Through interviews with the unaccompanied minors being cared for in Rome, the report also sheds light on the expectations of these youth have for making the trip to Italy. Most are unaware of the legal and bureaucratic obstacles in their path as they seek to find a job in a short time of their arrival and pay off the large debts incurred in getting to Italy. It is not uncommon for these youth to end up on the black market, often in child labor or committing petty crime. Moreover, being involved in any form of work, whether or not they are being exploited, makes it difficult for them to attend school. And the lack of education and inadequate knowledge of the Italian language add to the problems they face

“Youth who leave their homeland alone are faced with many dangers in their travels,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Not only are youth subject to dangerous traveling conditions, in which they are exploited and abused, but once arriving at their destination they find they are forced to live on the streets and face the same conditions that they left. Salesian programs are working to give youth a chance to access safety, shelter and education to start a better life.”

Arthur, a 17 year old boy, accessing the Salesian Open Arms Community, came to Italy alone from Ghana. The oldest of three children with a father who is blind, Arthur was involved in a robbery, which he did not commit. He was wanted by the local police in Ghana and decided to emigrate. During his journey, he was stopped several times at customs and often mistreated by men who asked for money. After many difficulties, Arthur succeeded in reaching Sebha in Libya where he was beaten with a burning stick that scarred his arm. Before leaving for Tripoli, he was locked in a room and was subjected to violence, which his family was forced to listen to over the phone and was told they must pay a ransom for his safety. Arthur’s uncle managed to send $1,000 and a few days later he was able to leave for Tripoli on a small boat with 120 people.

After days of travel, Arthur arrived at the first-aid center of Pozzallo in Italy and was later connected to the Salesian program. He is one of 12, all young men from Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, Egypt and countries in sub-Saharan Africa, that have found refuge with Salesian missionaries. In the program, they have access to safe shelter, food and clothing, are able to call their families and talk to a mediator. These young men are also accessing literacy, Italian language, and skills-training to help find stable employment.

To help stop the flow of unaccompanied minors to Italy, Salesian missionaries have also started a Stop Human Trafficking Campaign, which is working to raise awareness of the dangers of youth migration focused on those leaving countries in Africa in search of a better life in Europe. The campaign is an initiative promoted by the Salesian-run International Voluntary Service for Development and the Don Bosco Mission Association in Turin, Italy.

The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of the dangers of human trafficking and to prevent youth from feeling like they need to leave places like Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Ghana, where people are most at risk of human trafficking. The campaign is providing analysis and research on the real reasons for migration; informing potential migrants about the risks of the journey and the real chances of success; and giving individual guidance to those who want to leave. In addition, the campaign, in collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Africa, will raise funds to help with program development in targeted countries in Africa to address some of the reasons why youth are leaving their homeland.

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Sources:

PHOTO: ANS

ANS – Italy – Arthur, from Ghana to Italy, braving the sea

Caritas International

The post ITALY: Unaccompanied Child Refugees Recieve Shelter, Acceptance from Missionaries in Italy first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in Spain have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

A Salesian program started in 2012 is working to address the needs of young men who have aged out of residential youth programs, many of whom are left without resources and little support and direction for the future. For these young people, it can be difficult to find stable employment and a place to live and many do not have an existing or adequate social network to offer them the support they need to live life fully as an adult.

In southern Spain, the Don Bosco Foundation in Cordoba provides support for close to 50 young men. The Foundation’s program includes housing, socio-educational services and workforce development.

“The program focuses on 18 year old youth who were once residents within Spain’s centers for minors and who, upon leaving there, did not have any further support to live with dignity,” says Antonio Moriana, director of Don Bosco Foundation Cordoba. “These young people, who are often immigrants, are now provided support that includes education, health, housing and the use of other resources in the city.”

Young men in the program have several options to help them transition out of residential programs for youth, including moving into a shared apartment, a local hostel or a group home managed in collaboration with Caritas, the international network of charitable organizations of the Catholic Church. Included in the program is a range of support services, including assistance preparing and applying for work. The young men are able to hone their business and professional skills in a supportive environment with other young men in similar situations and under the supervision of adult mentors who provide guidance during the transition into adulthood.

Don Bosco Foundation also offers a residential program for younger children aged eight to 17 that provides a group home environment for up to 24 youth. The focus is on building an alternative home environment for each child that is structured and supportive. Youth in this residential program attend school and have the opportunity to engage in social activities that help them transition from their teen years into adulthood. Older youth attending high school are offered pre-employment training, help applying for internships and access to employment placement agencies.

“At the Foundation, we are helping youth both in a group setting but also with their individual needs, including working on personal and educational skills so they are able to move forward with higher levels of school studies, carry out apprenticeships and apply for work,” adds Moriana.

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Sources

ANS – Spain – New opportunities for young people not living in a family

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian Program Helps Youth Without Families Who Have Outgrown Available Services first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Last year, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured.

For Salesians in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing a foundation of lifelong education for poor youth, teaching them valuable skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

Recently, three Salesians from Haiti, Father Seymour Musset, Father Victor Auguste and Father Pierre Yves Jorcelim, spent a week in Spain at two Salesian centers in Deusto and Pamplona, receiving training in professional development in order to manage professional educational centers in Haiti upon their return. This trip, along with other initiatives, is a step toward furthering professional development for teachers and administrators in Salesian-run schools in Haiti.

“Rebuilding Haiti has been as much about constructing new infrastructure as it has been about building professional capacity to help heal the people and provide new opportunities for education and workforce development,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Professional and technical training is essential for personal, social, economic and political development in all nations. Haiti’s success lies in its ability to educate poor youth and connect them with sustainable livelihoods.”

Salesians in Haiti are in the process of launching a strategic plan for the sustainability and growth of their schools, thanks to funding for the initiative by Caritas in Spain. Salesian-run educational institutions such as those in Lakou, Lacay and Timkatek care for street children, bringing them in off the street and offering them food, clothing, shelter and an education. These schools then work to reintegrate youth back into society through a variety of small economic initiatives.

In addition to schools, there are Salesian-run technical and vocational training centers throughout Haiti. Those in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding villages offer courses in a variety of professional fields such as catering, woodworking, agriculture and hotel management. Additional centers in Fort Liberté and Cap-Haitien specialize in the fields of health, agriculture, information technology, electricity and hotel management. All of these centers, as well as other Salesian-run programs in the country, focus on providing youth with the educational opportunities and social support they need to succeed.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve education and workforce development for youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We accomplish this through improving the skill and capacity of professionals in existing programs and helping graduates overcome obstacles to enter the workforce.”

Salesians in Haiti remain focused on providing education and technical training to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the Haitian people. They plan to continue their focus on professional teacher training and providing educational scholarships for the most disadvantaged, giving all youth access to educational opportunities.

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – The Professional Training for Salesians in Haiti

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Ongoing Professional Development Helps Rebuild Salesian-run Educational Centers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The event took place during the High Level Meetings on the Rule of Law and the Opening of the 67th General Assembly. This was made possible by a collaboration between The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Honduras to the United Nations.

In their welcoming remarks, Ambassador Valero from Venezuela and Ambassador Flores from Honduras discussed the positive impact of Salesian work on behalf of youth in their countries and in all of Latin America, particularly in education. Ambassador Valero noted that UNESCO considers the Salesians the “largest educational agency that exists today.”

Archbishop Mamberti, secretary for relations with States of the Holy See, stressed the role of family in assisting young people to become agents of change in their societies. Additionally, he noted that societies must help create opportunities so that young people will be able to rise to their full potential and break the cycle of poverty. Mamberti said that this begins “when the young are viewed as protagonists rather than problems in a community.”

In his role as president of ‘Caritas Internationalis’ the Salesian Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga cited examples from recent Salesian and Caritas projects that highlight the generosity of youth who volunteer their time and talent to improve the lives of others. He further noted that the transformation of societies often begins with the zeal, enthusiasm and creativity of young people who often challenge others to see things in new ways and approach life with greater passion and dedication.

Brother Jean Paul Muller, the economer general of the Salesians, who has vast experience with education and development projects, highlighted examples of effective practices by Salesian programs around the globe that help youth escape the cycle of poverty. He stressed the pedagogy of work, and encouraged assistance in helping youth earn a salary and acquire an education that will help them to spend their financial resources with attention, mindfulness and justice.

All of the panel speakers noted that voices of the young are significant. They stressed the importance of listening to youth to learn their aspirations and dreams, their struggles and challenges if they are to be helped to create an enabling environment for more inclusive, just and equitable societies. In many societies, youth do not have access to power or are excluded from influencing the debates that affect their lives. Speakers stressed that the continued implementation of youth centered groups where youth can express their concerns can change this.

Further speakers noted that there is a continued need to address issues facing youth such as unemployment, child labor and child soldiering. Providing the basic needs of youth creates an environment conducive to growth and development, allowing them to better achieve their potential. Providing them with access to education, health care, clean water and sanitation creates productive citizens. The speakers also noted that opportunities for sports and leisure activities should be encouraged and provided. Cultural outings and exposing young people to the wealth of their heritage and to other cultures gives them more resources to engage in a globalized world.

At the end of the discussion the president of Honduras, Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo, noted the need to consider human rights, ecological rights and a future that is impacted by globalization in order to assist youth to be agents of change.”

About Salesian Missions at the United Nations >

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Sources:

ANS – Empowering Youth to be Agents of Change

ANS – The Salesians speak in the UNO: Empowering Youth to Change the Society

The post GLOBAL: Salesians Speak at United Nations, Empower Youth to be ‘Agents of Change’ first appeared on MissionNewswire.