BENIN

(MissionNewswire) Children at Foyer Don Bosco (Don Bosco Kandi), a home for abused and abandoned children in Kandi, Benin, have their needs met thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding covered food for three months, school fees for 10 children and clothing for 50 children at Christmas.

Leon Kansomede, age 8, was appreciative of the clothing he received. He said, “I celebrated Christmas well at Don Bosco Kandi and received beautiful clothes and had a nice party. Thank you and may the Lord bless you.”

Kaifatou Tino is a sewing apprentice who had her school fees paid so she could continue her education. “I thank Don Bosco for the financial help. It has enabled me to remain in school and have hope for the future.”

Foyer Don Bosco serves boys and girls in very complex situations, including those who have been abandoned by their families, victims of abuse, and victims of forced marriages. The area of Kandi often has an influx of children who are on their own. Children are sometimes sold on the black market and exploited in the workforce. A transit home was started with the support of UNICEF to host these children, while guiding them to other homes or trying to find their families.

Foyer Don Bosco was created for children who have nowhere else to go or need to stay for long periods of time. In collaboration with the juvenile courts of Benin, minors who are in conflict with the law and in high-risk situations are assisted by the Salesians. The border police also intercept children being trafficked from Niger and Burkina Faso.

Foyer Don Bosco relies on donations so that Salesians can provide youth with food, clothing, education and medical care. Salesians also work with families and try to provide reunification when appropriate.

Children in Benin face significant challenges gaining an education within the country’s poor educational system. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. About half of all children between the ages of 5 and 13 are engaged in some kind of forced labor in the country and almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished. Youth in Benin also face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty, one of the root causes of child trafficking.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Benin

UNICEF – Benin

The post BENIN: At-risk children receive food, clothing first appeared on MissionNewswire.

BENIN

(MissionNewswire) Children at Foyer Don Bosco, a home for abused and abandoned children in Kandi, Benin, have received food support thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding provided food support for 36 children, as well as cleaning products and medicines for the infirmary. Ten girls and boys have also benefited from the purchase of toolboxes for various trades.

Lamidi Mounira, age 17, was one of the recipients. “I dropped out of school because my parents couldn’t afford it. I was at home when I was approached by Foyer Don Bosco and convinced to continue my education so I can learn a trade.”

Foyer Don Bosco serves boys and girls in very complex situations, including those who have been abandoned by their families, victims of abuse, and victims of forced marriages. The area of Kandi often has an influx of children who are on their own. Children are sometimes sold on the black market and exploited in the workforce. A transit home was started with the support of UNICEF to host these children, while guiding them to other homes or trying to find their families.

Foyer Don Bosco was created for children who have nowhere else to go or need to stay for long periods of time. In collaboration with the juvenile courts of Benin, minors who are in conflict with the law and in high-risk situations are assisted by the Salesians. The border police also intercept children being trafficked from Niger and Burkina Faso.

Foyer Don Bosco relies on donations so that Salesians can provide youth with food, clothing, education and medical care. Salesians also work with families and try to provide reunification when appropriate. Currently, there are 40 youth in the home, ranging in age from 5 to 15.

Children in Benin face significant challenges gaining an education within the country’s poor educational system. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. About half of all children between the ages of 5 and 13 are engaged in some kind of forced labor in the country and almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished. Youth in Benin also face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty, one of the root causes of child trafficking.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Benin

UNICEF – Benin

The post BENIN: Children receive food support thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

BENIN

(MissionNewswire) Children at Foyer Don Bosco, a home for abused and abandoned children in Kandi, Benin, have their needs met thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding covered new clothing for 30 children. Additional funding provided food support for 36 children, as well as cleaning products and medicines for the infirmary. Ten girls and boys have also benefited from the purchase of toolboxes for various trades.

Coco Benie, one young boarder at Foyer Don Bosco, said, “Thank you for your support. My housemates and I are happy to have new outfits to celebrate like other children who are with their parents.”

Mounanvi Mariano is an apprentice tailor with Foyer Don Bosco who was supported by this donation. She said, “Thanks to the help of Salesian Missions, I was able to get glasses which have allowed me to see better and to accelerate my learning.”

Foyer Don Bosco serves boys and girls in very complex situations, including those who have been abandoned by their families, victims of abuse, and victims of forced marriages. The area of Kandi often has an influx of children who are on their own. Children are sometimes sold on the black market and exploited in the workforce. A transit home was started with the support of UNICEF to host these children, while guiding them to other homes or trying to find their families.

Foyer Don Bosco was created for children who have nowhere else to go or need to stay for long periods of time. In collaboration with the juvenile courts of Benin, minors who are in conflict with the law and in high-risk situations are assisted by the Salesians. The border police also intercept children being trafficked from Niger and Burkina Faso.

Foyer Don Bosco relies on donations so that Salesians can provide youth with food, clothing, education and medical care. Salesians also work with families and try to provide reunification when appropriate. Currently, there are 40 youth in the home, ranging in age from 5 to 15.

Children in Benin face significant challenges gaining an education within the country’s poor educational system. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. About half of all children between the ages of 5 and 13 are engaged in some kind of forced labor in the country and almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished. Youth in Benin also face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty, one of the root causes of child trafficking.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Benin

UNICEF – Benin

The post BENIN: Children in need receive clothing first appeared on MissionNewswire.

BENIN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are working to give youth involved in child labor hope for a better future at four Don Bosco Foyer centers in Benin. Two are located in Porto-Novo, one in Cotonou and another in Kandi. Most of the youth in the program had left their poor families and were looking for work. Some parents had entrusted their children to craftsmen to learn a trade only to find that the children were treated like slaves. Other times, children are forced to work to help the family. All of these children have dropped out of school and face exploitation and abuse.

“It is an illusion that drags many minors into insecure contexts and so they end up living on the street. Our objective is to restore dignity to the child, to educate him so that he truly finds his place in the society, as a man created in the image and likeness of God,” explained Father Aurélien Ahouangbe, director of the Foyer Don Bosco in Porto-Novo in an interview with the Osservatore Romano and reported by Vatican News.

Don Bosco Foyer is a residential home for children coming directly from the street. Children’s most basic needs are met, including shelter, proper nutrition, clothing, and access to adults who help them feel safe and protected from the exploitation and violence many faced while living on the streets.

Don Bosco Foyer first provides psychological assistance when a child enters the program. Staff members work to understand the family or child labor issues facing each child. Then, children receive health care, food support, hospitality, housing, school reintegration and vocational training. Some young people study until their graduation while others receive skills training.

Fr. Ahouangbe is committed to combating child labor. To address the issue, Salesian missionaries in Benin have also built counseling kiosks in the markets and along national borders. These kiosks are monitored by teams of government officials, police officers and social workers who check the age and working and living conditions of minors. If they determine that the youth are under age 14 or that they are being mistreated, the minor is taken into Salesian care.

“We listen to them, accompany them into the community and look for their parents,” explained Fr. Ahouangbe. “We make the family aware of the laws that protect children and, if appropriate, we return their children to them and monitor them at home, ensuring their education and psychological assistance in case they have been mistreated.”

Children in Benin face significant challenges gaining an education within the country’s poor educational system. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. About half of all children between the ages of 5-13 are engaged in some kind of forced labor in the country and almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished. Youth in Benin also face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty, one of the root causes of child trafficking.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Benin – Don Bosco Foyers give dignity and rights to exploited minors

Salesian Missions – Benin

UNICEF – Poverty in Benin

Vatican News – In Benin, the Foyer Don Bosco gives dignity and rights to exploited children

The post BENIN: Children exploited as labor find safety and hope first appeared on MissionNewswire.

BENIN

(MissionNewswire) The Mamma Margherita Salesian Center, operated by Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Cotonou, Benin, has started an introductory art course for street children from the Dantokpa open-air market. The project is leading children to discover their hidden talents, increasing their self-esteem and teaching them to establish themselves in society. Educators provide support to and teach children to stretch the canvas, prepare the necessary material and paint.

“Teaching children art skills gives them another healthy outlet for self-expression,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Street children in Benin suffer many injustices. Having adults they can turn to for support and a way to express themselves are important steps in their healing.”

The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians have been active in the Dantokpa market since 2001, where they have been working to reintegrate youth known as “vidomegon” into society and their families of origin. Vidomegon is a legacy of colonial custom. In the past, young girls from rural households were entrusted to a tutor to ensure the girls had access to a better education.

Today, these young girls are often sold into slavery by the poorest families and employed as low-cost laborers in private homes and in markets. They are victims of psychological and physical violence of all kinds. These young girls spend their lives working day and night, sleeping under benches, and are often exploited and abused.

In 2017, Salesians launched a new center for girls known as the Maison de l’Esperance. The main objective of the initiative is to provide young girls with a place where they can sleep in total safety, but also to raise awareness and provide support activities. In addition to receiving comfortable mattresses to sleep on, the girls have access to a psychologist and an assistant who will help them to overcome the traumas they have suffered. They also have access to skills training, and many go on to become bakers, cooks and pastry makers.

The girls first enter the program right in the market at Barra Vidomegon, a Salesian shelter where girls can rest, ask for help and find support participating in recreational activities. After they are provided information about the Salesian center, they can choose to formally enter the program. The dormitory can accommodate up to 70 girls each night.

Children in Benin face significant challenges gaining an education within the country’s poor educational system. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. About half of all children between the ages of 5-13 are engaged in some kind of forced labor in the country and almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished. Youth in Benin also face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty, one of the root causes of child trafficking.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Benin – Street children introduced to art to increase their self-esteem

Salesian Missions – Benin

UNICEF – Poverty in Benin

The post BENIN: Street children increase self-esteem through art course first appeared on MissionNewswire.

BENIN

(MissionNewswire) Homeless children have support at the Foyer Don Bosco, a home for abused and abandoned children in Kandi, Benin, thanks to the support of Salesian Missions donors. Foyer Don Bosco serves boys and girls in very complex situations, including those who have been abandoned by their families, victims of abuse and victims of forced marriages.

Through the funding provided by Salesian Missions, Foyer Don Bosco was able to have the ongoing support it needed to facilitate several initiatives, educating more than 3,700 people on the rights of children and the child protective systems. This included educating parents about the rights and duties of children, alert mechanisms, and early detection of vulnerable situations in children. In addition, Foyer Don Bosco was able to teach school children and apprentices about their rights and duties as well as about personal hygiene and whistleblowing mechanisms in the event of abuse, violence and exploitation.

Foyer Don Bosco also brought its message to a broader audience and held public awareness events in the markets and on the radio about Benin’s criminal law in the event of abuse, trafficking, mistreatment or exploitation of children. Education was provided to local authorities and religious leaders about their role in the protection of children.

Directly for children and families, with the Salesian Missions donor funding, Foyer Don Bosco was able to care for 77 children at the home, including 22 young girls; reinsert 50 children between 15 and 17 years old into the programs; and reintegrate 50 children between the ages of 12 and 17 years old with their families.

One of the beneficiaries was Mireille, who is 15 years old. At the age of 8, her parents brought her from her village to stay with a close relative in Kandi. Early on, her schooling stopped and she had to work in the home. Later, she worked in a vegetable market to help her family survive.

Mireille said, “At the age of 10, I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to leave the house and found myself on the street. While meeting with educators from Foyer Don Bosco in 2017 in the Kandi market, I had the chance to learn about the program. They offered me a chance to stay at Foyer Don Bosco and resume my education. I learned literacy and cutting and tailoring with the Salesian sisters. Thank you to the Foyer Don Bosco for taking me out of my suffering.”

Children in Benin face significant challenges gaining an education within the country’s poor educational system. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. About half of all children between the ages of 5 and 13 are engaged in some kind of forced labor in the country and almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished. Youth in Benin also face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty, one of the root causes of child trafficking.

The Foyer Don Bosco project, like many that are funded by Salesian Missions, needs ongoing support from donors. To contribute to this project or others, Salesian Missions offers a “Fund a Project” section on its website with more details.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Benin

UNICEF – Benin

The post BENIN: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for education and care for children at Foyer Don Bosco in Kandi first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This is the second campaign run by Salesian organizations in Spain to help the people of Benin. In 2014, a container was shipped carrying rice, lentils, beans, pasta and other non-perishable food items as well as donated school supplies, bicycles and t-shirts. The items were donated to several Salesian programs in Porto Novo that provide education, workforce development and social services for poor youth and their families.

“Campaigns like these are a great example of how youth in Salesian programs are able to take what they have learned and pay it forward, supporting families in other communities in a time of need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Both campaigns for Benin have been possible thanks to the cooperation of many individuals, small businesses, supermarkets, food suppliers and local shops.”

Salesian programs in Benin provide food, clothing, shelter, medical services and education to poor youth. With the goal of caring for youth in supportive environments with access to education and training, Salesian missionaries in the country hope to help break the cycle of poverty and provide hope for the future.

The Saint Joseph Center, run by Salesian Sisters in the city of Parakou in northern Benin, operates with financial assistance from UNICEF and offers children refuge from the cycle of poverty and exploitation. The Salesian Sisters at the center ensure that children receive nutritious meals and enroll in nearby schools, providing the essential support their families cannot. At the Vocational Training Center Laura Vicuña in Benin’s largest city, Cotonou, Salesian Sisters are working with young girls, many of whom have been victims of trafficking, providing shelter and education that includes training in skills and trades in order to create more stable lives for them.

In 2013, Salesian missionaries at Foyer Don Bosco in Porto Novo launched a program as part of a European Union collaborative initiative called, Development and Action in the Republic of Benin. The four year initiative focuses on the protection of youth at risk in the areas of Littoral, Ouémé and Alibori. Through this program, Salesian missionaries are working to strengthen the collaboration, coordination and teamwork of the state and non-state bodies engaged in the protection of children as well as work to identify children at risk, offer them advice and education and rehabilitation. The program is also creating awareness among local authorities and community leaders in addition to the general population on the protection of children and the need for community programs to safeguard their rights.

Youth in Benin face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. Almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished and the effects of poverty in rural areas are severe. Child labor and trafficking are also concerns with about half of all children between the ages of five and 14 engaged in some form of labor.

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Sources:

ANS – Benin – 23,000 kilos of aid for Benin

UNICEF – Poverty in Benin

The post BENIN: Salesian Programs in Spain Support Food for Benin Campaign with Recent Shipment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The theme of Universal Children’s Day 2015 is “Promoting children’s welfare and children’s rights” and focuses on protecting and promoting children’s rights to survive and thrive while making sure their voices are heard and they reach their full potential.

“This year, I wish to emphasize the importance of ensuring that the commitments made by the international community to the world’s children are extended to a group of children who are often forgotten or overlooked: those deprived of their liberty. Far too many children languish in jail, mental health facilities or through other forms of detention. Some children are vulnerable because they are migrants, asylum seekers, homeless or preyed on by organized criminals. Whatever the circumstances, the Convention dictates that the deprivation of liberty must be a measure of last resort, and for the shortest time. Our aim must be to pursue the best interests of the child, prevent the deprivation of liberty and promote alternatives to detention.” – UN Secretary General Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The UN notes that this year’s observance falls at a time when 60 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes, more than at any time since the Second World War. Almost half of those displaced are children fleeing oppression, terrorism, violence and other violations of their human rights. This observance also comes following the landmark adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which points the way towards peaceful, prosperous and inclusive societies for all. Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will depend on reaching the most vulnerable children.

Salesian Missions serves more than 1 million students at more than 5,300 primary and secondary schools — most located in some of the poorest places on the planet. It also provides nearly 1,000 vocational, pre-professional and training programs with an emphasis on serving vulnerable youth.

In honor of Universal Children’s Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs that focus on children’s rights education and provide for the protection, education and promotion of children’s welfare around the globe.

BENIN

Salesian missionaries around the globe are working to end child trafficking and other abuses by addressing their root causes. From identifying traffickers and holding them accountable to educating families about these predatory practices, missionaries are working to change local laws and strengthen legal protections for youth. Child victims of trafficking are forced into all types of labor including work on farms and in sweatshops, construction, hotels and restaurants as well as in private homes as domestic servants. Some are forced to beg on the streets and are used as child soldiers. Others are sold into sexual slavery and forced into prostitution. In Benin, a country in West Africa, Salesian missionaries are focusing their work on providing hope and healing to victims of child trafficking. The Don Bosco Center in Porto-Novo, the capital city of Benin, cares for more than 200 victims of child trafficking, many who have been sold into slavery by their parents for the equivalent of $30 or less. Nearly 40,000 girls and boys are forced into agricultural or domestic labor each year within the country of Benin alone.

More stories about the work of Salesian missionaries in Benin >

CAMBODIA

In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children Fund since its inception in 1992. The Don Bosco Children Fund assists poor youth between the ages of 6 and 15 who are either unable to go to school or have had to drop out due to poverty. Through the fund’s program, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that participants make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework. During the 2013-2014 school year, the Don Bosco Children Fund supported 4,426 students in Cambodia’s government-run schools and another 637 students in schools managed by Don Bosco Schools Battambang.

More stories about the work of Salesian missionaries in Cambodia >

INDIA

The Child Rights Education and Action Movement Project, launched in November 2012 by the Salesian-run Bangalore Rural Educational and Development Society, has started more than 200 child right’s clubs that are responsible for training more than 8,000 children and adults on the rights of children while providing resources to keep children safe. Child Rights Education and Action Movement Project staff have also provided human rights education in schools for thousands of children, youth and teachers as well as formed task forces, peer education programs and three regional networks and one state level network to address the issues of child labor. Early this year, 140 school children representing 63 human rights clubs from 55 schools participated in a two-day event in collaboration with juvenile justice professionals from the police and courts in the Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh. The event focused on the children’s right to be heard, a basic right established in India’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.

More stories about the work of Salesian missionaries in India >

SIERRA LEONE

In 2014, Don Bosco Fambul, a leading educational and vocational organization that serves disadvantaged youth in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in collaboration with Catholic Caritas and Sierra Leone Prisons Service, launched the Legal Support Project with the intention of helping the most disadvantaged inmates incarcerated at Pademba Road Prison in Freetown. The project provides legal representation for poor inmates who would otherwise be unable to access legal services to ensure their rights are upheld. As a result of this project, one young prisoner held for nearly six years without a conviction has been released. Many of the prisoners being assisted through the project do not have family outside the prison to ensure that the court and prison system acts in a fair and balanced way. Don Bosco Fambul hopes the project will free up to 100 inmates who have been held for more than three years without a conviction.

More stories about the work of Salesian missionaries in Sierra Leone >

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Sources:

UNICEF –Press Release

UNICEF report – For every child, a fair chance: The promise of equity

United Nations – Universal Children’s Day

The post UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights Children’s Rights Education and Child Welfare Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2014, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) produced A Global Report on Trafficking in Persons which offered the first global assessment of the scope of human trafficking and what is being done to fight it. Based on data gathered from 155 countries, the report shows that more than 1.2 million children worldwide are victims of child trafficking which accounts for just over 20 percent of all trafficking victims. In some parts of Africa children are the majority and in parts of West Africa, children make up nearly 100 percent of trafficking victims.

The report also notes that close to 80 percent of human trafficking is for sexual exploitation with the victims being predominantly women and girls. A surprising finding from the report is that in nearly 30 percent of the countries assessed, women make up the largest portion of traffickers. The second most common form of human trafficking, accounting for 19 percent, is forced labor. Although, research notes that this may be underrepresented because forced labor is frequently harder to detect than trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Child victims of trafficking are forced into all types of labor including work on farms, in sweatshops, construction, hotels and restaurants and in private homes as domestic servants. Some are forced to beg on the streets and are used as child soldiers. Others are sold into sexual slavery and forced into prostitution.

In Benin, a country in West Africa, Salesian missionaries are focusing their work on providing hope and healing to victims of child trafficking. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. About half of all children between the ages of five and 13 are engaged in some kind of forced labor in the country and almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished. Youth in Benin also face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty, one of the root causes of child trafficking.

The Don Bosco Center in Porto-Novo, the capital city of Benin, cares for more than 200 victims of child trafficking, many who have been sold into slavery by their parents for the equivalent of $30 or less. Nearly 40,000 girls and boys are forced into agricultural or domestic labor each year within the country of Benin alone.

“Trafficking isn’t the children’s wish … and it’s a terrible situation for the girls and boys who suffer it. It kills their hope,” says Marc Tsanda, a child psychologist who works on behalf of rescued youth at the Don Bosco Center.

Tsanda’s work is featured in a recent documentary called, “No Estoy en Venta” (“I am Not for Sale”), produced by the Salesian Missions Office in Madrid, Spain. In the film, he and his colleagues expose the child trafficking that occurs in Benin and in communities across in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and elsewhere.

Often invisible to society, innocent children are shipped across borders ending up alone in a foreign land where they are forced into labor, exploited, abused and often starved. With no connection to their homeland, they lose their language, self-identity and hope for the future.

“Once they get these children into another country, the traffickers can do what they want with them,” says Father Juan José Gómez, director of the Foyer Don Bosco youth hostel at the Don Bosco Center. “The children have absolutely no rights. Sometimes, they may only eat once a day and that’s only if they’ve worked ‘hard enough.’”

Jules, a boy whose story is highlighted in the documentary, is one of thousands of children in Benin who has endured such horror.

“One day, my father brought me to his friend’s house,” he recalls. “And the friend brought me to Nigeria, to a lady’s house. The lady gave my father’s friend money—and then he left me there, alone. I didn’t know why. And I was scared.”

“The children don’t understand,” confirms Carine Agossou, another psychologist working at the Don Bosco Center. “They say, ‘why have they done this to me?’ And when it’s the people who should be protecting them—the people who should be keeping them safe and sound—that’s very hard to accept.”

Agossou points to poverty first and foremost as the reason parents sell their children. Many families live in conditions of extreme poverty and don’t make enough money to meet their basic needs. Under such desperate conditions, the idea of trading a child for cash becomes a consideration and innocent children like Jules pay the price.

Fortunately for Jules, after years of brutal domestic servitude, he took a chance and escaped, eventually finding his way back across the border where he found the Don Bosco Center in Porto-Novo. At the center, he enjoys safe shelter, nutritious meals and the chance to reclaim his lost childhood. When he is ready, Jules will return to school and begin building the foundation for a future he once thought was impossible.

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Sources:

ANS – 16 April: World day against child slavery

Salesian Missions Madrid – Documentary “I am not for sale”

UNICEF – Benin

UNODC report on human trafficking exposes modern form of slavery

The post BENIN: Salesian Missionaries Provide Hope and Healing to Victims of Child Trafficking first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Two Salesian programs in northern Spain, in collaboration with the Provincial Youth Ministry Delegation there, recently held a fundraising campaign to help a Salesian program for street children in the capital city of Porto Novo, Benin. The campaign kicked off last November and while the total collected is still being assessed, more than 9,200 kg of food was received from the town of Azkoitia alone.

“The fundraising campaign was a great success allowing many families to be helped,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This has all been possible thanks to the cooperation of many individuals, small businesses, supermarkets, food suppliers and local shops.”

Rice, lentils, beans, pasta and other non-perishable food items were collected in Azkoitia at a Salesian institute and at various shops and supermarkets in the city. The community was very generous in its support of the fundraising campaign. On December 26, a shipment of the collected food and other donated items including school supplies, bicycles and t-shirts made its way from Azkoitia to Pamplona and then onto its final destination in Benin.

“Campaigns like these are a great example of how youth in Salesian programs are able to take what they have learned and pass it forward, supporting families in other communties in a time of need,” adds Fr. Hyde.

There are a variety of Salesian programs in Benin that provide food, clothing, shelter, medical services and education to poor youth in the country. With the goal of caring for youth in supportive environments with access to education and training, Salesians in Benin hope to help break the cycle of poverty and provide hope for the future.

Saint Joseph, a center run by Salesian Sisters in the city of Parakou in northern Benin, operates with financial assistance from UNICEF and offers children refuge from the cycle of poverty and exploitation. There, a team of caretakers ensures children receive nutritious meals and enroll in nearby schools, providing the essential support their families cannot.

At the Vocational Training Center Laura Vicuña in Benin’s largest city, Cotonou, Salesian Sisters are working with young girls, many of whom have been victims of trafficking, providing them shelter and education to learn skills and trades in order to create more stable lives for themselves.

Recently, Salesians at Foyer Don Bosco in Porto Novo launched a new program as part of a European Union collaborative initiative called, Development and Action in the Republic of Benin. A four year initiative culminating in February 2017, the program focuses on the protection of youth at risk in the areas of Littoral, Ouémé and Alibori.

Through this program, Salesians are working to strengthen the collaboration, coordination and teamwork of the state and non-state bodies engaged in the protection of children as well as work to identify children at risk, offer them advice and education and rehabilitate them. The program will also create awareness among local authorities and community leaders in addition to the general population on the protection of children and the need for community programs to safeguard their rights.

“Salesian programs are adaptable to the communities they serve,” says Fr. Hyde. “Education remains at the forefront and our programs strive to keep youth safe and provide for their basic needs so they can focus on gaining an education.”

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – 9,200 kilos of smiles and hugs

UNICEF – Poverty in Benin

The post BENIN: Salesian Youth in Spain Pay it Forward to Help Poor Youth in Benin first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, a new socio-sports program was introduced at the Salesian Youth Center in the town of Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro. The program, the third of its kind in Brazil, is made possible through a collaboration between the Salesian Missions office in Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation and will benefit close to 200 youth from the most disadvantaged areas of the city.

The program’s motto is, “They play, we educate” and participants receive nutritional, family and psychological support, regular health check ups and the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops in activities such as gymnastics, crafts, reading and citizenship. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse will also be provided.

Outside of normal school hours, participants in the program will receive sports training by coaches specifically qualified by the Real Madrid Foundation.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

At the program’s inauguration, the biggest surprise for the 200 youth in attendance was the participation of Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior, a player from Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, who recently won the Confederations Cup.

The collaboration between the Salesians and the Real Madrid Foundation has been very successful, granting more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children the opportunity to participate in similar programs around the globe. This new socio-sports program in Brazil is operating alongside 13 other socio-sporting schools in nine countries including Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Senegal and the Dominican Republic.

Sports programs are a few among many programs helping disadvantaged youth in Brazil.

At the Don Bosco Youth Center in Cabana, youth from the slums take part in socio-educational opportunities to help close educational gaps. At the Salesian-run Community Center in Porto Alegre, street children receive three nutritious meals a day, clean clothing, medical care, schooling and a safe place to get much needed rest. And at a new Salesian-run Center in Abaetetuba, abandoned and at-risk youth take part in a wide variety of healthy and educational activities. The Center includes a recreation facility where children are able to participate on sports teams, make friends and gain a sense of accomplishment. All of the programs work with youth to help them lead productive lives and break the cycle of poverty.

Brazil is one of more than 130 countries around the globe where Salesians work to give hope and provide opportunity to vulnerable youth through education and skills training. Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, working to raise funds and develop programs to aid youth and families in some of the poorest places on earth. Learn more about where the Salesians work and the programs they provide at www.salesianmissions.org.

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Sources:

ANS – Brazil – Niterói socio-sports school inaugurated, with soccer star Marcelo

UNICEF – Brazil Statistics

Real Madrid Foundation – Website

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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In May, the Salesians at Foyer Don Bosco launched a new program as part of a European Union collaborative initiative called, Development and Action in the Republic of Benin. The program focuses on the protection of youth at risk in the areas of Littoral, Ouémé and Alibori.

A four year initiative that culminates in February 2017, the Salesian program’s goal is to strengthen the collaboration and coordination of the state and non-state organizations engaged in the protection of children. It will also work to identify children at risk and offer them advice, education and the opportunity to be rehabilitated. In addition, the program will work to create awareness among local authorities, community leaders and the general population on the protection of children and the need for community programs to safeguard children’s rights.

“To see real success in the protection of youth, an entire community must be involved,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The program works to engage community leaders, unify the systems protecting children and work with youth one on one, giving them the tools and resources to achieve a brighter future.”

The Salesian program was officially launched in early May with three other programs included in the same European Union initiative. The first, Handicap International, will focus on the participation and integration of people with disabilities into the local community. The second, Protos, is working to improve the water supply, hygiene and sanitary services in the area. The third program, Plan Benin, is focusing on the participation of citizens in local development and water services.

At the launch event in May, each of the organizations gave a brief presentation of its history and proposed program, concluding with a short dramatization. Youth from Foyer Don Bosco provided a short sketch on the rights of minors. The main focus of the event came later in the day with several speeches and more in depth information on the Salesian program provided. The event also included cultural, sporting and recreational activities for youth, including street children, at the Salesian Center.

This is not the only program the Salesians have in Benin. Through the Vocational Training Center Laura Vicuña, Salesian Sisters are providing shelter, education and training in skills and trades to young girls, many of whom have been victims of trafficking, to give them the opportunity of a more stable life. Other Salesian programs exist in Benin as well, providing poor youth shelter, nutritious meals and education.

“Salesian programs are adaptable to the communities they serve,” says Fr. Hyde. “Education remains at the forefront. Our programs strive to keep youth safe and provide them an education, which is a direct path out of poverty.”

Source

ANS – Benin – Foyer Don Bosco cooperating with the European Union for the protection of young people in difficulty

UNICEF – Poverty in Benin

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The two new schools—the Don Bosco Educational Plaza in Hainamosa and the Dominic Savio School House in Santo Domingo—use football as a tool for social integration, improving the quality of life for boys and girls who are at risk of social exclusion. Alongside the sports, schools provide various support services to children and their families, such as tutoring, classroom space for homework, vocational training, healthcare, nutrition education and cultural and recreational activities.

“We want young people to be integrated and develop healthy activities. They play, we educate,” said Emilio Butragueño, explaining the importance of the initiative.

The partnership between Salesian Missions and the Real Madrid Foundation is well underway and allows more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children to participate in similar programs today. There are currently 13 operational socio-sporting schools in nine countries: Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Brazil, Portugal, Senegal and now the Dominican Republic.

“In the Dominican Republic, sports help youth to grow and develop into healthy, caring members of society,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “And they pass on their knowledge for generations to come,” he adds.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

Salesian Missions is paving the path toward a better future for young people, where half of youth ages 13 to 18 suffer in poverty and lack needed skills to compete in the job market. The Salesians are using innovative approaches to prevent children from life on the streets and the lure of gangs. And they are instilling knowledge and values that will carry forward in the generations to come.

After finishing his studies, Edward stayed involved in the program – working with youth in the same situation he had been.  He later graduated from the university with a degree in public relations and now is in charge of the graphic design department at the Salesian Technical Institute, where he also teaches.

“There are only three of my childhood friends that are alive since most of them got into gangs.  This project saved my life from the personal perspective to the professional development.  I don’t know what would have happened to me if it wasn’t for this project,” said Edward.  “I still play basketball with the boys & girls in the project.  This is the best way to discover their personalities and different ways I can help them.”

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*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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Now seven years old, Eric is one of about 20 children for whom the center has become a permanent home.

CYCLE OF POVERTY

In Benin, child labour and trafficking are central concerns. About half of all children between the ages of five and 14 are engaged in some form of labor, a consequence of the country’s pervasive poverty – nearly half of Benin’s population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day.

Saint Joseph, run by the Salesian Sisters with financial assistance from UNICEF, offers children refuge from this cycle of poverty and exploitation. There, a team of caretakers ensures children receive nutritious meals and enroll in nearby schools, providing the essential support their families cannot.

These days, Eric prefers to focus on his future. He is now in Grade four, earning the highest marks in his class, and he dreams of one day becoming a priest.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

Twelve-year-old Nahomie Abdoulaye arrived at the center after escaping an abusive step-mother. She is now learning to speak and write French at school. Nahomie is eager to begin an apprenticeship in Benin, after which she plans to support her four younger siblings as a tailor.

Like Nahomie, 11-year-old Thierry Kouagou has a bright future ahead of him thanks to the centre. His mother died when he was only six, and his father, who is living with HIV, has grown too sick to care for him. Still, Thierry smiles when he speaks of his life at Saint Joseph. He is attending classes and is on track to complete primary school next year.

CHOOSING HER OWN PATH

Céline Tchetekoua also lost a parent – her father. After he died, her mother placed her with a host family as a ‘vidomegon’, an unpaid domestic worker. For three years, Céline cooked, cleaned, and cared for the family’s children, though still a child herself.

In spite of her heavy workload, Céline found time to attend daily literacy classes at a recreation centre hosted by the Salesian sisters. One day, UNICEF Representative Dr. Souleymane Diallo visited the class with a television crew. Forgetting her natural shyness, Céline blurted out, “Mr. Representative, I would like to go to school!”

She grins as she tells this story at Saint Joseph Center, where she now lives. The center has helped her enroll in a nearby primary school.

Like the other children at Saint Joseph, Céline refuses to let poverty or hardship dictate her future. Through her own force of will – and with a little help from the center – she is choosing her own path, one to a world of possibilities.

By Gisele Langue-Menyé/ UNICEF

Photo: UNICEF/Langue

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Learn more about Salesian Missions and how it help the world’s poorest youth in 130+ countries around the globe.

Learn more about the Salesian Sisters in Benin (in French).

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