ITALY: New jobs created for refugees as part of Salesian project
Don Bosco 2000 Association develops opportunities across Italy
ITALY
(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with the Don Bosco 2000 Association in Italy are working to develop jobs for refugees through projects across the country. Recently, 15 jobs were made possible through the “My integrity” project that is supported by the AVSI Foundation, run by the Association of Volunteers for International Service, and financed with funds managed by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
The project includes a new social enterprise in Piazza Armerina, a commune in Sicily, which is being run at a confiscated property once owned by the mafia. Other projects where refugees are employed include the Museum of Legality and an aquaponics greenhouse in Villarosa, which are both assets confiscated from the mafia. In addition, the association runs Colonia Don Bosco to provide support for refugees.
Don Bosco 2000 Association staff welcomed a visit from the AVSI Foundation, during which the foundation’s representatives were able to see how refugees are being given work opportunities. They also met the diverse staff of the association, many of whom were once refugees themselves. In a statement, they said, “Those who have been welcomed, today are offering welcome.”
Dr. Roberta La Cara, director of the research and development department of Don Bosco 2000 Association, led the visit. He said, “We hope to be able to give continuity to this path even beyond the conclusion of the project, strengthening the collaboration with AVSI and promoting together new initiatives to support the most vulnerable. The ‘My integrity’ project is a concrete step toward a more inclusive future, in which work becomes a tool for dignity and integration.”
Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.
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Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
Salesian Missions – Italy
World Bank – Italy
