DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Boys and Girls with Don Bosco celebrates 40 years supporting youth
Organization also awarded for educational efforts
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
(MissionNewswire) Boys and Girls with Don Bosco, a Salesian organization committed to educating and supporting children in the Dominican Republic, celebrated its 40th anniversary in December 2024. The organization also received the Dr. Julio A. Brache Arzeno Award for Sustainability 2024, awarded in the education category by the Rica Foundation.
A Salesian noted, “Since the organization started in 1985, Salesians have worked tirelessly to offer opportunities to the most vulnerable children in Santo Domingo. Through a comprehensive model based on four pillars, search, reception, socialization and accompaniment, Boys and Girls with Don Bosco has become a beacon of hope and development for thousands of children.”
Father Ysidro José Ramírez, Salesian youth ministry delegate for the Antilles and director of the Boys and Girls with Don Bosco Network, explained, “Our mission is not to replace school, but to recover the joy of childhood. Seeing children, who no longer have to take on adult responsibilities and can instead enjoy their childhood, is our greatest reward.”
Over 40 years, the organization has provided a safe space where youth access education, medical care, food and an environment that promotes their development. The anniversary celebrates what has been achieved, and also focuses on education as a driving force for change.
Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Although the country’s economy has been steadily improving, the country’s poor people still struggle to get enough food to eat and to access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30% of youth finish primary school and only 18% finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60% lacking adequate bathroom facilities.
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Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
UNICEF – Dominican Republic
