Computers and musical resources to give youth new opportunities

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries provide programs and support for youth and their families in Huancayo, Peru, which is located in the Andes Mountain range. Salesians have been in the city for more than 100 years educating youth and working to meet the community’s needs. One of the cornerstones of the Salesian presence in the area is the Salesian Youth Center.

When the center first started, it was only a courtyard where youth met, engaged with their peers and prayed. Over time, new buildings have been erected and the services expanded to better meet the educational needs of youth.

Today, youth from 13 to 30 years old come to the center to take a range of educational courses. Nearly all of them come from families with few financial resources. Most have complex family problems and the center is a second home for them. For a few, it’s the only place they feel cared for and safe. They can study, read, use the computer, play, and attend singing, music and theater workshops.

A Salesian missionary noted, “We think it is necessary to equip it to be the best, to be able to guarantee all the services to the less fortunate young people. We want to have a large multipurpose room that is welcoming and beautiful to look at.”

To complete the project, Mission Don Bosco, the Salesian Mission Office in Turin, Italy, is helping to furnish the new room so that it is a comfortable and safe space. The mission office will provide the funding for Salesians to buy new computers for young university students and promote youth group activities.

In addition, funding will buy different musical instruments including a drum set, keyboard, guitar and bass for music workshops. There will also be support for a music teacher to encourage youth to start artistic and musical training courses. An audio system with speakers, consoles and microphones, both for training courses and special events will also be purchased.

The Salesian said, “This project will ensure additional educational initiatives for youth in Huancayo to provide them the opportunity to grow and develop their passions.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

###

Sources:

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

ANS – Peru – Computers and musical instruments for the Salesian centre in Huancayo

Mission Don Bosco

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru