(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are helping prisoners learn a trade in Ebolowa, Cameroon. Father Artur Bartol, a Polish Salesian missionary, leads a Salesian parish in developing projects and educating youth. He is also a chaplain at the prison in Ebolowa. There prisoners live in overcrowded conditions and receive little food or attention from the authorities. Fr. Bartol has recently taught the prisoners how to make liquid soap so that they can earn a living when they are released.

The prisoners have been convicted of various crimes and live in very difficult conditions. Fr. Bartol does not judge them for their actions but rather helps them spiritually and prepares them in the hopes that they can turn their lives around.

He said, “That’s how we help the prisoners. They learn how to make soap so that after they serve their time, they can produce it for sale and earn a living with dignity. We organized not only courses for soap-making, but also for learning to read and write because not everyone was able to do that. And during vacation periods or holidays we also set up sports tournaments.”

Fr. Bartol first taught the men to make soap powder and then liquid soap. He enlisted the help of soap-making professionals to organize a comprehensive course inside the prison. The course first explains the theoretical part of making soap and then there is a practical workshop to learn by hands-on training. Students are given notebooks to write down the proportions and how many scoops or caps were needed to make the soap. They can refer back to this when they are in the workshop.

The finished products are packaged in containers and sold with stickers that read, “Soap produced in Ebolowa Prison under the direction of Don Bosco.”

More than 30 percent of Cameroon’s population lives below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is the highest in the Far North, North, Adamaoua and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger.

Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They in turn are able to give back to their families and communities.

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ANS – Cameroon – Ebolowa prison prisoners learn how to make liquid soap thanks to Don Bosco and the Salesians

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World Food Programme – Cameroon

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(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Vocational Center, located in Mimboman, Cameroon, held an open house to showcase not only the diversity and quality of the training courses but also the skills acquired by students and apprentices. Students taking courses were able to highlight all that they have learned in 13 disciplines including carpentry, computer science, tailoring, and metallurgy. The open house also provided an opportunity for students to sell products and establish partnerships with other institutions.

The school provides education for vulnerable youth in the Mimboman neighborhood of Yaoundé. A three-story building includes 12 classrooms, laboratories and offices. A newer school building added in 2021 allows more students to attend and provides space for additional educational programs including a bachelor’s level course.

Last year, the school was able to buy 55 new computers, which enabled more students to enroll in the computer science class. “This is the first time that our students are learning computer science using a computer,” said Father Sabé José Maria, economer at the college, said at the time. “Our students have been studying computer science throughout the year without using a desktop or similar device. Now, we are thrilled that they can do so, and students are very excited about it.”

Fr. Maria added, “Very few schools in Yaoundé have computer resources at their disposal. We dream of providing two computer rooms with 55 computers in each room. This would give our school the golden opportunity to offer computer science education of quality, in order for our students to be properly trained, as they deserve.”

More than 30 percent of Cameroon’s population lives below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is the highest in the Far North, North, Adamaoua and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger.

Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They in turn are able to give back to their families and communities.

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ANS – Cameroon – Don Bosco Vocational Center of Mimboman highlights formation and students’ skills

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries and sisters brought together 600 youth from nine oratories in the Yaoundé, Cameroon region to celebrate Regional Oratory Day. There was an opening Catholic Mass, followed by a presentation, lunch, and friendly soccer, basketball and volleyball tournaments. The highlight of the day was the cultural festival, where each oratory presented cultural songs and dances.

Father Privat Fouda, delegate for youth ministry of the Salesian theological students of Yaoundé, said, “It is an overwhelming experience to be surrounded by so many young people. As Don Bosco said ‘for you we live and for you we are also ready to sacrifice our life.’”

Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They in turn are then able to give back to their families and communities.

In 2020, Salesian missionaries expanded the secondary school in Yaoundé to provide better access to quality education for vulnerable youth in the Mimboman neighborhood. A three-story building was designed that features 12 classrooms, laboratories and offices. The project allowed for an increased number of youth to attend school. The new building also paved the way for additional educational programs including a bachelor’s level course.

The expansion at the school came at a critical time for youth in Cameroon. Ongoing violence in Cameroon’s northwest and southwest has created a fast-growing humanitarian emergency affecting some 1.9 million people, according to the United Nations. More than 700,000 children have been impacted by school closures due to often brutal violence.

The U.N. has indicated that nine out of 10 regions of the country continue to be impacted by one of three humanitarian crises: the crisis in the North-West and South-West, conflict in the Far North, and a refugee crisis, with people fleeing the Central African Republic. As a result, the U.N. noted that more than a million children are in need of educational support.

Forty percent of Cameroon’s 23.7 million people live below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is the highest concentrated in the Far North, North, Adamawa and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger. The World Food Programme has noted that the number of people facing food insecurity in Cameroon is estimated at 3.9 million, including 211,000 severely food insecure.

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ANS – Cameroon – Regional Oratory Day with 600 young people

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries from the Saint Augustine Theologate launched Bosco Youth Center in the Nkol’Afeme community in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Saint Augustine Theologate provides theological formation for 52 confreres from 15 countries. The project is a joint collaboration between the Salesians and the Salesian Mary Queen of the Apostles Parish.

The new youth center will provide youth with education and social programs, as well as recreation and sports. It is offering soccer, basketball and volleyball training every Saturday and Sunday. There are also dance and singing classes, guitar and piano classes, and a brass brand. The center also has games and monthly spiritual activities and competitions.

A friendly soccer match was held between the parish team and boys of the youth center on inauguration day. The day came to an end with a talent competition and dance and singing performed by the youth. One of the youth said, “It’s fun to be at Don Bosco.”

Salesians in the Nkol’Afeme community are working to become more familiar with the local culture and people, and they want to create a model youth center for education and culture. The goal is a center where youth can receive spiritual support and feel at home with their peers.

Having a safe place for youth to meet and seek the support of trusted adults is more important than ever in Cameroon. Ongoing violence in Cameroon’s northwest and southwest has created a fast-growing humanitarian emergency now affecting some 1.9 million people, according to the United Nations. Fighting between various armed groups and the Cameroonian armed forces has continued for the past three years, with civilians bearing the brunt of unlawful killings, kidnappings, and widespread destruction of houses and villages. Government intervention has been limited.

Forty percent of Cameroon’s 23.7 million people live below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is the highest concentrated in the Far North, North, Adamawa and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger. The World Food Programme has noted that the number of people facing food insecurity in Cameroon is estimated at 3.9 million, including 211,000 severely food insecure.

Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They in turn are then able to give back to their families and communities.

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ANS – Cameroon – Inauguration of Bosco Youth Centre at “Saint Augustine” Theologate in Yaoundé

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Mimboman, Yaoundé, Cameroon, were able to take COVID-19 pandemic precautions and support youth finishing school thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Some of the funding went toward buying cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer for staff and students.

Funding from Salesian Missions also helped ensure youth could finish their education in Cameroon.

There are more than 1,000 students and 100 teachers between the Don Bosco College and the Vocational Training Center. Spaces within the college and center are also used on weekends for Mary Help of Christians parish and youth center. Close to 4,000 people use these spaces on a regular basis so having the supplies for ongoing cleaning and disinfecting was necessary to fight against COVID-19. Salesians were able to buy enough supplies for several months.

The local Salesian church was also regularly disinfected by a young man who works for a cleaning service at Yaoundé City Hall. He taught Salesian staff how to disinfect properly and helped purchase cleaning supplies at an affordable price.

Salesian missionaries were able to provide hand sanitizing gel for staff, students and visitors. Small containers of gel were kept in offices and classrooms. Further, Salesians were able to provide hand-washing stations with soap and water at Don Bosco College, Vocational Training Center, and Mary Help of Christians parish and youth center.

Funding from Salesian Missions also helped ensure youth could finish their education. Youth whose parents could no longer pay their school fees received financial support. The funding helped youth finish the school year and either graduate and find employment or advance to their next year of schooling.

Finally, the funding also helped support four individuals who were in dire need of medical attention. The medical issues were not COVID-19 related but without the funding the individuals would not have survived. One woman was rushed into surgery with an appendicitis, another needed life-saving medical care for kidney issues and two others were dealing with complications from hepatitis.

The pandemic created an economic crisis in Cameroon. The country has had large losses as a result of the closure of exports. Service providers, such as taxi drivers, craftsmen and traders, have been out of work. Cameroon is also challenged by the presence of Islamist terrorist groups like Boko Haram in the north, a group of secessionist armies from the northwest and Central African refugees from the east. All this affects youth who are trying to study and gain an education.

“Salesian missionaries from around the globe have sprung to action and have been working tirelessly for those in need,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “In addition to direct support to families in need, Salesian centers and institutions have also supported their communities. We appreciate our donors who have helped Salesians in Cameroon with their efforts to mitigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic.”

More than 30 percent of Cameroon’s population lives below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is the highest in the Far North, North, Adamaoua and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger.

Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They in turn are able to give back to their families and communities.

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Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

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UN – Nearly two million Cameroonians face humanitarian emergency: UNICEF

World Food Programme – Cameroon

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have constructed and opened a new building for the Salesian secondary school in Mimboman, a district in the capital of Yaoundé, Cameroon. Construction started earlier in 2020 and was supported by Solidarity Don Bosco, also known as Bosco Global, a Spanish Salesian organization. The new school building, which opened in November, has 12 classrooms, 10 of which are set up for conventional lessons while the other two rooms will be a laboratory and computer room.

With the new building, the Salesian school can expand its capacity is now able to accommodate 500 students who can take classes all the way through to their bachelor’s degrees. Students are delighted to be able to study in a well-equipped space adapted to their educational needs. Prior to the construction of the new building, students were in an older building that shared space with noisy vocational training workshops, which made it very difficult to follow and carry out lessons.

The Salesian school is also committed to gender equality, ensuring that at least half of the student placements are available for young women so they have safe spaces to learn and the same access to quality education.

There are additional plans to expand the school further. Bediehide Octave Christian, director of the schools, said, “We plan to build two more modules, with classrooms for teaching staff, administrative services, the library, workshops, a multipurpose room and a dining room.”

The expansion at the school comes at a critical time for youth in Cameroon. Ongoing violence in Cameroon’s northwest and southwest has created a fast-growing humanitarian emergency now affecting some 1.9 million people, according to the United Nations. Currently, 855,000 children are out of school in Cameroon due to violence. Nine in 10 primary schools (more than 4,100) and nearly eight in 10 secondary schools (744) remain closed, or non-operational, in the troubled northwest and southwest since the start of the school year in September.

Nearly two million people in the country face an ongoing humanitarian crisis, according to UNICEF.  Forty percent of Cameroon’s 23.7 million people live below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is the highest concentrated in the Far North, North, Adamaoua and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger. The World Food Programme has noted that the number of people facing food insecurity in Cameroon is estimated at 3.9 million, including 211,000 severely food insecure.

Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They in turn are able to give back to their families and communities.

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

ANS – Cameroon – Classrooms full of life in new Salesian secondary school in Mimboman

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UN – Nearly two million Cameroonians face humanitarian emergency: UNICEF

World Food Programme – Cameroon

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A three-story building has been designed and will include 12 classrooms, laboratories and offices. The project will allow for an increased number of youth to attend school. The new building also paves the way for additional educational programs including a bachelor’s level course.

Taking advantage of the dry season—the rainy season in Cameroon runs from May to November—the whole area has already been leveled and the foundation has been laid. In the coming months, the building will be completed before the start of the next school year, 2020-2021, and the school will be ready to welcome new students.

Father José Maria Sabé Colom, who has been working in the Salesian Center in Mimboman for 27 years, believes that it is important for all to work together in the region. He said, “It is important that all religions are involved in an educational project that gives rise to friendships between Muslims and Catholics and a more solid society.”

The expansion at the school comes at a critical time for youth in Cameroon. Ongoing violence in Cameroon’s northwest and southwest has created a fast-growing humanitarian emergency now affecting some 1.9 million people, according to the United Nations. Currently, 855,000 children are out of school in Cameroon due to violence. Nine in 10 primary schools (more than 4,100) and nearly eight in 10 secondary schools (744) remain closed, or non-operational, in the troubled northwest and southwest since the start of the school year in September.

Nearly two million people in the country face an ongoing humanitarian crisis, according to UNICEF.  Forty percent of Cameroon’s 23.7 million people live below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is the highest concentrated in the Far North, North, Adamaoua and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger. The World Food Programme has noted that the number of people facing food insecurity in Cameroon is estimated at 3.9 million, including 211,000 severely food insecure.

Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They in turn are then able to give back to their families and communities.

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ANS – Cameroon – Improve access to quality education

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UN – Nearly two million Cameroonians face humanitarian emergency: UNICEF

World Food Programme – Cameroon

The post CAMEROON: Salesian missionaries start construction on the expansion of Salesian secondary school in Yaoundé first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In the city of Yaoundé and the outlying areas of Mimboman, many youth are unemployed and must settle for the little work they can find in the highly-developed informal economy, especially in the commercial sector. For many families, this income only helps pay for their mere survival, which makes it difficult to make school a priority.

Salesian missionaries operate the Mary Help of Christians parish, a youth-oratory center and an educational complex, which includes a secondary school and a vocational training center. Recently, Salesian missionaries launched a new project to train young media professionals.

This project offers a nine-month audiovisual editing course and hosts about 20 youth per class. When they graduate, students will receive a certificate issued by the Don Bosco Center and a Diploma of Professional Qualification (DPQ) issued by the state. Salesian missionaries are looking to improve the course if they can find the funding to purchase two new MAC editing desks.

In addition to this new course, Salesian missionaries have also launched a new workforce development program inside the center, which helps youth make the transition from school to work. Students receive help in finding both internships and employment in the private sector. Graduates’ progress is also tracked after they enter the workforce to ensure that they are doing well.

“Skills training programs such as this help ensure youth have an opportunity to gain an education and graduate with employable skills,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities in which they work, they are knowledgeable of market conditions and what employment sectors are the most advantageous for employment. Training programs are created in these areas to help youth have a smooth school to work transition.”

Forty percent of Cameroon’s 23.7 million people live below the poverty line and human development indicators remain low, according to the World Food Programme. Poverty is at the highest concentration in the Far North, North, Adamaoua and East regions. In northern regions, people are often affected by natural disasters and below-average harvests which contribute to a continuing cycle of poverty and hunger. The World Food Programme has noted that the number of people facing food insecurity in Cameroon is estimated at 3.9 million, including 211,000 severely food insecure.

Salesian missionaries in Cameroon provide education and social development services to poor youth so they are able to gain the training needed to find and retain long-term employment. They, in turn, are then able to give back to their families and communities.

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ANS – Cameroon – Mimboman, the periphery that offers opportunities for growth

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“The violence in Central African Republic is gut-wrenching in its brutality and viciousness and children have not been spared,” said UNICEF Representative in Central African Republic, Souleymane Diabaté. “On average, at least one child has been maimed or killed in clashes every day in the past six months. The cycle of brutality and retaliation must stop.”

UNICEF has verified that 277 children have been maimed and 74 killed over the past six months. The actual numbers are much higher, including deaths and sickness caused by the total collapse of basic services. Because of the relentless violence and insecurity in some parts of the country, UNICEF is unable to verify all cases of violations against children.

A worsening situation across the country, including the capital, is again forcing increasing numbers of people from their homes. There are now more than half a million internally displaced persons, at least half of whom are children.

Another 347,000 people – two thirds of them children – have fled the country and now live as refugees mostly in Cameroon, but also Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.

UNICEF is working closely with partners to protect children from violence, providing safe spaces for learning and psychological support for those most affected. Children separated from their families are being registered for reunification as quickly as possible. Negotiations are ongoing with armed groups who have recruited children to secure their immediate release and reintegrate them within their communities when possible.

UNICEF is also helping provide humanitarian assistance to displaced children and families in need, providing safe water, proper sanitation and other essentials like tarpaulins for shelter, plastic mats and jerry cans.

Lack of funding remains a critical concern. The crisis in the Central African Republic and neighbouring countries is UNICEF’s least funded large-scale regional emergency. Overall needs recently increased to $120 million for 2014, are, half-way through the year, less than 25 per cent met.

“We are committed to staying the course and to doing all we can for the children of the Central African Republic,” said Diabaté. “The international community has to do its share as well.”

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About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

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