DR CONGO: Students gain skills in business operations
Students from Don Bosco Ngangi Institute visit printing centers for educational tour
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
(MissionNewswire) Students in their final year of the printing training course at the Don Bosco Ngangi Institute, located in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, have been visiting printing centers in Bukavu to learn more about business operations.
The institute set up the meetings to enable students to learn the tools and machines used for printing and also to familiarize them with other systems. Father Piero Gavioli, rector of the Don Bosco Ngangi Institute, offered the students business advice. The students expressed that they were happy and excited about the new practical knowledge they gained.
The broader Don Bosco Center Ngangi, of which the skills training institute is a part, has been providing social development, medical, and educational services to poor youth and their families since 1988. Started as a youth center, the Don Bosco Center expanded to provide assistance to those in the region affected by war, other violence and natural disasters. In 1997, the center added kindergarten, elementary, secondary, and vocational education, as well as a literacy center and medical facility.
“Don Bosco Center Ngangi is one of the most diverse and comprehensive Salesian organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Built on the grounds of a school and sports field, the center has grown to provide a diverse array of educational and social programs to poor youth and their families in Bukavu and Goma. Visits to businesses like the printing shops provide students with the hands-on practical knowledge they need to start work after graduating.”
Salesian missionaries have been working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Salesian primary and secondary schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational, and agricultural programs offer many youth the opportunity for a stable and productive future.
Despite its vast material wealth, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has long been a very poor nation. Half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line living on less than $1 a day, especially those in rural communities. Because of ongoing strife and violence within the country, more than 8.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. More than 4.1 million Congolese are now displaced with 620,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 7.5 million people do not have enough food to eat.
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Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
Salesian Missions – Democratic Republic of the Congo
UNICEF – DR Congo
*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.
