GEORGIA: Salesian missionaries work to establish vocational education center with residence thanks in part to donor funding from Salesian Missions
Up to 30 youth will live at center while completing education
(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Tbilisi, Georgia, are working to establish a vocational educational center and residence for youth who are vulnerable thanks in part to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The center will offer education for 60-100 students older than age 16 who are working to gain employment skills. Up to 30 youth will live at the residence center while they complete their education.
A Salesian explained, “The vocational courses will be short and oriented to students engaging and completing an internship. They will have the opportunity to live in the residence center for up to five years. Our goal is to ensure that poor and vulnerable youth are able to gain the skills for employment so they can become self-sufficient.”
The construction is still underway. With the funding from Salesian Missions, Salesians have installed an elevator to accommodate individuals with disabilities, made several significant improvements in the yard, installed a fire reservoir with a pumping station and piping, and put in place a sewage system and storm drainage system. Once the construction of the vocational education center is completed, the Salesian community will need to secure funds for furniture and equipment.
Georgia borders Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia and gained its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. The country’s transition to a free-market economy allowed for persistent growth between 2010 and 2015 and a considerable reduction in poverty rates.
In 2022, Georgia’s poverty rate was at 15.6%, the lowest in its history, but those in poverty are still suffering. The World Bank reports that there are limited high-quality jobs and a third of the population still relies on low-productivity agriculture for income. Many youth are not able to access secondary education.Only 50% of rural students and 43% for students from poor backgrounds complete their education, leaving them few opportunities for a stable future.
###
Sources:
Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)
World Bank – Georgia
