Don Bosco Training Center founded by past pupils from Salesian college in Thailand

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Youth Vocational Training Center, located in Vientiane, is the only Salesian center in Laos. It started in 2004 with five past pupils who were graduates of the Don Bosco Technological College in Bangkok, Thailand. They wanted to start a small training center for youth in need and created the school based on their school in Bangkok.

Under the guidance and financial support of Salesian missionaries from the Saint Paul Province of Thailand, the past pupils started training courses in auto mechanics, electricity and motorcycle repair. The center gradually developed and became known to the Lao Youth Union for Youth Development, the youth wing of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, the ruling party in Laos.

A Salesian noted, “Appreciating the work done for Laotian youth, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Don Bosco Foundation of Thailand. Students are selected from the 18 provinces of Laos according to the parameters established by the Don Bosco Youth Training Center and the Department of Youth Union. Local government officials have expressed appreciation for the great help that has been given to poor families.”

To date, more than 1,500 youth have been trained. Statistics from the Lao Youth Union for Youth Development indicate that 75% of graduates have a job, which has been an important factor in helping families get out of conditions of poverty. The training courses offered are free, but the resident students are required to contribute to meals.

Poverty in Laos, formally known as the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, has been on the decline for the last decade, according to the World Bank. Despite improvements in the economy, the poverty rate in Laos is at 18.6%. Poverty in Laos tends to be higher in underdeveloped, mountainous areas of the country. People who live in these isolated areas are often left without access to electricity, schools and roads.

Many of the ethnic minorities in Laos live in underserved, rural areas. The minority groups are further isolated by barriers in language, customs and religion. These factors, combined with geographic isolation, contributes to a higher rate of poverty for those who live in rural communities.

The economy in Laos has been rapidly growing. The growth can be attributed to the fact that Laos is home to a bounty of natural resources including water, minerals and forests. Additionally, construction, and services have expanded and contributed to an increase in tourism and foreign investment.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Laos – Salesian commitment to the holistic development of poor youth

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Laos