Don Bosco Boys Home engaged in environmental projects

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Don Bosco Boys Home, located in Sunyani, Ghana, facilitated an environmental education project, “Boys Home Friends of Nature” from March to June 2023. This program helped youth develop skills in organic agriculture and educated them about the importance of respecting nature.

An agronomist had previously conducted training in organic agriculture and helped youth start an organic garden. The boys were able to cultivate maize, tomatoes, zucchini, salad greens, and peppers, and each week the boys continue to work with the agronomist. The garden complements the other the farm facilities, improving the self-sufficiency of the center with organic vegetables. It also promotes healthy nutrition for the boys.

At the end of April, volunteers with Salesian International Volunteering for Development (VIS) held a series of educational activities focused on the water cycle. VIS used theoretical and practical experiences, including a science lesson on the characteristics and the three states of water. The boys then took part in practical experiments to learn more about water and its importance.

“Youth at Don Bosco Boys Home have been given a chance to engage in educational activities that focus on the environment,” said Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many Salesian programs have launched projects to help youth understand their environmental impact and improve agriculture and other practices for greater sustainability. The education provided goes beyond traditional classroom lectures and allows youth to better understand the environment and their place in it.”

While Ghana’s economy continues to improve, nearly 45% of the population lives on less than $1 a day, according to UNICEF. Rural poverty remains widespread in the dry savannah region that covers roughly two thirds of Ghana’s northern territory. Small-scale farms suffer from a lack of infrastructure and equipment, both of which are needed to shift from subsistence farming to more modern commercial farming which would yield greater incomes and a chance to escape poverty.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of AOS Province

Don Bosco Child Protection and Safeguarding Centers Project report April – June 2023

Salesian Missions – Ghana

UNICEF – Ghana