HAITI: Youth receive meal, toys during holidays
Salesian missionaries organize Christmas party for youth attending Salesian programs in Pétion-Ville
HAITI
(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries organized a Christmas party for youth attending Salesian programs in Pétion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Salesians collaborated with other organizations and several past pupils of the Domenico Savio boarding school. The initiative offered 250 poor youth a meal and toys during the holidays.
A Salesian missionary said, “This was a good opportunity for poor youth to have time to relax with their peers and enjoy the festive holiday season. These youth who need so much love and support were reminded that there are caring adults looking out for their well-being.”
Salesians offer educational and social programs in Pétion-Ville including the Timkatec schools, which were founded in 1994 for former street children. Later, the schools were expanded to include local disadvantaged children who had not had the chance to attend school until ages 8-10. The vocational schools were added later so youth could learn a trade for employment.
Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.
The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.
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Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
ANS – Haiti – Christmas in Salesian work of Pétion-Ville brings food and gifts to poor children
Salesian Missions – Haiti
World Food Programme – Haiti
