Don Bosco Foundation signs collaborative agreement with Emaresa to help support street children project

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Foundation signed a collaborative agreement with the company Emaresa to help support the Salesian-run “Together in the street” (Juntos en la Calle) project in Santiago. This new collaboration will support the continuity of one of the Don Bosco Foundation’s residences for street children and provide support to youth who live there.

The signing ceremony was attended by Father Victor Mora, president of the Don Bosco Foundation; Dr. Aldo del Rio, the human resources director of Emaresa; and Dr. María de los Ángeles Ibáñez, the director of the Salesian project. During the ceremony, Fr. Mora thanked Emaresa for its support and then spoke to youth directly, telling them to take advantage of this opportunity to lift their lives forward and upward.

On behalf of Emaresa, del Rio said, “For us, the relationship with the Don Bosco Foundation and all the common work that can arise from this relationship is super important. We’re very happy and enthusiastic to contribute to the job placement process of the young people living in the residence, enhancing the talents of these boys and girls in these spaces.”

Regarding the partnership agreement, which will seek to empower youth to increase their professional skills, Ibáñez noted, “This is the first of a series of alliances that we hope to formalize in different territories because we believe that the complexity of the street situation requires joint responses in which the business sector also has a lot to say.”

During the coming weeks, a plan will be put into place that will detail the major points of the collaboration, including recreational activities that will be offered to youth, a sustainability model to support more youth with skill training and workforce development, and improvements to the infrastructure of the Don Bosco Foundation house.

“Together in the street” is a project born from the 13th “Efforts for the Country” roundtable, led by the Community of Solidarity Organizations and the Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC), and supported by the Ministry of Social Development and the Family. Its goal, according to Ibañez, is to contribute to overcoming the street children situation in the country through a network that involves the business sector in conversation with the public sector and to strengthen the work of civil society organizations.

According to the World Bank, Chile has a fairly low poverty rate of 14.4 percent. However, Chile struggles with high rates of income and education inequality. Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor and at-risk youth. At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty.

As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Chile – “Fundación Don Bosco” and “Emaresa”: alliance to overcome street situation

Salesian Missions – Chile

World Bank – Chile