BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries offer schools and social development programs across Bolivia to ensure youth have access to education and hope for a brighter future. In Cochabamba, Salesians operate Hogar Maria Auxiliadora, where young girls seek shelter and an education. The long-term residential home provides a safe, structured setting where young girls can grow into independent and self-sufficient young women. As many as 45 girls ages 2-17 live there at any given time.

Eden Gordon, a Salesian lay missioner who has served twice at Hogar Maria Auxiliadora, was determined to help one young girl who had been abandoned. Veronica arrived when she was just 6 years old, abandoned by her parents without understanding why.

Gordon knew she needed to reassure Veronica of her worth, so she played a daily game with the little girl in the weeks leading up to her move into the residence. Gordon would ask Veronica when she was coming to live at the Hogar and tell her that she was excited and waiting for her arrival. It became a happy game the two played when they spoke.

The game instilled such confidence that on the day of her move, Veronica marched in with a big grin on her face. Gordon even nicknamed her Querida, from the Spanish “to love.” Every time she hears it, Veronica understands its truth.

“Many of the girls do have families, and staff work to reunite them whenever possible,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Widespread poverty and lack of employment opportunities throughout Bolivia often mean that parents can’t afford to feed or care for their children. If reunification isn’t possible, these girls truly do grow up at the Hogar, where everyone there becomes their new family.”

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to the World Bank, the poverty rate was 35 percent in 2018. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are working to develop more supportive services for people in Cobija, Bolivia. The area has seen continued growth and has nearly 70,000 people. The growth is the result of migration from areas like La Paz, Oruro, and Cochabamba, as well as from the neighboring department of Beni. There is also migration from local Indigenous communities.

Salesians face challenges in the area, including low economic levels and a mediocre educational system.

A Salesian representative said, “We want to offer children and young people a meeting place with a family atmosphere where we can give them services of school support and human formation. Faced with this situation, we just want to be bearers of God’s love to these young people so far forgotten. This motivates us to give ourselves and we feel that it’s worth it.”

Salesian missionaries are already providing programs and services for poor children and families in communities across Bolivia. In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, for example, the Don Bosco Project acts as a hub to help coordinate activities among several local Salesian-run programs including Hogar Don Bosco, Mano Amiga, Patio Don Bosco and Techo Pinardi. Don Bosco Project provides comprehensive rehabilitation and vocational training programs that bring social inclusion and meaningful employment to its students.

Santa Cruz attracts youth who leave the difficult life of the rural highlands in search of new opportunities. The Don Bosco Project ensures these youth and others have access to emergency shelter, clothing and nutritious meals. Psychologists, social workers, health care staff and teachers work together to address the needs of almost 2,000 children who access primary and secondary schooling and vocational education.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to the World Bank, the poverty rate was 35 percent in 2018. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian students in primary and secondary school in the San José de la Floresta Parish in Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, received scholarships thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. A total of 23 children and older youth were supported with the scholarship funding.

The youth who received scholarships are from low-income families and large families with parents who could not afford school fees. Some children lost their father or mother due to COVID-19 and were left in the care of a relative or in a single parent family. Most of the parents work in an informal business or as street vendors. Some have a small business but only earn enough to feed their families for the day.

A Salesian missionary said, “La Floresta Parish can only help children and young people with the collaboration of good-hearted people, since as a parish it does not generate any type of income, and the collection only serves to cover parish expenses. Thanks to the help of donors, we can support families in need so that their children can continue studying.”

Yoselin Sánchez Chávez, age 8, receives a school scholarship with donor funding from Salesian Missions.

One of the scholarship recipients was Yoselin Sánchez Chávez, age 8. She has five siblings with two of them studying in high school and three attending primary school. Her father is a farmer and her mother sells food to support the family. In addition, they buy medicines Sánchez Chávez needs due to a medical condition.

At age 5, Sánchez Chávez began to not feel well and noticed a change in the color of her skin. She did not eat or sleep well. Her family managed to gather some financial resources and consulted with a specialist in gastroenterology. After several studies, which included a liver biopsy, an alteration of hepatocellular enzymes was identified. Despite her health situation, Sánchez Chávez lives happily with her parents and works hard to be a good student.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to the World Bank, the poverty rate was 35 percent in 2018. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending Hogar Don Bosco, facilitated by the Don Bosco Project in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, had access to recreational activities thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding was utilized for camps, retreats, sports activities and games. In addition, educational materials, sports materials, prizes, food and transportation were provided.

There were 87 children and older youth who participated in the recreational activities, which are important for their development. This is particularly true during the pandemic when children have been out of their normal routine and isolated from school and their peers.

The children are sheltered temporarily at Hogar Don Bosco, some due to abandonment, physical and psychological violence, or an unsafe family environment. A few children entered the program enter after living on the streets.

One of the recipients is Messi Acha Aguilar, age 10. He has finished the fourth grade and enjoys spending time with his peers, especially camping with friends. Aguilar would like to be a doctor when he grows older.

“We appreciate the donor funding that has allowed these youth to take part in recreational activities,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “This has been a challenging time for many youth who have already lived through such hardships. Providing them fun and educational activities and time with their peers is good for their well-being.”

The Don Bosco Project, which launched in November 1991, acts as a hub to help coordinate activities among several local Salesian-run programs including Hogar Don Bosco, Mano Amiga, Patio Don Bosco and Techo Pinardi. The project provides comprehensive rehabilitation and vocational training programs that bring social inclusion and meaningful employment to its students.

Every year Santa Cruz attracts youth who leave the difficult life of the rural highlands in search of new opportunities. The Don Bosco Project ensures these youth and others have access to emergency shelter, clothing and nutritious meals. The project also brings together psychologists, social workers, health care staff and teachers who work together to address the needs of almost 2,000 children who access primary and secondary schooling and vocational education.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to the World Bank, the poverty rate was 35 percent in 2018. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) The Association of Damas Salesianas in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in collaboration with other volunteers, has launched a campaign to collect oximeters, nebulizers and thermometers in the fight against COVID-19. The initiative was brought about thanks to the National Council of Associations of Damas Salesianas and Sister Asun Moreo, who worked with COVID-19 patients.

The campaign is seeking donations of nebulizers, oximeters or cash to buy medical instruments and devices. “Our objective is to help as many people as possible. There is no greater satisfaction than relieving the pain of others,” said Sylvia Padilla de Porro, vice president of the Association of Damas Salesianas in Bolivia.

There have been nearly 450,000 people infected with COVID-19 and 17,000 people who have died in Bolivia. Padilla de Porro added, “Today we have the opportunity to show our love for humanity by contributing through institutions where you will find an account of your donations.”

The Association of Damas Salesianas was founded in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1968 by Salesian Father Miguel González. It is a nonprofit organization, made up of Catholic women of different origins, ages and cultures who are united by a vocation to service in the Salesian spirit. They voluntarily dedicate their efforts to those most in need. This effort in Bolivia is one among many undertaken to help those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Center for Malnourished Children in San Carlos, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, received funding from donors of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, to help support children and families in need. Currently, 150 boys and girls access the services of the Don Bosco Center for Malnourished Children each year. The length of stay at the center is determined by the degree of malnutrition that the child faces.

As part of a new treatment model for children, mothers are involved in the recovery process. To make this easier, the center has set up temporary accommodations for the mothers and clearly defined their roles and responsibilities during their stay.

The mothers participate in training workshops on malnutrition and its prevention, caring for their children, growth, health, and preventive medicine. They are then able to apply what they have learned until it becomes a daily habit.

María Choque, the mother of Estefany, is taking part in a program at the Don Bosco Center for Malnourished Children in Bolivia.

One of the mothers taking part in the program is María Choque. Her daughter Estefany arrived at the Don Bosco Center for Malnourished Children at the end of 2020 with severe malnutrition. Estefany received the necessary care until she fully recovered. The center has become her second home. It took her close to three months to regain the appropriate body mass index for her age.

The training for Choque has been critical for Estefany’s long-term success. Choque said, “In the center, I have been able to learn many things about nutrition and proper food for my daughter. The center has been like my home, and the sisters have treated us very well. Having clean water every day for personal cleaning and cooking has been essential to Estefany’s recovery. When I return home to the community where I live, I will replicate everything I have learned and teach other mothers.”

The Don Bosco Center for Malnourished Children also recently made improvements to its clean water access. It was able to be connected to the municipal drinking water network. The center is now able to provide clean water access 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) Bosco Global, supported by the Agency for Development Cooperation of Extremadura, facilitates an eco-sustainability project to improve life for those living in rural communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The project’s agro-pastoral training engages farmers and ranchers to be involved in the mechanisms and policies of food production and distribution. It also fosters the involvement and empowerment of women.

Through training, farmers and ranchers learn more about growing potatoes and vegetables in greenhouses, pest management and control, opening field nurseries for pine production, community breeding of pigs, and community breeding of fish, especially trout, in special tanks.

Beneficiaries of the project have shared their experiences. One recipient noted, “At the course, we learned how to manage the cultivation of potatoes, and we shared the knowledge with our base camp. This is important for us, to be able to learn something.” A farmer said, “We have improved our nutrition compared to our previous life.” A young woman in the program added, “They helped us to create the fields and construct trout tanks.”

The use of improved seeds in potato cultivation, in addition to the correct use of fertilizers and fungicides, has made it possible for farmers to obtain much higher yields. They have reached an average of 25 tons per hectare, while with the use of traditional seeds, their yields were only 6 and 12 tons per hectare. In 2019, the potato harvest benefited 54 families while in 2020 it directly reached 91.

Ten families from seven different communities have benefited from the pig farm. The center sells Serrano-type ham, smoked ham, pork salami, llama salami, and grilled chorizo to the Hipermaxi and Ticti markets, north of the city of Cochabamba. The money raised helps to support the families and ongoing efforts of the Salesian farm.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) Techo Pinardi, part of the Don Bosco Project in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, offers a center for adolescents living on the  city streets. Most of the youth who come to the center have left their homes because they suffered violence or abandonment by their parents and sought an alternative family environment. Many found themselves facing challenges and dangerous circumstances while living on the streets.

Paolo Trevisanato, the head of Techo Pinardi, said, “What we are trying to build is this welcoming family and a place of opportunity.” The center welcomes teenagers ages 13-17 and offers a family atmosphere where youth can feel free from the dangers of the street and take part in opportunities for personal improvement.

Youth are able to access psychological, social and medical intervention, learn their rights, and feel empowered. In addition to traditional education, youth also are able to participate in spiritual, sports and recreational activities.

“We give youth enough opportunities for reintegration with their families or even their extended families, such as an aunt or a grandmother. When it is not possible, we find them a suitable center to live long-term so they can focus on their education,” added Trevisanato.

One of the biggest challenges with similar shelters is that youth age out of the program at 17. The Salesian center is different in that when a youth turns 17, support is not interrupted. Youth are able to stay until they complete the program and find work.

The Don Bosco Project, which launched in November 1991, acts as a hub to help coordinate activities among several local Salesian-run programs including Hogar Don Bosco, Mano Amiga, Patio Don Bosco and Techo Pinardi. The project provides comprehensive rehabilitation and vocational training programs that bring social inclusion and meaningful employment to its students.

Every year Santa Cruz attracts youth who leave the difficult life of the rural highlands in search of new opportunities. The Don Bosco Project ensures these youth and others have access to emergency shelter, clothing and nutritious meals. The project also brings together psychologists, social workers, health care staff and teachers who work together to address the needs of almost 2,000 children who are receiving primary and secondary schooling and vocational education.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to the World Bank, the poverty rate was 35 percent in 2018. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLILVIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Popular Schools Network laid a foundation stone for a new building for the Centro Virgen Niña Association, which is part of the network. The funding for this project was provided by the Swiss Salesian organization Jugendhilfe Weltweit and fundraising efforts of the network staff.

Centro Virgen Niña Association is a special education center located in the city of El Alto, Bolivia, that serves many children and adolescents with disabilities. It was founded by Sister Grazia Micaelli and is run by a group of Bolivian lay people. The center started its activities 28 years ago with six children. Today, it serves 189 children and older youth.

The center focuses on human, social and educational development of children and families within the community. The new building was needed because the older building had architectural barriers that hindered people with disabilities who go to the center. The new infrastructure will consist of four floors with several classrooms and training workshops, administrative rooms, bathrooms, and corridors with ramps and steps to access the upper levels.

After demolishing the old infrastructure, the new construction began on April 6. The ceremony was attended by the staff of the Centro Virgen Niña Association, the staff of the Don Bosco Popular Schools Network and the staff of the DyCOC construction company.

Manuela Quenta, director of the network, said a prayer of thanks to all the people who contributed to making this project happen. She also asked for the safety of the workers and the successful completion of the work, while adding thoughts for the children who will benefit from this center and see their dreams begin to take shape.

“Children living in poverty with a disability are even less likely to attend school when compared to their peers,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth with disabilities have the same ability to achieve as their peers if given the opportunity. Salesian missionaries in programs around the globe initiate projects that pave the way for advanced research, learning and innovation that aid inclusion of people with disabilities.”

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) Two new classrooms and a corridor have been added through a construction project at the Topater School in the city of El Alto, Bolivia. The project was part of the “Strengthening the Topater Educational Unit” initiative launched by Salesian Father Luis Adolfo Tórrez Sanjinés, national director of the Don Bosco Popular Schools in the country.

The project was financed by the Dr. Werner and Helga Göppel Foundation, in cooperation with the Don Bosco Mission Bonn. The Topater School serves more than 1,000 students in kindergarten, elementary and middle school. The new classrooms will provide more space to meet the needs of a growing student population.

Dr. Omar Ramos Huayllani, director of the Topater School, thanked donors and supporters of the project for the new classrooms. During the event, a small group of first graders attended the handover ceremony in compliance with all COVID-19 safety measures.

“Many poor and disadvantaged youth fall through the cracks and lack the basic education they deserve,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian schools help level the playing field and ensure that all children have equal access to education. Expanding the Topater School ensures that more youth will be able to attend school and start on a solid path of achieving their goals.”

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries offer schools and social development programs across Bolivia to ensure youth have access to education and hope for a brighter future. In Santa Cruz, the largest city and capital of the Santa Cruz department, Salesian centers have been developed and expanded to meet the needs of the local population.

The Don Bosco Project, which launched in November 1991, acts as a hub to help coordinate activities among several local Salesian-run programs including Hogar Don Bosco, Mano Amiga, Patio Don Bosco and Techo Pinardi. The project provides comprehensive rehabilitation and vocational training programs that bring social inclusion and meaningful employment to its students.

Every year Santa Cruz attracts youth who leave the difficult life of the rural highlands in search of new opportunities. The Don Bosco Project ensures these youth and others have access to emergency shelter, clothing and nutritious meals. The project also brings together psychologists, social workers, healthcare staff and teachers who work together to address the needs of almost 2,000 children who access primary and secondary schooling and vocational education.

There are several ways youth connect with the programs provided through the Don Bosco Project. A free overnight shelter brings youth in off the streets and connects them with adults who show genuine concern and offer support. The shelter provides a safe environment, nutritious meals and a support network that can be life changing.

A daytime program is also available for youth who are ready to escape their current situations and explore new opportunities. Salesian staff offer tutoring to help youth catch up on basic studies and return to school as well as information on specific trades. In addition, there are opportunities for participation in sports and other constructive group activities.

Nearly every child that comes to Hogar Don Bosco has experienced challenging life circumstances. Hogar Don Bosco ensures youth receive a good education and live in an environment that’s conducive to focusing on their studies. The center also helps young people build a solid foundation of values and morals in life, as well as provides a sense of family support.

Salesian missionaries have other programs in Santa Cruz including the La Muyurina Agriculture School and La Floresta Parish. In San Carlos and Sagrado Corazón, Salesian missionaries have many smaller communities within the vast territory, which is rural and focused mainly on agriculture. In Yapacani, there is also a boarding school run by five Colombian volunteers, founded by a Colombian priest who was inspired by Don Bosco.

Despite all the work that needs to be done and the many problems that the country is experiencing, the commitment of Salesian missionaries remains. Father Vicente Brunelli, who has worked for 33 years as a Salesian missionary in Bolivia, said, “It has been a difficult 33 years, in which there have been sorrows and failures. Every now and then, I get discouraged. But then I recover, holding a precious keepsake. It is a piece of paper with the writing of a child that says, ‘That I lack everything, but not you.’ I listen again to the usual refrain of my good guardian angel to never renounce or give up on your dreams of giving a smile and hope to so many unfortunate children, everywhere, from one continent to the other.”

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to the World Bank, the poverty rate was 35 percent in 2018. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) The village of Kami, nestled high in the Andes Mountains in Bolivia, faces extreme isolation from the rest of the country. A persistently cold climate, coupled with negative health effects faced by residents due to the tungsten mining industry that drives the local economy, make for harsh living conditions. Residents of Kami have an average life expectancy of just 40 years. Before Salesian missionaries first arrived in the village in 1977, illiteracy rates were extremely high.

With the exception of mining, the sole source of income and sustenance for families in Kami was through farming. And while water in the village was mostly available, electricity was not. Without electricity to power the local school or hospital or to support new business enterprises, the village seemed destined to remain in poverty.

In 2016, Salesian Father Serafino Chiesa, in collaboration with other nongovernmental organizations and volunteer groups, worked to connect the village of Kami to Bolivia’s national power grid. They did this by using refurbished turbines to supply light and technology to students, improve medical care to patients and power to a new sawmill facility and other businesses. They even had enough excess energy to enable residents to sell it back to the Bolivian Electricity Board. Kami is now beginning to finance its own sustainable development projects and faces a much brighter future

Today the plant employs several people and has grown to supply energy to the Salesian mission and the village, and even enables Salesians to sell the surplus production to the Bolivian state itself. The final part of the hydroelectric network is now nearing completion, thanks to the tenacity of Fr. Chiesa who has spent his life gaining the many skills necessary to develop such an incredible project.

The final part of the project consists of the construction of a tunnel but challenges persist. In a recent letter, Fr. Chiesa explained how the construction of a tunnel is challenging because on one side there is water that floods the tunnel, and on the other, there is the constant risk of falling rocks. Fr. Chiesa explained, “In short, we are late with the finalization of the network, but we are alive and stubbornly convinced of moving forward.”

In the meantime, however, an encampment has been set up with a kitchen, bathrooms and dormitories for the workers. Work is also being done on the maintenance of the machines and trucks. Some vehicles, such as a bulldozer with 25 years of service already on record, always have new troubles.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to the World Bank, the poverty rate was 35 percent in 2018. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run Radio-Television Ichilo, based in the municipality of Yapacaní in the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, was attacked on Nov. 10 by a violent group linked to the government of former President Evo Morales.

The attack occurred in the early morning hours after the announcement of the president’s resignation. During the attack, radio facilities were looted, equipment was destroyed and the offices on the first floor were burned.

Radio Ichilo, as it’s known, has been operating for 38 years and is one of the most important radio stations in the region. It’s known for its social commitment and service to those living in conditions of poverty, along with working-class organizations. Since 1992, the radio station has also been broadcasting a television channel, which complemented the radio broadcast.

The radio station was founded by Salesian Father Aquilino Libralon, working in collaboration with six youth from the local parish. The radio station did a great deal of pastoral work in the community and was able to foster social connections and help immigrant families arriving in the region from other provinces in Bolivia.

The destruction of the Salesian radio and television station is a violent response in opposition to the Salesian community and how it provides information in the most truthful and objective way possible. It is an attack that goes directly against the indigenous communities of the region.

The General Councilor for Social Communication of the Salesians, Father Filiberto González, said in a statement: “We deeply regret this vandalism which destroyed Salesian Radio Ichilo. We reject all acts of violence that hinder dialogue and threaten social peace and the right to democracy. We express our solidarity to all of the Salesians and the staff of Radio Ichilo and to the network of Salesian radio stations in Bolivia, whose professional ethics are well known. They are authentic informants of truth and justice in the service of those who have no voice. Thank you for your testimony and your conviction as communicators in the service of peace and democracy.”

Salesian missionaries provide education and social programs across Bolivia that are tailored to meet the needs of poor youth and their families. From primary and secondary education to technical and vocational skills training, Salesian educational centers are ensuring youth are able to gain the skills needed to find and retain stable employment.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to UNICEF, 60 percent of Bolivians live below the poverty line with 40 percent of those living in extreme poverty. The poverty rate is higher in rural areas where the rate increases to 75 percent of the population. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities.

The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure in place, negatively impacting the indigenous farming populations who typically live there.

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BOLIVIA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian educational center Don Bosco El Prado in La Paz, Bolivia, has been impacted by the recent political and social protests in the region. On Nov. 6, the Salesian center had to close after police detonated five tear gas grenades inside the school, putting the safety of everyone, including the close to 1,000 students, teachers and administrative staff, at risk.

The students, who were going about their normal educational activities, experienced moments of anxiety and confusion caused by the tear gas. Hours later, the Red Cross and the local fire brigade arrived to address what looked like a possible fire inside the educational institution.

“It is something incredible, unbelievable. Anything could have happened due to the chaos that then arose, in addition to the damage caused by the gases. We had to wonder who the security forces were giving security to,” said Father José Iriarte, director of the center.

The social protests in Bolivia are increasing and heightening in intensity, report Salesian missionaries on the ground. The protest started after the disputed Oct. 20 elections, which established the incumbent President Evo Morales as the winner. But the opposition rejected the result, denouncing the elections as manipulated.

The protests started in the country’s main cities and have continued on in other smaller cities and towns. On Facebook, the Catholic Archdiocese of La Paz left a statement: “Before the tense situation in the city center, we launch a call for special attention from educational institutions, especially regarding the use of chemical agents. This afternoon this happened in the Don Bosco Educational Unit El Prado. We don’t want violence, we are grieved to show these images that affect our children, where they normally follow the lessons. We pray for peace in Bolivia.”

The archdiocese is facing backlash now from the Bolivian government and is defending itself against accusations that it is promoting protests. The situation in Bolivia is not very different from the wave of protests that are affecting various Latin American countries. Salesians missionaries, in addition to always being close to the people who are suffering, are seeking to promote paths of dialogue and peace.

Salesian missionaries provide education and social programs across Bolivia that are tailored to meet the needs of poor youth and their families. From primary and secondary education to technical and vocational skills training, Salesian educational centers are ensuring youth are able to gain the skills needed to find and retain stable employment.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to UNICEF, 60 percent of Bolivians live below the poverty line with 40 percent of those living in extreme poverty. The poverty rate is higher in rural areas where the rate increases to 75 percent of the population. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities.

The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure in place, negatively impacting the indigenous farming populations who typically live there.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Bolivia – Social outbreaks also affect Salesian works

Salesian Missions – Bolivia

UNICEF – Bolivia

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The 2016 theme for International Women’s Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality.” This year the U.N is reflecting on how to accelerate and build momentum for the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its new commitments under the UN Women’s Step It Up initiative. This new initiative asks governments to make national commitments that will close the gender equality gap – from laws and policies to national action plans and adequate investments.

Some key targets of the 2030 Agenda include: ensuring that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes; ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation; and eliminating all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

“On this International Women’s Day, I remain outraged by the denial of rights to women and girls – but I take heart from the people everywhere who act on the secure knowledge that women’s empowerment leads to society’s advancement. Let us devote solid funding, courageous advocacy and unbending political will to achieving gender equality around the world. There is no greater investment in our common future.”— UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon’s statement on International Women’s Day.

Salesian missionaries living and working in more than 130 countries around the globe are focused on achieving gender equality through programs targeted specifically for young women and girls. These programs strive to empower young women and girls by providing opportunities for education and training that lead to livable wage employment.

“Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “It is very important for girls to attend school and gain an education. Girls that are empowered though education are more often able to achieve financial independence, marry at an older age and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

In honor of International Women’s Day, Salesian Missions is proud to share some of its programs around the globe that empower young women and girls.

BOLIVIA

Started in 1992, the Casa Maín girl’s home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, provides shelter, nutritious meals and schooling for girls and young women with little access to education and those who were once living on the streets. Currently, there are more than 160 girls living and being educated at the home. Casa Maín is comprised of three houses and the girls are divided among them by age. The youngest girls, attending elementary school, live together in one house supported by several volunteer students from the secondary school. A second house provides shelter and peer support for girls attending secondary school while a third house is for young women attending the local university. The university students enjoy a setting that allows them to finish their degrees in higher education in a stable environment while learning how to live independently.

In addition to academic classes, the young women and girls at the home learn skills in communication and conflict management. Additional classes in dance, gymnastics and crafts are provided in the evenings and on weekends. Recently, the organization offered a three-week technology workshop to teach the girls basic computer skills including typing, word processing and drawing.

INDIA

Women from the slums of Mumbai, a densely populated city on India’s west coast, graduated from a Salesian-run 45-day skills training course. The women took courses in basic computing, English, tailoring, garment making, beauty care, hair dressing and mehndi (henna) application. The goal of the training was to help participants become better prepared for employment.

The Don Bosco Development Society in Mumbai which works to empower women in poverty to gain the skills and confidence they need to seek work, facilitated the training. For many of the participants, this was the first time they received educational training since the basic education they received when they were young. Salesian missionaries conducting the program modeled it after Skill India, an initiative by the Government of India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. After the course was completed, many of the students noted that through the course they gained a sense of self-worth that they had not had before. They also felt that the skills and confidence they gained would enable them to earn a living and support their families.

SENEGAL

Center Kër Don Bosco officially opened at the end of January in Dakar, the capital and largest city in Senegal. The new center provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women living in the Yoff district on the outskirts of the city.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

SIERRA LEONE

Salesians at Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone, have been running a Girls Shelter for the past two years. Here, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Those that access services at the shelter are also able to enroll in educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network. These programs train young women in the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

As part of the rehabilitation program at the Girls Shelter, young women take coursework in hotel management, hairdressing and tailoring. This training helps to empower them to overcome the discrimination they have faced, gain a greater awareness of their rights and boost their work prospects. It also helps to build character while allowing the young women the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives and their health. Recently, both the trainers and the students in these programs were able to present their skills and products to the general public at an exhibition in Freetown.

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Sources:

International Women’s Day 2016

UN – International Women’s Day 2016

The post INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights Women’s Education, Empowerment Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In February, Salesian educators from across the country met at the Salesian House in Cochabamba, a city in central Bolivia, to discuss educational priorities and training needs, assess the current educational resources available and to develop new programs for pastoral work, schools for families and pedagogical work. More than 130 Salesian educators participated in the meeting.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system and we are dedicated to providing the support and training they need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The value of strong teachers can be seen in the accomplishments of youth that graduate from their classes. Salesian missionaries believe that access to education is critical to help youth learn job skills, improve their lives and find a path out of poverty.”

One successful Salesian program in the capital city of Santa Cruz is the Don Bosco Project which offers a safe haven for homeless children with nowhere else to turn. The goal of the project is to provide comprehensive rehabilitation and vocational training opportunities that bring social inclusion and meaningful employment to students. Extending beyond providing emergency shelter, clothing and nutritious meals, the project brings together psychologists, social workers, medical staff and teachers to address the needs of the more than 700 youth who access the program.

“This work is more important now than ever,” says Fr. Hyde. “The number of children living on the streets of Bolivia has reached crisis levels. Without our help, poor youth fall through the cracks of a society bent on pushing them aside and the cycle of poverty and hopelessness continues.”

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to UNICEF, 60 percent of Bolivians live below the poverty line with 40 percent of those living in extreme poverty. The poverty rate is higher in rural areas where the rate increases to 75 percent of the population. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities.

The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure in place, negatively impacting the indigenous farming populations who typically live there. Only half of rural children complete primary school and many others leave school to help support their families, according to UNICEF. There are others who are left homeless by parents who cannot afford to care for them and those who leave their homes to escape violence.

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Sources:

ANS – Bolivia – Don Bosco Schools serve thousands and thousands of young people

UNICEF – Bolivia

The post BOLIVIA: Salesian Missionaries Educate 80,000 Youth in 230 Salesian Schools and Educational Programs in Bolivia first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to USAID, the lead U.S. government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential, there are more than 62 million girls around the globe who are not in school. Many families cannot afford school fees and others send their daughters to work at a young age instead. As a girl ages, the fight to get an education becomes progressively more difficult. USAID notes that in the developing world, one in seven girls is married before her 15th birthday. Girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to marry as children compared to girls who have little or no education.

For those who are able to attend school, the walk to and from school is often unsafe. Around the world, 246 million children experience gender‐based violence at or on their way to school every year. A report released by the United Nations Human Rights Council noted that attacks on schools occurred in at least 70 countries between 2009‐2014, and that approximately 3,600 attacks against schools, teachers and students were recorded in 2012 alone.

“Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “It is very important for girls to attend school and gain an education. Girls that are empowered though education are more often able to achieve financial independence, marry at an older age and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

In honor of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs around the globe that empower and educate young women and girls.

BOLIVIA

Started in 1992, the Casa Maín girl’s home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, provides shelter, nutritious meals and schooling for girls and young women with little access to education and those who were once living on the streets. Currently, there are more than 160 girls living and being educated at the home. Casa Maín is comprised of three houses and the girls are divided among them by age. The youngest girls, attending elementary school, live together in one house supported by several volunteer students from the secondary school. A second house provides shelter and peer support for girls attending secondary school while a third house is for young women attending the local university.

The university students enjoy a setting that allows them to finish their degrees in a stable environment while learning how to live independently. In addition to academic classes, the young women and girls at the home learn skills in communication and conflict management. Additional classes in dance, gymnastics and crafts are provided in the evenings and on weekends. Most recently, the organization offered a three-week technology workshop to teach the girls basic computer skills including typing, word processing and drawing.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

In the Dominican Republic, women striving for a better life can access support services through the “Madres Project” in Santo Domingo. This project addresses the root causes that force children to live on the streets. By teaching mothers skills that enable them to earn a living wage and improve their living conditions, their children become more likely to stay at home and off the streets. Made possible through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the International Volunteer Movement for Development, the program offers women complete courses in literacy, post-literacy, health care and computer skills with each training module including lessons in human rights. Salesians in Santo Domingo also operate a training program for youth in the poorest areas of the city called “Boys and Girls with Don Bosco.”

INDIA

In the state of Tamil Nadu, India, the Salesian “New Beginnings” program helps to educate Sri Lankan refugees while giving their families the chance to achieve stability in their new country. The program offers technical and vocational courses and skill training as well as job placement support to aid refugees in finding employment.

For women with children who are unable to leave the refugee camp and attend traditional classes, a special program has been developed within the camp. Through it, women receive training in skills such as jewelry making and sewing and are also provided entrepreneurial workshops. In addition, they are eligible for financial assistance to start up new businesses where they can use their new skills while continuing to take care of their families. One such business is a cooperative that utilizes sewing machines and equipment financed through a micro-credit program. To date, close to 2,500 refugees have received vocational training scholarships through the program and 550 women are benefiting from the refugee camp-based small business incubator program. In addition, Salesian missionaries are currently serving 550 individuals by providing vocational training through a network of nine Salesian-run Don Bosco schools spread across Southeast India.

MEXICO

Salesians working in Mexico City, Mexico, are directing their efforts toward the country’s at-risk population, including girls and mothers living on the streets. Innovative programs are preventing poor youth from dropping out of school and are providing them important educational and training opportunities. Through the “Yolia” program, girls and young women are able to spend their days at a Salesian center in the city where they can have meals, receive tutoring, obtain therapy and learn job skills such as jewelry making and hair styling. Some girls choose the residential program where they receive additional education and services while gaining a renewed sense of dignity and self-worth.

SIERRA LEONE

Salesians at Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone, have been running a Girls Shelter for the past three years. Here, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Those that access services at the shelter are also able to enroll in educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network and which train them in the skills necessary to find and retain employment. The training helps to empower them to overcome the discrimination they have faced and gain a greater awareness of their rights. It also helps to build character while allowing the girls and young women the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives, improve their health and boost their work prospects.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

United Nations Human Rights Council Report: Attacks on Girls February 2015

UN Women – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

USAID – Let Girls Learn

The post GLOBAL: Salesian Missions Highlights Girls Education and Empowerment Programs for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Every year since 2002, the International Labor Organization facilitates World Day Against Child Labor on June 12 to focus attention on the global extent of child labor and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. The day brings together governments and employers, workers and civil society organizations as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child laborers.

Each World Day Against Child Labor focuses on a particular theme with this year’s theme being, “No to Child Labor, Yes to Quality Education.” It will focus on free, compulsory and quality education for all children to at least the minimum age for admission to employment as well as action to reach those presently in child labor including new efforts to ensure that national policies on child labor and education are consistent and effective and policies that ensure access to quality education and investment in the teaching profession are in place.

The International Labor Organization’s World Report on Child Labour 2015: Paving the way to decent work for young people notes that 168 million children are engaged in illegal forms of labor, mostly in the informal economy and agriculture. Eighty-five million of these children work in severely hazardous conditions. Several million more are victims of forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation and other illicit activities.

According to the report, child labor is associated with lower educational attainment and future jobs that fail to meet basic decent work criteria. Those who leave school early are less likely to secure stable jobs and are at greater risk of chronic unemployment and poverty. The majority of those who have left school early, particularly between the ages of 15 and 17, are engaged in work that is hazardous and classified as the worst forms of child labor.

“Children who are compelled to work, even for a fraction of the day, are deprived of the education they need to learn valuable skills that lead to stable employment later in life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Unfortunately, in many situations, children are being forced to work around the clock with barely enough time to eat, let alone study, and their prospects in life are diminished.”

In honor of World Day Against Child Labor 2015, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight a few of the Salesian programs around the globe that help to eliminate child labor through quality education.

BOLIVIA

Started in 1992, the Casa Maín girl’s home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, provides shelter, nutritious meals and schooling for girls and young women with little access to education and those who were once living on the streets. Currently, there are more than 160 girls living and being educated at the home. Casa Maín is comprised of three houses and the girls are divided among them by age. The youngest girls, attending elementary school, live together in one house supported by several volunteer students from the secondary school. A second house provides shelter and peer support for girls attending secondary school while a third house is for young women attending the local university.

The university students enjoy a setting that allows them to finish their degrees in higher education in a stable environment while learning how to live independently. In addition to academic classes, the young women and girls at the home learn skills in communication and conflict management. Additional classes in dance, gymnastics and crafts are provided in the evenings and on weekends. Most recently, the organization offered a three-week technology workshop to teach the girls basic computer skills including typing, word processing and drawing.

INDIA

India has the largest number of child laborers under the age of 14 in the world, according to UNICEF. Many are engaged in dangerous occupations and live on the streets. As part of Operation Smile, a month long program initiated by India’s Home Ministry, more than 200 children engaged in child labor in Hyderabad, the capital of the southern Indian state of Telangana, were rescued and placed with Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Navajeevan, a home for street and working children. According to Salesian reports, the children were rescued by city police in an apartment building where they were engaged in child labor for the bangle manufacturing industry. The children were being paid very low wages, forced to work long hours and forbidden from leaving their place of work. Further, their work exposed them to chemicals and hazardous working conditions.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. Once youth are brought to Salesian-run centers they receive shelter, food and clothing. Salesian programs for the rescued youth focus on education and life skills training to help them break the cycle of poverty in order to lead productive lives free from abuse and forced labor. In addition, supplementary classes cater to those who have missed school and have fallen behind academically. This necessary extra assistance enables them to enter back into mainstream schools.

ETHIOPIA

The Bosco Children Project in Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, has established a new orientation program called “Come and See” which serves close to 30 boys who are living on the streets. Every morning the boys are picked up by bus and taken to the center where they work, play sports and attend classes in reading and writing. They also receive life skills training on social morality, civic responsibility, hygiene and professional ethics. In the evening, the boys return to the streets. The goal is to provide street children with enough information and support to help them make the decision to enroll in the three year regular education course offered by the program.

If a boy is ready to enter the three-year course, he is provided a place to live in a Salesian-run youth hostel. His basic needs are provided for while he attends school and learns a trade. Salesian missionaries operating the Bosco Children Project also provide workforce development services to help students with the transition from the classroom into stable employment. Some boys choose to continue on with their studies at university. For those who have families, missionaries offer assistance reconnecting them with their families and settling them into school in their home villages. When needed, financial assistance is offered to enable boys to continue their education.

KENYA

The Salesian-run Bosco Boys program provides education and technical skills training to former street children in Nairobi, Kenya and is currently serving more than 600 boys and girls in primary and secondary schools and universities. The program also operates two nursery schools in the slums of Kariua and Kuwinda.

Youth living in Nairobi’s slums are at-risk for exploitation, forced labor and other abuses. Few attend the later stages of school as compared to those living in Kenya’s more rural areas. The few schools serving this disadvantaged community are beyond the financial means of most families. UNICEF noted that while Kenya has free and compulsory education, youth in poverty still cannot afford to attend school resulting in close to 90 percent of children from poor households failing to complete their basic education. The Bosco Boys program provides education and workforce development opportunities. Students in the program who complete their primary education are assisted with secondary education or are advised to choose technical training in sister institutions. The secondary education is most often provided at Don Bosco Technical Secondary School, Embu, but can also be at another school close to a student’s home where they can be easily monitored.

In addition to the education provided, youth in the program are given professional counseling to help them overcome any difficulties they may face in their lives. The program also gives youth the tools to develop a positive healthy outlook on life and the education and training necessary to find stable employment.

In addition to the education provided, youth in the program are given professional counseling to help them overcome any difficulties they may face in their lives. The program also gives youth the tools to develop a positive healthy outlook on life and the education and training necessary to find stable employment.

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Sources:

World Day Against Child Labor

International Labour Organization – New ILO study points to the long-term impact of child labour

The post WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOR: Salesian Missions Reports on Efforts to Eliminate Child Labor around the Globe first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This year’s theme, “Make It Happen,” celebrates the achievements of women while calling for greater equality and effective action for advancing and recognizing women.

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, senior United Nations (UN) officials highlighted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago that set the agenda for realizing women’s rights. While the UN noted that there have been many gains in education and healthcare for women, there is still a long way to go.

“We must acknowledge that the gains have been too slow and uneven, and that we must do far more to accelerate progress everywhere,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in a statement on International Women’s Day. “From Nigeria and Somalia to Iraq and Syria, the bodies of women have been transformed into battlegrounds. Women have been attacked for trying to exercise their right to education and basic services; they have been raped and turned into sex slaves; they have been given as prizes to fighters, or traded among extremist groups in trafficking networks.”

Salesian missionaries living and working in more than 130 countries around the globe are focused on achieving gender equality though education and workforce development programs targeted specifically for young women and girls. These programs strive to empower young women and girls by providing opportunities for education and training that lead to livable wage employment.

“Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “It is very important for girls to attend school and gain an education. Girls that are empowered though education are more often able to achieve financial independence, marry at an older age and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

In honor of International Women’s Day, Salesian Missions is proud to share some of its programs around the globe that empower young women and girls.

BOLIVIA

Started in 1992, the Casa Maín girl’s home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, provides shelter, nutritious meals and schooling for girls and young women with little access to education and those who were once living on the streets. Currently, there are more than 160 girls living and being educated at the home. Casa Maín is comprised of three houses and the girls are divided among them by age. The youngest girls, attending elementary school, live together in one house supported by several volunteer students from the secondary school. A second house provides shelter and peer support for girls attending secondary school while a third house is for young women attending the local university.

The university students enjoy a setting that allows them to finish their degrees in higher education in a stable environment while learning how to live independently. In addition to academic classes, the young women and girls at the home learn skills in communication and conflict management. Additional classes in dance, gymnastics and crafts are provided in the evenings and on weekends. Most recently, the organization offered a three-week technology workshop to teach the girls basic computer skills including typing, word processing and drawing.

ECUADOR

The Salesian Polytechnic University which started in 1994 and has campuses in Cuenca, Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador, provides education to more than 35 indigenous students, many of whom are women. These students are taking degree coursework in communications, biotechnology, management and leadership and psychology.

The Salesian Polytechnic University provides educational programs in biology, social science and human behavior, education, science and technology, animal science, literature, administration and finance and religion. Many students attending the university take part in hands-on research and job training in addition to traditional coursework. In addition to offering classroom lessons, the University has become a place for the meeting of cultures and the exchange of knowledge for both students and teachers. It offers real opportunities for education and progress for disadvantaged youth coming from indigenous communities.

INDIA

In the state of Tamil Nadu, India, the Salesian “New Beginnings” program helps to educate Sri Lankan refugees while giving their families the chance to achieve stability in their new country. The program offers technical and vocational courses and skill training as well as job placement support to aid refugees in finding employment.

For women with children who are unable to leave the refugee camp and attend traditional classes, a special program has been developed within the camp. Through it, women receive training in skills such as jewelry-making and sewing and are also provided entrepreneurial workshops. In addition, they are eligible for financial assistance to start up new businesses where they can use their new skills while continuing to take care of their families. One such business is a cooperative that utilizes sewing machines and equipment financed through a micro-credit program. To date, close to 2,500 refugees have received vocational training scholarships through the program and 550 women are benefiting from the refugee camp-based small business incubator program. In addition, Salesian missionaries are currently serving 550 individuals by providing vocational training through a network of nine Salesian-run Don Bosco schools spread across Southeast India.

SENEGAL

Center Kër Don Bosco officially opened at the end of January in Dakar, the capital and largest city in Senegal. The new center will provide education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women living in the Yoff district on the outskirts of the city.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

SIERRA LEONE

Salesians at Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone, have been running a Girls Shelter for the past two years. Here, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Those that access services at the shelter are also able to enroll in educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network. These programs train young women in the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

As part of the rehabilitation program at the Girls Shelter, young women take coursework in hotel management, hairdressing and tailoring. This training helps to empower them to overcome the discrimination they have faced, gain a greater awareness of their rights and boost their work prospects. It also helps to build character while allowing the young women the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives and their health. Recently, both the trainers and the students in these programs were able to present their skills and products to the general public at an exhibition in Freetown.

Sources

International Women’s Day

United Nations – On International Women’s Day, UN urges more action to achieve gender equality

The post INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Salesian Missionaries Focus on Gender Equality Providing Young Women Education and Workforce Development Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The goal of the workshop was to help young girls learn some basic computer and technology skills to benefit them in their current studies and help them prepare for future employment.

“Educating young girls in current technology is more important now than ever,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Women and young girls face disadvantages and many barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence.”

“Because Salesian missionaries are already living and working directly in many communities they are able to effect change from the inside rather than being viewed as outsiders. They are able to educate community leaders about the importance of gender equality and the benefits of girls’ education for the whole community,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Started in 1992, the Casa Maín girl’s home provides shelter, nutritious meals and schooling for young girls with little access to education and those who were once living on the streets. Currently, there are more than 160 girls living and being educated at the home. Casa Maín is comprised of three houses and the girls are divided among them by age. The youngest girls, attending elementary school, live together in one house supported by several volunteer students from the secondary school. A second house provides shelter and peer support for girls attending secondary school while a third house is for young women attending the local university.

The university students enjoy a setting that allows them to finish their degrees in higher education in a stable environment while learning how to live independently. In addition to academic classes, the young women and girls at the home learn skills in communication and conflict management. Additional classes in dance, gymnastics and crafts are provided in the evenings and on weekends.

“There may be many barriers to overcome in providing girls and young women the same educational and workforce advantages as boys, but there is also huge potential,” says Fr. Hyde. “Young girls that are able to gain an education are empowered and can lead a life of financial independence, often marry at an older age and tend to make better and healthier choices that affect not only their lives but their families and communities as well.”

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and also has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to UNICEF, 60 percent of Bolivians live below the poverty line with 40 percent of those living in extreme poverty. The poverty rate is higher in rural areas where the rate increases to 75 percent of the population. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities.

The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure in place, negatively impacting the indigenous farming populations who typically live there. Only half of rural children complete primary school and many others leave school to help support their families, according to UNICEF. There are others who are left homeless by parents who cannot afford to care for them and those who leave their homes to escape violence.

Through a combination of outreach, tutoring, technical training and school programs, Salesian missionaries living and working in Bolivia work to support the many homeless and poor youth throughout the country.

Sources

UNICEF – Bolivia

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Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesians in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesians focus the majority of their programs on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Through the Don Bosco Woodcarvers Cooperative of Chacas, young men have the opportunity to become skilled craftsmen. Each year, the cooperative admits 25 new students from impoverished backgrounds who want to advance their education and learn the woodcarving trade. Some of the students have been orphaned and many others are living in farming communities on family farms with little land, few animals and limited opportunities.

“Every young person deserves a chance to have a better life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This program helps young men who have very limited future prospects for stable employment and provides them the education and skills necessary to escape conditions of poverty. They are then able to help their families and communities.”

The cooperative provides a free five-year residential education program, recognized by the government, which includes high school education and job training. In addition to traditional academic classes, the cooperative education teaches students to paint and work with glass, wood, metal and stone. In the third year of the program, each student chooses a specialty. Upon graduation, a tool chest of saws, hammers, chisels and other equipment is given to each graduate who then may choose to start his own business or become a member of the cooperative.

Currently, 650 woodcarvers in 10 different areas of the Andes belong to the cooperative. Some of the furniture created is donated to poor families in need in the area. Additional work is exported throughout South America, Italy and the United States. According to a recent Catholic News Service article, the young men in the cooperative are paid according to the number of pieces they finish per month. On average, the woodcarvers earn 1,200 soles (US$430) with more experienced and skilled graduates earning 2,000 soles. That amount, according to the article, is on par with what a teacher or a medical technician earns in the region.

The cooperative was started in the Peruvian Andes in 1979 by Italian Salesian Father Ugo De Censi and is part of Operatión Mato Grosso, an organization composed primarily of young Italians who volunteer time to help the very poor in Peru, Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia.

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Sources:

Catholic News Services – High in the Andes, Peruvian artisans create sacred art

Operación Mato Grosso

World Bank – Peru

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An estimated 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related causes. Close to 99 percent of those deaths occur in developing countries with children being most at risk—a child dies from a water-related illness every 21 seconds. Each day worldwide, an estimated 4,100 children under the age of five die from diarrhea and 2,350 more die from malnutrition due to dirty water, inadequate sanitation and hygiene.

Women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households. For women, particularly those that are head of households, this is time spent away from income-generating jobs and caring for family members. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it. Many of these children are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has made building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian programs help vulnerable youth and others living in poverty. The charity is appealing for donations to support this important initiative.

“The poorest children have the least access to safe water and adequate sanitation and they pay the highest price,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “From helping to ensure our communities have access to clean water for drinking and agriculture to helping build a hydro-electric power station, Salesian missionaries working in 132 countries around the globe are committed to focusing on clean water and sanitation projects to ensure clean water access for those we serve.”

Salesian Missions has a long history of developing special infrastructure projects that help communities in need. In addition to building hospitals, schools and youth centers, Salesians have already helped communities which lack clean water, sanitation and electricity. From new water wells in countries throughout Africa to a hydro-electrical station in Bolivia, Salesian Missions and its partners are bringing hope to many communities.

“This is not new work for Salesian programs around the globe,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We have carried out clean water projects in many countries but this is a renewed commitment to these initiatives because access to clean water is essential for the health of those we serve. It is also important for youth to be in school gaining an education and laying the foundation for a productive life instead of being forced to search for water.”

To give to the Salesian Missions Clean Water Initiative, to to SalesianMissions.org.

Some examples of Salesian Missions clean water projects:

BRAZIL
To address serious water issues resulting from pesticide pollution in a remote area of western Brazil, Salesian Missions worked with members of the Xavante and Bororo Indian communities to obtain clean water from previously inaccessible areas. To do so, they first created wells and designed a mobile drilling truck. To create power, they invented and patented a seesaw pump that would draw water from the depths of the well as children were playing. Now, solar panels are used. The result is reduced risk of disease, access to potable water, improved infrastructure and expanded farming. The endeavor began as an immediate response to a community crisis but has become a well-organized project that ensures the growth of two indigenous groups.

CAMBODIA
Salesians have a long history of working with poor youth in Cambodia. Continuing this work, the Don Bosco Technical School in Kep Province built a new Mary Help of Youth Water Tower as part of a Water System Project at the school that was made possible by donors through Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany. Its construction will guarantee water for this large educational community for years to come. Most people in the region utilize well water and this tower, constructed by a group of volunteers, will go significantly deeper than the average well and has two reserve tanks to hold additional water. Using green technologies, the water pump is generated by installed solar panels.

ETHIOPIA
A project started in 2011 by Salesians and International Voluntary Service for Development volunteers was responsible for digging five wells in the Gambella area of Ethiopia. The wells are operated by a hand pump and are between 50 and 60 meters deep, guaranteeing water to local villages that will benefit close to 1,200 people. To ensure that the wells last as long as possible, a village committee has been set up to oversee their management and maintenance.

INDIA
Safe drinking water is essential for child survival. In India, progress has been made with 84.5 percent of rural and 95 percent of urban populations having sustainable access to safe drinking water, according to the World Bank. At the Don Bosco Center for Learning in Kurla, a new training facility focuses on job training in developing technologies concerning water, ranging from plumbing and sanitation to developing efficient methods for utilization and analyzing existing systems for efficient transportation of water. The courses are designed to help youth, who had previously left school, enter the workforce.

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PHOTO: UNICEF

Sources:

Salesian Missions

Water.org

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The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure in place, negatively impacting the indigenous farming populations who typically live there. Only half of rural children complete primary school and many others leave school to help support their families, according to UNICEF. There are others who are left homeless by parents who cannot afford to care for them and those who leave their homes to escape violence.

With a combination of outreach, tutoring, technical training and school programs, Salesians in Bolivia have been working to support many homeless and poor youth throughout the country. One successful program in the capital city of Santa Cruz is the Don Bosco Project where Salesians offer a safe haven for homeless children with nowhere else to turn.

The goal of the Don Bosco Project is to provide comprehensive rehabilitation and vocational training programs that bring social inclusion and meaningful employment to their students. Extending beyond emergency shelter, clothing and nutritious meals, the project brings together psychologists, social workers, healthcare staff and teachers who work together to address the needs of the more than 700 youth who access the program.

“This work is more important now than ever,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The number of children living on the streets of Bolivia has reached crisis levels. Without our help, poor youth fall through the cracks of a society bent on pushing them aside and the cycle of poverty and hopelessness continues.”

There are a variety of ways to access services at the Don Bosco Project. A free overnight shelter brings youth in off the streets and connects them with adults who show genuine concern and offer support. The shelter provides a safe environment, nutritious meals and a support network that can be life-changing. A daytime program is also available for those youth ready to escape their current situation and explore new opportunities. Here, Salesian staff offer tutoring to help youth catch up on basic studies and return to school as well as information on specific trades. In addition, there are opportunities for participation in sports and other constructive group activities.

For young people aged 15 and older who have demonstrated a commitment to leaving the streets behind, there is the opportunity to study at the Michael Magone House. Here, youth learn trades such as carpentry, auto mechanics and hair dressing that lead to stable employment and provide the opportunity to escape poverty and give back to the students’ communities.

“Sometimes all youth need is an opportunity to see that life can be different,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The Don Bosco Project helps youth in Bolivia to see all that life has to offer and provides them the practical skills to leave life on the streets behind and connect with the educational and social resources to lead a more productive life.”

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Sources

Salesian Missions – Bolivia – Brighter Futures for Homeless Youth

UNICEF – Bolivia

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Every year since 1993, the international community celebrates World Water Day on March 22, which focuses attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The Theme for World Water Day 2013 (coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with UNECE and UNDESA on behalf of UN-Water) is ‘Water, water everywhere, only if we share.’

“Water holds the key to sustainable development,” says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in an address highlighting World Water Day 2013. “We must work together to protect and carefully manage this fragile, finite resource.”

In honor and celebration of World Water Day 2013, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs around the globe that provide safe water and much-needed agricultural training to those most in need.

BOLIVIA

In Bolivia, families now have access to safe drinking water in their homes through community water distribution projects. In the town of “19 de Agosto” in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the new distribution brings water directly to 106 families who previously had to carry potable water from the town well to their own homes. In addition, the distribution system greatly improves the sanitary conditions of the drinking water. In the town of “Las Parabas,” 50 families now have water distribution directly into their homes.

In another project, water helps power electricity that brings hope to the people of Kami, a village high in the Bolivian Andes. Through Salesian Missions, an abandoned hydro-electrical power station has been restarted to provide the only source of electricity to the local school, hospital, sawmill and new businesses. Refurbished turbines can be fully used even with a small supply of water in the dry season. Excess power can be sold to the Bolivian Electricity Board to defray costs. Now the community has access to technology in its school, better basic medical care, job opportunities and a brighter future for all.

EAST TIMOR

The Salesians are helping East Timor recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. One-third of the population faces food shortages and many of the schools have been destroyed.

At the Salesian agricultural school there, students learn theoretical agricultural methods and work on the college farm. Agricultural skills are also being taught in parish centers and schools. In Baucau, young people have set up a cooperative to plant rice on land owned by parishioners. When they started, they had no tools or machinery, just their bare hands. With assistance from Salesian Missions and AusAid, they were able to purchase hand plows, threshing and milling machines. A portion of the crop belongs to the workers, a portion goes to the landowners as rent and the rest is sold for profit.

INDIA

Child survival depends on safe drinking water. In India, progress has been made toward making access to safe drinking water more readily available with 84.5 percent of rural and 95 percent of urban populations having sustainable access to safe drinking water, according to the World Bank.

At the Don Bosco Center for Learning in Kurla, course work focuses on job training in developing technologies concerning water – ranging from plumbing and sanitation to developing efficient methods for utilization and analyzing existing systems for efficient transportation of water. The courses are designed for youth who have previously left school in order to help them enter the job market.

KENYA

In Kenya, agricultural training has made a significant difference at the Kakuma Refugee Camp. There, food security is enhanced by the demonstration farm which offers training in agriculture skills. It also produces fresh fruit and vegetables adding to the amount of food available to the refugees and inhabitants of the camp.

Agricultural skills are also an important component at the Bosco Boys Kuwinda facility. There, students receive training in the care of livestock including poultry, cows and pigs, as well as training in the vegetable gardens. Eggs and meat are sold from the farm to help support the project.

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Sources:

UN Water – World Water Day 2013

Salesian Missions

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“Founded on the values of solidarity and mutual trust, volunteerism transcends all cultural, linguistic and geographic boundaries,” said Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General in a statement about the day. “By giving their time and skills without expectation of material reward, volunteers themselves are uplifted by a singular sense of purpose.”

Through the years, International Volunteer Day has been used to focus on volunteer contributions to achieving Millennium Development Goals – a set of time-bound targets to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women.

In honor of International Volunteer Day, the Salesians highlight the important work accomplished by their Salesian Lay Missioners who are providing hope and a path out of poverty for youth around the globe.

Salesian lay missioners go above and beyond the typical volunteer assignment. They volunteer their time, but also give up the comforts of home to live and work among the impoverished, often sacrificing years of their lives.

“We live with the people and are part of the communities we serve,” says Adam Rudin, director of the Salesian Lay Missioner program. “We are with them day and night, sharing meals and stories. As they learn from us, we, in turn, learn from them.” He adds that all volunteers have conversational knowledge of the language spoken in the community. “A sense of humor and a spirit of sacrifice are also essential,” he adds.

On, the Salesians call attention to programs where their lay missioners have made a difference in the lives of youth.

Bolivia

Hogar María Auxiliadora is home to 45 girls between the ages of five and 18 years who have been orphaned, abandoned, or abused. Salesian Lay Missioners have been working there since 2006. Located in Itocta, the home is set in a rural community a half hour outside of the city of Cochabamba. Girls in the program have access to a safe, nurturing environment where they receive tutoring and education and are encouraged to develop their personal gifts and talents in art, dance, music and athletics.

Cambodia

Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for Girls is located in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. The Salesian Sisters began the school in 1993 in order to reach out to the most impoverished of the villages, as well as the city, to create successful jobs in secretarial and computer areas. Courses offered are computer, accounting, general office procedures, English, personal development and several others depending on teachers available. Salesian Lay Missioners normally teach English as well as offer up time to help in any way possible.

Ethiopia

The Salesians have been a presence at Don Bosco Soddo Catholic School since September 2009. Students at this school and youth center enjoy participating in a variety of clubs, including media, sports, life skills, history and school safety. Choirs and dance groups have been organized by volunteers. Students from other schools in grades seven through 10 are offered free tutorial classes after school to help them prepare for the national exams. About 150 youth are in the primary school and another 200 participate in the youth center.

India

Located in the Assam region of India, the Ferrando Rehabilitation Centre was recently established to assist youth who have a disability such as deafness or loss of a limb. The Salesian sisters work with the youth to help them reintegrate into society and lead a dignified life. Salesian Lay Missioners help in a variety of ways, teaching computer skills, dance, physical therapy and English to the students.

Sources:

Salesian Lay Missioners – Website

UN – International Volunteer Day

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World Food Day brings attention to the plight of the world’s hungry and undernourished and provides an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the complex solutions. This year’s theme is investing in agriculture for food security.

According to the UN report The State of Food Insecurity in the World, agricultural growth is particularly effective in reducing hunger and malnutrition. Most of the extreme poor depend on agriculture and related activities for a significant part of their livelihoods. Agricultural growth involving smallholders, especially women, will be most effective in reducing extreme poverty and hunger when it increases returns to labor and generates employment for the poor.

This World Food Day, Salesian Missions highlights Salesian agricultural programs, which include more than 90 agricultural schools around the globe.

BOLIVIA:

In Bolivia, training in agriculture practices inspires transformation of communities. At the Muriyana Agricultural School, more than 600 high school students and 100 advanced students are receiving training while learning to integrate their work into the local community. An estimated 20,000 people in the communities benefit directly from this program as a result of the school’s extension and community outreach programs.

ARGENTINA

In Argentina, the Salesian-run Pascual Gentilini Agricultural School celebrated its 85 year history teaching agricultural skills to poor youth. Today, the Agricultural School’s curriculum also includes lessons in community service, vegetable gardening, cooking, maintenance, music, annual crops, cultivation of tea, fruit farming, zootechnics, bee-keeping, cattle-raising, leadership training and social work. Agricultural technical training encompasses one to six years of study and the youth at the school are enthusiastic students, eager to learn modern methods of farming together with business management.

CAMBODIA

Two new agricultural schools were announced in 2009.

ECUADOR:

In Ecuador, through a microfinance credit program from Salesian Missions, indigenous and rural populations have access to funds for agricultural and microbusiness activities. Currently, 12,000 people are taking advantage of this opportunity in 85 different communities.

HAITI:

In Haiti, the Salesian Agricultural School in Cap-Haitien provides sought-after agricultural skills to more than 140 students who will contribute to the rebuilding of Haiti. Salesians are also working to develop programs that aid community development and contribute to the advancing of opportunities for the poor and underserved. Recently, Salesians proposed a project which included enhancing food security by improving agricultural production and productivity in agriculture schools in Fort Liberté, as well as Cap Haitien and Gressier.

RWANDA:

In Rwanda, food insecurity is a major issue, according to the World Food Program. At least 22 percent of households (2.2 million people) are food-insecure, and another 24 percent are highly vulnerable to food insecurity. Today, Salesian Missions includes agriculture in its vocational training programs – to ensure that youth of Rwanda learn better agricultural practices as well as keep the school self-sustaining in the face of the country’s food shortages.

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(MissionNewswire) International Women’s Day—created by the United Nations and celebrated by organizations and countries around the globe—is observed each year on March 8.

According to the United Nations, “it is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.”

It is also a day for celebrating organizations and people who work year round to empower women and girls in an effort to make the world a better place. It is work that too often goes uncelebrated.

Salesian programs empower girls in impoverished countries around the globe by helping them build a sense of dignity and self worth, says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

“Education builds self esteem and opens the door to opportunity,” he says. “By providing girls with the opportunity to learn life skills and a trade, they become self sufficient and are able to care for their families. When girls have access to education, families are made stronger and have more opportunities to remain together—breaking the cycle of poverty and improving entire communities.”

Salesian Missions has programs helping the poor in more than 130 countries around the globe, including programs to empower women and girls. Here are some examples of that work:

BOLIVIA

In Bolivia, women face more difficulties finding good education and productive jobs, according to the 2003 Human Development Report on Gender. In addition, education of women and girls impacts the health and education of their children.

Through the innovative “Girls in the Vanguard” initiative of Salesian Missions and USAID, more than 1,000 girls in five key countries – including Bolivia – were given the opportunity to receive training and obtain jobs in the private sector. Training focused on jobs with advancement potential, in areas that were often male-dominated. Special business advisory councils and past pupil associations were formed at each site to provide additional assistance. The program took place from 2001-2006, giving girls and young women in Bolivia the skills needed for a better future for them, their families and their communities.

CAMBODIA

In Cambodia, education for girls opens doors to opportunities. With basic education, girls are better equipped to face the daily dangers of human trafficking, child prostitution and substance abuse. Today, more than 2,000 girls who live in poverty have access to basic education through the Don Bosco Children’s Fund. In addition, with vocational and technical education, they see possibilities for jobs and independence. Hundreds of students at four specialized schools for girls/young women will open new doors with skills in printing, electronics, secretarial skills and sewing.

COLOMBIA

The “Right to Dream” program for many poverty-stricken children in Medellin, Colombia. One such child is Alejandra – who now has access to social support and educational program previously unimaginable to her and her siblings as they worked on the streets to help their family survive. One hundred students ages 7-18 receive vocational training and hot meals.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

In the Dominican Republic, women striving for a better life find support with the “Madres Project” in Santo Domingo.  The project addresses the root causes of street children by working with mothers. By learning skills to earn a living wage in the workforce, women in charge of families can improve their living conditions and keep their children off the streets.  Women complete courses in literacy, post-literacy, health care and various modules of computer studies.  All training modules include lessons in human rights. The program is a partnership with Salesian Missions and the International Volunteer Movement for Development.  In addition, they run a training program for youth in the poorest areas of the city called “Boys and Girls with Don Bosco.”

GHANA

Girls in Ghana find less opportunity than boys to improve their lives through education. In many cases, girls are expected to contribute to the family’s income – which takes priority over attending classes.

Through a boarding school for girls in Odumase, girls have the opportunity to continue their studies while learning job skills that will also help their family.

GUATEMALA

More than 21% of Guatemalans had an income of less than $1 a day in 2004 – no improvement since 1989 according to the Pan-American Health Organization. Extreme poverty is often associated with rural life.

Rural Q’echi (Mayans) are among the rural populations looking to improve their lives.  Through Salesian Missions programs, they are focusing on increasing the capacity of their communities. With the assistance of the Q’echi promoters, community groups are educated in self management for projects benefiting family and community. Salesians also work through the Foundation for Advancement of Indigenous Women in Guatemala (Talita Kumi) to raise the status of women and empower them to become house hold and community decision-makers.

INDIA

In India, education can help overcome inequities in jobs and income that are related to gender. Nisha’s story is an example of how one woman’s achievement helps contribute to the community as a whole:

Nisha, strong and confident, works in her beauty salon doing manicures, styling hair and doing facials in Pune, an Indian town with more than a million inhabitants. “Finally I am able to work for my own living and to offer my children a good education,” Nisha says. But it was not always so. Married as a young girl, Nisha worked as a maid and had to take care of her husband after a severe accident. Her life took a new direction after she became acquainted with the self-help groups founded by the Salesians of Don Bosco and now supported by Jugend Dritte Welt, an NGO affiliated with the Salesians. “Suddenly I wasn’t alone and found a new perspective for my life,” says Nisha. After completing a cosmetics course, Nisha opened her own beauty salon. Today she is able to repay her microcredit loans that she owed to the support group. More than 900 women participate in the microfinancing and skills training groups.

KENYA

At the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, girls and women receive training opportunities and learn about the important role they play in society and the community. The microfinance program funded by UNHCR and Caritas Italiana offers graduates, women and other refugees an opportunity to establish small business ventures using skills learned.

MEXICO

The Salesians in Mexico are directing their efforts toward the country’s at-risk population, including girls and young mothers who face severe dangers on the streets. Innovative programs are preventing poor children from dropping out of school and are providing important opportunities to keep their lives on the right track.

In Mexico City, girls and mothers face severe dangers living on the streets. Through the “Yolia” program, girls and women become regulars at the day center. There, they have meals, receive tutoring, obtain therapy, and learn job skills such as jewelry making and hair styling.  Some girls may also choose to live in the residential area, where they receive additional education and services, while building a sense of dignity and self worth.

PERU

The number of women in the Peruvian workforce is increasing, according to the Pan-American Health Organization.  So, too, is the need for job training for marketable skills that will help women support themselves and their families.

Since 1982, Salesian Missions has offered training for girls at a vocational school in Yanama. Currently, more than 300 students enrolled in these schools, which are now located in parts of Brazil, Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as Peru.  Girls are trained in using alpaca and sheep wool to make sweaters, rugs, gloves and other articles, which are marketed locally and abroad.  On graduating, they receive a weaving machine as the first step in the new career.

PHILIPPINES

In the Philippines, drop-out rates double as children reach secondary school, according to UNICEF, and there are more than 11 million out-of-school youth.

Salesian Missions’ Tuloy Foundation provides another chance for at-risk youth to succeed in school.  Street children are able to take part in an alternative learning module with five levels of instruction in six subjects.  Children progress from first grade through high school. Older youth pursue vocational training in a variety of technologies, including automotive, electrical, welding and woodworking.  The school developed specialized classes focused on female students, including bag making courses.

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa has one of the world’s highest crime rates, according to UNICEF. While violence impacts everyone, gender-based violence is a significant problem.  Girls who live on the street face violence, drug addiction, abuse and other dangers. The “Unwind Your Mind” camps are specifically-designed to encourage girls to talk about what brought them to the street and consider their goals for the future.  They also looked at the importance that young women play in society.

TANZANIA

When a Salesian Missions secondary school opened in Didia, Tanzania, it was the first secondary school within a 40 mile radius. Just as important, girls had the opportunity to take part in classes at the co-educational facility.

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Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have many other serious repercussions. Children – and particularly girls – are denied their right to education because schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities. Women are forced to spend large parts of their day fetching water. Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness, health systems are overwhelmed and national economies suffer. Without WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), sustainable development is impossible.

Reports published by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and others make it clear that this challenge should no longer be left primarily in the hands of just water management authorities or environmental ministries.

Non-governmental organizations must continue to play a major role in fighting the battle for access to clean water. Many such organizations around the globe have been doing just that, one project and one community at a time.

In a Bolivian community, for example, families now have access to safe drinking water in their homes through community water distribution projects, according to the Salesian Missions website.

In the town of “19 de Agosto” in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the new distribution brings water directly to 106 families who previously had to carry potable water from the town well to their own homes, According to the Salesian Missions website. The distribution system greatly improves the sanitary conditions of the drinking water. In the town of Las Parabas, 50 families now have water distribution directly into their homes using this system.

Each community and each challenge to safe water access is different and customized solutions must be engineered, the website also points out. For example, to address serious water issues resulting from pesticide pollution in a remote area of western Brazil, Salesian Missions worked with members of the Xavante and Bororo Indian communities to obtain clean water from previously inaccessible areas.

To do so, the Salesians first created wells and designed a mobile drilling truck. Then, to create power, they invented and patented a seesaw pump that would draw water from the depths of the well as children were playing. Now, solar panels are used. The result – according to Salesian Missions – is reduced risk of disease, access to potable water, improved infrastructure and expanded farming.

“What began as an immediate response to a crisis in a community,” the website states, “has become a well-organized project to ensure the growth of the indigenous groups.”

This article was published to commemorate World Water Day on March 22, 2011.

Source: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (UNICEF)

Source: SalesianMissions.org

Related article: What is Salesian Missions doing to provide clean water in Haiti?

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The report, which was presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council, found that “Agroecological” (or “eco-farming”) projects have led to an average crop yield increase of 80 percent in 57 developing countries. The average increase in Africa is even higher at 116 percent. Ecological agriculture focuses on organic and sustainable practices rather than the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

According to the U.N., as world food prices continue to climb, feeding the world’s population will become increasingly difficult. It estimates that the world, now populated by 6.7 billion people, will expand to 9 billion by 2050.

“We urgently need to adopt the most efficient farming techniques available,” says Olivier De Schutter, U.N. special rappoteur on the right to food and the author of the report. He adds, “Today’s scientific evidence demonstrates that agroecological methods outperform the use of chemical fertilizers in boosting food production where the hungry live – especially in unfavorable environments.”

The report notes several examples of agroecological projects including one in West Africa. There, stone barriers built alongside fields have slowed down runoff water during the rainy season, allowing an improvement of soil moisture, the replenishment of water tables and reductions in soil erosion.

“Sustainable agriculture practices have the power to transform communities and countries,” says Jaime Correa-Montalvo, director of the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “This report shows the importance of ensuring small farmers are given the support they need through hands-on training on farming systems that promote the adoption of environmentally safe appropriate technologies that are affordable and culturally acceptable.”

Salesian Missions currently operates more than 90 agricultural schools in developing countries around the world.

“Agriculture schools in Ecuador train their students on farming methods with the goal of increasing crop yields,” says Correa-Montalvo, adding that the Paute-Uzhupud and Cayambe Salesian Schools in Ecuador and the Muyurina Agricultural School in the city of Montero in Santa Cruz, Bolivia serve 562; 1,128; and 800 students, respectively.

Correa-Montalvo concludes, “As the spotlight on food and farming techniques grow, we will continue to focus on the sustainable and ecological methods that best serve each individual community.”

Related articles: Opportunity Grows at Agriculture School in Haiti

Sources:

Eco-Farming can double food production in 10 Years, says new UN report

UN expert makes case for ecological farming practices to boost food production

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Agriculture is a critical economic and social activity in Haiti. According to the World Bank, agriculture employs half of the national workforce (including 75 percent of low-income Haitians).

However, the earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010, devastated rural areas—as well as urban areas—destroying crops, farm buildings, equipment and infrastructure, says an Oxfam briefing paper on agriculture’s role in Haiti’s reconstruction. The report notes that 600,000 people migrated to the countryside, increasing pressure on an already stretched food supply and depleted resource base. This internal displacement worsened food availability, which affected six out of 10 people even before the disaster.

The Salesian Missions Agricultural School in Cap-Haitien provides sought-after agricultural skills to more than 140 students who will contribute to the rebuilding of Haiti, says Edson Timana, Haiti relief and reconstruction program manager for Salesian Missions.

“Haiti is a country with limited natural resources, and with most of its economy relying on agricultural production and employment, it’s important for the country to promote training in the agricultural sector,” says Timana, who recently visited the agricultural school. “Students were developing their already impressive agricultural skills that would later serve them when they went back to their family’s farm or if they decided to buy their own plot of land and start their own farms.”

On a national scale, greater support to agriculture is crucial to meet Haiti’s developmental goals and help it prepare for future emergencies, according to a statement released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) about agriculture and food security in Haiti one year after the devastating earthquake.

“Poor, vulnerable, agriculture-dependent communities suffer some of the most severe consequences of natural disasters,” says Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO’s senior emergency and rehabilitation coordinator for Haiti. “Agriculture has a critical role to play not only in eliminating hunger and malnutrition, but also in boosting rural incomes, reversing environmental degradation and increasing resilience to future threats.”

In Cap-Haitien, plans for the refurbishment of the Salesian Missions agricultural facilities are in progress, according to Timana. There, he adds, students learn applied and adapted farming methodology to improve crop quantity and quality. The three-year program focuses on students from families with limited economic resources. Currently, the agriculture school serves 145 students – 34 (23 percent) are women and 111 (77 percent) are male. There are also more than 1,000 students receiving primary and secondary education.

Salesian Missions currently operates more than 90 agricultural schools around the world. Timana offers two examples of such programs.

“Agriculture schools in Ecuador train their students on farming methods with the goal of increasing crop yields,” he says, adding that the Paute-Uzhupud and Cayambe Salesian Schools in Ecuador and the Muyurina Agricultural School in the city of Montero in Santa Cruz, Bolivia serve 562; 1,128; and 800 students, respectively.

All of the agricultural programs are unique because they share a commonality—they all focus on the specific needs of each individual community.

The post HAITI: Opportunity Grows at Agricultural School in Haiti first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian Missions has been providing agricultural education in Muyurina for over fifty years, according to Matt Welsh, program officer with Salesian Missions. Although the school’s academic and technical programs had grown in size, scope and diversity, many of the original structures that were built in the late 1950s and early 1960s were in desperate need of repair.

When Salesian Missions approached USAID’s American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Program regarding the possibility of assisting with this project in 2006, Muyurina had grown by leaps and bounds since its early days of operation. Today,it is a school of nearly 800 students, offering a range of degree programs, including a post-secondary program that is recognized by the Catholic University of Bolivia.

The new Multi-Use Center provides meeting space for the school and is available for a fee for local clubs and community groups to hold events and retreats in the space.  The fee is used as infrastructure support and to subsidize tuition for students.

In addition, this project provided much needed renovation to the school’s electric and water systems and the purchase of agricultural equipment helps to provide a better educational experience for the youth in attendance.

“The agricultural school offers more than just agricultural training,” said Welsh. “This is part of a larger program that also offers traditional secondary education and other vocational training, in addition to feeding programs for area children.”

“Many of the children attending the school come from an agricultural background but often their families have never received formal agricultural education and training,” said Welsh.

“The academic preparation provided enables youth to implement farming methods that are more efficient, which increases crop yields and delivers a food supply more readily accessible to their families and communities.”

Salesian Missions currently operates more than 90 agricultural schools around the world and has been providing educational, vocational and health programs for youth in Bolivia for more than 100 years.

Salesian Missions provides not only educational opportunities in more than 130 countries around the globe, they address core needs.

“The core of our mission is to provide educational opportunities to the poorest of the poor. When the youth receive training, they stay and contribute to the local economy and the needs of their communities,” said Welsh. “This delivers benefits for years after they leave our institute.”

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