut off from the water supply, including many of the evacuation centers where people went to take shelter.

Salesian programs in the Solomon Islands have been affected. The Salesian-run Don Bosco Technical Institute Henderson in Honiara, which has been providing education and skills training in the electrical, automotive, carpentry and machine fitting maintenance trades as well as life skills training and employment assistance for the past 10 years, has sustained damage and flooding. The agro-technical center and youth center have also been affected.

A donated ambulance used by the program was swept away while Salesians were trying to save several families and was rendered beyond repair. In the seminary and pastoral center, the flooding is deep and seminarians are confined to the second floor of the building. The water has also reached the library in the building. Within the surrounding community, bridges are failing and many people have taken shelter within the cathedral and other Salesian buildings.

“Working in more than 130 countries around the globe, Salesians face extreme weather and other disasters and are prepared to handle what happens within their programs and communities during times of crisis,” said Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesians were already working within these Solomon Island communities prior to the storms, they have been able to respond quickly to those in need, particularly those who have needed shelter,” he added.

In Tetere in the province of Makira, Salesians run the Don Bosco Rural Training Center where more than 120 young men and women are enrolled to learn farming and technical skills. After the cyclones hit, the local Salesian parish there was completely submerged in water. The hospital, school and the residence for the Salesian Sisters who run the school were saved thanks to the work of volunteers who raised embankments of gravel. However, with several bridges having been swept away, Tetere remains cut off from aid.

Salesians continue to work within their local communities in the Solomon Islands providing education and training to poor youth and assisting those in the community as best they can.

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Sources

ANS – Solomon Islands – Two Violent Cyclones in One Month

Australia News Network – Solomon Islands National Disaster Council issues all clear in wake of deadly Honiara floods

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Salesian Programs Offer Shelter to Homeless Recovering from Devastating Cyclones first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In addition, limited access to health care, social services and reliable transportation, particularly in rural areas where close to 84 percent of the population reside, on top of a weak electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, compounds already challenging economic conditions.

The Salesian-run Don Bosco Technical Institute Henderson in the Solomon Islands’ capital city, Honiara, is bringing new opportunities to poor youth in the area. The institute has been providing education and skills training in the electrical, automotive, carpentry and machine fitting maintenance trades as well as life skills training and employment assistance, for the past 10 years.

While the majority of students are male, the institute is working to increase enrollment of female students by encouraging them to take courses in more typically male-dominated trades as well as providing opportunities for those who previously left school due to marriage or pregnancy. Currently, most young women begin at the institute with life skills training followed by courses in teaching and nursing.

The Laura Vicuna Hostel, operated by Salesian Sisters in Honiara, is home to 25 young girls from distant villages and surrounding islands who have come to the city to study at the Don Bosco Technical Institute and other local schools. In addition to their school studies, many of the young women here learn new skills such as music, sewing, basket weaving and gardening. A recent donation of sewing machines by the Rotary Club of North Balwyn in Australia, is helping students practice their new skills with the hope of future employment.

“Most of the students at the Don Bosco Technical Institute are from poor families and many have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “There, they are getting a second chance by learning skills that will enable them to find employment to support themselves and their families.”

This past year, the institute introduced a new course in the basics of hospitality and tourism that provides training for young men and women seeking employment in hotel management and the hospitality industry.

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Sources

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

Salesians – Australia Pacific

Salesian Missions Australia Province Newsletter – Year in Review 2013

Don Bosco Technical Institute, Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Salesians Help Young Men Learn Trades, Find Stable Employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

Recently, faculty and students at the Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, with the assistance of Tony Jurd, an electronics engineer who spends several weeks at the school each year, developed a project that includes the creation of a television station that will broadcast to surrounding villages. The station has garnered a great deal of interest and enthusiasm from both teachers and students and will provide students with up-to-date training opportunities for future employment in the media.

As part of the project, students are trained to operate and maintain the television transmission unit as well as to build and install antennas. Still a work in progress, the goal is to have the television station fully operational by mid-2014 when Don Bosco Fatumaca celebrates its Golden Jubilee.

“Salesians in East Timor are engaging in a wide range of programs to improve the lives of poor youth and their families following years of war,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This new project is helping students learn new skills and preparing them for employment in a sought-after field.”

Five years ago, Jurd worked on a similar project with the students at Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, setting up an FM radio station in the school. Today, the radio station operates for a few hours each day and is very popular in villages up to 50 km away. In addition to providing information on health and other matters, the radio station broadcasts segments responding to local music requests.

The Salesian complex of Don Bosco Fatumaca has diversified its services and educational programs throughout the years to best fit the emerging needs of its students. It currently includes a primary and secondary school for young students from local villages and a technical school which offers coursework in electro-mechanics, electronics, computers and woodwork. There is also a successful agriculture school with programs that reach 15 of the surrounding villages.

Poor youth are able to access a range of offerings at Don Bosco Fatumaca including health services, nutrition, education and general support services which help students prepare for an independent future. The schools also offer room and board for students with a need for housing on campus.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet of the needs of their students. Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, Salesians are aware of local needs first hand and are then able to develop programs to directly address those needs,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

Newsletter, Spring 2013 Edition, The Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund

World Bank – East Timor/ Timor-Leste

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Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country lack access to opportunity and grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men and youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

Salesian programs in Samoa are working to provide youth with an education and training as well as the necessary resources to find and keep employment. Don Bosco High School and Vocational Center at Salelologa is one of the newest of the many Salesian educational facilities that have been serving Samoans for more than 25 years.

The Salesian Province of Australia formally opened the Don Bosco High School and Vocational Center at Salelologa on the island of Savai’i in 2011. Currently, close to 120 students are enrolled there, most of whom come from local subsistence farming families. The school operates both a traditional academic high school program and a vocational training center.

This past year the school made some significant improvements to its science laboratory. The laboratory is now equipped with furniture, newer tables, chairs and lab equipment, all improvements that will help students in their studies while creating new educational opportunities through hands-on learning and lab experience. In addition, construction of a septic tank for the disposal of chemicals and the installation of additional electrical outlets for student use were completed.

“The Salesians in Samoa work directly with poor and disadvantaged youth to provide hope for a positive future through education, training, sporting, recreational and cultural activities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Having a local presence in communities and seeing the issues residents face firsthand helps the Salesians to adapt their programs to meet each communities’ individual needs. This is one of the reasons the Salesians are so successful in helping youth break the cycle of poverty.”

As Don Bosco High School and Vocational Center at Salelologa continues to grow, the Salesians seek out new ways to improve the educational experience of youth attending their programs. The next task is a continued fundraising effort to purchase a school bus that will provide transport for students to and from the distant villages where they live.

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Sources:

Don Bosco High School and Vocational Center Salelologa

World Bank- Samoa

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Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. There is very limited access to health and other social services and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

The Salesian-run Don Bosco Rural Training Center in Tetere, Solomon Islands is working to bring opportunities to poor youth in rural areas. More than 120 young men and women are enrolled at the school to learn farming and technical skills. Courses are offered in human development and ethics and the planting and care of crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, root crops and fruit trees as well as basic fish farming and forestry. There are also courses in basic mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, dressmaking and computer skills. In addition, students can study literacy and music in the evening.

Most of the students are from poor families and many have dropped out of traditional schools. At the Don Bosco Rural Training Center these students are getting a second chance to acquire skills that will enable them to find a job to support a family. And thanks to an on-going partnership with North Balwyn Rotary located in Vitoria, Australia, the Don Bosco Rural Training Center now has some much needed program and infrastructure support.

“We are very thankful for the help we receive from the Rotary. It has been a source of great encouragement for the Salesians, teachers and students,” says Father Joseph Cong Thanh, rector of Don Bosco Rural Training Center. “The Rotary’s support has injected new life and enthusiasm into Don Bosco Tetere with their ideas, knowhow and practical suggestions.”

Over the last few years, the Rotary has made several donations to the training center. This monetary support has funded a three-month intensive training course in rice cultivation for the center’s deputy principal as well as the installation of three new water pumps, a concrete rice-frying platform, 400 mosquito nets and timber for new bunks at the student boarding house.

Most important to the center was the Rotary’s assistance with the purchase and installation of a windmill to ensure the supply of fresh water to the rice paddy fields that are integral to a feeding program for the students and teachers. Considered one of Don Bosco Rural Training Center’s greatest achievements is expanded rice production throughout the Solomon Islands by former students who applied the skills learned in Don Bosco programs in their home villages.

“Don Bosco Rural Training Center is one of the best hopes in the Solomon Islands of producing a new generation of people with the energy, skills and integrity to turn the country around,” says Mr. Wayne Morris, Past District Governor of Rotary International.

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Sources

Salesians – Australia- Pacific

UNICEF – Solomon Islands 

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Those living with disabilities in Timor-Leste are not alone in their struggles for inclusion. According to UNICEF’s 2013 State of the World’s Children Report focusing on Children with Disabilites, it is estimated that there are close to 93 million children with disabilities in the world. In addition to being disabled, these children are among the poorest and most excluded, facing frequent discrimination when it comes to healthcare, education and basic survival.

Children with disabilities are often less likely to attend school, access medical services and have their voices heard in society. Their disabilities also place them at a higher risk of physical abuse, and often exclude them from receiving proper nutrition or humanitarian assistance in emergencies, according to UNICEF. Many children with disabilities around the globe are left to a life institutionalized, abandoned or neglected.

“More than 1 billion persons live with some form of disability. Eighty percent are of working age and live in developing countries. Yet far too many people with disabilities live in poverty. Too many suffer from social exclusion. Too many are denied access to education, employment, healthcare, and social and legal support systems. Women and girls with disabilities often experience double discrimination – and so we must emphasize the gender dimensions of a disability-inclusive development agenda. All of us suffer when communities are divided; just as all of us benefit when communities are united. We must remove barriers to equality of opportunity so that all people can be free from poverty and discrimination,” explains UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the September 2013 High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on Disability and Development.

Salesians in Dili, East Timor are giving children with disabilities a chance at a brighter future at the Ahisaun Disabilities Foundation. Here, youth with disabilities are provided education and training as well as access to basic needs like healthcare, food, clothing and shelter, all with the hope of breaking the cycle of poverty and helping youth to become independent and self-reliant.

Ahisaun was established in 1999 by Salesian Father Adrian Ola, with the goal of meeting the enormous need for educational and job placement opportunities for youth with disabilities. Students at Ahisaun can take classes in hospitality, music, horticulture, computers, shoemaking and farming while also participating in organized social activities. Small group learning opportunities have also been created for skill development and English-language tutoring.

Eduardo, now 22 years old, was among the first students invited by Father Ola to join the center. Today, he teaches computer skills to other students. He is passionate about demonstrating the intelligence and contributions made by people with disabilities to the wider community. While job opportunities are limited for youth with disabilities, it is Eduardo’s hope that others will realize that people with disabilities have much to contribute. Other students at Ahisaun are hoping to follow in Eduardo’s footsteps and one day teach at the center and fight for the rights of people with disabilities.

“The Salesians believe that all children have a right to education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Children with disabilities should not be left on the fringes of their communities. They have much to contribute and we must provide them the opportunities to advance their lives and gain an education.”

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Work in East Timor

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children Report

UN Report – Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Timor-Leste

UN Statement- General Assembly on Disability and Development

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