Don Bosco Foundation provides life-changing support for young migrants

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Foundation in Spain has been supporting youth like Alhassane Camara, who left Guinea for Spain to find a better life. Thanks to his dedication and hard work, as well as the support of Salesians, Camara found a new home, a new family, and the prospect of a promising future along the way.

Camara shared his story. “In 2017, my travel companion, Abdul, and I left home to move by bus to Mali, a sister country to Guinea. After two weeks there, we moved to the border with Algeria. We crossed the desert on foot for three days, appreciating the gifts it gave us and also suffering its harshness. It was on the third day that an armed group blocked us and demanded a ransom for our freedom. Luckily, my mother found the money and sent it to allow me to continue my journey.”

Camara arrived in the Algerian town of Blida with no food, money or the strength to continue. He and Abdul found a way to survive working as bricklayers until they saved enough to continue to Morocco. He said, “A friend was waiting for us there, who gave us a place to live for three months, during which we continued to work to get more money to cross the Mediterranean. And we did it. After we raised enough money we managed to pay a person who got us on a zodiac. There were 59 people, 50 men and nine women, but not all of us managed to get to Spain. Many were lost in the vastness of the sea. Among them, Abdul, who had been my travel companion since the moment we left home.”

After waking from the shipwreck, Camara started a solitary journey. He was fortunate enough to meet people along the way who offered him support. Camara first went to the Don Bosco Center in Malaga for skills training school and Spanish language lessons. He began living in an apartment with other people and became self-employed very quickly.

However, shortly after, Camara’s documents expired and he was unable to renew them due to problems with the Guinean consulate. As a result, he lost his job and his bank account was blocked. A former classmate at the Don Bosco Youth Center reminded him that he could always return to the center for help.

Camara explained, “After I got back in touch with the Salesians, I went for an interview and entered the Francisco Míguez House, which has since become my home and family. I have not stopped working for my future. I have achieved many of my goals. I have a passport, I attend secondary school, I am learning a trade that will open the doors to me to get a quality job and I have met new people and new travel companions. I achieved all this also thanks to Abdul. We both had the same goals, but our destiny was different.”

He also credits the Don Bosco Youth Center for his success. He said, “I want to say thank you to all the professionals at Don Bosco who helped me when I was not in the best situation, and to all those who continue to support me still. I will never stop fighting for a better future.”

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Sources:

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

ANS – Spain – The story of Alhassane in search of a better future

Salesian Missions – Spain

World Bank – Spain