Rector of Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lahore highlights successes

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lahore, Pakistan has trained over 8,000 youth since it opened in 2000, according to a recent article by La Croix International. Father Noble Lal, rector of the institute, recently discussed the accomplishments of the Salesian community during a meeting at the Don Bosco Foundation in Paris.

At Don Bosco Technical Institute, youth may receive training in metallurgy, electrical work, carpentry and the automotive sector. In the La Croix International article, Fr. Lal explained, “We have trained several thousand young people, ages 15 to 22, in various technical skills. This has helped many of them, who had dropped out of school, to find jobs.”

Fr. Lal has always been driven to help youth gain an education and find stable employment. He is the first Pakistani to be ordained as a Salesian priest. The article noted Fr. Lal has served in Quetta and in Lahore.

“In Quetta, where there’s also a small boarding school for girls managed by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, we were the first school to develop a co-education model for both boys and girls. Others have since followed in Pakistan,” Fr. Lal explained in the article. “Our centers are highly respected there. Many are grateful, including members of the government, for the results of our social action.”

Salesian institutions are open to youth of all faiths. La Croix International noted that in January, the Federal Ministry of Education and Vocational Training approved a reform allowing students from officially recognized religions to take courses in their own faith. “This has made it possible to include teachings on Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism,” Fr. Lal said in the article.

Fr. Lal has ambitious plans for the future, especially with the opening of new nursing school that has just been built on the Salesian Lahore campus. According to the article, the school is awaiting final government approval to open its doors to the first class of students in the next academic year.

Salesian schools in Pakistan 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 to 16, the rule is often not followed in rural areas for those over age 13.

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Sources:

La Croix International – In Pakistan, a Salesian priest’s fight for youth employment

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Pakistan