PAKISTAN: Don Bosco Technical and Youth Center graduates over 1,000 students
Center expanding to include school for nurses
(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical and Youth Center in Lahore, Pakistan, held a ceremony to hand out more than 1,000 diplomas to students who completed technical training in 2024. The center has educated more than 8,000 youth during its history. During the ceremony, Father Noble Lal, rector of the Salesian Lahore community, spoke about what the Don Bosco Technical and Youth Center has contributed to education, technical development and improving the skills of youth over the last 24 years.
A Salesian explained, “The current incoming class has 400 students, and the center is in the process of opening a school for professional nurses. Youth who have graduated from the center have gained the skills needed to find and retain stable employment. They are empowered to live a self-sufficient life where they are helping their families and community.”
The ceremony included a prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi and the national anthem. Students created a festive atmosphere with cultural greetings and dances from different provinces. The event was attended by Muhammad Sajjad Khokhar, the president of the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority in Pakistan, and Zaki Ejaz, the vice president of the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, along with others from politics and business, and those engaged in inter-religious dialogue.
Salesian schools provide economic benefits, scholarships and accommodations for students from the poorest families so that education is not only accessible but also an incentive for parents to send their children to school. Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in South Asia at less than 50%. Although the country’s constitution acknowledges free and compulsory education between the ages of 5-16, the rule is often not followed in rural areas for those over age 13.
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Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
World Bank – Pakistan
