(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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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions

UN – Nearly two million Cameroonians face humanitarian emergency: UNICEF

World Food Programme – Cameroon

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Development Society, the planning and development office of the Salesian Province of Mumbai, India, has helped more than 700,000 people in need, providing for their basic needs over the last 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization planned a series of distributions to ensure those most in need of support received it.

Most recently, Don Bosco Development Society helped 100 poor and needy families in Chinchwad by distributing relief kits containing groceries, hygiene kits and toiletries. This relief work operation was financially supported by AXA Business Services.

In 2020, Don Bosco Development Society carried out several distributions of food and hygiene items. It helped 400 poor families in the Dharavi slum with the support of Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia and is home to 850,000 residents, making it also one of the more cramped spaces in Mumbai.

Don Bosco Development Society also helped 140 people with disabilities residing in the slum by distributing relief kits containing rations and toiletries. Since some of those with physical disabilities could not pick up their relief kits in person, their family members did so on their behalf.

“People living in the slums of India have been hard hit by the pandemic lockdown and were without the means to earn even a meager living for food,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many were day laborers or worked in the informal employment sector selling items on the streets. Because of the lockdown, this work is no longer available and families are suffering. Salesian missionaries live among the populations they serve, so they are agile in their response in times of crisis such as this.”

Don Bosco Development Society and Salesian organizations across India have been supporting families in need through prevention campaigns, distribution of food and hygiene items, and remote education.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

India’s youth also face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44 percent of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Development Society

Don Bosco Development Society Facebook

Don Bosco Development Society – Distribution Video

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India

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UGANDA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries living and working at Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda have been able to provide food aid and other critical supplies to people at the camp thanks to funding sent in November 2020 from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp is currently home to more than 56,000 refugees and asylum seekers. It was officially set up in April 2016 to reduce congestion in larger refugee camps in the northwestern corner of Uganda. Several agencies are involved in providing food and education within Palabek. While some have left because of the pandemic, Salesians have remained.

Even before COVID-19, living conditions in Palabek were not easy. Food distribution was scarce and there were difficulties in accessing drinking water. With the arrival of the pandemic, everything has become even more complicated. The amount of food delivered to refugees once a month has been reduced by 30 percent, classes and activities were suspended, and episodes of violence, alcoholism, and teenage pregnancies began. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns that unless urgent action is taken to address the situation, levels of acute malnutrition, stunting and anemia are expected to rise, especially among children.

At Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda, Salesians have distributed many tons of food and clothing, especially to the poorest.

With Salesian Missions funding, Salesians have been able to provide food, 300 blankets for those with disabilities, cookware and other items for people in need. The funding also paid for transportation costs from Kampala to Palabek, gas for transport vehicles around the camp and motorbike repairs. Other funding provided incentives to social workers who are working in the camp under difficult circumstances.

“With Salesian Missions support we have been able to provide food and other necessities for people in need, particularly those with disabilities,” said Father Ubaldino, a Salesian missionary working at Palabek. “This donation is greatly appreciated because there is hunger and malnutrition and other nutritional deficiencies among the refugees. This creates much frustration, anger and other social disturbances. With this donation and others, Salesians have distributed many tons of food and clothing, especially to the poorest.”

In addition, students at Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Palabek were happy to receive a bus thanks to donors from Salesian Missions of Madrid, Spain. These youth are now able to explore initiatives and new opportunities away from the settlement.

Salesian missionaries at the settlement are offering much needed psychosocial support and pastoral care for thousands of Christian residents. They also operate four nursery schools that educate more than 1,000 children. In addition, there are over 700 children attending Salesian primary and secondary schools, and more than 700 families are supported by other initiatives. Salesian missionaries also launched a vocational training center to offer life skills and other training to help young refugees prepare for employment.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp

Salesian Missions – Uganda

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Retreat-Don Bosco in Yercaud, India, have launched the second round of training for the “CALLS” program. Calling it “CALLS 2.0,” which stands for “COVID-19 Alternative Livelihood and Living Services,” the program provides farming assistance in tribal communities so residents have enough food to eat. Because Yercaud is a hill town, most people earn their living through tourism. Due to the pandemic, residents have seen poverty and hunger on the rise.

The “CALLS” program provides training in greenhouse and plant nursery skills, garden care, and greenery maintenance. The first round of training in August 2020 provided education to 40 people over a 21-day training course. Among the participants were 10 college students who wanted to earn money to pay their college fees, as well as learn a skill for the future.

The second round of training will educate 80 people. Participants are paid a daily wage during the training, which will enable them to gain employment in tourist resorts, private homes, or nurseries to create gardens and lawns, as well as provide greenery maintenance.

Many participants who completed the course in 2020 shared that the training was very empowering and has equipped them with a skill to earn a living. A few local businesses have expressed interest in hiring some of the participants.

“This innovative program helped people in the local community have an alternative means of earning a living,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to providing nutrition and health support during the pandemic, Salesian missionaries are working to ensure people are able to work when they can or acquire new skills to go back to work when the lockdowns are lifted.”

The program is a joint initiative of Shevaroy Hills Tribal Development Institute of the Retreat-Don Bosco, Jugend Eine Welt of Austria and BoscoNet, New Delhi. It is coordinated by Salesian Father Selvakumar, the local project manager.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

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Sources:

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

ANS – India – “CALLS 2.0” project supports 80 people affected by effects of pandemic

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Development Society, the planning and development office in Mumbai Province of India, provides health education for disadvantaged children and youth living in Vadodara, the third largest city in the western Indian State of Gujarat. Health education is critical during the pandemic so children understand the importance of proper hygiene, mask wearing and social distancing.

“Don Bosco Development Society has been on the forefront of support for people who have been impacted by the pandemic and resulting lockdowns,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “From providing health education and launching awareness campaigns to providing food relief and hygiene items, Salesians have been in their communities working to support those most in need.”

The health care project is one initiative among many that the Don Bosco Development Society has carried out. In 2020, Don Bosco Development Society helped 400 poor families in the Dharavi slum with the support of Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia and is home to 850,000 residents, making it one of the more cramped spaces in Mumbai.

Don Bosco Development Society also helped 140 people with disabilities residing in the slum by distributing relief kits containing rations and toiletries. Since some of those with physical disabilities could not pick up their relief kits in person, their family members did so on their behalf.

People living in the slums of India have been hard hit by the pandemic lockdown and are without the means to earn even a meager living. Many were day laborers or worked in the informal employment sector selling items on the streets. Because of the lockdown, this work is no longer available and families are suffering. Don Bosco Development Society and Salesian organizations across India have been supporting these families in need through prevention campaigns, distribution of food and hygiene items, and remote education.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

India’s youth also face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44 percent of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

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

ANS – India – Health care project for children and young people

Don Bosco Development Society

Don Bosco Development Society Facebook

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Nerul, located in Mumbai, India, has installed a community refrigerator to provide food and snacks for those facing hunger and have nowhere else to turn. Salesian missionaries are calling this initiative Don Bosco Cares.

During the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Don Bosco Nerul reached out to 25,000 families and 10,000 migrants who had been impacted. Many who were already in poverty faced hunger without having money to buy food. While the lockdown has ended, migrants and those living in poverty, including those living on the streets, are still not able to feed themselves.

Don Bosco Nerul is working to reach out to these individuals and provide support in their time of need. The community refrigerator is one such initiative. It launched on Jan. 22, and anyone who is poor or hungry may open the refrigerator and take enough to satisfy their immediate hunger. There is another box that has snacks, secondhand clothes and handmade masks.

Father Adolf Furtado said, “This is an act of faith in divine providence. It is very much in the true spirit of our founder St. John (Don) Bosco. We do not put food in the refrigerator each day. People in our neighborhood do that. Its success depends on the donating public. We have had it in operation over the past week, and there is a good demand for the food and an equal if not greater number of generous donors to help us with replenishing the food stock daily.”

The community refrigerator was inaugurated by the local NRI police station chief and is sponsored by Team Spreading Smiles, which has also been instrumental in conducting online classes for the Don Bosco Nerul oratory.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A “multidimensionally poor” child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

India’s youth also face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44 percent of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed a secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Nerul

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Development Society, the planning and development office of the Salesian Province of Mumbai, India, has continued to help those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the support of Auxilium India, an association in Seregno, Italy, Salesian missionaries have distributed goods, basic necessities and hygiene items.

This is part of ongoing relief work that Salesian missionaries have been providing in India and around the globe. Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, said, “Because Salesian missionaries live among the populations they serve, they are agile in their response in times of crisis such as this. They are able to assess the needs locally, create an appropriate intervention and ensure relief items are in the hands of those most in need.”

In 2020, Don Bosco Development Society carried out several distributions of food and hygiene items. They helped 400 poor families in the Dharavi slum with the support of Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia and is home to 850,000 residents, making it also one of the more cramped spaces in Mumbai.

Don Bosco Development Society also helped 140 people with disabilities residing in the slum by distributing relief kits containing rations and toiletries. Since some of those with physical disabilities could not pick up their relief kits in person, their family members did so on their behalf.

People living in the slums of India have been hard hit by the pandemic lockdown and are without the means to earn even a meager living for food. Many were day laborers or worked in the informal employment sector selling items on the streets. Because of the lockdown, this work is no longer available and families are suffering. Don Bosco Development Society and Salesian organizations across India have been supporting these families in need through prevention campaigns, distribution of food and hygiene items, and remote education.

Prior to the pandemic, Don Bosco Development Society was providing education in 10 villages in the state of Rajasthan for 300 extremely poor and disadvantaged children, including children of farmers and workers in quarries. This is one project among many that is helping the poor and disadvantaged to have hope for the future.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

India’s youth also face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44 percent of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

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Sources:

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

ANS – India – Relief work for population of Salesian Province of Mumbai continues

Don Bosco Development Society

Don Bosco Development Society Facebook

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India

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ECUADOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been working with the Achuar, an indigenous population in the Ecuadorian Amazon, for the last 50 years. The Italian missionary Luigi Bolla was the first to live among the Achuar, sharing his life. Half a century later, Salesian work continues to focus on spiritual development, education, and human, social and cultural promotion.

The Achuar people accepted Salesian missionaries from the very start. Salesian work has succeeded in ending wars between tribes and families, and it has also provided an opportunity to help new generations through education.

In 1988, the Achuar asked Salesian missionaries to start a mission in Wasakentsa. Salesians launched a school and a boarding school to educate Achuar youth. Today, there are 110 students and 80 interns. There are also 50 Achuar university students who come to study from far away locations. In addition, Salesians have a church that supports 49 Achuar communities in the surrounding area. Nearly 40 percent of the Achuar population is youth who dream of studying and having a better life.

“This is a remote area that can only be reached on foot because there are no roads, but Salesians remain working among the people,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians provide education, and they also provide basic needs and support youth in finding employment to help them become self-sufficient and in turn help their community.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, everything has been more difficult. There have been infections and deaths among the Achuar community, but Salesian missionaries have remained, supporting the Achuar.

Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20 percent of the population receives almost 50 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives only 5 percent. According to the World Food Program, almost 26 percent of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population is people of indigenous heritage. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Salesian missionaries have been providing education and other social programs for disadvantaged youth across Ecuador for more than 125 years.

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

ANS – Ecuador – Half a century of presence among the Achuar

Salesian Missions – Ecuador

UNICEF – Ecuador

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(MissionNewswire) Due to COVID-19, up to 150 million new people could be living in extreme poverty by 2021, says the Global Humanitarian Overview 2021 from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The report also states how unemployment is affecting workers worldwide:

— Nearly 80 percent of the 2 billion workers in the informal economy have been hurt by work hour losses.

— Many are working in the hardest-hit sectors such as accommodation and food services, manufacturing, and retail.

— Women, who make up the majority of informal workers and are over-represented globally in these sectors, have been disproportionately hurt by economic losses.

Around the globe, Salesian missionaries and Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, focus on helping vulnerable people by providing access to educational opportunities that match the local employment needs.

In nearly 1,000 Salesian vocational, technical, professional and agricultural schools, youth gain the skills they need to secure sustainable jobs and improve their lives. Many programs focus on job training for young women.

Scholarships support young women in South Sudan

Scholarships covering 50 percent of school tuition makes it much easier for young women to gain an education in South Sudan.

Young women attending the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Juba, South Sudan, have received scholarships to help continue their studies thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. The scholarships cover 50 percent of the school’s tuition, making it much easier for young women to gain an education.

“This program has given me the courage to return to school after completing my secondary education. I had not been able to continue in school because of financial problems. After noticing that women were given this opportunity, I became much motivated because it is now affordable for me. This program has contributed much in my personal life by allowing me to obtain knowledge and skills. Without it, I cannot imagine how I would have continued my education or found a good job,” said student Ayany Pamela.

John Garry, a teacher at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center, noted that the center and education provided have played a role in transforming the lives of youth in many ways. In South Sudan, due to lack of financial support, many families force their girls into early marriages. The program’s goal is to reduce the incidence of early marriage and allow young women to gain an education and independence in the workplace.

Garry added, “As a citizen of the country, I see a lot of improvements as more girls gain an education. There are numbers of girls joining technical fields such as general electricity, auto mechanics and computer IT, which has not always been the case in South Sudan. Without any doubt, very soon our girls will compete with men in the development of the country in such fields. Don Bosco and our benefactors have given hope to many parents with very limited financial income.”

Partnership with USAID helps young, vulnerable as part of COVID-19 response

The “Salesian Solidarity with Italy: the Emergency Response to COVID-19” project gives students access to online tools and technology.

With support from the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Salesian Missions has launched a new project: “Salesian Solidarity with Italy: the Emergency Response to COVID-19.”

This activity is one element of USAID’s $50 million commitment to Italy to help save lives and build resilience for the future.

The project will help develop technical and vocational training for students who have experienced a lapse in education due to the pandemic. With an unpredictable timeline for a return to normalcy, these investments in career-focused training will help young people make up for any loss in education access. With the local Salesian partner CNOS-FAP, this effort will reach more than 25,000 students.

In addition, the project will provide the funding to acquire annual licenses for technical software, e-simulators and e-platforms aimed at delivering distance learning in vocational fields and at simulating practical work-based environments. One of the challenges with e-learning is the inability of lower income students to access online tools. Thanks to ongoing relationships with Apple and other companies, it is possible for CNOS-FAP to acquire educational devices for its students at competitive prices. In addition, 550 start-up technology kits will be donated to the most vulnerable and poor students.

“The United States is proud to support ‘Salesian Solidarity with Italy: the Emergency Response to COVID-19.’ This project will provide online educational training, as well as food, protective equipment, and psychological assistance to vulnerable populations across Italy. Coordinated action is essential to mitigating the long-term effects of COVID-19,” said U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Callista L. Gingrich. She added, “Faith-based organizations such as Salesian Missions are reliable partners in providing care and support to those most in need during this pandemic.”

Young women gain skills for available tailoring jobs in India

Salesian programs prepare students for work in fields that are hiring and jobs are available, such as tailoring in areas of India.

Don Bosco Human Resource Development Center, located in Gagillapur, Hyderabad, India, has graduated 15 young women from a two-month basic training course in tailoring. The center has trained more than 3,000 youth since 2010.

The training helped them prepare for work in a tailoring shop or some may start their own small tailoring business to make a living, support themselves and help their families.

“Salesian programs not only educate, but they prepare students for work in fields that are hiring and jobs are available,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions.

Earlier in the year, the Don Bosco Development Center’s tailoring department was able to sew 1,000 masks as part of the early prevention efforts for the COVID-19 pandemic. The masks were distributed free of charge to the poor in the local area and within the state of Telugu.

“Salesian centers around the globe are working in their local communities to address the pandemic that is affecting us all,” said Fr. Baek. “Salesian missionaries live in the communities where they work and are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis. They are working within their programs to keep youth and staff safe and healthy and providing help to their communities when possible.”

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Global Humanitarian Overview 2021 from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for scholarships for young women to attend Don Bosco Vocational training center

ITALY: With US government support, Salesian Missions to help over 24,000 young people and vulnerable populations across Italy

INDIA: Young women gain skills for tailoring jobs

The post GLOBAL: World faces ‘historic economic decline,’ says report first appeared on MissionNewswire.

PHILIPPINES

(MissionNewswire) An 8,000-square-meter soccer field at St. John Bosco Parish, located in Tondo, Manila, Philippines, had its first harvest festival where anyone could pay and harvest vegetables. The initiative was launched in October 2020 and was spearheaded by the Department of Agrarian Reform, along with the Department of Agriculture, St. John Bosco Parish and the Manila local government. The project resulted in the first urban farm in Manila.

The project was launched by six agrarian reform beneficiaries from Cavite, who are known as farmer-scientists. They volunteered to teach the residents of Tondo skills and techniques in urban vegetable farming. After the initial training, Tondo residents planted squash, upo, kangkong, spinach, mustard, and pechay in the vegetable garden. The urban farm is benefiting people living in 17 barangays (neighborhoods) around the St. John Bosco Parish.

According to a recent article on CNN Philippines, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said the project was initiated to help people badly hit by the pandemic. He explained that vegetable production has been impacted by the typhoons that struck the country last year. A recent independent survey noted that 30.7 percent of families, an estimated 7.6 million households, have experienced hunger due to lack of food, in the past three months.

“We know that there has been difficulty in transporting vegetables from the provinces because of the typhoons and restrictions due to the pandemic. That’s why there’s a need to educate residents in Metro Manila and other urban areas on urban agriculture,” said Castriciones in the CNN Philippines article.

According to Castriciones, there are plans to expand the project to Quezon City and Caloocan where there have already been talks with local government leaders.

Since 1950, Salesian Missions has been providing crucial help in the Philippines—working with at-risk youth, impoverished families and disaster victims. Humanitarian agencies warn of the dangers faced by the most disadvantaged children in the Philippines. According to UNICEF, there are at least 1.2 million children between the ages of 5 and 15 who are out of school and are being left behind. In addition, children born into the poorest 20 percent of the population are almost three times more likely to die during their first five years as those from the richest 20 percent.

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CNN Philippines – Tondo residents hold a “pick, harvest and pay” promo in their 1st urban vegetable garden harvest festival

Salesian Missions – Philippines

UNICEF – Philippines

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) It has been 11 years since the earthquake in Haiti impacted 1.5 million people and destroyed 90 percent of schools in the affected regions. People have suffered as they have tried to rebuild their lives and the country’s infrastructure. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated already challenging conditions, and now more than 6 million people are living in poverty and 60 percent of the population is unemployed.

Salesian missionaries continue to work alongside the population, serving families, children and youth in the schools they have rebuilt, but it is not enough. The pandemic has considerably worsened social hardships.

“Salesians were among the first to commit ourselves to reconstruction after the earthquake, both helping people rebuild their lives and then the infrastructure,” said Father Jean Paul Mesidor, provincial of the Salesian Vice Province of Haiti. “We have worked hard to rebuild many of our centers, but over the years this momentum has faded. Today, everything is paralyzed and we have to face other emergencies such as the pandemic.”

Communities in Haiti are marked by violence, insecurity and poverty, and the pandemic is causing serious socioeconomic consequences. Fr. Mesidor noted many children have dropped out of school due to the economic problems of their families and thousands of people have lost their jobs.

During the months of lockdown, Salesians carried out awareness programs on protective measures, distributed more than 8,000 masks, provided hygiene kits and food to more than 3,000 vulnerable families, and launched a seed distribution project which included providing agricultural tools to help 1,500 families.

In addition, the Salesian Mission Office of Madrid, Spain, continues to invest in education with scholarships to help students without resources. Fr. Mesidor added, “We still believe in education as the only way out for the poorest children and youth. They will be poorer and poorer if they do not have access to education.”

Salesian missionaries began working in Haiti in 1935 in response to the Haitian government’s request for a professional school. Since then, Salesian missionaries have expanded their work to include 11 main educational centers and more than 200 schools across the country.

The 11 main centers each include a number of primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, and other programs for street children and youth in need. Salesian programs are located throughout Haiti, including in the cities of Port-au-Prince, Fort-Liberté, Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes and Gressier. Today, Salesian missionaries in Haiti provide the largest source of education outside of the Haitian government with schools providing education to 25,500 primary and secondary school students.

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

ANS – Haiti – The pandemic exacerbates social problems in Haiti

Rinaldi Foundation

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SPAIN

(MissionNewswire) Salesians in the Mary Help of Christians Province in Seville, Spain, launched the Kilo Operation to collect and distribute aid for families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative launched in December 2020 and provided 2,200 kilos of nonperishable food to 70 families. The initiative was promoted by many local institutions.

Another initiative, the Potito Operation, was held from Dec. 17-19 and collected close to 10,000 items. This initiative, led by the DOSA Youth Center and Bosco Global, brought together 350 volunteers who went to the city’s pharmacies and supermarkets in small groups of five to seek donations directly from people in Cordoba on behalf of Caritas, ADEVIDA, the Food Bank or the Franciscans of the White Cross.

Salesians in the San Lorenzo district reported, “This year we had the support of the students from the Salesian school and the La Salle School. There were also volunteers from the Don Bosco Foundation, Salesian Brotherhood of Córdoba, and many parents, teachers, and past pupils.”

In addition, the youth ministry from the Salesian house La Línea de la Concepción launched three initiatives during the Christmas season. The first was a traditional food campaign, the second supported day centers and the elderly, and the third found homes for families who have to travel to hospitals in Seville.

A Salesian representative said, “In these times, it is fundamental to show the importance of values such as affection, empathy and kindness. With these initiatives, we also try to unite the younger and older generations, showing affection through a greeting card and filling a void in their lives.”

Salesian missionaries have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth and women in Spain through residential, technical and vocational training programs. Although teachers are available to start providing distance learning again in the event of a new lockdown, the importance of face-to-face education is emphasized in Salesian schools.

Close to 37 percent of young Spanish workers under the age of 25 are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. Poor youth with few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment. Women in Spain face inequality in the workforce. They earn up to 14 percent less than men and represent only 34.5 percent of those listed as the highest earners in Spain.

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GUATEMALA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at the Salesian parish in San Benito Petén, Guatemala, are providing food aid to those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100 families have been provided food support thanks to help from the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid, Spain, and Canadian Food for Children.

The Salesian mission in San Benito Petén was started in 2011 to provide education and social development programs for at-risk youth. Salesian missionaries also operate a summer youth program that offers classes in Spanish and English, mathematics, computers, arts and crafts, and music and dance, as well as provides organized games for participants. Operated out of a Salesian youth center in San Benito, youth in the program are able to get away from difficult home situations or the streets to engage in productive activities in a family atmosphere that fosters peace and stability.

Father Giampiero De Nardi, an Italian Salesian missionary active in San Benito Petén, also recently started a refectory for the poor that aims to reach the most vulnerable. The refectory is helping hundreds of people who are without resources.

“During the pandemic, we want to continue helping the most vulnerable people,” said Fr. De Nardi. “To this end, the arrival of a container with non-perishable food will be essential in these days. In addition, we want to buy vegetables, condiments and some meat, so that families can eat meat once a week.”

Fr. De Nardi added, “The solidarity of the population is seen in the collaboration they offer us with the delivery of non-perishable products that are then distributed. Rice, beans, eggs, oil and pasta arrive every day at the refectory thanks to the generosity of the population.”

Rural poverty hasn’t changed much in Guatemala during the last 20 years, according to the World Bank. While 70 percent of Guatemalan citizens live below the poverty line, the number is as high as 91 percent for its indigenous population. Many rural residents in Guatemala have only completed sixth grade. This is largely due to the expenses required to send children to schools which are often located far from their homes.

Salesian missionaries working and living in the country have been providing for the basic needs of Guatemala’s youth while helping to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. They work extensively with poor youth and their families at youth centers, orphanages, parishes, and primary and secondary schools as well as operate technical schools, vocational training workshops and two universities in the country.

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ECUADOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Yaupi, Ecuador, are finding innovative ways to make sure youth can continue their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yaupi and the surrounding areas are remote, and there is no internet access and no television broadcasting signal. Missionaries have provided families in 20 communities kits that include solar panels, batteries and radios to ensure that youth can access their lessons and continue their education from home.

According to UNICEF, only 37 percent of families in Ecuador have internet connection. In rural areas, only 16 percent of households have network connectivity. This means that many children cannot study at home, which is critical since many areas are focused on remote learning during the pandemic.

“Because of how remote these regions in the Amazon are and how little access families have to technology, Salesian missionaries have to come up with alternative means to ensure that youth do not miss school lessons,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This isn’t just happening in Ecuador but around the globe. From reducing classroom size and teaching outdoors to providing online learning, Salesian missionaries are customizing new plans for education to adapt to circumstances in their local communities. Education has always been a primary focus for Salesians and will continue to be.”

Earlier in the fall, the Salesian Province of Ecuador, in collaboration with Don Bosco Mission and Salesian Polytechnic University, launched the campaign “Donate your computer” to provide technology tools to vulnerable populations in 12 cities across the country. This campaign provided a broad range of technology including tablets, laptops, PCs, keyboards, mice, screens, speakers and electrical cables.

The initial goal of the campaign was to provide 500 technological tools so that children and older youth can attend virtual lessons, continue to digitally meet their classmates, do their homework and maintain hope for a better world through education.

Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20 percent of the population receives almost 50 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives only 5 percent. According to the World Food Program, almost 26 percent of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population is people of indigenous heritage. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Salesian missionaries have been providing education and other social programs for disadvantaged youth across Ecuador for more than 125 years.

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(MissionNewswire) Caritas, with the Salesian Parish in Kazincbarcika, Hungary, recently participated in a food collection drive to help poor families. In the lead up to Christmas, the Hungarian Food Bank held a national food collection program on Nov. 27-29 that brought together 6,000 volunteers who reached out to families, mostly those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 160 villages and towns, 250 collection points were set up, and customers in shops and supermarkets were encouraged to buy extra food items to donate. Volunteers were able to donate 50,000 packages to families in need. Collaborating with a local supermarket, the Caritas team supported the cause and helped those who struggle to put food on the table. Volunteer students from St. Francis de Sales Secondary School and Irinyi János Technical School collaborated with the Caritas team on this effort.

The food collection comes at a significant period when many families have been out of work for months due to the pandemic and needs have risen across Hungary. “It was nice to see so many benefactors wanting to give a contribution and show their generosity, especially because many have faced difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said a Caritas representative.

This has not been the only support Salesians have provided in Kazincbarcika. In April, Don Bosco Barcika Tanoda, the study center for Roma people, expanded its mission beyond education to start taking care of families and children in need during the pandemic. Mariann Molnár, the coordinator of the center, noted that in addition to keeping in touch with poor children and their families, enormous efforts have been made to provide them with online education, basic necessities, food and disinfectants.

The World Bank notes that the number of people living in poverty in Hungary is at an all-time low, but the country still has one of the highest poverty rates in the European Union at 12.3 percent in 2019. Even with the falling poverty rates, many youth feel like they have no future in the country. According to a report by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, about half of people between the ages of 19 and 30 would like to work abroad.

Housing prices have soared by an average of 31 percent over the past three years in the country, causing more families to fall into debt. About 44 percent of Hungarians cannot afford basic resources.

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, provided funding for food relief to Salesian missionaries, with the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Johannesburg, South Africa. Salesian missionaries were able to provide food support to Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa as part of COVID-19 relief efforts in these countries.

In order to reach people who most desperately needed help, Salesian missionaries worked with Don Bosco Educational Projects in Johannesburg, Salesian Institute of Youth Projects and Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Cape Town, Manzini Youth Center in Eswatini, and St Luke’s Oratory in Lesotho. These local Salesian organizations identified the most vulnerable in their communities and distributed the food aid to them.

In total,1,030 households, impacting 6,592 people, received the aid over three months. Each household received one food package per month to assist in sustaining the family. The contents of food packages varied with each Salesian location and were determined by community needs.

In Cape Town, Linda has two adults and five children in her household. Prior to the national lockdown her husband worked part-time as a gardener. Even at that time, food was scarce. Linda often found herself going from soup kitchen to soup kitchen gathering enough food to feed her family. More often than she wishes to remember, her family survived on dry bread and black tea.

When she received the food aid, Linda said, “The food parcel made a big impact in our daily lives. I could offer my family a cooked meal and save my few cents to buy bread for them. Thank you for your kindness and remembering us, the poor.”

In Eswatini, Tengetile lives in a rural community and is currently in her 11th year in high school. She lives with her grandparents because her father passed away and her mother left to get married and start a new family. Her grandparents are unable to work and survive on a token government pension. Their main food for all meals is pap (a semolina-type porridge made from refined corn) and sometimes they’re able to find edible green leaves in the fields.

Tengetile said, “The food package is a great gift from God and it reminds me of God’s love and care. I am thankful for the food as it relieves stress from my grandparents and will also help me to improve in my studies at school.”

This food aid was not initially intended an ongoing project, but due to lockdown measures, Salesian missionaries were able to secure funding to continue the aid until early 2021, when it is hoped that there will be less severe disruptions in the job market and people might be back to work.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Konkan Development Society in India were able to provide dry ration kits to 700 families across the three states of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The initiative was part of COVID-19 relief efforts.

Salesians were able to reach out directly to some villages because of the increasing cases. With the help of the police, kits were given to families in need. Among those who received the rations were migrant families settled in the slums of Zuarinagar and Baina. Members of these families are jobless and in need of assistance. Poor families were also supported in the remote villages of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Father Laurence Monteiro, executive director of Don Bosco Konkan Development Society, said, “We appreciate the funding from Salesian Missions because we were able to give dry food rations for sustenance to people greatly in need. It is difficult to continue this work due to a lack of funds and the challenges that COVID-19 is having on communities. When we have access to additional funding, we continue this work when we can.”

Poor families in the remote villages of Maharashtra and Karnataka, India, received ration kits from the Salesians of Don Bosco.

During the fall, Don Bosco Konkan Development Society was able to provide more than 50,000 people with nutritional support thanks to donors, including funding from Salesian Missions. While Goa faced food scarcity, Salesians were able to secure rice and other rations from sources in Maharashtra, as well as local suppliers.

The work in securing, sorting, storing, packing and then delivering the food was extensive. Given there was no labor available to help, Don Bosco Konkan Development Society staff members unloaded the trucks, packaged to-go kits and distributed the kits across Goa in smaller personal vehicles. Staff members were heavily involved in the operation and made delivery trips covering the state of Goa. Don Bosco Konkan Development Society used its local networks to deliver the kits to every needy household and distributed thousands of kits over several months.

Salesian programs across India are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care.

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.

India has the world’s fourth-largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

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INDIA: Don Bosco Konkan Development Society provides more than 50,000 people with nutritional support thanks in part to Salesian Missions funding

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UGANDA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries living and working at Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda have been able to provide food aid to 800 people at the camp thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp is currently home to more than 56,000 refugees and asylum seekers. It was officially set up in April 2016 to reduce congestion in larger refugee camps in the northwestern corner of Uganda. Several agencies are involved in providing food and education within Palabek. While some have left because of the pandemic, Salesians have remained.

Even before COVID-19, living conditions in Palabek were not easy. Food distribution was scarce and there were difficulties in accessing drinking water. With the arrival of the pandemic, everything has become even more complicated. The amount of food delivered to refugees once a month has been reduced by 30 percent, classes and activities were suspended, and episodes of violence, alcoholism, and teenage pregnancies began. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns that unless urgent action is taken to address the situation, levels of acute malnutrition, stunting and anemia are expected to rise, especially among children.

“With Salesian Missions support we have been able to make around 800 bags with food in the month of November,” said Father Ubaldino, a Salesian missionary working at Palabek. “We will be able to provide almost the same quantity for Christians in the camp in addition to providing blankets, buckets, cooking oil and soap.”

With support from Salesian Missions, Salesian missionaries made and distributed bags with food to refugees in Uganda.

Fr. Ubaldino added, “This donation is greatly appreciated because there is hunger and malnutrition and other nutritional deficiencies among the refugees. This creates much frustration, anger and other social disturbances. Salesians have distributed many tons of food and clothing, especially to the poorest. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families have also been supported with seeds and agricultural tools.”

In addition to providing food directly, Salesian missionaries are working to counter the food shortage through the cultivation of food including cereals, vegetables, and if possible, some cash crops such as sim sim, groundnuts and sunflower. The goals are to promote kitchen gardens of vegetables and fruits, hire land from the local Ugandans, and create agreements to work together with the host community. Salesians have provided several hundred kilos of maize, beans, soya beans, sim sim, groundnuts and many assorted vegetable seeds. They have also provided tons of cassava cuttings.

Salesian missionaries at the settlement are offering much needed psychosocial support and pastoral care for thousands of Christian residents. They also operate four nursery schools that educate more than 1,000 children. In addition, there are over 700 children attending Salesian primary and secondary schools, and more than 700 families are supported by other initiatives. Salesian missionaries also launched a vocational training center to offer life skills and other training to help young refugees prepare for employment.

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Development Society, the planning and development office of the Salesian Province of Mumbai, in collaboration with its various partners, has provided food, cleaning supplies and hygiene kits to 900 poor families in the Indian state of Gujarat. The initiative has benefited families of ethnic minorities living in the hills and forests of the region and families of the lower classes living in various villages and cities. The project is supported by Don Bosco Mondo, the Salesian Mission Office in Bonn, Germany, and the Conrad Family of Germany.

The initiative is one among many that the Don Bosco Development Society has carried out since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year. The organization also provided assistance to 60 migrant families residing in Antop Hill and Matunga. In November, they helped 400 poor families in the Dharavi slum and 140 people with disabilities by distributing relief kits containing rations and toiletries.

People living in the slums of India have been hard hit by the coronavirus lockdown and are without the means to earn even a meager living for food. Many were day laborers or worked in the informal employment sector selling items on the streets. Because of the lockdown, this work is no longer available and families are suffering. The Don Bosco Development Society and Salesian organizations across India have been helping to provide support to these families in need through educational and awareness campaigns about prevention of the virus, distributing food and hygiene items, and providing education remotely.

The Don Bosco Development Society and Salesian organizations across India have been helping to provide support to people in need.

“Salesian missionaries are working to help those impacted by the pandemic in India and around the globe,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesians live among the populations they serve, they are agile in their response in times of crisis such as this. They can assess the needs locally, create an appropriate intervention and ensure relief items are in the hands of those most in need.”

Prior to the pandemic, the Don Bosco Development Society was providing education in 10 villages in the state of Rajasthan for 300 extremely poor and disadvantaged children, including children of farmers and workers in quarries. This is one project among many that is helping the poor and disadvantaged to have hope for the future.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

India’s youth also face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44 percent of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

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THAILAND

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Mary Help of Christians Parish in Bangkok, Thailand, have resumed their prison support activities after COVID-19 restrictions put a halt to their work earlier this year. Once a month for the past 10 years, Father Aaron Alcoseba, the Salesian parish priest, has visited the three main detention centers of Thanyaburi, Min Buri and Pathum Thani.

Fr. Alcoseba provides pastoral support to people in prison, especially young prisoners. This mission is part of the pastoral plan of the local church. This year, for the first time, these visits had to stop, but Fr. Alcoseba was pleased when he was allowed to return to his normal activities in the prison in October.

The main purpose of the visits is to assist Catholic prisoners through formation and catechesis activities and to offer the opportunity to approach the sacrament of Reconciliation, to participate in Mass or to attend other liturgical services.

Since Fr. Alcoseba’s return, prisoners of other faiths, both Buddhists and Muslims, have also decided to join the activities. They said they felt especially impressed by the way the formation is carried out. All  who participate receive a certificate of attendance, which entitles them to a reduction in their prison sentence, provided other conditions are met as well.

“Prison pastoral care is a ministry the spiritual Sons of Don Bosco in Thailand show great interest in. Don Bosco was an example for us in visiting young people in prison and who are on the margins of society,” explained Fr. Alcoseba.

The pastoral activities instill hope for those in prison and offer them incentives to start a new phase in their lives. Salesian missionaries note that if it is true that nothing can be done to remove what happened in the past, it is also true that the future is still to be written and that one can work for the prospect of a better tomorrow.

Salesian missionaries provide education and social programs in Thailand to give poor and disadvantaged youth an opportunity for a brighter future. Also in Bangkok, Salesian missionaries operate Don Bosco Technological College, which has been ensuring poor youth have access to advanced education since 1949. Education programs allow youth to gain the skills needed to find and retain stable employment. To do that successfully, the college has developed partnerships which help train youth in employment sectors that need a skilled workforce and have the jobs available to hire youth right after graduating.

Thailand has shown considerable economic growth over the last 20 years, reducing its poverty rate from 21 percent in 2000 to 10.9 percent today, according to the World Bank. Although the country has made strides in reducing poverty, improving nutrition and meeting the basic needs of its residents, inequality is still pervasive.

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ITALY

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian community of Scandicci, just outside Florence, Italy, opened a semi-residential community for youth in memory of Salesian Blessed Artemide Zatti. The community was two years in the making and has opened its doors to four young people. The residence will be able to accommodate up to 18 young people a day, both males and females, aged 6 to 14, who are sent by the local social services.

“We’ve come a long way together with the whole educational team,” said Father Giorgio Mocci, director of the Salesian community in Scandicci. “The community has always supported us. We have several volunteers from the association La Melagrana Aps ready to make themselves available to these young people and support them.”

Yuna Kashi Zadeh, president of La Melagrana Aps, noted, “The satisfaction for having started this path is now great. ‘We’re here’ is the phrase that recurs most in the messages, in the calls and in the meetings that we have had in recent days. It means we are here and staying to embrace, meet, smile, cry, talk and to listen.”

While many programs in Italy have closed during the pandemic and others have limited the work they are doing, the Salesians have remained and continue to grow and expand programs to meet the critical needs of poor and at-risk youth. All Salesian programs are adhering to COVID-19 safety measures including wearing masks, social distancing and sanitizing.

“For us, it is important to start this work especially for those facing the most difficulty. We Salesians are here in Scandicci as we are in the whole world to be signs and bearers of God’s love for young people,” added Fr. Mocci.

In Italy, young people who are unemployed and not in school or training programs represent 20 percent of the population. Vocational training is an educational path that serves as a highly effective bridge between school and work.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

(MissionNewswire) For the last two years, the Don Bosco Center, located in the city of Bukavu in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has been supporting women who wish to join women’s groups run by the Association Villageoise d’Epargne et Crédit (AVEC), an association for savings and credit in the villages. The Don Bosco Center has helped create 20 groups of women, mostly mothers.

Every week, the women had been depositing 1,000 to 5,000 Congolese Francs (CF), which is roughly 60 cents, into their group’s safe, in addition to depositing another 200 CF in the solidarity fund. After a few weeks, the group members can apply for credit and receive up to 10,000 CF to help in situations of necessity such as the birth of a child, an illness or a death in the family. AVEC groups promote solidarity, teach how to manage money and savings, and give the possibility to apply for a loan to start a small business.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the conditions in the DRC have worsened and many women no longer have the money to pay their AVEC group dues. Two social workers with the Don Bosco Center in Bukavu have been trying to help.

“Nicole and Gisèle have distributed start-up aid, from $50-$150 to over 120 very poor mothers who were unable to start a small income generating business and participate fully in the AVEC group,” said Father Piero Gavioli, director of the Don Bosco Center.

Over 120 very poor mothers receive support through the Don Bosco Center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Those who have been helped include Francoise, Esperance and Anastasie. Francoise received $80 to boost her small spice and shoe shop. As her business was progressing, she was able to help respond to the needs of her family. As the supply of spices from Rwanda became difficult with the pandemic, she began selling underwear. She is a member of the AVEC Tuamke group of Camp TV and is very grateful to the Salesians for their help.

Esperance and her husband are partners of the same AVEC group. They received $150 dollars in aid which enabled them to restart their businesses. Esperance’s husband strengthened his small resale of cigarettes and sundries business in the large market of Kadutu, and Esperance began to sell plantains at the market of Muhanzi. The confinement due to the pandemic had interrupted their activity, but now they are moving forward.

Finally, Anastasie, who is the president of her AVEC group, received a $120 sewing machine from her group. Before, group members took turns using three old machines, but now these mothers have the opportunity to use a good quality machine and sew clothes that they sell to survive.

“Mothers have thanked the Don Bosco Center for the help received. Their thanks is for the people who gave us the means to help them. May the Lord bless them,” concluded Fr. Gavioli.

Despite its vast material wealth, the DRC has long been a very poor nation. Half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line on less than $1 a day, especially those in rural communities. Because of ongoing strife and violence within the country, more than 8.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that’s expected to increase. More than 4.1 million Congolese are now displaced with 620,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 7.5 million people do not have enough food to eat.

Salesian missionaries have been working in the DRC for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Salesian primary and secondary schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs offer many youth the opportunity for a stable and productive future.

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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with the Assumption of Mary Province of Central Africa, are supplying drinking water for distribution to the local population in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Father Albert Kabuge, provincial, inaugurated and blessed the new facility and thanked the benefactors for supporting the project.

The water, which has been labeled Don Bosco Water, is bottled and distributed to the local population. Many in the region lack access to clean, fresh water for drinking and proper hand hygiene. This water is vital for the local population during the pandemic.

“Salesians have answered the call for added support during the COVID-19 pandemic in communities around the globe,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Whether it’s food rations, making masks, providing sanitizer and soap, or ensuring clean water access, Salesian missionaries have assessed local needs and sprung to action, sometimes in very creative ways, to meet the need like they have done in the DRC with Don Bosco Water.”

UN-Water estimates that worldwide 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and by 2050, the world’s population will have grown by an estimated 2 billion people, pushing global water demand up to 30 percent higher than today. One in four primary schools has no drinking water service, with students using unprotected water sources or going thirsty. In addition, UN-Water notes that more than 700 children under 5 years of age die every day from diarrheal disease linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

Despite its vast material wealth, the DRC has long been a very poor nation. Half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line on less than $1 a day, especially those in rural communities. Because of ongoing strife and violence within the country, more than 8.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that’s expected to increase. More than 4.1 million Congolese are now displaced with 620,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 7.5 million people do not have enough food to eat.

Salesian missionaries have been working in the DRC for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Salesian primary and secondary schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs offer many youth the opportunity for a stable and productive future.

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

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have raised nearly 8 million euros to help support thousands of families around the globe who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent Catholic News Agency article.

In the article, Rector Major of the Salesians Father Ángel Fernández Artime said, “Specifically, 7.9 million euros have been collected, a very significant amount that has reached 62 Salesian provinces around the world, in response to 143 projects in support of very hard-hit families, who have benefited from food and small salaries to support themselves.”

During his Oct. 2-4 visit to Turin, Italy, for the opening of the Don Bosco House Museum, Fr. Artime said in a video message, “I would like to tell you, in the name of Don Bosco, thank you for that solidarity, thank you for the good we do together. It’s been very beautiful because it has not only been about collecting money to help people, it’s also been about putting together reflections, concerns, ideas and initiatives to reach all parts of the world. For all this, in the name of Don Bosco, thank you very much for continuing to really help and change the lives of so many people.”

Projects are directly helping those most in need. In India, Don Bosco Development Society, the planning and development office in Mumbai Province of India, helped 400 poor families in the Dharavi slum with the support of Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany. Aid kits containing food rations and hygiene items were distributed. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia and is home to 850,000 residents, making it also one of the more cramped spaces in Mumbai.

Don Bosco Development Society also helped 140 people with disabilities residing in the slum by distributing relief kits containing rations and toiletries. Since some of those with physical disabilities could not pick up their relief kits in person, their family members did so on their behalf.

In South Sudan, the Don Bosco Health Center, part of the St. Vincent de Paul Parish and the Don Bosco Gumbo community in Gumbo, are caring for the sick while working to help prevent coronavirus. The Don Bosco Health Center was launched in 2012 with the support of the Caritas Sisters of Jesus. Initially, about 30 patients were seen a day in three small rooms. Today, the Don Bosco Health Center is treating up to 200 patients each day on average.

The Don Bosco Health Center provides essential services to people in villages who don’t otherwise have access to medical care. Gumbo is located at the center of 20 villages along the left bank of the Nile River, while the town of Juba and other villages are on the right bank. There are no proper hospitals or dispensaries in any of these 20 villages. The nearest one is the hospital of Juba.

“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, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to direct support to families in need, Salesian centers and institutions have also supported government infrastructure through funds, and supplied health workers, police and other government personnel with protective face masks. They partnered with the local administration in many places to coordinate relief work for the maximum benefit of those in need.”

Salesian missionaries continue to assess needs for prevention and support during this challenging time and work to support youth and their families in ways they can during this pandemic.

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Catholic News Agency – Salesians raise 8 million euros for families affected by pandemic

INDIA: Don Bosco Development Society provides food rations and hygiene kits to families and people with disabilities living in the Dharavi slum

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SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Health Center provides medical care for people in 20 villages

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(MissionNewswire) With support from the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has launched a new project: “Salesian Solidarity with Italy: the Emergency Response to COVID-19.”

This activity is one element of USAID’s $50 million commitment to Italy to help save lives and build resilience for the future. USAID’s work in Italy is one part of the U.S. Government response to the pandemic in Italy.

The “Salesian Solidarity with Italy: the Emergency Response to COVID-19” project gives students access to online tools and technology.

The project will impact over 24,000 people including students and other young people, teachers, families, and migrants and refugees. Salesian Missions is working with Salesian International Volunteering for Development (VIS) and local Salesian partners CNOS-FAP, the National Salesian Center for Vocational Training and Ongoing Education, and SCS-CNOS Federation, Salesians for Social Welfare.

The project will mitigate the harmful secondary effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on vulnerable populations across Italy.

Through the stay@ctive campaign, VIS will work with local Salesian centers to develop free online educational resources for families with children to provide parents and children with coping strategies during periods of self-isolation and quarantine.

Secondly, the project will help develop technical and vocational training for students who have experienced a lapse in education due to the pandemic. With an unpredictable timeline for a return to normalcy, these investments in career-focused training will help young people make up for any loss in education access. In partnership with CNOS-FAP, this effort will reach more than 25,000 students.

In addition, the project will provide the funding to acquire annual licenses for technical software, e-simulators and e-platforms aimed at delivering distance learning in vocational fields and at simulating practical work-based environments. One of the challenges with e-learning is the inability of lower income students to access online tools. Thanks to ongoing relationships with Apple and other companies, it is possible for CNOS-FAP to acquire educational devices for its students at competitive prices. In addition, 550 start-up technology kits will be donated to the most vulnerable and poor students.

Salesian Missions will also donate food baskets and personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks, disposable overalls and gloves, and detergents to marginalized groups including refugees, migrants, impoverished families and the elderly. VIS will help deliver these services through its partnership with SCS-CNOS Federation. A psychological help desk service will also be established to provide people with emotional support as they struggle with the challenges of social distancing and other COVID-19 related personal obstacles.

“The United States is proud to support ‘Salesian Solidarity with Italy: the Emergency Response to COVID-19.’ This project will provide online educational training, as well as food, protective equipment, and psychological assistance to vulnerable populations across Italy. Coordinated action is essential to mitigating the long-term effects of COVID-19,” said U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Callista L. Gingrich. She added, “Faith-based organizations such as Salesian Missions are reliable partners in providing care and support to those most in need during this pandemic.”

“We are grateful to the U.S. Government for supporting this critical project in Italy, which has been hard hit by the virus and has a struggling economy made worse by the pandemic,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian organizations have rallied together across Italy to help mitigate the challenges and worsening conditions of poverty for those they serve. This is an example of yet another collaborative project to assist those most in need through education, psycho-social support and delivering direct relief materials.”

USAID is the U.S. Government’s premiere development organization operating in more than 100 countries worldwide.

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This project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Salesian Missions and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

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INDIA

Don Bosco KISMAT ensures migrant youth have the tools necessary to access remote learning

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco KISMAT, operated by BREADS, the Salesian planning and development office in Bangalore, India, is helping poor migrant youth in Kerala access online education during the pandemic. Payal Kumari is one young girl supported by the program.

Pramod, her father, a daily wage worker from the state of Bihar, moved to Kerala for work. As a boy, he had to leave school early and wants to ensure his daughter is able to receive an education. With the onset of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, Kumari faced challenges. As part of a migrant family, she already faced distrust from the local population, experienced scarcity of basic goods, and had anxiety and fear over not being able to go to her classes. In addition, Kumari was challenged by a lack of technology to be able to attend school remotely.

Don Bosco KISMAT intervened. The program identified 314 migrant children and older youth who were studying in government schools and who had absolutely no opportunity to attend online classes. They were provided with smart TVs, smartphones, textbooks, notebooks, bags and food kits.

Kumari was one of the students who received assistance and has been able to finish her bachelor’s degree in archeology and history at Mahatma Gandhi University. She was one of the best students in her degree program. Kumari said, “The result I have achieved belongs to my father, who worked very hard to make ends meet and faced many difficulties in life but never wanted to compromise on the education of his children.”

Despite all the difficulties faced by being the daughter of a migrant, Kumari never lost heart. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in history and archeology and is preparing for her civil service exams. Don Bosco KISMAT was happy to be able to support Kumari in her studies and noted the young woman is a source of inspiration for many migrant children who have trouble seeing past their current circumstances.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

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UGANDA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in the Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda launched the “Facial masks for refugees and host community” project on July 8. Since that time refugees have made and distributed more than 24,000 masks, earning praise and recognition from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The camp currently houses 56,000 people.

Salesians, alongside refugees in the camp, have been engaged in coronavirus prevention efforts since the start of the pandemic. Don Bosco Technical School was launched in Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in January 2019. Despite limited material resources, some young volunteers from the sewing workshop began to make masks.

In the first months of the pandemic alone, more than 10,000 masks were distributed to the refugee population and administrative staff of the settlement. Uganda’s minister for refugees, Hilary Onek, visited the settlement in July and praised the Salesian project. She said, “The Don Bosco Center was very innovative and a pioneer in the production of masks not only in the settlement, but throughout the nation.”

Salesian missionaries also distributed seeds for farming, hygiene products and clothing. Father Ubaldino Andrade, Salesian at Palabek, said, “We had to start almost from scratch in Palabek.” Authorities in the settlement are working with Salesians to launch new income-generating activities for refugees. Success in manufacturing face masks for the refugee community could be the first step toward making uniforms for schools and other agricultural activities.

Even before COVID-19, living conditions in Palabek were not easy. Food distribution was scarce and there were difficulties in accessing drinking water. With the arrival of the pandemic, everything has become even more complicated. The amount of food delivered to refugees once a month has been reduced by 30 percent, classes and activities were suspended, and episodes of violence, alcoholism and teenage pregnancies began. The UNHCR warns that unless urgent action is taken to address the situation, levels of acute malnutrition, stunting and anemia are expected to rise, especially among children.

In addition to providing food directly, Salesian missionaries are working to counter the food shortage through the cultivation of food including cereals, vegetables, and if possible, some cash crops such as sim sim, groundnuts and sunflower. The goal is to promote kitchen gardens of vegetables and fruits, hire land from the local Ugandans, and create agreements to work together with the host community. Salesians have provided several hundred kilos of maize, beans, soya beans, sim sim, groundnuts and many assorted vegetable seeds. They have also provided tons of cassava cuttings.

Salesian missionaries at the settlement are offering much needed psychosocial support and pastoral care for thousands of Christian residents. They also operate four nursery schools that educate more than 1,000 children. In addition, there are over 700 children attending Salesian primary and secondary schools, and more than 700 families are supported by other initiatives. Salesian missionaries also launched a vocational training center to offer life skills and other training to help young refugees prepare for employment.

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Development Society, the planning and development office in Mumbai Province of India, helped 400 poor families in the Dharavi slum with the support of Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany. Aid kits containing food rations and hygiene items were distributed. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia and is home to 850,000 residents, making it also one of the more cramped spaces in Mumbai.

Don Bosco Development Society also helped 140 people with disabilities residing in the slum by distributing relief kits containing rations and toiletries. Since some of those with physical disabilities could not pick up their relief kits in person, their family members did so on their behalf.

People living in the slums of India have been hard hit by the coronavirus lockdown and are without the means to earn even a meager living for food. Many were day laborers or worked in the informal employment sector selling items on the streets. Because of the lockdown, this work is no longer available and families are suffering. Don Bosco Development Society and Salesian organizations across India have been helping to provide support to these families in need through educational and awareness campaigns about prevention of the virus, distributing food and hygiene items, and providing education remotely.

“Salesian missionaries have had to quickly change how they provide services during the pandemic,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arms of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesians live among the populations they serve, they are agile in their response in times of crisis such as this. They are able to assess the needs locally, create an appropriate intervention and ensure relief items are in the hands of those most in need.”

Prior to the pandemic, Don Bosco Development Society was providing education in 10 villages in the state of Rajasthan, India, for 300 extremely poor and disadvantaged children, including children of farmers and workers in quarries. This is one project among many that is helping the poor and disadvantaged to have hope for the future.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

India’s youth also face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44 percent of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

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BRAZIL

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Dom Bosco Educational Center in Gramoré in Natal, Brazil, have distributed packages of food to families assisted by the local Salesian oratory. These efforts are part of the #camosjuntos campaign promoted by Parage Norte Shopping Natal. The first distribution was 150 food packages and the second was 250. The efforts are made possible with the support of the Municipal Secretariat for Labor and Social Assistance of Natal and the Union of Urban Transport Companies of the Municipality of Natal.

Since March, Dom Bosco Educational Center has joined efforts with various public and private partners to address food shortages. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Dom Bosco Educational Center has served around 2,000 families with basic food packages and hygiene kits. More than 1,000 people have needed assistance services from the Salesian organization, and they are vulnerable to social and economic risk.

“Salesians in Brazil and around the globe are working to ensure that families have the basic necessities to get through this challenging time,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries live in the communities in which they work so they are perfectly positioned to assess local need and ensure that relief supplies make it to the families who are most in need.”

Relief work has been happening in Salesian centers and institutions across the country since March. The Salesian Network, in collaboration with partners, provided 460 youth and their families with food assistance in the city of Manaus on the banks of the Negro River in northwestern Brazil. Families in need were tracked and identified through an app. More than 800 baskets of food were delivered, with deliveries observing the guidelines for coronavirus prevention provided by the World Health Organization. This is just one of many examples of how Salesian organization have rallied together, connected with their networks and helped families in need.

Brazil has one of the strongest economies in Latin America and is an important agricultural and industrial power in the region. Just over 15 percent of Brazilians live in poverty, with the majority living in the rural northeast of the country, according to the World Bank. While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between the poor and the rich, and issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain at the root of poverty.

Inequalities also exist in access to education and educational efficiency. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education. Salesian missionaries working with poor youth and their families in Brazil develop programs and provide youth opportunities for furthering their education and skills.

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ARGENTINA

(MissionNewswire) Normal activities facilitated by the Salesian Youth Movement in Argentina have been canceled over the last several months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Salesian Youth Movement could not hold its regular camps, oratories, meetings, rallies and retreats. In response, a group of boys and girls from the Salesian Youth Movement in Rosario decided to use humor to address the situation and bring joy to one another and young children.

The idea emerged as a way to support one another during isolation. In full compliance with the health regulations on social distancing, various audiovisual productions were made in an attempt to make quarantine more enjoyable. The first video produced, which featured the “Don Boscosas” Kit, made everyone laugh.

“It all started with the idea of ​​making a video for all children, who due to the pandemic, could not go to their oratories or groups,” explained Franco, from the Virgen de Caacupé oratory. “The idea of ​​the video was to show everything we lack in those places and to trigger an identification mechanism. I also believe that humor and joy are the most subtle and effective way to give a message and make the development of any project much more fun and bearable.”

Ezequiel, another animator said, “It all started with the need to bring the playground to children in these times of isolation; to encourage them and accompany them with a little humor.”

Martín added, “I think we can say that we have achieved this objective.”

What began as a form of support for youth in Rosario ended up inspiring youth in other parts of the country. Gastón noted, “It helped us to understand that we can increase the confidence and self-esteem of each other and learn how to be more responsible with the commitment of the project undertaken. It allowed us to explore new ways to express ourselves, since the children not only had to plan and write the videos but also act them, sing and improvise. I think it helped me to bond with others and learn to work as a team with the kids.”

Salesian programs across Argentina are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country prepares youth for technical, vocational or university studies. Other programs help meet the basic needs of poor youth and their families by providing shelter, proper nutrition and medical care, helping youth to engage in their education and have hope for the future.

More than a quarter of the people in Argentina live in conditions of poverty with no formal employment and poor-quality education, according to the World Bank. The country’s high school dropout rate is close to 37 percent and youth account for a third of those unemployed. Almost 12 percent of children aged 5 to 17 are working instead of being in school and 20 percent need government assistance. Many face malnutrition, a lack of clean water and sewage, and inadequate housing.

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Nerul, located in Mumbai, India, has launched a new initiative to help people impacted by the coronavirus pandemic gain skills for employment. The initiative launched with 17 women, aged 19-45, who have signed up for online classes, which also include English language lessons. The goal of the project is to help poor families become self-sufficient by encouraging entrepreneurial activities and sharing the skills learned from other entrepreneurs or traders.

Many people who were migrants, employed as day laborers or in the informal sector lost their means of earning a living and taking care of their families during the lockdown period. Because people are not out on the streets and the tourism industry is shut down, many can no longer afford to feed their families. Finding people a new means of employment, and one that help families earn a livable wage, is critical to helping them escape conditions of poverty.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India, and in more than 130 countries around the globe, are also focused on achieving gender equality through rights training, education and workforce development programs targeted specifically for women and girls. These programs strive to empower women and girls by providing opportunities for education and training that lead to livable wage employment and their independence from violence and exploitation.

“Many women lost work due to the pandemic and are unable to support their families,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Women who are empowered through skills training programs, along with education and workforce development assistance, are more often able to achieve financial independence and help support their families and communities.”

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A “multidimensionally poor” child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

India’s youth also face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44 percent of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed a secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

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ECUADOR

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Province of Ecuador, in collaboration with Don Bosco Mission and Salesian Polytechnic University, launched the campaign “Donate your computer” to provide technology tools to vulnerable populations in 12 cities across the country. This campaign is looking for a broad range of technology including tablets, laptops, PCs, keyboards, mice, screens, speakers and electrical cables.

According to UNICEF, only 37 percent of families in Ecuador have internet connection. In rural areas, only 16 percent of households have network connectivity. This means that these children cannot study at home, which has been critical since many areas are focused on remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

The initial goal of the campaign is to provide 500 technological tools so that children and older youth can attend virtual lessons, continue to digitally meet their classmates, do their homework and maintain hope for a better world through education.

Father Francisco Sánchez, Salesian provincial of Ecuador, said, “Today, we want to take a step forward and present this new campaign, a solidarity initiative under the slogan ‘No one excluded,’ to ensure that vulnerable children, adolescents and young people can study under the same conditions as those that have a connection.”

This initiative was launched by 30 students taking computer science courses at the Salesian Polytechnic University campus in Quito, who have repaired more than 100 electronic devices sent to the Salesian house in Esmeraldas since July. One of the students taking part in the initiative said, “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to demonstrate what it means to be good Christians and upright citizens.”

Salesian University offices on the campuses in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca are donation collection centers. An IT application was also developed that allows donors to know the status and destination of what they have donated, providing transparency. The evaluation and repair of the equipment are handled by students in the system’s engineering and computer science courses.

María Rosa Chasiluisa, who lives south of Quito and has six children, was one of the recipients of the donation. She said, “Thank you very much for giving this help to my children. I’m very happy because with this computer, they can make a career for themselves. I felt bad because my children, many times, were unable to connect to lessons or send their homework on time.”

Early in the pandemic, Salesian missionaries launched the “For daily bread” campaign, which is still underway and has provided more than 4,000 families a monthly card of $60 for the purchase of basic necessities.

Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20 percent of the population receives almost 50 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives only 5 percent. According to the World Food Program, almost 26 percent of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population is people of indigenous heritage. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Salesian missionaries have been providing education and other social programs for disadvantaged youth across Ecuador for more than 125 years.

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TOGO

(MissionNewswire) Close to 500 people supported by the Maria Auxiliadora Parish in Gbényedzi, Lomé, Togo, have access to coronavirus prevention materials thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. The funding enables Salesians at the parish to purchase and distribute face masks, install hand-washing devices and purchase thermo-flash devices for taking temperatures. Salesians were also able to purchase, store and distribute food for those in need.

Many people, both older and young, were supported by the donor funding. One of the recipients was Lady Donyon, a widowed woman in her sixties. She lives in the district of Ablogamé in the home she had shared with her husband. To survive, she had been selling charcoal, but her late husband’s sons did not give her time to develop her business. Her only child who is with her has mental health struggles, which complicates the situation.

Donyon and her grandsons collect pure water sachets to sell. When the grandchildren come back from school, they go to the market to help shopkeepers. Donyon reported that the food kits provided are helping her because the coronavirus pandemic has slowed down everything and it’s difficult to earn enough money to feed herself and her grandchildren.

Donyon said, “This kit will allow me to feed myself and my little two grandsons and my child. This will also allow us not to go out all the time looking for sachets for the next few days. I sincerely thank the donors and all those who have thought of us.”

Salesians in Togo were also able to purchase, store and distribute food for those in need.

Salesian missionaries have been responding to the needs of poor youth and their families since the coronavirus pandemic started earlier this year. In Salesian communities, parishes, schools and institutions, missionaries are providing face masks, ensuring access to soap and clean water, providing food and hygiene kits, and changing how they provide educational lessons. Salesian missionaries are also focused on how people are dealing emotionally with the effects of quarantines and lockdowns. In many areas, they are finding ways to help support their community members with online activities, call-in support lines and psycho-social support.

More than 80 percent of Togo’s rural population lives in conditions of poverty making the country one of the world’s poorest, according to UNICEF. Children in the country suffer the most with close to 50 percent of those living in poverty under the age of 18. One in eight children will not reach their fifth birthday and the number of children who drop out of school because their parents cannot afford to educate them is high. Children are also often forced to work in exploitative and dangerous conditions in order to help support their families.

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KENYA

(MissionNewswire) In early October, Don Bosco Youth Education Services held three days of teacher training on the theme “Teaching and Learning in the 21st century” led by Father Selvam Sahay and a team of experts. Participants included 20 teachers from five Salesian academic institutions.

The topics covered in this training are particularly relevant right now given the global pandemic and shift in many countries from in-person to online lessons, even if temporarily. Teachers, now more than ever, have had to adjust their methods of teaching and use technology they have never used before.

Teachers play an important role in the lives of poor youth in Salesian schools. Their work is vital to their students’ success both in and out of the classroom. Salesian missionaries educate more than 1 million youth in over 5,500 schools and youth centers, and nearly 1,000 vocational, technical and agricultural schools in more than 130 countries around the globe.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system and have had to quickly modify how they provide education during the pandemic—not an easy feat for many Salesian teachers,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian teachers face many challenges educating poor youth who have faced many barriers to education including severe poverty and homelessness, and the pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges.”

In Nairobi, Kenya, teachers play a significant role in the lives of youth attending Don Bosco Boys Town, which provides education and technical skills training to former street children. The program currently serves more than 600 boys and girls in primary, secondary and technical school.

Students who complete their primary education are then 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 in the town of Embu, northeast of Nairobi.

The two-year technical training offered through Bosco Boys gives youth a wide variety of skills training programs to choose from, including tailoring, car engineering/mechanics, carpentry, electrical work and welding, as well as secretarial skills and a full spectrum of computer-related job skills. After graduation, more than 80 percent of graduates are employed in their fields of study. Many students go on to attend university or establish their own businesses and become entrepreneurs in Nairobi.

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

Despite the steady growth of Kenya’s economy, according to UNICEF, more than half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line on less than $1 a day. UNICEF also noted that Nairobi is home to 3 million residents, most of whom endure lives of extreme poverty in the city’s slums. The most vulnerable are families and children who live in these urban slums and in areas of the country most affected by HIV/AIDS. Many do not have access to healthcare, nutrition, sanitation or education.

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. Close to 90 percent of children from poor households fail to complete their basic education.

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“Salesians in these regions are used to challenging circumstances, but with the spread of the virus and more challenging economic conditions, Salesians are working to address added needs of youth and families who access their programs,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Families in these countries have faced ongoing difficulties that Salesian programs have worked to address. Salesians are stepping up and addressing unique local needs with support from around the globe.”

In Lebanon, there was already socio-economic instability before the explosion in Beirut, which only served to exacerbate the situation. Due to this and the ongoing spread of COVID-19, Salesians have decided to postpone traditional activities until the government allows the normal course of social meetings and gatherings to resume.

Salesians have provided concrete help to the most vulnerable people through the donation of food and basic necessities and by establishing a scholarship for the children of the families most affected by the pandemic. It was also decided that for the 2020-2021 school year, the Salesian School of Technical and Vocational Training will mainly provide online lessons to minimize the risk of infection for both students and teachers.

Salesians distribute food and hygiene kits for needy families in Egypt.

Support for the neediest families has continued in Egypt, where the Salesians have responded with distributions of food and hygiene kits. Close to 30 families received additional support through small direct financial donations to cover basic expenses such as rent, electricity and water. Salesian Institutes in Cairo and Alexandria responded to the needs of the most disadvantaged families of enrolled students by offering scholarships and reduced school fees for the 2020-2021 school year.

Similar measures have also been taken in Israel. Bethlehem and Nazareth have been hit hard by the lockdown imposed to counter the spread of the virus. In Bethlehem, students facing economic difficulties are being helped with partial and full scholarships at the Salesian Technical School. Teachers have been attending course on the methodologies and tools for digital teaching. The situation in Nazareth is more difficult for both students and staff because all educational activities must be carried out remotely.

At the end of June in Syria, there was a decrease in the virus infection rate, so Salesians reopened their centers in Aleppo and Damascus to provide the psycho-social support for families and children. Unfortunately, during the month of August, a new wave of infections hit the country and many people were affected, leading to a new closure of the centers. The Salesians, however, remained focused on the needs of Syrian families and developed new interventions, including helping those who have lost their sources of income. They also added educational support for children with learning problems.

Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to understand the local needs and ensure that relief materials and support are provided efficiently and to those most impacted. Salesians will continue to monitor situations in the Middle East and around the globe to provide ongoing support to youth and families in need.

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IVORY COAST

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries working in the commune of Koumassi in the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s economic capital, implemented a project supporting the Salesian-run Don Bosco Foyer and Marie Dominique Foyer, operated by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. There are 41 boys and 21 girls who are residents in the two homes.

Through the project, Salesian missionaries and sisters were able to acquire equipment and materials for hand-washing, personal hygiene equipment including buckets, bath towels, and soaps, sanitary hygiene washing powders, hydro-alcoholic gel, masks, sheets, mats, and more. In addition, children and staff have been instructed on how to maintain proper hygiene to help prevent the spread of the virus.

In support of these efforts, a crisis management unit has been set up and is made up of two educators in each house. The unit drafted a crisis management procedure. It is also responsible for organizing awareness sessions and workshops for children and surrounding populations, along with making awareness posters and flyers.

At Salesian-run homes in the Ivory Coast, children have been instructed on how to maintain proper hygiene to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Don Bosco Foyer and Marie Dominique Foyer also provided holistic care for the children. Because of school closures and the lockdown, children remained in the homes. Activities were organized by the educators to keep them occupied. Planned activities included educational games and lessons, reading, and monitoring courses on television.

“Salesian missionaries living and working in cities across the Ivory Coast focus their attention on working with youth in need and their families to provide education, food security, health clinics and workforce development services,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This work is more important than ever, but resources are limited. Salesian missionaries and sisters continue to assess needs and seek resources to support poor youth and their families.”

According to the World Bank, 46 percent of those living in the Ivory Coast live in conditions of poverty—with more than a quarter of the population living in severe poverty on less than $1.25 a day. The Ivory Coast has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in West Africa. While a wide range of national and international initiatives focus on HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and testing, the collapse of public health facilities in the north as a result of years of conflict has made the situation worse.

During the country’s time of war, Salesian missionaries provided life-saving shelter, food and security for the thousands fleeing violence and seeking refuge on Salesian grounds.

Today, Salesian missionaries continue their work providing shelter, education and social development services to youth and their families. They also work with the victims of war to heal the country’s deep wounds. They listen, help victims seek compensation and work for social reconciliation between opposing groups. Known for their work with child soldiers around the globe, Salesian missionaries are also providing training for youth, some who had been aggressors during the war.

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SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Mission in Tonj, a town in the northwest region of South Sudan, has been able to support more than 3,500 internally displaced people with a recent COVID-19 initiative. The organization received support from Salesian Missions in Madrid, Spain, to offer help to those internally displaced in Tonj and the western state of Bahr el Ghazal.

Families found themselves faced with violent border conflicts and were left homeless. They were forced to take refuge in the adjacent forests without food, water, shelter, sanitation and medicine. After being contacted and registered as internally displaced, the families received basic necessities from the Don Bosco Mission.

Those receiving the donation expressed happiness and great appreciation for the commitment of Salesian missionaries who have continued to provide support to vulnerable communities and those most affected by conflicts. In addition to the distribution of primary goods and medicines, radio programs were also broadcast in recent months with measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Internally displaced families in South Sudan received basic necessities from the Don Bosco Mission.

“The health standards of families, and especially of children, have improved thanks to the supply of medicines,” said Father Joseph James Nakholi, a Salesian in South Sudan. “The population has also recovered emotionally and psychologically after the intervention of the Salesians.”

Salesian missionaries have been working in Tonj for several years. Their focus has been on providing education and social development services for poor youth through the operation of primary and secondary schools and youth centers. In addition, the missionaries operate several medical clinics, including a leprosy clinic, as well as a hospital.

Support through this initiative was also provided to people with leprosy who live in a village, thanks to the intervention of the Salesian Mission Office of South Korea and the John Lee Memorial Foundation, which was launched in memory of the late Korean Salesian missionary Father John Lee, to help the mission in South Sudan.

The leprosy program was started by Fr. Lee who arrived at the Salesian mission in Tonj in 2001. He remained until 2008 when he went on a trip to South Korea. It was there that doctors discovered Fr. Lee had cancer, and he passed away 14 months later. During his time in South Sudan, Fr. Lee constructed an outpatient clinic and made repairs to the primary school building.

A hospital named for Fr. Lee was opened in Tonj in late July 2014 after four years of planning and construction. The current facility consists of maternity and surgical wards and a residence for medical and administrative staff. The hospital was fully operational in 2015. Volunteer doctors from Italy provide medical care at the hospital.

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on the equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one-third of the population lacks secure access to food.

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Anjali Tresa Veliath, a counselor at Don Bosco School Alaknanda, located in New Delhi, India, was awarded a certificate of appreciation by Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava, IPS, for her extraordinary and dedicated service in providing COVID-19 counseling to Delhi police personnel.

As India went to a total lockdown, there was chaos and the Delhi police worked to safeguard people during this challenging time. While dealing with the community, many police personnel were infected with the coronavirus. To provide psychological support to their staff members at this hour of crisis, police officials reached out to institutions and organizations for help. A team of 23 committed and qualified psychologists and counselors, supported by psychiatrists and doctors, took up the challenge, aiming for “Wellness for Delhi Police.”

Veliath holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and was approached by Sakhi John from Distress Management Collective India, who asked for her support. She was more than happy to help and started her work in May, reaching out and providing support to each person she was assigned.

Veliath said, “Initially it was a bit difficult for me as I found that many weren’t ready to get counseling support. But slowly I managed to win them over. I have given psychological support and solace to more than 200 police personnel.”

Throughout the counseling sessions, Veliath came to learn many had a fear of death as they were scared by the news of the shocking fatality rates from countries like Italy, Spain and the United States. Many were impacted by the isolation brought about by the quarantine. Veliath also found many police personnel were afraid to reach out for help because they felt they would be stigmatized by having contracted coronavirus. This fear made many conceal their COVID-19 positive status from their family members.

Veliath added, “Never have I experienced anything like the impact of COVID-19. These counseling sessions with patients were different because it was more crisis management, and the effort was more the mitigation of fear. I had to do it on war-footing as there were many people to be addressed in a single day.”

Salesian programs across India are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care. During the pandemic, Salesians have stepped up to help families in need with food, hygiene supplies, awareness education and more.

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.

India has the world’s fourth-largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Cape Town, South Africa, have been responding to COVID-19 with relief supplies, psychological support and prevention campaigns. In the early months of the pandemic, the Salesian Life Choices program, part of the Salesian Institute Youth Projects, phoned 900 people, sent 800 messages and reached over 50,000 users on Facebook with prevention messages to combat coronavirus.

The Life Choices program also provided remote psychological counseling sessions for adults and youth, professional orientation sessions for teens, and job search advice for their parents. Staff members have also provided 220 vouchers to families for the purchase of food.

As educational lessons have started again, Salesian missionaries are focusing their attention on ensuring students and teachers have the information and resources they need to help prevent the spread of the virus. Salesians have donated sanitizing equipment and approximately 1,000 liters of disinfectants to 30 different schools. They also operate a medical emergency hotline and provided 563 meal tickets.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects in Cape Town restarted programming on June 1 when the Minister of Fundamental Education announced that students could return to school. As a new school year starts, Salesians want to ensure that their programs are adhering to legal requirements and public health measures to keep everyone safe.

“Safety is the priority of everyone working, living and accessing programs in Salesian educational centers and institutes,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “As students resume their education, Salesian missionaries and teachers have more to address than just basic subjects like math and science. Students are in need of support, nutrition and awareness information to ensure they remain vigilant in their hygiene and prevention efforts.”

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth in Cape Town, the second-most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa. Through the organization’s programs, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services, meeting the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects consists of five main programs—an outreach program, the Center of Hope for homeless youth, the Learn-to-Live education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse team, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls, and it has been the hardest hit in the world by the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

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ECUADOR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Father Rubinsky Sánchez has been living and working in the Salesian community of Machala, Ecuador, and has played a pivotal role in helping the community during the coronavirus pandemic. In March, he likened the early days of the virus to a horror movie because of the nervousness and panic, along with scarcity of food and some medicine. People living in poverty were pushed further into extreme poverty because of the required quarantine.

Faced with this situation, Fr. Sánchez began reaching out to families served in the Salesian community. Many were without work, as they had been in the informal employment sector and that work was no longer available. At the end of March, he received a call, which helped tremendously. A donor said, “Father, I want to help your parish because you (the Salesians) are doing wonderful work with the people.” It was a great emotional moment because this donor committed to donating 500 food kits.

“I’m one of those who get into the van and go and give a hand to the people,” said Fr. Sánchez. “I am not looking for death. I am not looking to get infected, but I am not a father who stays behind the desk.”

Fr. Sánchez, in collaboration with Fr José Luis García and a group of volunteers, formed a group that was at the forefront of helping hundreds of families. Protected by gloves, glasses and a mask, Fr. Sánchez organized the delivery of food kits to the poorest served by the Salesian community. In 20 days, he traveled through neighborhoods distributing 500 food kits and then 1,000 more.

Fr. Sánchez said, “I would arrive, knock on the door, talk to them and know their situation, before handing out the food. You can’t imagine the excitement they had and some were even dancing for joy because they had nothing to eat. But I didn’t just give them something to take to the table, I also shared a word of encouragement so that they wouldn’t lose hope for better days.”

Later, aid from the Don Bosco Mission arrived and he went out again to deliver the $60 cards so that the families could buy food in the supermarkets. More than 600 cards were distributed and this aid continues through the “Daily Bread” campaign.

During his travel, Fr. Sánchez encountered many households in great need including one where four members of the family had disabilities and could not move around on their own. He went to a supermarket, did their shopping and personally took the food bags to them.

Through Fr. Sánchez’s contacts, a company in the city also donated 27 thousand liters of milk. His Salesian parish worked as a collection center and, along with Caritas, distributed the milk to different churches and directly to the parishioners.

Ecuador is one of the most inequitable societies in the world, according to UNICEF. The richest 20 percent of the population receives almost 50 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives only 5 percent. According to the World Food Program, almost 26 percent of all children under age 5 have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population is people of indigenous heritage. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Salesian missionaries have been providing education and other social programs for disadvantaged youth across Ecuador for more than 125 years.

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PHILIPPINES

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Youth Center at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Cebu, Philippines, has launched the #Let’sPlantPositivity initiative, a challenge to promote urban agriculture among youth. The initiative was organized by the Parochial Youth Coordination Council, led by Salesian Father Abundio Bacatan, the new director for youth.

Started on July 9, youth were challenged to grow fruit and vegetables at home to teach them the various stages of cultivation, to help them fight the negativity caused by the pandemic, and to reflect on Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Sì,” which was inaugurated on May 18, commemorating the fifth anniversary of the publication of his eco-encyclical with the same title. At the end of the challenge, the eight youth who had done the best job with their project received gift vouchers.

Cultivation of food at home and at local farms has been critical during the pandemic. Many locations have seen food shortages, and families have lost income and can no longer buy food. Don Bosco Training Center in Mati, the capital city of the province of East Davao, located on the southeastern side of the island of Mindanao, also launched an agricultural project to deal with the quarantine period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the guidance of Father Rex Carbilledo, the director of the vocational-technical training center, the soil was prepared for cultivation and the first vegetables were planted. Salesians are planting eggplants, okra, lettuce, sweet potatoes, cassava, onions, ginger and sweet corn. The goal was to provide organic and affordable vegetables to the local population and neighboring communities, and to teach them cultivation and farming techniques.

“Providing an opportunity to cultivate the land during this time is important for ensuring that local populations have a source of food and are learning the farming techniques to help make their farms more productive,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries provide education and workforce development paired with other social services to help poor youth break the cycle of poverty and have hope for the future.”

Since 1950, Salesian Missions has been providing crucial help in the Philippines—working with at-risk youth, impoverished families and disaster victims. Humanitarian agencies warn of the dangers faced by the most disadvantaged children in the Philippines. According to UNICEF, there are at least 1.2 million children between the ages of 5 and 15 who are out of school and are being left behind. In addition, children born into the poorest 20 percent are almost three times more likely to die during their first five years as those from the richest 20 percent.

Salesian missionaries, supported by funding from Salesian Missions, were at the forefront of disaster relief during reconstruction after the Nov. 8, 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) devastated the country. According to United Nations estimates, 11.5 million people were affected by Haiyan and close to 1 million were displaced. More than half a million were homeless and living in the streets among the debris. Salesian missionaries mobilized all resources and efforts to aid the victims of this and other disasters.

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VENEZUELA

(MissionNewswire) As people in Venezuela continue to suffer from the country’s economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, Salesian missionaries remain living and working in the country. Missionaries are helping distribute food, water and hygiene products in the communities they serve to help those impacted by COVID-19. They have helped returning migrants, organized community kitchens, supported people in parishes and aided indigenous communities in the Amazon. They are also focused on the youth served in their programs.

The economic, political and social crisis in Venezuela has driven many people into extreme poverty. Inflation has galloped to record highs and to get food, fuel and medicine, people have to stand in endless lines. Children and youth are among the most vulnerable. A recent study revealed that the nutritional status of children in Venezuela is more similar to that of African countries, such as Nigeria or Zambia, than that of any other neighboring country. The average daily income of a Venezuelan is the equivalent of 0.55 euros. Nearly everyone in the country is poor today.

“The coronavirus emergency has aggravated the humanitarian crisis that began in 2016 and from which there is no way out. At the moment the coronavirus is the least of our concerns, even if infections and deaths are on the rise, without the real figures being known,” said a Salesian missionary in the country.

As school resumes, Salesian missionaries have focused their attention on youth who participate in one of the seven programs operated by Casa Don Bosco, located in Caracas. Every day, Salesian missionaries provide more than 700 breakfasts and lunches to children in vulnerable situations thanks to the support of the Salesian Missions office in Madrid, Spain. Salesians are also providing hygiene kits to help prevent spread of the virus.

“If it were not for this support, youth would have nothing to eat, and we have more and more cases of malnutrition,” said Leonardo Rodriguez, director of Casa Don Bosco.

Education in the country is challenged. In many places, there are no teachers because they have not been paid. In most schools, it is impossible to implement sanitation measures due to structural deficiencies. In response, Casa Don Bosco has implemented an emergency education initiative and enrolled 4,184 children and adolescents within its seven programs.

According to data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are more than 4.5 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees in other countries. Colombia has hosted close to 1.3 million while Peru currently has more than 768,000. In Venezuela, products that at one time cost the equivalent of $1 in the United States now cost the equivalent of $10 million. Many Venezuelans’ monthly salaries cannot cover the cost of a single gallon of milk.

Venezuelan unemployment will likely hit the 50 percent mark in 2020. The state, however, has not released an official unemployment figure since 2016, when it noted a 7.3 percent unemployment rate.

For those who remain in the country and are in need, Salesian missionaries have continued their work providing education, workforce development, and social development services to poor youth and their families despite volatile conditions.

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ANS – Venezuela – A “back to school” marked by hunger and fear of Covid-19

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Don Bosco Konkan Development Society in Goa, India, were able to provide more than 50,000 people with nutritional support thanks to donors, including funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. While Goa faced food scarcity, Salesians were able to secure rice and other rations from sources in Maharashtra, as well as local suppliers.

The work in securing, sorting, storing, packing and then delivering the food was extensive. Given there was no labor available to help, Don Bosco Konkan Development Society staff members unloaded the trucks, packaged to-go kits and distributed the kits across Goa in smaller personal vehicles. Staff members Walter and Yasin were heavily involved in the operation and made delivery trips covering the state of Goa. Don Bosco Konkan Development Society used its local networks to deliver the kits to every needy household and distributed thousands of kits over several months.

As the crisis continued in Goa, there was an exodus of migrant workers back to their villages. To help them, camps were set up for them to stay while trains took them back home. Don Bosco Konkan Development Society provided cooked food for migrants for their stay in the camps and provided 5,500 food packets for them to take on their travels. Don Bosco Childline South Goa pitched in by distributing biscuits and water at the railway station.

Salesian missionaries in Goa, India, are extending food relief operations to regions in Karnataka and Maharashtra.

“We continue to supply food and sanitary kits to people who are now dealing with loss of employment or those unable to move out of containment zones,” said Father Laurence Monteiro, executive director of Don Bosco Konkan Development Society. “We have crossed the 50,000 mark in terms of people reached. We have now extended our operations to regions in Karnataka and Maharashtra.”

Donors make a real impact on programming for poor and at-risk youth in Salesian programs in India and around the globe. Salesian missionaries, teachers, staff and students are all grateful for the support.

Salesian programs across India are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care.

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.

India has the world’s fourth-largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

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Don Bosco Konkan Development Society

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are working to address the growing needs for education, nutrition and other support in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Cases of the virus in Ethiopia are growing rapidly every day. There have been close to 70,000 confirmed cases with more than 1,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

The World Health Organization has identified Ethiopia as one of the 13 African states at high risk for the spread of the pandemic. Hospitals are not well equipped. Many communities lack doctors and medical supplies. Most public awareness campaigns are targeted to large cities, leaving outlying areas with little information to fight the virus. In addition, riots between police forces and the Oromo community make it very difficult to comply with coronavirus prevention measures.

Education in Ethiopia, like in most countries around the globe, has been impacted. Schools and universities have been closed since March, leaving more than 26 million young children and older youth unable to attend school. This situation has put the authorities, the Ministry of Education, institutions, parents and students in an unprecedented situation.

The Ministry of Education is studying the conditions for reopening schools, but a solution has not yet been found. Ethiopian schools house 50-60 students on average in a single class. It is difficult to maintain a safe social distance among students since at any one time as many as two to three students share a desk.

Salesian missionaries have launched relief efforts to aid youth and families in 16 vocational training centers in Ethiopia.

Salesian schools have remained closed, but vocational training centers are considering restarting, welcoming only a limited number of students. Salesian training centers will follow all safety measures and will work with local governments to follow all guidelines. Missionaries have also been addressing other needs in their communities.

“Salesian missionaries have launched relief efforts to aid youth and families in their 16 vocational training centers in the country,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They are distributing food, drinking water and hygiene kits. Salesians have also launched awareness campaigns to promote good practices to prevent coronavirus from spreading.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38 percent of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85 percent of the country’s workforce is employed in agriculture, but frequent droughts severely affect the agricultural economy leaving more than 12 million people chronically, or at least periodically, food insecure. In addition, more than two-thirds of the population is illiterate.

The country has 4 million orphans which account for nearly 12 percent of all children and according to UNICEF, more than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis that affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

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ANS – Ethiopia – Salesian commitment in one of African countries most affected by Covid-19

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MADAGASCAR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been working in Madagascar to support families with food and hygiene supplies to help stop the spread of coronavirus. To date, there have been 15,871 cases of the virus and 215 deaths. The lack of international tourist travel because of restrictions and lockdowns has caused many to fall deeper into poverty.

Salesian missionaries have been living and working in Madagascar since 1981. Today, they have 11 centers and work in several locations, including the Don Bosco House in Ivato in the outskirts of the capital of Antananarivo, where Salesians have focused a good deal of support.

Although schools in Ivato have been closed, Salesians still continue to pay their teachers and employees, including offering them a one-time bonus. Workers who were forced to remain at the Don Bosco House because of restrictions were given a 15 percent pay raise.

Salesian missionaries distributed kits with 8 kilograms of rice, 2 kilograms of dried vegetables and a bar of soap to all the students. Each week, Salesians also distribute a package containing 5 kilograms of rice and 1.5 kilograms of dried legumes to 85 final year students for when they return home on the weekends. A second distribution of rice and dried vegetables has already started for all students who are forced to stay at home.

Salesians in Madagascar are providing food support to students at the Don Bosco House and Don Bosco Oratory School in Ivato.

In addition, Salesians have provided a small package of rice and dried legumes to the students who attend the Don Bosco Oratory recovery school, also in Ivato. In some extreme situations, when both parents of a students have been left without any income, Salesians have provided cash aid.

“The coronavirus pandemic has not only been a risk to people’s health, but the resulting lockdowns have put strain on people’s livelihoods,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians in Madagascar and around the globe are providing nutritional and health support to help people through this challenging time.”

Prevention measures are being strictly observed in all Salesian centers, schools and programs, including providing masks and social distancing guidelines for common areas such as the classrooms, the refectory, the study room and the dormitory. Soap and water are also being provided in additional areas for hand-washing.

Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world. Seventy percent of Madagascar’s almost 19 million people live in poverty with 5.7 million of those being youth between the ages of 10-24, according to UNICEF. This number is expected to double by 2025.

For close to 80 percent of the country’s inhabitants who live in rural areas and practice subsistence farming, living conditions have been steadily declining in recent years, particularly when it comes to access to transportation, health services, education and markets. Because of the lack of hygiene and access to safe drinking water, coupled with chronic malnutrition, people in Madagascar often suffer from respiratory ailments, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

In order to help youth break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness, Salesian missionaries in Madagascar operate elementary, middle and high schools throughout the country. The focus of the schools is on providing educational opportunities, increasing literacy and laying a foundation for education well past the compulsory education in the country. Access to education and training in social and life skills encourages graduates to find livable wage employment, breaking the cycle of poverty.

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UGANDA

(MissionNewswire) The Catholic News Service is reporting that 1.4 million refugees in Uganda are facing hunger because of aid disruption, loss of income and rising food prices linked to the COVID-19 crisis. Salesian missionaries living and working at the Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp are seeing the effects first hand. They have been supporting refugees since the opening of the camp in 2016.

Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp is currently home to nearly 46,000 refugees and asylum seekers. It was officially set up in April 2016 to reduce congestion in larger refugee camps in the northwestern corner of Uganda. Several agencies are involved in providing food and education within Palabek.

Salesian missionaries at the settlement are offering much needed psychosocial support and pastoral care for thousands of Christian residents. They also operate four nursery schools that educate more than 1,000 children. In addition, there are over 700 children attending Salesian primary and secondary schools, and more than 700 families are supported by other initiatives. Salesian missionaries also launched a vocational training center to offer life skills and other training to help young refugees prepare for employment.

Since the pandemic hit, conditions at Palabek have deteriorated with a loss of food and wages. The U.N. Refugee Agency warns that unless urgent action is taken to address the situation, levels of acute malnutrition, stunting and anemia are expected to rise, especially among children.

Adol Majok, a 38-year-old single mother, told her story to the Catholic News Service. She arrived at Palabek three years ago after her husband was killed during fighting in Pajok, South Sudan. After she was settled in the camp, Majok opened a small tea stall business where she sold tea, bread, biscuits, roasted peanuts, cakes and other food. Since the pandemic began, business has dried up along with her means to support her family.

Majok said in the Catholic News Service article, “My children are starving. They haven’t eaten anything for the last three days. They are going to die unless I get them food to eat.”

Salesian missionaries at Palabek are helping refugees with food, clothing and other essential goods. Salesian Father Lazar Arasu, director of Don Bosco Palabek Refugee Services, told Catholic News Service, “Refugees who are among vulnerable groups should be remembered because COVID-19 robbed them of the little that they had. They are suffering because they are the worst hit by the pandemic. The food ration has reduced because of the lockdown. But we are trying our best to help them with everything during this hard time.”

In addition to providing food directly, Salesian missionaries are working to counter the food shortage through the cultivation of food including cereals, vegetables, and if possible, some cash crops such as sim sim, groundnuts and sunflower. The goal is to promote kitchen gardens of vegetables and fruits, hire land from the local Ugandans, and create agreements to work together with the host community. Salesians have provided several hundred kilos of maize, beans, soya beans, sim sim, groundnuts and many assorted vegetable seeds. They have also provided tons of cassava cuttings.

“Because refugees do not have sufficient land but are interested in cultivating larger pieces of land, we have put them in groups and hired land for them from the local Ugandan neighbors,” explained Fr. Arasu. “Where necessary we have also plowed the land for them. When the locals are inspired to till more land, we also ended up helping them.”

Fr. Arasu is also concerned about the psychological impact of COVID-19. He told the Catholic News Service that he is worried that the economic hardship might further exacerbate mental health conditions in refugee populations. Providing information, counseling and psychosocial support for vulnerable refugees is something the Salesians have been doing and will continue to do.

“Refugees need our support and prayers all the time. They have experienced a lot. Many have been tortured, lost their loved ones, lost properties and even (been) raped,” said Fr. Arasu in the Catholic News Service article. “We are offering pastoral care and counseling to refugees during the pandemic to make them feel wanted.”

Salesians will continue to assess the ongoing situation at Palabek and work within their networks to provide support to those most in need.

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Photo courtesy of Don Bosco Palabek

Catholic News Service – COVID-19 robbed refugees ‘of the little that they had,’ says Salesian

Don Bosco Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp

Don Bosco Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp Facebook

Salesian Missions – Uganda

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Sierra Leone

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Fambul, located in Sierra Leone’s capital city of Freetown, is one of the country’s leading child-welfare organizations. The Salesian organization and its staff were on the frontlines of the Ebola epidemic that struck West Africa in 2014. The World Health Organization called it the “largest, most severe and most complex Ebola epidemic” in history. More than 28,000 people were infected, and over 11,000 people died before the international public health emergency ended in June 2016.

The virus is under control in Sierra Leone with few positive cases and deaths, but the threat remains. Close to 47 percent of the population does not have running water and social distancing is difficult in crowded slums.

Thanks to the experience gained during the Ebola epidemic, Salesians started working from the very beginning on prevention and raising awareness of the virus. One of the first steps they took was to make Don Bosco Fambul headquarters a first-aid base and transfer youth who were not infected to the buildings on the capital’s outskirts.

In addition, the bus used in the Don Bosco on Wheels project traveled through the streets of Freetown’s poor neighborhoods during the night to identify and help street children and young girls who prostitute themselves. Even during the curfew, the bus  never stopped serving people. With permission from the police, Don Bosco Fambul was able to go out onto the streets.

“During the first weeks of isolation, we took care of almost 500 minors. One hundred of them have already been reintegrated into the great family of Don Bosco Fambul,” said Salesian Father Jorge Mario Crisafulli, director of Don Bosco Fambul.

Don Bosco Fambul is also the only institution that works with prisoners, providing many programs and helping to prevent the spread of the virus. After a revolt caused by the confusion generated by the virus took place in the Pademba Prison in April, Salesians had to start many of their prison programs from scratch. Fr. Crisafulli said, “Let us not lose heart because we are the only hope for them.”

Salesians work to help minors in Pademba, many of whom are innocent or charged with petty crimes and are placed in cells together with adults. These conditions led Salesians to negotiate agreements with prison management for their release or for  various activities within the prison. Don Bosco Fambul provides medical examinations of the injured and the sick and has also re-equipped a section to house infected people, transforming the prison chapel into a clinic to isolate suspected cases.

Salesian missionaries have been serving in Sierra Leone since 2001 when they began working to rehabilitate former child soldiers through Don Bosco Fambul. Young people also face significant challenges in accessing education in the country. With too few teachers and school buildings destroyed in the war, resources are thin. Persistently high illiteracy rates mean that an estimated 70 percent of Sierra Leone’s youth are unemployed or underemployed.

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ANS – Sierra Leone – Don Bosco Fambul fights consequences of coronavirus among the most vulnerable

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This year’s theme is “Shaping Peace Together” and calls on everyone to celebrate the day by spreading compassion, kindness and hope in the face of the global pandemic. The UN General Assembly has also declared that this day is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. The UN had noted that, “In March, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on all warring parties to lay down their weapons and focus on the battle against this unprecedented global pandemic. While the message is intended for armed parties, solidarity and cooperation across borders, sectors and generations are also needed to win this new fight against the worst public health crisis of our time.”

Salesian missionaries in countries around the globe have been responding to needs brought about by the pandemic. Migrant workers and those who work in the informal sector cannot work because of lockdowns and don’t have money for food or shelter. Homeless children who beg on the streets to earn money for a small amount of food to eat are even more at risk. Some countries have limited access to medical care so prevention is even more critical.

While Salesian missionaries are responding to these new needs, they are still working to meet their core mission of providing the programs and services children and families need to break the cycle of poverty for good. Missionaries are still feeding malnourished families, rescuing homeless children from the streets, educating impoverished children and teaching youth the skills they need to have hope for a brighter future.

To mark International Day of Peace 2020, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs around the globe that provide life-changing education and services.

INDIA

Farmers in India are supported with tea saplings thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.

The Anma Integrated Development Association (AIDA) was able to support 13 farmers with tea saplings thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The tea project was developed in 2008 to help tea garden laborers in Assam, a state in northeastern India. The area is known for its wildlife, archeological sites and tea plantations.

India is one of the largest tea producers in the world with close to 70 percent of its tea consumed within India itself. The Indian tea industry has grown to own many global tea brands and has evolved into one of the most technologically equipped tea industries in the world. The districts of Golaghat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia in Assam have a large number of tea estates.

The tea estates are tended to by laborers, who despite working long hours often do not earn enough wages to meet their basic needs or escape poverty. Many tea laborers own small parcels of land but, for various reasons, leave the land uncultivated while they leave home to work at larger tea estates. In times of financial crisis, they are often forced to mortgage their land for small loans and when they are unable to repay the loans, the land is forfeited. Salesian missionaries in India, aware of this difficult situation, are working to provide opportunities for tea laborers to break the cycle of poverty.

SOUTH AFRICA

Much-need food relief is provided to Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa.

Salesian missionaries, with the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Johannesburg, South Africa, were able to provide food support to Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. The project is part of COVID-19 relief efforts in these countries.

All Salesian sites that have received the donation have distributed the first food packages to youth and families in need and are now preparing for the second distribution in the coming weeks. The feedback Salesians are receiving from people receiving the donation is very positive.

Further funding from Don Bosco Mondo in Germany will also allow Salesian missionaries to continue with this project for the most vulnerable for an extended period of time. This funding also has provided the opportunity to begin production of masks, which will be added to some of the food packages.

SOUTH SUDAN

Scholarships make it much easier for young women to gain an education in South Sudan.

Students attending the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Juba, South Sudan*, have received scholarships to help afford their education and continue their studies thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. The scholarships, which are mainly focused on female students, cover 50 percent of the school’s tuition, making it much easier for young women to gain an education.

One student, Ayany Pamela, said, “This program has given me the courage to return to school after completing my secondary education. I had not been able to continue in school because of financial problems. After noticing that women were given this opportunity, I became much motivated because it is now affordable for me. This program has contributed much in my personal life by allowing me to obtain knowledge and skills. Without it, I cannot imagine how I would have continued my education or found a good job.”

In South Sudan, due to lack of financial support, many families force their girls into early marriages. The program’s goal is to reduce the incidence of early marriage and allow young women to gain an education and independence in the workplace.

THAILAND

Poppy, 14, and her brother Carlin, 11, will continue with school in Thailand thanks to donor funding.

A Salesian Missions donor provided funding for two siblings to continue their education in Thailand. The funding was provided to the Salesian-run Hua Hin Vitthayalai School, located in the town of Hua Hin, and it will enable Poppy, who is 14, to continue with secondary school while her young brother Carlin, age 11, will continue primary school. The funding will also cover the cost of tuition and after school extra classes.

The children’s father is paralyzed and is unable to work. Their mother has been working to care for the family but barely earns enough to cover food, rent, electricity and other basic necessities. The family did not have the extra money to pay for school tuition so the donor’s support was critical in ensuring Poppy and Carlin gain an education.

“We want to ensure the youth are able to finish until grade 12 so we are grateful for the Salesian Missions donor’s support,” said Father Dheparat Pitisant. “We provide them a free lunch and support so they can attend extra classes and extracurricular activities so they have time to connect with their peers. The students are also helping to support their family. During their free time they help to make keychains which the family sells in town at the night market.”

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INDIA: Salesian Missions donor funding aids 13 families with tea saplings to start tea gardens

Salesian Missions

SOUTH AFRICA: Salesian Missions funding supports food relief in Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for scholarships for young women to attend Don Bosco Vocational Training Center

THAILAND: Salesian Missions donor provides funding so two siblings can continue their education

UN – International Day of Peace

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

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NIGERIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in centers and institutions across Nigeria have been responding with aid and prevention measures for those impacted by the pandemic and to help stop the spread of the virus. Because missionaries live in the communities they work, they are perfectly positioned to assess the challenges locals are facing and ensure aid reaches those most in need.

With assistance from Salesian Missions in Madrid, Spain, five communities in northern Nigeria are being provided clean water access for drinking water and hand-washing. During outreach programs to help teach local populations about coronavirus and prevention measures, Salesians discovered that many of these villages didn’t have access to clean water, making important hygiene practices for preventing the virus impossible. This project is ensuring clean water access to these villages.

Salesians missionaries living and working in the Lagos State, in collaboration with Salesian International Volunteering for Development (VIS) and the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus sisters, are providing an awareness program and instruction on how to use face masks at a hospital for mothers and children run by the sisters.

Also in Lagos, Don Bosco Center Ondo is preparing to reopen the technical and vocational center, along with the youth center. The center is distributing free face masks and training youth on the new procedures for accessing the campus and recreational facilities. Don Bosco Mondo in Germany helped support this initiative.

“Salesian missionaries are seeing needs in their communities and are working to address them, helping to ensure that local residents have what they need for the prevention of the virus,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians aim to serve the whole person by making sure that basic needs like health and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs.”

According to UNICEF, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and the ninth most populous country in the world. By United Nations estimates, Nigeria will be one of the countries responsible for most of the world’s total population increase by 2050. While Nigeria has the second strongest economy in Africa, it also has extreme rates of poverty with 100 million people living on less than $1 a day.

About 64 percent of households in Nigeria consider themselves to be poor while 32 percent of households say their economic situation had worsened over a period of one year, according to UNICEF. Poverty still remains one of the most critical challenges facing the country and population growth rates have meant a steady increase in the number of people living in conditions of poverty.

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Photo courtesy of Don Bosco Center Ondo

Don Bosco Center Ondo Facebook

Salesian Missions – Nigeria

UNICEF – Nigeria

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SPAIN

(MissionNewswire) In early September, 136 Salesian schools throughout Spain started again, educating more than 95,000 students and employing thousands of teachers and staff members. The Salesian educational centers are following safety protocols to provide a safe environment.

Salesian teachers and staff members worked over their summer holiday to prepare for the new school year, including how to address some of the challenges children have faced in the lockdowns. At the start of the new school year, a virtual meeting was held for more than 400 elementary education teachers to discuss the emotional health of children.

“We have never disconnected,” said Rosa Erro, a teacher at the Salesian Institute in Pamplona. “We put together a team in the summer and adopted some measures for the start of the new school year.”

José Antón, from the Salesian Elche Institute, explained, “Since July, we have adapted the protocols put forth by the authorities. It was an ongoing job, but we did it with enthusiasm and with the final goal in mind that children can come to school feeling accompanied and safe.”

Salesian schools have employed new safety measures including daily temperature assessment of staff and students, social distancing, and the use of face masks. There has also been a coordinator appointed for the management of the virus emergency who will monitor compliance with hygiene measures and will be in direct contact with families and the health center.

From the very beginning, Salesian educational centers have insisted on making students aware of the importance of following preventive measures. A Salesian representative in Pamplona stated, “We have prepared a welcome day for the whole center, but with a tutor present in the classroom to focus on the educational aspects, prevention and collaboration.”

Salesian missionaries have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth and women in Spain through residential, technical and vocational training programs. Although teachers are available to start providing distance learning again in the event of a new lockdown, the importance of face-to-face education is emphasized in Salesian schools.

Close to 37 percent of young Spanish workers under the age of 25 are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. Poor youth with few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment. Women in Spain face inequality in the workforce. They earn up to 14 percent less than men and represent only 34.5 percent of those listed as the highest earners in Spain.

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ANS – Spain – Salesian schools start lessons with enthusiasm and in compliance with safety measures

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World Bank – Spain

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Don Bosco Navajeevan, located in Hyderabad, India, launched a training course during the pandemic lockdown which teaches people how to make bread and sweets. The project is known as “Chiguru sweets cart for sustainable development.”

This new training has created new paths of development and female empowerment. Children have also showed interest in learning new skills and were impressed by the tasty creations produced as part of the project.

Don Bosco Navajeevan offers a range of vocational and technical training programs including electrical, carpentry and welding, tailoring, baking, garment making, and printing press skills. The organization works to ensure that poor youth have an opportunity to gain an education.

“The new training course is helping people in the local community have an alternative means of earning a living,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to providing nutrition and health support during the pandemic, Salesian missionaries are working to ensure people are able to work when they can or acquire new skills to go back to work when the lockdowns are lifted.”

In addition to education, Don Bosco Navajeevan provides a youth center that places special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. The program also offers shelter to child laborers and street children. Once a child arrives at the center, he or she receives shelter, food and clothing and are then eligible to participate in Salesian programs that focus on education and life skills training. The goal being to help the children break the cycle of poverty and go on to lead productive lives free from abuse and forced labor. Supplementary classes at Don Bosco Navajeevan cater to those who have missed school and have fallen behind academically.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Missionaries continue to assess needs for prevention and support during this challenging time and work to support youth and their families during the pandemic.

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

ANS – India – “Don Bosco Navajeevan” project for producing bread and sweets

Don Bosco Navajeevan

Don Bosco Navajeevan Facebook

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World Bank – India

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SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Health Center, part of the St. Vincent de Paul Parish and the Don Bosco Gumbo community in Gumbo, South Sudan, is caring for the sick while working to help prevent coronavirus. The Don Bosco Health Center was launched in 2012 with the support of the Caritas Sisters of Jesus. Initially, about 30 patients were seen a day in three small rooms. Today, the Don Bosco Health Center is treating up to 200 patients each day on average.

The health center provides essential services to people in villages who don’t otherwise have access to medical care. Gumbo is located at the center of 20 villages along the left bank of the Nile River, while the town of Juba and other villages are on the right bank. There are no proper hospitals or dispensaries in any of these 20 villages. The nearest one is the hospital of Juba.

Since opening the health center, services have been expanded to meet a growing need. In addition to the primary office location, there are now mobile clinics, a HIV/AIDS rehabilitation program, a nutrition program and child health care. Medical care has become even more essential in the face of the pandemic.

Father Shyjan, economer in South Sudan, said, “Now with the pandemic we are facing many challenges. First of all, the health care system in the country is poor, and we lack prepared health care professionals. Secondly, most of the population lacks the understanding about the pandemic and its seriousness. There are myths about it like this disease is only for white people or for the rich, that the virus does not survive in the hot climate of South Sudan, that the government is lying about it just to get money from foreign help. We have to work to combat these misconceptions while trying to keep people healthy and safe.”

The Don Bosco Health Center provides essential services to people in villages in South Sudan who don’t otherwise have access to medical care.

To help do that, the Don Bosco Health Center held a three-day workshop about coronavirus and prevention strategies. There were follow-up seminars and training for health care staff. One of the biggest challenges medical professionals face is testing and treatment. There are only two laboratories in the country able to do the test and one facility with limited beds to keep people in quarantine. South Sudan has only four ventilators in the country. Most of the population can’t keep social distance because the numerous family members live in homes with one or two rooms and have informal jobs for survival.

With the support of donors, the Don Bosco Health Center has been able to buy a thermometer, gloves, surgical masks and other personal protective equipment for the staff at the center. The center has also installed hand-washing facilities with soap at the entrance of the clinic. Medications have been bought that are provided to patients at a low cost and for free for those in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. Don Bosco Center staff members continue to assess the situation and meet the needs of those most impacted in their community.

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on the equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one-third of the population lacks secure access to food.

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Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Training Center Gumbo Facebook

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

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

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GHANA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have launched a support program to help vulnerable farmers in Ashaiman, Ghana, who have been affected by the rising cost and shortage of supplies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. About 45 farming families have been provided with seeds, agricultural tools, fertilizers and various products.

“There are many ways Salesian missionaries are helping those impacted by the pandemic, from nutritional support, hygiene supplies and helping to support livelihoods,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Farmers need supplies they can afford and rising costs are challenging. Salesians have been able to step in and help these farmers get the supplies they need, which is critical for them to feed their families and support communities.”

The Don Bosco Technical Institute in Ashaiman also has an agriculture training program that is promoting sustainable, green and innovative agriculture education for youth and women. People have been trained in courses focusing on organic crop production, management, business planning and marketing. The program is also helping to support entrepreneurial youth farmers.

Salesian agriculture training also provides relevant knowledge and hands-on experience related to biological organisms and how to combat pests and diseases. This training helps support good cropping systems that are green, sustainable and economical.

The Salesian Agricultural School in Sunyani is also teaching students how to farm organically and to use greenhouses. These solutions increase the harvest since crops can be cultivated even during the dry season, and the annual distribution of produce can be better managed. Greenhouse crops are also an excellent deterrent against deforestation and climate change, as they do not need much space and do not require forests to be cut down to cultivate the land.

While Ghana’s economy continues to improve, nearly 45 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day, according to UNICEF. Ghana ranks 139 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Development Program’s 2015 Human Development Index. Rural poverty remains widespread in the dry savannah region that covers roughly two thirds of Ghana’s northern territory. Small-scale farms suffer from a lack of infrastructure and equipment, both of which are needed to shift from subsistence farming to more modern commercial farming which would yield greater incomes and a chance to escape poverty.

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ANS – Ghana – Salesians in support of farmers

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Don Bosco Technical Institute

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Salesian Missions – Ghana

UNICEF – Ghana

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This year’s theme focuses on “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.” The day highlights the role of educators and changing pedagogies. The United Nations noted, “The recent COVID-19 crisis has been a stark reminder of the existing gap between policy discourse and reality: a gap that already existed in the pre-COVID-19 era and negatively affects the learning of youth and adults, who have no or low literacy skills, and therefore, tend to face multiple disadvantages. During COVID-19, in many countries, adult literacy programs were absent in the initial education response plans, so most adult literacy programs that did exist were suspended, with just a few courses continuing virtually, through TV and radio, or in open air spaces.”

There are 773 million adults and young people who lack basic literacy skills, according to the UN. In addition, 617 million children and adolescents are not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics.

“Salesian missionaries focus educational efforts on literacy and an array of other foundational skill building initiatives, including learning English language skills,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “During the pandemic, Salesians are working to address educational challenges head-on with many changing and adapting to providing educational lessons remotely and in person with safety measures in place.”

In honor and celebration of International Literacy Day 2020, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs with a focus on literacy and that give poor youth a chance to gain an education.

INDIA

In the wake of the extended lockdown in India due to the coronavirus pandemic, Radio Salesian and Salesian TV offer broadcast and podcast lessons for the University of North Bengal’s undergraduate and graduate programs. The virtual launch of “Radio Edu Pods,” the mass education project for college students, was held on May 1.

The lessons are available for free 24 hours a day, seven days a week on Salesian TV’s YouTube channel. The Monday to Friday radio broadcast and web transmissions are also provided at 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the Listen2MyRadio app.

“This no-cost mode of teaching and learning, which reaches the maximum number of students at any given time, is offered by faculty members of the University of North Bengal’s colleges,” said Father C. M. Paul, director of Radio Salesian.

Subjects currently featured on the Salesian TV YouTube channel include the English and Bengali languages, mass communication, sociology, history and philosophy. More subjects and lessons will be made available.

NEPAL

Two Salesian schools in the Don Bosco Community of Bharoul in eastern Nepal are conducting educational lessons for 1,500 students using 42 rented rooms, each called a community classroom. Each class educates only 10 students at a time and strictly follows government restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There are 46 teachers who are facilitating this new way of learning. The lessons began on July 16.

Schools in Nepal have been closed for the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, and there is still uncertainty when schools will be back to normal. School premises cannot be used to conduct lessons because the students cannot all come together to learn. To continue reaching students, Salesians rented rooms to conduct lessons in nearby villages, educating smaller subsets of students. This method was preferred over online lessons because of the financial restrictions on many students.

The local government educational department has given Salesians the authorization to carry out the lessons this way. All regulations must be strictly respected, such as the use of masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing.

Currently, lessons in major subjects such as English, Nepali, math, science and social studies are being taught. Students, parents and teachers are all in support of these new lessons. From the first day lessons started, 95 percent of students were in class.

NICARAGUA

COVID-19 has forced millions of people into isolation and caused a major disruption in educational systems around the globe. San Juan Bosco Salesian Institute in Granada, Nicaragua, has sought a number of alternatives to continue providing quality education to its students, including utilizing technology for online education.

In countries where there are no large budgets for education, the challenges of providing education have been complicated. Although many countries do not have a consolidated national strategy for distance education, they have made significant efforts even with limited capabilities.

The Salesian Institute in Granada has started using interactive blogs and Google for Education G-Suite tools. Salesian educators are responding to the needs expressed by parents while ensuring that students are still receiving an enriching educational experience. Teachers have have tapped into a wealth of audiovisual resources to make the teaching and learning process more dynamic and interactive. Many teachers, although initially fearful, began recording their lessons and providing them to students.

The process has been complex because it also required engagement from parents, who now must work more closely in the learning process. The Salesian Institute has continued to monitor progress of online education and modify as needed to meet the needs of teachers, students and parents.

SAMOA

The Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua, Samoa, is continuing education for poor youth. Samoa has no COVID-19 cases after a strict lockdown of the country started in March. Both boys and girls can access education at the Don Bosco Technical Center and all courses are open to both.

The Don Bosco Technical Center was established in 1989 as a second chance for education for many poor youth who were at risk because they were excluded from formal education. Over the years, the center has become well-known throughout Samoa and the Pacific for its excellent technical training and focus on integral student development. Originally established as a school for young men ages 16-22, the center opened enrollment to girls, who have now completed their first semester.

The center provides both classroom and hands-on learning to ensure students are prepared for the workforce. In 2019, the center extended the duration of the work experience for students from two weeks to four weeks. This has already brought success. Four students who have been studying plumbing and sheet metal impressed the Samoan Water Authority with their know-how and dedication, and they were offered work immediately.

The importance of a work-study experience has been backed by a study conducted by the Samoan Qualification Authority, which also found that the Salesian technical school has the highest number of graduates that go on to be enrolled in the private sector. The center places an emphasis on building confidence, self-esteem and teamwork, as well as a love of culture through singing and dancing.

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INDIA: University of North Bengal launches ‘Radio Edu Pods’ to provide educational lessons for college students during lockdown

NEPAL: Two Salesian schools provide education to 1,500 students with rented rooms to allow for small class sizes

NICARAGUA: San Juan Bosco Salesian Institute in Granada turns to online education during the coronavirus pandemic

Salesian Missions

SAMOA: Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua continues education for poor youth who want a second chance to learn

UN – International Literacy Day

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Salesian organizations have been responding with food, hygiene supplies, medical care, and awareness about the virus and prevention strategies. Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has answered the call to ensure this critical aid reaches those most in need.

“Salesian missionaries live in the communities in which they work so they are well-positioned to understand the local needs and come up with solutions to address them,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “We have funded projects in seven countries to date that address nutritional support, sanitation and hygiene, and educational materials for prevention. These activities help respond to the local need and help families who have been pushed even further into poverty.”

While Salesian missionaries are responding to new needs brought about by the pandemic, they are still working to meet their core mission of providing programs and services children and families need to break the cycle of poverty for good. Missionaries are still feeding malnourished families, rescuing homeless children from the streets, educating impoverished children and teaching youth the skills they need to have hope for a brighter future.

Salesian Missions has set up a donation page for those who wish to provide support to projects like these: https://salesianmissions.org/lp/content-faith/.

Salesian Missions is pleased to share some of the funded projects helping to mitigate the challenges the pandemic has brought to youth and families in poverty.

BURUNDI

The Salesian Rukago Parish in Burundi provides community prevention measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Through Salesian Missions funding, the Salesian Rukago Parish in Burundi* has been able to provide community prevention measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. This project, which benefited 65,000 people in the parish and local community, provided hand-washing stations in eight churches, 15 schools and the Don Bosco Oratory.

“Installing hand-washing stations in front of churches, offices, schools and playgrounds is an effective means of fighting the coronavirus pandemic while giving the local population the hope of living,” said Father Raphaël Katanga, economer of the Salesian Community in Rukago. “With the funding, we have also supported some vulnerable families from a local indigenous group, who were at risk of facing food shortage due to the limited circulation of goods and people.

EAST TIMOR

Vulnerable people affected by the pandemic receive food in East Timor.

Don Bosco Foundation in East Timor was able to provide food support for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. Don Bosco Foundation collaborated with Salesian parishes to identify those most in need, including widows, the elderly, those living in poverty, those with disabilities and orphans.

Support was provided to people in three Salesian parishes including Mary Help of Christian Parish in Dili, Saint Peter and Paul Parish in Lospalos, and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Venilale. Over three months, a total of 1,174 beneficiaries were supported through these relief efforts.

INDIA

In India, temporary laborers in tea gardens and daily wage laborers receive dry ration kits to ensure they had food to eat.

Bosconet, located in New Delhi, India, provided food rations to those impacted by the coronavirus lockdowns in communities in Shillong and Assam. Through the support of a Salesian Missions donor, Bosconet was able to reach 780 families from May 16-30. Temporary laborers in tea gardens and daily wage laborers were provided dry ration kits to ensure they had food to eat.

In addition, the Anma Integrated Development Association (AIDA) was able to support 13 farmers with tea saplings thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The goal of the project is to help tea laborers begin to cultivate their land, allowing them to become owners of their own small tea gardens and develop a long-term sustainable income.

NAMIBIA

A feeding program for hungry children continues through the Don Bosco Youth Center, in Rundu, Namibia.

Salesian missionaries with the Don Bosco Youth Center, located in Rundu, Namibia, were able to continue with a feeding program for children facing hunger thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. Missionaries provided feeding support for youth who have dropped out of school and other vulnerable children. This ongoing nutritional support was particularly important during the pandemic. The children were able to stay indoors during this tough time because of the food supply that was available for them,

The Don Bosco Youth Center provides shelter and services for homeless youth. The center offers computer classes for 65 students, pre-school for 70 children and school for 104 students who have dropped out of formal education. In addition, more than 80 youth attend the daily oratory activities including sports programming.

MALAWI

In 28 communities in Malawi, struggling families have much-needed nutritional support.

Struggling families in Malawi being pushed further into poverty by the pandemic are receiving nutritional support. Father Mulenga Oswald, St. Don Bosco Parish priest, said, “We sincerely thank Salesian Missions donors for their support, which enabled us to reach out to needy families of our parish. Salesian Missions prompt response helped us to mobilize and assist the people that needed help most.”

St. Don Bosco Parish in Lilongwe received funding from Salesian Missions donors to buy maize to help 382 families. At the Don Bosco Church, 280 families from 28 small Christian communities benefited along with families connected to Salesian centers in Mbunu, Kundi, Kangonoma, Chipeni and more.

SOUTH AFRICA

Food support is part of COVID-19 relief efforts in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa.

Salesian missionaries, with the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Johannesburg, South Africa, were able to provide food support to Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. The project is part of COVID-19 relief efforts in these countries.

All Salesian sites that have received the donation have distributed the first food packages to youth and families in need and are now preparing for the second distribution in the coming weeks. The feedback Salesians are receiving from people receiving the donation is very positive.

SOUTH SUDAN

At the Don Bosco Gumbo camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan, food relief is distributed.

With funding from Salesian Missions, missionaries at the Don Bosco Gumbo camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan* were able to provide food aid rations for 275 internally displaced families. Each person received 10 kg of ground flour, 1 kg of salt, 1 liter of cooking oil and 5 kg of beans per month. The camp is home to 9,742 people, the majority women and children with no husbands or fathers, the elderly, and orphans.

Missionaries were also able to distribute plastic roofing sheets, blankets, floor mats, soap and sanitary plastic jugs to 275 of the most vulnerable households.

ZAMBIA

In Zambia, Beauty Mwansa says her family can have at least one meal a day with donated rice.

A recent food shipment for at-risk youth and their families is a lifeline in the face of the pandemic, as more people are hungry and struggling in Zambia.

Mary Help of Christians in Kasama was able to provide meals to youth in need thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children. The food arrived in May and was shared with vulnerable children—including orphans and those who are blind—as well as other people in need.

During the pandemic, people have found themselves without work and with nothing to eat. Beauty Mwansa, age 22, says her family has been very hungry. When they receive rice through the donation, they can at least have one meal in a day.

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Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

BURUNDI: Salesian Missions provides funding for hand-washing stations and food support for Salesian Parish in Rukago

EAST TIMOR: Salesian Missions donors provide Don Bosco Foundation funding for food support in response to coronavirus pandemic

Don Bosco Foundation East Timor

INDIA: Salesian Missions donor funding provides 780 families dry ration kits through Bosconet

Bosconet India

Bosconet India Facebook

NAMIBIA: Don Bosco Youth Center receives nutritional support thanks to Salesian Missions donors

MALAWI: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for maize for 382 families through St. Don Bosco Parish in Lilongwe

Salesian Missions

SOUTH AFRICA: Salesian Missions funding supports food relief in Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa

Salesian Planning and Development Office South Africa 

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions provides funding to support Don Bosco Gumbo with nutritional assistance for 275 vulnerable displaced families

ZAMBIA: At-risk youth and their families impacted by Feed My Starving Children rice-meal donation

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

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SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in South Sudan are working with local populations as the effects of coronavirus spread across the country. There is a serious economic crisis happening in South Sudan mainly due to the drop in oil prices, the devaluation of the local currency and excessive dependence on imports. Commodity prices are at an all-time high, and it is estimated that 5.29 million people (45 percent of the population) were living in conditions of severe food insecurity as of January 2020.

On April 5, 2020, South Sudan confirmed the first case of COVID-19, after which the government issued restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The restrictions had an impact on the local economy, causing commodity prices to rise and creating stress in the markets and insecurity in the population.

There are five Salesian communities in the country. In Gumbo, Salesian missionaries have a parish, a technical-vocational training center, elementary and middle schools, a women’s promotion center, and a youth center. There is also a camp for internally displaced persons directly managed by the Salesians. The camp currently has 9,800 people—not counting very young children—who have all fled the violence of the 2013-2016 civil war.

Salesian missionaries have continued their work on behalf of the most vulnerable families. There have been distributions of food, water and basic necessities, such as sanitary kits, mattresses, soap and plastic sheets to cover the roofs. Awareness campaigns were also launched to ensure that refugees were following protocols directed by the Ministry of Health to ensure proper hygiene to help stop the spread of the virus.

“The biggest fear we have is an epidemic in the camp. The tents are close and there is no room for social distancing,” reported Salesians working in Gumbo. “Controlling the masses for any type of distribution is very difficult. The camp is adjacent to several crowded local communities. It is impossible to prevent the flow of people between the camp and these communities because there is no separation wall around the camp.”

Instability in the country remains high. Funding is inadequate and fails to meet the needs of all internally displaced persons nor does it cover medical expenses for the elderly and sick. Furthermore, the constant fluctuation of prices and the consequent economic difficulties remain a challenge for the country’s most vulnerable individuals. Salesians continue to assess the local needs and provide relief support as they can.

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on the equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one-third of the population lacks secure access to food.

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

ANS – South Sudan – Working with refugees during Covid-19 pandemic

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

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

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BRAZIL

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Network, in collaboration with partners, has provided 460 youth and their families with food assistance in the city of Manaus on the banks of the Negro River in northwestern Brazil. Families in need were tracked and identified through an app. More than 800 baskets of food were delivered, with deliveries observing the guidelines for coronavirus prevention provided by the World Health Organization.

“Salesians in Brazil and around the globe are working to ensure that families have the basic necessities to get through this challenging time,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries live in the communities in which they work so they are perfectly positioned to assess local need and ensure that relief supplies make it to the families who are most in need.”

Relief work is happening across Brazil. The Mamma Margarita Salesian Youth Center, located in the municipality of Niterói in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, has also been helping needy families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic by distributing food and hygiene products. The youth center launched a Salesian Solidarity Campaign, which has supported these efforts for four months. Since the start of the pandemic, many businesses, companies and shops have had to suspend their work. This included the Salesian Youth Center.

According to the Salesian Social Communication Office, many children who live in the areas surrounding the Salesian Youth Center were being fed at the youth center before the pandemic because their families did not have enough money for food. It was critical that funds were utilized to continue to feed these children during the lockdown period.

Brazil has one of the strongest economies in Latin America and is an important agricultural and industrial power in the region. Just over 15 percent of Brazilians live in poverty, with the majority living in the rural northeast of the country, according to the World Bank. While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between the poor and the rich, and issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain at the root of poverty.

Inequalities also exist in access to education and educational efficiency. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education. Salesian missionaries working with poor youth and their families in Brazil develop programs and provide youth opportunities for furthering their education and skills.

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

ANS – Brazil – Food security during quarantine

BRAZIL: Mamma Margarita Salesian Youth Center provides food and hygiene products to families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic

Salesian Missions – Brazil

World Bank – Brazil

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“Salesian missionaries are working hard in the Republic of the Congo and around the globe to ensure that those in poverty and most at risk have the basic necessities they need during the pandemic,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesians live in the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to assess local need and deliver relief to those most impacted.”

The Salesian Center in Point Noire, the nation’s commercial capital, was established in 1964. Since that time, Salesians have established a parish, youth oratory, primary and secondary school, boarding school, vocational training center, and a shelter for youth experiencing difficulties. Salesian missionaries also provide pastoral care in the local prisons.

Salesian missionaries also operate two centers in Brazzaville, the country’s political capital. The Salesian St. Charles Lwanga Center, launched in 1975, includes a parish and a primary and secondary school which is attended by 900 youth. Unfortunately, the school can no longer accommodate all the children who want to attend. To serve as many as possible, students attend in two shifts, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Even this is not enough, so Salesian missionaries are working to find the funding to expand the school.

In Brazzaville, missionaries also operate the Salesian Vocational Training Center, which was launched in 1992. This center provides education for more than 700 students who take two-year and three-year courses in electrical, automotive mechanics, welding and lathing, carpentry, and air conditioning installation.

The Republic of the Congo’s population is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle in the north virtually uninhabited. One of the most urbanized countries in Africa, it has 70 percent of its total population living in a few urban areas. In recent years, industrial and commercial activity has declined rapidly in rural areas, leaving rural economies dependent on the government for support and subsistence.

According to Rural Poverty Portal, poverty has worsened in the Republic of the Congo since the 1980s, resulting in half the country’s population living below the poverty line. Close to 65 percent of the country’s poor live in rural areas where nearly 50 percent of the population is unemployed with little access to education or long-term stable employment. While more than 75 percent of people living in urban centers have access to water, access drastically decreases to 11 percent in rural areas. In addition, more than one third of children under age 5 that live in rural areas suffer from malnutrition.

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

ANS – Republic of Congo – Visits to elderly and distribution of aid in fight against Covid-19

Rural Poverty – Republic of Congo

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

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EL SALVADOR

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco University is working collaboratively with the United States Embassy in El Salvador to provide aid and support to those working on the front lines in hospitals across the nation. Through the American Spaces program, Don Bosco University has created and produced 3D-printed protective masks for donation.

The U.S. Embassy donated two 3D printers for the project. The protective masks were printed with PET and PETG, plastic filaments used mainly for 3D printing due to its versatility and resistance. Close to 350 masks can be produced per week. The final manufacturing process includes cleaning, sanding, drilling and positioning of the PET plastic, which takes several  days.

Recently, 100 masks were donated to the Rosales National Hospital, 100 to the Military Hospital, more than 200 to the National General Hospital of Pneumology and Family Medicine, and 75 to the Secretary of Innovation of El Salvador. More than 1,200 masks are expected to be delivered as part of the project to various hospitals across the country.

Raúl Arriaza is a member of a group of professionals and doctors who are promoting a campaign to collect protective material for the front-line staff of Rosales Hospital. He said, “Masks are highly necessary for the hospital system. In addition to protecting the mucous membranes of the face, they allow the person to receive less biological load.”

The director of the University of Don Bosco’s Energy Research Institute, Carlos Pacas, acknowledged the invaluable contribution this cooperation provides to the Salvadoran population. He noted, “We believe it is a project that benefits people, especially medical personnel. It also shows that the work we do with our partners allows the creation of projects in the service of society.”

David Cerritos, professor at the Energy Research Institute, added, “Participating in this project has been a very rewarding experience, which allows you to appreciate the joy of the people who receive the donation.”

Don Bosco University is one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the country, particularly in the technical and technological sectors. The university has close to 6,000 students enrolled and maintains a strong link to the local employment sector through research, technology transfer programs, continuing education courses and consultancy services.

Degree programs are offered in engineering, social sciences, humanities, economics, technology and aeronautics, among others. The university is also the only teaching center in the country that has the accreditation of the International Society of Orthotics and Prosthetics.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. In 2016, San Salvador was named the murder capital of the world, seeing more murders and violent crime than any other city. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country, and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

Crime is often associated with poverty and close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in El Salvador is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15 to 24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

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

ANS – El Salvador – American Embassy donates protective masks

Don Bosco University

Salesian Missions – El Salvador

World Bank – El Salvador

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries, with the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Johannesburg, South Africa, were able to provide food support to Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The project is part of COVID-19 relief efforts in these countries.

All Salesian sites that have received the donation have distributed the first food packages to youth and families in need and are now preparing for the second distribution in the coming weeks. The feedback Salesians are receiving from people receiving the donation is very positive.

Further funding from Don Bosco Mondo in Germany will also allow Salesian missionaries to continue with this project for the most vulnerable for an extended period of time. This funding also has provided the opportunity to begin production of masks, which will be added to some of the food packages.

“Salesian missionaries have been providing education and social development programs to poor youth and their families long before the pandemic,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “With these relief efforts, Salesian missionaries are ensuring families have their most basic needs met. Many people are out of work and unable to care for their families at this time. Salesians know the local landscape and help those most in need.”

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering youth (particularly girls and young women) to building schools and teaching trade skills, Salesian missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country. Salesian Sisters of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians facilitates an assistance program for families with children who have recently settled in the new settlements on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The children who participate in the program come from extremely poor families and attend educational lessons up to the third grade. They also receive a daily meal while at school.

Also in Johannesburg, Salesian missionaries and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians joined forces to create the Don Bosco Center at Ennerdale, on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The center was 12 years in the making and combined separate programs run by the two organizations, one a skills training program and the other a school. The goal was to create one center offering both services to greater benefit the local youth.

Don Bosco Center offers courses in hydraulics, carpentry, bricklaying, plastering, computers and electronics. Today, there are 200 children attending the school and 60 young people enrolled in the various professional courses. Another 60 youth are attending classes to complete their secondary schooling.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Africa

UNICEF – South Africa

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Retreat-Don Bosco in Yercaud, India, recently held a 21-day training course in nursery and nature preservation for 40 people. Because Yercaud is a hill town, most people earn their living through tourism. Given the lockdown, residents have seen poverty and hunger on the rise.

The “CALLS” program provided training in greenhouse and plant nursery skills, garden care, and greenery maintenance. Among the participants were 10 college students who wanted to earn money to pay their college fees, as well as learn a skill for the future. It provides them a chance to work and earn a living on weekends and during holidays.

Participants were paid a daily wage during the training, which will now enable them to gain employment in tourist resorts, private homes or nurseries to create gardens and lawns, as well as provide greenery maintenance. Many participants shared that the training was very empowering and has equipped them with a skill to earn a living. A few local businesses have already expressed interest in hiring some of the participants.

Participants in training at Retreat-Don Bosco in Yercaud, India, learned new skills to earn a living.

“This innovative program helped people in the local community have an alternative means of earning a living,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to providing nutrition and health support during the pandemic, Salesian missionaries are working to ensure people are able to work when they can or acquire new skills to go back to work when the lockdowns are lifted.”

The program is a joint initiative of Shevaroy Hills Tribal Development Institute of the Retreat-Don Bosco, Jugend Eine Welt of Austria and BoscoNet, New Delhi. It is coordinated by Salesian Father Selvakumar, the local project manager.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

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ANS – India – Foundation day of Province successfully marks post-Covid-19, alternative livelihood in Nursery Training, Nature Preservation

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World Bank – India

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The day was established by the United Nations to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others. It was designated to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.

This year, World Humanitarian Day honors “#RealLifeHeroes” and their contribution to making the world a better place. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted, “The world commemorates humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and we honor all aid and health workers who continue, despite the odds, to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need.”

The UN also highlighted, “This year, COVID-19 has been the biggest challenge to humanitarian operations around the world. The lack of access and restrictions placed by governments around the world has resulted in communities, civil society and local NGOs being the frontline of the response.”

Salesian missionaries are on the forefront of humanitarian efforts, including the ongoing response to coronavirus, in more than 132 countries around the globe. They provide immediate assistance during humanitarian crises as well as help rebuilding communities and restoring livelihoods.

“Because our Salesian priests, sisters and lay volunteers live within the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of humanitarian crisis,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Salesian missionaries are providing food, hygiene kits and other supplies. They have also launched campaigns to spread awareness and ensure that people are taking prevention measures.”

In honor and celebration of World Humanitarian Day 2020, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight humanitarian relief in countries around the globe.

BURUNDI

The Salesian Parish in Rukago, Burundi*, has access to hand-washing stations thanks to funding from Salesian Missions. This project, which benefited 65,000 people in the parish and local community, provided hand-washing stations in eight churches, 15 schools and the Don Bosco Oratory.

“Installing hand-washing stations in front of churches, offices, schools and playgrounds is an effective means of fighting the coronavirus pandemic while giving the local population the hope of living,” said Father Raphaël Katanga, economer of the Salesian Community in Rukago. “With the funding, we have also supported some vulnerable families from a local indigenous group, who were at risk of facing food shortage due to the limited circulation of goods and people.”

Salesian missionaries in Rukago operate a parish, schools, a youth center and an orphanage. In November 2019 Salesian missionaries inaugurated a new building for the Maison Cana orphanage. The orphanage is managed by the Daughters of Mary – Our Lady of Cana and was founded in 1994 by Salesian Father Vital Minani, who today is the vicar of the Mary Mother of God house in Rukago. The building is a large two-story structure. The work began in 2012 with the ground floor and continued in various stages based on the availability of funds from various benefactors, mainly from the Salesian Congregation.

INDIA

Bosconet, located in New Delhi, India, was able to provide food rations to those impacted by the coronavirus lockdowns in communities in Shillong and Assam. The support was made possible through the generous support of a Salesian Missions donor.

As a result of the lockdowns, many people lost their jobs, including migrant, contract and domestic workers, and daily wage laborers. Migrant workers were not able to travel back home to be with their families, and were stuck with no work, no proper place to live and no food to eat.

Bosconet stepped in to help and began distributing dry ration kits on March 25. Through the support of the Salesian Missions donor, Bosconet was able to reach 780 families from May 16-30. Temporary laborers in tea gardens and daily wage laborers were provided dry ration kits to ensure they had food to eat.

Bosconet has been helping underprivileged children, youth and women across India through quality education, market-oriented skill training and the provision of services to help youth achieve a sustainable livelihood. Bosconet has been providing support to those impacted by the coronavirus since the start of the lockdown. Whether it’s been increasing awareness about prevention of the virus, handing out masks or ensuring people have food to eat, the Bosconet staff has been on the front lines providing help to those most in need during this challenging time.

MALAWI

St. Don Bosco Parish in Lilongwe, Malawi, received funding from Salesian Missions donors to buy maize to help families in the out-stations of the parish. In total, 382 families received the maize. At the Don Bosco Church, 280 families from 28 small Christian communities benefited along with families connected to Salesian centers in Mbunu, Kundi, Kangonoma, Chipeni and more.

Father Mulenga Oswald, St. Don Bosco Parish priest, said, “We sincerely thank Salesian Missions donors for their support, which enabled us to reach out to needy families of our parish. Salesian Missions prompt response helped us to mobilize and assist the people that needed help most.”

In Lilongwe, Salesian missionaries provide many programs to help support poor youth and their families. The Don Bosco Youth Center offers counseling workshops, seminars and educational literature that addresses the multitude of challenges faced by youth in the region. The program focuses on life skills training and the avoidance of high-risk behavior such as substance abuse and gang participation.

PERU

The Don Bosco Foundation in Lima, Peru, supports community kitchens to help address issues of hunger in the region. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there are 3.1 million people in Peru who suffer from hunger. The fear is that this number will rise considerably with the pandemic.

In almost all of Lima’s poor neighborhoods and in its city center, families organize to cook what is given to them, often using wood to light the fire and recycled materials. They share meals among families to help ensure people have enough to eat.

Don Bosco Foundation supports local initiatives to feed families and ensure they have their basic needs met. In the face of the pandemic, the Salesian response continues to be vigorous and tireless. Salesians have launched an awareness campaign to help educate people about coronavirus and prevention efforts. They have made and distributed masks, sanitary kits and food to people in need while supporting local efforts like community kitchens. Salesians continue to assess the situation in their centers and communities and provide relief to those most in need.

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BURUNDI: Salesian Missions provides funding for hand-washing stations and food support for Salesian Parish in Rukago

INDIA: Salesian Missions donor funding provides 780 families dry ration kits through Bosconet

MALAWI: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for maize for 382 families through St. Don Bosco Parish in Lilongwe

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

PERU: Don Bosco Foundation supports community kitchens in Lima to ensure families have adequate nutrition

Salesian Missions

World Humanitarian Day 2020

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

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EAST TIMOR

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Foundation in East Timor was able to provide food support for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. Don Bosco Foundation collaborated with Salesian parishes to identify those most in need, including widows, the elderly, those living in poverty, those with disabilities and orphans.

Support was provided to people in three Salesian parishes including Mary Help of Christian Parish in Dili, Saint Peter and Paul Parish in Lospalos, and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Venilale. Over three months, a total of 1,174 beneficiaries were supported through these relief efforts.

One of the people supported by the donation is Joana da Costa, who is a widow with seven children. Her husband passed away five years ago from an illness. Since then, she has had to work harder and harder with the responsibility of being both mother and father to the family.

She said, “ln order to feed my kids and pay for their school needs, I am working as a cleaner in one company near my house. The money I’m earning isn’t enough to cover my family’s needs so I’m also working an additional job washing clothes for local families. I also started a small bakery. I finally was able to feed my children as well as have the money for other needs. Unfortunately, during these last few months, I could no longer work because of the pandemic. It caused us much hardship and stress. Thanks to the support of the Don Bosco Foundation, I was able to feed my family.”

Over three months, a total of 1,174 beneficiaries were supported through relief efforts in East Timor.

Salesian missionaries are known for their education programs for youth around the globe. With countless elementary, secondary and university level educational centers, as well as training and certification programs, Salesian missionaries are helping to provide a direct path out of poverty for many youth and their families. Because they live in the communities in which they work, they are perfectly positioned to help in times of crisis by providing relief materials and support to local populations.

East Timor is home to 1.1 million people and according to the Human Development Index, the country ranked 132 out of 189 for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living in 2018. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has close to 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages. In addition, close to 50 percent of the population is illiterate.

Salesian missionaries in East Timor have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war in the country that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Now that the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the poor, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

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Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia-Timor Leste

Salesian Missions – East Timor

World Bank – East Timor/Timor-Leste

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Programs for youth at Don Bosco Snehalaya, located in Guwahati within the Indian state of Assam, are being supported through Salesian Missions donor funding. Salesian missionaries operate five homes for poor and orphaned youth in the region, as well as educational programs, summer activities and more. While many of the programs of Don Bosco Snehalaya are on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic, the ongoing funding predated the lockdowns.

With the funding, missionaries have been able to provide nutritional support, clothing, footwear, toiletries and medical care. While school was in session, youth were also provided school supplies so they could participate in their lessons. Further, the funding is helping Don Bosco Snehalaya be able to afford basic operating expenses, such as electricity costs.

When Don Bosco Snehalaya is fully operational, children in the five Salesian homes go to school from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. In the evening, children engage with their peers through games and other social activities. There is also time for studying and extra tutoring, especially in subjects like math and science.

“Students who did not perform well in school are being given extra tutoring in the evening so they can do better and keep up with other students,” said Father Thadeus Kujur, director of Don Bosco Snehalaya. “The situation with the pandemic is difficult because children have not been able to participate in their normal activities and are missing time in school. Staff at Don Bosco Snehalaya have been supporting students and their families as much as we can right now.”

It’s not just a focus on education at Don Bosco Snehalaya. Youth have also been provided health checkups, individual and group counseling, and competitions in drawing, singing and dance to keep youth engaged and inspired. Students have also participated in anti-child labor, anti-child abuse and anti-trafficking activities to bring about more awareness of and exposure to these issues.

Donors make a real impact on programming for poor and at-risk youth in Salesian programs in India and around the globe. Salesian missionaries, teachers, staff and students are all grateful for the support.

Salesian programs across India are primarily focused on education. Salesian primary and secondary education in the country helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study. Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care.

Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India. The country, which is home to 1.34 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population), will have overtaken China as the world’s most populous country by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. While India has the world’s largest youth population, it has yet to capitalize on this, leaving some 30 percent of this population without employment, education or training.

India has the world’s fourth-largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

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World Bank – India

Salesian Missions – India

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MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Tijuana, Mexico, are still responding to the influx of people needing food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, while already stretched thin providing for those who need food assistance in the city. The Salesian Padre Chava Refectory, located at the Salesian Center in the city, provides meals and other assistance to migrants from Mexico, Central America and Haiti, as well as to the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and those suffering from extreme poverty.

Each day, the Padre Chava Refectory provides upwards of 1,200 meals with numbers increasing due to the pandemic. Because of the overwhelming need, the refectory never closed. They instead turned to take-away meals. In the first days of the lockdown, 500 food boxes were distributed. Over the first week, 10,000 food boxes were provided, and that pace has continued.

“Hunger and the needs of the people facing scarcity are increasing in the city, and we are responding the best that we can given the circumstances,” explained Father Agustín Novoa, director of the Salesian Center in Tijuana.

Many workers have lost their jobs due to the closure of their workplace, and they have to decide whether to pay the rent or buy food. Informal workers such as domestic workers were urged to stay home and remained unpaid. The closure of the U.S.-Mexican border has also left many asylum seekers stuck in Tijuana, and even though many have been deported, others keep arriving. Migrant shelters are not housing new asylum seekers to guarantee basic sanitary conditions for their residents.

Since 1987, the Salesian Center has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the Tijuana Salesian Project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with families. The Salesian Center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

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ANS – Mexico – “Padre Chava” refectory at work during Covid-19 pandemic

Salesian Missions – Mexico

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Nhlanhla Lucky Mdlalose, a member of the Salesian Youth Ministry team at Bosco Youth Center, located in Walkerville, Johannesburg, South Africa, coordinates relief efforts to help those who are most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people living in poverty are suffering in Johannesburg. Some children don’t even have a blanket to warm them during the winter months. The elderly are sleeping on the floor in unstable shacks that have holes in the roof. Mdlalose asked, “Where do they find the strength that they need to overcome all of this?”

Because of the suffering and overwhelming need, youth of Dobsonville and Snake Park have taken it upon themselves to be the change and give these families blankets, warm clothing and warm food.

Two months after the lockdown and at a time when people were becoming increasingly desperate, Mdlalose and the other youth began to prepare warm meals every Sunday, including vegetable soup, pap, bread and other hot items. The 15 youth gather in the early morning hours and begin preparing nutritious meals. Mostly they use their own funds to get the soup ingredients, but some generous people in the area occasionally donate something. To date, their soup kitchen has fed more than 3,000 people in Snake Park Township in Soweto.

Mdlalose recognizes that feeding the hungry only addresses part of the families’ needs. The group is also providing warm blankets, which will go a long way in alleviating the bitter winter cold. They are also appealing for winter clothes for children, women and men, including tracksuits, jerseys, long-sleeved vests, jackets, warm shoes, pajamas and trousers. The group is also calling for help to provide hygiene items for families in need.

Salesian Brother Clarence Watts, delegate for social communication of the Southern Africa Vice-Province, said, “Nhlanhla is a truly inspiring young man, together with his team of youth. There is no Salesian presence in Soweto, but Nhlanhla has brought the Salesian spirit of generosity and kindness to the most vulnerable youth in Soweto. Don Bosco would be very proud of him.”

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

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ANS – South Africa – Struggle of winter and COVID-19 in Snake Park Township near Dobsonville, Soweto

Salesian Missions – South Africa

UNICEF – South Africa

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ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) Mary Help of Christians in Kasama, Zambia, was able to provide meals to youth in need thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The rice-meal donation was provided and distributed to the Sisters of the Child Jesus who are working in health centers and have communities with orphans, blind children and people who are albino. The donation was also shared with youth and children who come to the Mary Help of Christians oratory and parish.

The food arrived in May and become a lifeline in the face of the pandemic. Sister Godelieve, who works in Kasama, said, “The rice is the manna that we have waited for to help people. It’s normal for us to see poor children in need of nutrition but with the pandemic, many people are struggling.”

Sr. Godelieve added, “As a community we have many people coming to our door to beg for food. The rice is a solution for us. It allows us to help the poor who knock at our door. We give rice to our workers. It helps them to nourish their children. During the pandemic, most of people have found themselves without work. Therefore, when they receive rice, they can at least have a meal in a day.”

Mary Help of Christians also provided meals to the school in Mornese. Sr. Godelieve noted, “In the village, we also give food to our pupils as they are from the poorest families. Sometimes we cook it and they eat at school and sometimes we give them packs so they can carry home to share with their family.”

Geoffrey Mulenga, one of Mary Help of Christians workers said, “The rice I receive for my family I keep it for my youngest child. It helps him to have good health and be strong.”

Beauty Mwansa, who is 22 years old and is being supported by Mary Help of Christians Laura Center in Kasama, said, “My parents are deceased and I live with my grandmother with my sisters and brothers. I finished my secondary schools and have advanced on to additional schooling. We do daily wage work to survive, but in the face of the pandemic that is no longer possible and we have been very hungry. The Salesian Sisters have been supporting me through school and have provided meals for my family. It has helped all of us to survive this pandemic.”

Poverty is widespread in Zambia with 64 percent of the total population living below the poverty line. For those living in rural areas, the poverty rate rises to 80 percent, according to UNICEF. Over the past three decades, incomes in Zambia have fallen steadily and people do not have enough money to meet basic needs such as shelter, nutritious food and medical care.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also taken a devastating toll on Zambia’s children. There are 1.2 million children classified as orphaned and vulnerable by UNICEF, and these children struggle to find education, basic services and hope for their future.

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Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are helping those in need in Ethiopia while the country grapples with several emergencies at once. COVID-19 infections are increasing and adding challenges for medical professionals who are still dealing with active outbreaks of cholera, measles and malaria.

The World Health Organization has identified Ethiopia as one of the 13 African states at high risk for the spread of the pandemic. Hospitals are not well equipped. Many communities lack doctors and medical supplies. Most public awareness campaigns are targeted to large cities, leaving outlying areas with little information to fight the virus. In addition, riots between police forces and the Oromo community make it very difficult to comply with coronavirus prevention measures.

The country is also facing its second wave of locusts, which are destroying crops. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that around 30,000 hectares of land have already been ruined by locusts.

Salesian missionaries have launched relief efforts to aid youth and families in their 16 vocational training centers in the country. They are distributing food, drinking water and hygiene kits. Salesians have also launched awareness campaigns to promote good practices to prevent coronavirus from spreading.

Salesian missionaries are also working to ensure that families living in Abobo, located between the cities of Gambella and Pugnido in western Ethiopia, have access to the services and resources they need. The majority of the population in Abobo is of Sudanese origin because of its proximity to the border of Sudan. Many people have sought refuge there to escape war and famine.

In 2002, a group of Italian and Spanish volunteers set up the Abobo Health Center in collaboration with local Salesian missionaries. Today, the Abobo Health Center serves as a symbol of the community and provides health services for the more than 4,000 local villagers. The facility has 40 beds, a small ward dedicated to sick children and those suffering from malnutrition, and a small wing that houses obstetrics. Having expanded its reach over the years, the health clinic serves approximately 20,000 people living in the area and the 200,000 people in the entire region.

“The services provided at the Abobo Health Center are critical to this community, especially in the face of coronavirus,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries also provide education and social development services for people in the area. Salesians operate a parish, oratory and kindergarten, which has served more than 100 children since its inception. Missionaries also work to ensure the local population has the food and water it needs.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38 percent of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85 percent of the country’s workforce is employed in agriculture but frequent droughts severely affect the agricultural economy leaving more than 12 million people chronically, or at least periodically, food insecure. In addition, more than two-thirds of the population is illiterate.

The country has 4 million orphans which account for nearly 12 percent of all children and according to UNICEF, more than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis that affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

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ANS – Ethiopia – In a country struck by diseases, locusts and riots, Salesians try helping families of Ethiopian students

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

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SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, who are operating the Don Bosco Gumbo camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) in Juba, South Sudan, have access to food, hygiene products and other items to help care for the well-being of those in the camp. The camp is home to 9,742 people, the majority women and children with no husbands or fathers, the elderly, and orphans. The camp was established in January 2014 after the outbreak of civil war in December 2013.

During the escalation of violence in South Sudan, St. Vincent de Paul Parish welcomed fleeing families and offered them a place to settle. Throughout the past six years, Salesian missionaries have been accommodating, feeding, educating, and offering medical treatment to the sick and vulnerable in the camp and across the Gumbo host community. A camp manager and supervisor were trained to provide management and oversight of the IDP camp.

The spread of COVID-19 in South Sudan has made the situation in the camp more difficult. The virus is happening during the lean season in the country when food insecurity is always at its worst. A swarm of locusts was also observed in several locations in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, posing further threats to food security and livelihoods. The humanitarian situation in the country is predicted to worsen in the coming months as a result of COVID-19, the desert locust invasion and continued inter-communal violence.

With funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesian missionaries at the camp were able to provide food aid rations for 275 internally displaced families. Each person received 10 kg of ground flour, 1 kg of salt, 1 liter of cooking oil and 5 kgs of beans per month. Missionaries were also able to distribute plastic roofing sheets, blankets, floor mats, soap and sanitary plastic jugs to 275 of the most vulnerable households.

“We are appreciative of our donors who help us ensure Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo who are caring for the most vulnerable have the food and supplies they need,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian missionaries were also able to distribute soap and establish hand-washing stations throughout the camp and conduct temperature reading at camp entrances, as well as carry out a weekly sensitization program to prevent coronavirus from spreading.”

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis even before the coronavirus pandemic. Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan, who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on the equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one-third of the population lacks secure access to food.

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Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

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

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Wasting is a life-threatening form of malnutrition, which makes children too thin and weak, and puts them at greater risk of dying, poor growth, development and learning. In response to the report, UNICEF warned that an additional 10,000 child deaths per month this year could result from this increase in malnutrition.

All forms of malnutrition—as well as food insecurity and extreme poverty—are expected to increase significantly due to the pandemic, greatly affecting people who are already struggling.

“The number of people in low-income or middle-income countries (LMICs) facing acute food insecurity will nearly double to 265 million by the end of 2020,” said the report based on data from the United Nations World Food Program.

Leaders of UNICEF, the United Nations World Food Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization prepared the report on behalf of the Standing Together for Nutrition consortium. They also called for action to protect child nutrition around the world.

Salesian Missions funds COVID-19 related nutrition and prevention projects

In Rukago, Burundi, Salesian Missions funded food support and hand-washing stations.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins these humanitarian organizations in the fight against severe hunger and malnutrition. Salesian Missions recently announced the funding of nutrition and prevention projects in Burundi, India, Peru, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Togo and Uruguay.

“We have funded projects in seven countries to date that address nutritional support, sanitary and hygiene, and educational materials for prevention. These activities help respond to the local need and help families who have been pushed even further into poverty,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions.

Salesian missionaries around the globe who live and work in the communities they serve are also mobilizing with new projects. The efforts of the “Save and Sustain” Don Bosco Network India-COVID-19 relief program has helped prevent the starvation of nearly 1.4 million vulnerable people.

At-risk and street children rely on Salesian receptions worldwide to find food, safety and shelter. In Nairobi, Kenya, The Don Bosco Boys Town Community distributed basic food items to suffering children and families.

Through emergency funding from Salesian Missions, the Salesians of Don Bosco at Don Bosco Gumbo-Juba, South Sudan, are able to provide daily meals for internally displaced children, food rations for highly vulnerable people and hand-washing facilities at the camp.

Partnerships provide ongoing food relief

Food aid partnerships and programs to feed students—reducing child malnutrition while increasing school attendance—are an ongoing focus of Salesian Mission programs.

Salesian Missions launched its “Hunger for Education” project in Haiti, which was funded by USAID.

The Hunger for Education project in Haiti, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from September 2016 to March 2019, implemented school feeding programs in Salesian centers across the country. The project provided lunch five days a week for 12,746 students at six school centers from January 2017 to Oct. 31, 2017, 15,541 students from November 2017 to September 2018, and 18,161 students from November 2017 through the end of the project on March 31, 2019.

The project helped support the shipment of 40 40-foot shipping containers of meals—16 from Breedlove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate world hunger; 17 from Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable; and seven from Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.”

Salesian Missions also has ongoing partnerships with Rise Against Hunger and Feed My Starving children to provide rice-meals to poor students, youth in vocational centers, former street youth in Salesian reception centers and other marginalized youth.

For example, in Zambia, more than 2,900 people, including youth, families, grandmothers and orphaned children, received better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children. Three shipments of 40-foot containers of rice-meals were delivered in 2019 to the City of Hope in Lusaka, Zambia.

For some students, the meals they receive at the City of Hope centers are the only meals they have each day. Provided to students during the school day, the food aid serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffer fewer illnesses and are more focused on their studies.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

The Lancet: Impacts of COVID-19 on childhood malnutrition and nutrition-related mortality

UNICEF

Salesian Missions

Breedlove

Feed My Starving Children

Rise Against Hunger

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

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) The Anma Integrated Development Association (AIDA) was able to support 13 farmers with tea saplings thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The tea project was developed in 2008 to help tea garden laborers in Assam, a state in northeastern India. The area is known for its wildlife, archeological sites and tea plantations.

India is one of the largest tea producers in the world with close to 70 percent of its tea consumed within India itself. The Indian tea industry has grown to own many global tea brands and has evolved into one of the most technologically equipped tea industries in the world. The districts of Golaghat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia in Assam have a large number of tea estates.

The tea estates are tended to by laborers, who despite working long hours often do not earn enough wages to meet their basic needs or escape poverty. Many tea laborers own small parcels of land but, for various reasons, leave the land uncultivated while they leave home to work at larger tea estates. In times of financial crisis, they are often forced to mortgage their land for small loans and when they are unable to repay the loans, the land is forfeited. Salesian missionaries in India, aware of this difficult situation, are working to provide opportunities for tea laborers to break the cycle of poverty.

“The goal of the project is to help tea laborers begin to cultivate their land, allowing them to become owners of their own small tea gardens and develop a long-term sustainable income,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Tea laborers are provided start-up assistance either through financial resources or through the donation of tea saplings, which helps them to develop their own business and gain financial security.”

Laborers are also taught business and technical skills relating to the tea market and, capitalizing on their years of working on larger tea estates, they can develop a sustainable income to help them escape poverty. Many former laborers have developed stronger self-confidence and a renewed sense of dignity through the project.

One recipient is Manglu Bhumij, age 39, who has six family members including his mother, wife and three children. He is a daily wage earner and his wife looks after household work along with managing a small tea garden. Bhumij had more than an acre of unutilized land when he heard about the opportunity through AIDA. He immediately applied and prepared his land for cultivation. Bhumij said it was an unexpected opportunity for him to get financial support within a short time. He also thanked the AIDA staff for providing ideas for multi-cropping along with tea. Soon after the planting, he cultivated dal in his tea garden for extra income.

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained tea laborers financially because they were out of work during the lockdown. The lockdown started during the first plucking of tea leaves, which forced tea garden laborers to lose two months of income. Tea farmers supported through AIDA also suffered during the lockdown period since most are daily wage workers. All the beneficiaries, however, have a ration card under the national food security program so they did have some added support.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India

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BURUNDI

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Parish in Rukago, Burundi, is continuing its fight against the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic has become a priority for the government since President Évariste Ndayishimiye was elected democratically in June 2020. Father Raphaël Katanga, economer of the Salesians in Rukago, explained that the new president has strengthened the fight against COVID-19 and fully supports any initiative.

The Salesian Parish has taken a number of steps to help fight the virus and keep the community safe. It has provided food for vulnerable families, in particular for the Pygmy population. The parish has carried out a widespread prevention campaign to ensure local communities understand the threat of coronavirus and the steps to take to prevent the spread of infection. Through the support of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesians have also installed hand-washing stations in eight churches, 15 schools and the Don Bosco Oratory.

“Installing hand-washing stations in front of churches, offices, schools and playgrounds is an effective means of fighting the coronavirus pandemic while giving the local population the hope of living,” said Fr. Katanga. “With the funding, we have also supported some vulnerable families who were at risk of facing food shortage due to the limited circulation of goods and people.”

Salesian missionaries in Rukago operate a parish, schools, a youth center and an orphanage. In November 2019 Salesian missionaries inaugurated a new building for the Maison Cana orphanage. The orphanage is managed by the Daughters of Mary –Our Lady of Cana and was founded in 1994 by Salesian Father Vital Minani, who today is the vicar of the Mary Mother of God house in Rukago. The building is a large two-story structure. The work began in 2012 with the ground floor and continued in various stages based on the availability of funds from various benefactors, mainly from the Salesian Congregation.

Burundi, located in the heart of the African Great Lakes region, has seen more than a decade of violence and conflict which has contributed to widespread poverty, according to UNICEF. Burundi ranks 185 out of 189 countries on the 2019 UN Human Development Index and close to 70 percent of its residents live below the poverty line.

Children are some of the most severely affected by the country’s rampant poverty. Fifty-three percent of children under the age of 5 suffer from growth stunting caused by inadequate food, low-quality diet, poor infant feeding practices, poor household management of childhood diseases and the general decline of the country’s health system.

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ANS – Burundi – Salesians of Rukago support fight against COVID-19

Salesian Missions – Burundi

UNICEF – Burundi

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

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CHILE

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Educational Center (CEST), located in Talca, Chile, continues to provide baskets of food and personal hygiene items to families most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. CEST also continues to educate and support youth within its community.

Mauricio Espinoza, president of the CEST General Parental Center, thanked all of the families who shared their resources. He added, “The team prepares and organizes baskets, and for products we don’t have or are a little more expensive, like vegetables, we buy them ourselves.”

The delivery of parcels takes place at the Sur Institute office or directly to the homes of families, including families who are in preventive quarantine. From July 13-17, 138 baskets were delivered. Espinoza explained that it was a collaborative effort. He said, “As a group, we must continue to work and continue to add people to help and share as brothers.”

To help support this work, CEST has a commission led by Father Pedro Pablo Cuello, director of the Salesians in Talca. The commission identifies student challenges and uses a network to provide support to them and their families. CEST continues to keep in touch with students and parents, and it identified several youth who have had internet connection issues, which prevented them from engaging in online education. CEST provided equipment and internet access to the families to support youth in continuing their education.

According to the World Bank, Chile has a fairly low poverty rate of 14.4 percent. However, Chile struggles with high rates of income and education inequality. Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor and at-risk youth. At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty.

As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.

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ANS – Chile – Collaboration and solidarity with Talca Salesian Educational Center

Salesian Missions – Chile

World Bank – Chile

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BRAZIL

(MissionNewswire) The Mamma Margarita Salesian Youth Center, located in the municipality of Niterói, in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, is helping needy families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic by distributing food and hygiene products. The youth center launched a Salesian Solidarity Campaign, which has supported these efforts for four months. Since the start of the pandemic, many businesses, companies and shops have had to suspend their work. This included the Salesian Youth Center.

According to the Salesian Social Communication Office, many children who live in the areas surrounding the Salesian Youth Center were being fed at the youth center before the pandemic because their families did not have enough money for food. It was critical that funds were utilized to continue to feed these children during the lockdown period.

“When we started the campaign in March, it was mainly to help the approximately 350 children we serve here at the youth center. These children come from families with low incomes, and they are socially vulnerable and at risk,” said Father Denis Dutra Marques, a Salesian missionary working in Brazil.

According to Fr. Marques, other families in the local communities began to seek support from the Salesian Youth Center. He said, “The families learned that we were distributing kits with basic foods and came to us for help. We decided to register all of these people to follow each family’s situation more precisely. There were weeks in which we had 90 families to look after and we had no food to deliver. But when the day of distribution came, we ended up with more than 90 kits, closer to 120, and there were 120 families to take the kit.”

The Salesian Solidarity Campaign continues to collect non-perishable foods and personal hygiene items. Donations are left at the reception of the Salesian Institutes of Niterói, which remain open 24 hours a day to avoid social gatherings.

The World Bank estimates that about 28.6 million Brazilians moved out of poverty between 2004 and 2014. But from the start of 2016 to the end of 2017, the World Bank estimates that 2.5 million to 3.6 million fell back below the poverty line earning less than 140 Brazilian reais per month. Economists blame high unemployment, near 13 percent, and cuts to key social welfare programs for challenges in Brazil.

Issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain the root causes for those in poverty. Inequalities also exist in access to education and educational efficiency. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education. Salesians working with poor youth and their families in Brazil develop programs and provide youth with opportunities for furthering their education and skills.

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ANS – Brazil – Salesians help needy communities of Niterói in pandemic times

Salesian Missions – Brazil

World Bank – Brazil

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Past pupils of the Salesian Institute St. Domenico Savio, located in Andheri, Mumbai, India, celebrated 100 days of providing support to those who have been impacted by the coronavirus lockdown. The past pupils cooked and provided 1 million meals to those in need. Working in 65 distribution points within the Indian megalopolis, volunteers launched the “Feed My Mumbai” campaign, ensuring that no person went to sleep hungry.

In tandem with the Canossian Daughters of Charity-Servants of the Poor, numerous volunteers and Salesian missionaries, the past pupils courageously left their homes in order to distribute nutritious meals to the needy and disadvantaged. The millionth meal was delivered on Sunday, July 12, to a person in need by one of about 300 “Corona Warriors” as the group has named itself.

Anthony Mascarenhas, president of the Association of Past Pupils of the St. Domenico Savio Institute, said, “Thanks to the Salesians who have been with us all. We have helped many people in Mumbai, including migrant workers, slum dwellers, rags collectors, scavengers, daily wage workers, tribal populations, the elderly, and people who ask for alms. With 25 partner companies that supported our campaign, we started distributing food kits, hygiene kits and materials to organize a makeshift refuge in 65 locations in Mumbai. More than 300 people have collaborated in this effort.”

Mascarenhas added, “A big thank you to Father Brian Moras, rector and delegate, for his support along with the entire Salesian community, the Salesian Cooperators and well-wishers. We also owe a debt of gratitude to our alma mater for making us what we are. We now look ahead with an aim to reach out to more affected areas in Mumbai and rural belts in Maharashtra with the support of our partners who are growing in number with each passing day.”

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

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ANS – India – One million meals in 100 days!

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India

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NEPAL

(MissionNewswire) Two Salesian schools in the Don Bosco Community of Bharoul in eastern Nepal are conducting educational lessons for 1,500 students using 42 rented rooms, each called a community classroom. Each class educates only 10 students at a time and strictly follows government restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There are 46 teachers who are facilitating this new way of learning. The lessons began on July 16.

Schools in Nepal have been closed for the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, and there is still uncertainty when schools will be back to normal. School premises cannot be used to conduct lessons because the students cannot all come together to learn. To continue reaching students, Salesians rented rooms to conduct lessons in nearby villages, educating smaller subsets of students. This method was preferred over online lessons because of the financial restrictions on many students.

The local government educational department has given Salesians the authorization to carry out the lessons this way. All regulations must be strictly respected, such as the use of masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing.

Currently, lessons in major subjects such as English, Nepali, math, science and social studies are being taught. Students, parents and teachers are all in support of these new lessons. From the first day lessons started, 95 percent of students were in class.

Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Salesian missionaries are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 and a second earthquake on May 12, 2015.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in the country. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development in their country.

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ANS – Nepal – Parents and students welcome new innovative teaching method

Salesian Missions – Nepal

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UGANDA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in the Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda hosted the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) launch of the “Facial masks for refugees and host community” project on July 8. Salesians, alongside refugees in the camp, have been engaged in coronavirus prevention efforts such as making masks. The camp currently houses 56,000 people.

The Honorable Hilary Onek, minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees in the Ugandan Cabinet, said, “Don Bosco Palabek has been a pioneer in the production of face masks and was very innovative, not only in the Palabek settlement but throughout northern Uganda and across the nation.”

Despite very limited resources in Palabek, refugees began making masks and distributed them free of charge to other refugees and to all community workers. Charles Uma, administrative director of the Lamwo district, said, “When the lockdown in Uganda was declared on March 18, I received a generous number of masks from Palabek for district use.”

Felicitas Nebril, UNHCR regional manager, noted in her speech at the launch event, “This activity is the best example of refugees involved in socio-economic activities. Palabek has contributed to the well-being of refugees and local communities. You have become, in fact, the role models for the host community.”

Nebril also encouraged refugees to use the face masks regularly to maintain the settlement’s zero-COVID status. To date, a group of 20 girls has produced at least 10,000 masks of different shapes and sizes and will continue to produce others and distribute them for free.

In his speech, Onek said, “The eyes of Don Bosco’s missionaries were sharp in seeing the needs and challenges of the people. When the government had not provided funding for the masks for refugees, missionaries started production. By doing it in our district and in this new training center, you have made us proud.”

He thanked the Salesians for bringing the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center to this extreme corner of the country, a place that had been neglected for several decades. He noted, “You will raise well-prepared young people, both refugees and locals, and bring peace and harmony throughout the area.”

Salesian missionaries launched a vocational training center to offer life skills and other training to help young refugees prepare for employment. Young refugees can attend vocational training courses for free. Depending on the discipline, some courses run for 3-6 months while others run as long as a year. Salesian missionaries have also set up a job placement office that helps students make contact with companies that are hiring, prepare resumes and prep for interviews, and find internships and on-site training opportunities.

During this period of isolation, the Salesians living and working in Palabek have been engaged in implementing numerous COVID-19 prevention measures with the support of Don Bosco Jugendhilfe Weltweit and other supporters.

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ANS – Uganda – Don Bosco Palabek pioneer in production of facial masks

Don Bosco Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp

Salesian Missions – Uganda

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PERU

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Foundation in Lima, Peru, supports community kitchens to help address issues of hunger in the region. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there are 3.1 million people in Peru who suffer from hunger. The fear is that this number will rise considerably with the pandemic.

In almost all of Lima’s poor neighborhoods and in its city center, families organize to cook what is given to them, often using wood to light the fire and recycled materials. They share meals among families to help ensure people have enough to eat.

Father Raúl Acuña, director of the Don Bosco Foundation, said, “We all remember the sad era of the 1980s when the poorest of Peru used this method to survive. There were days when we had nothing to eat and we suffered more than anything else for our children.”

Thousands of Peruvians and Venezuelan migrants in Peru are facing the same hardships today. According to the National Statistics Institute of Peru, there are roughly 1.2 million people in Lima who are currently unemployed. Some indications from the ESAN University speculate that this rate could rise to 4.2 million by the end of the year, primarily due to the pandemic.

Don Bosco Foundation supports local initiatives to feed families and ensure they have their basic needs met. In the face of the pandemic, the Salesian response continues to be vigorous and tireless. Salesians have launched an awareness campaign to help educate people about coronavirus and prevention efforts. They have made and distributed masks, sanitary kits, and food to people in need while supporting local efforts like community kitchens. Salesians continue to assess the situation in their centers and communities and provide relief to those most in need.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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ANS – Peru – Community kitchen: “We want to demonstrate that there is no authentic Christian life without social commitment”

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Bosconet, located in New Delhi, India, was able to provide food rations to those impacted by the coronavirus lockdowns in communities in Shillong and Assam. The support was made possible through the generous support of a Salesian Missions donor. Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

As a result of the lockdowns, many people lost their jobs, including migrant, contract, and domestic workers, and daily wage laborers. Migrant workers were not able to travel back home to be with their families and were stuck with no work, no proper place to live and no food to eat.

Bosconet stepped in to help and began distributing dry ration kits on March 25. Through the support of the Salesian Missions donor, Bosconet was able to reach 780 families from May 16-30. Temporary laborers in tea gardens and daily wage laborers were provided dry ration kits to ensure they had food to eat.

Baralin Kharummind is one of the residents who received the dry ration donation. She said, “I live in a village, which is in a remote area, where it is difficult to access things needed for daily use. After the announcement of the lockdown in the country, it was even difficult with no job and food at home to feed my family. I am very grateful to Bosconet for their support for my family during this difficult time. It is really a blessing for us to receive help like rice, dal, sugar, salt, oil, soaps and tea leaf. On behalf of everyone from my village, I would like to say thank you. I thank the staff of Bosconet who carried out the distribution kits.”

Bosconet has been helping underprivileged children, youth and women across India through quality education, market-oriented skill training and the provision of services to help youth achieve a sustainable livelihood. Bosconet has been providing support to those impacted by the coronavirus since the start of the lockdown. Whether it’s been increasing awareness about prevention of the virus, handing out masks or ensuring people have food to eat, the Bosconet staff has been on the front lines providing help to those most in need during this challenging time.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India

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EL SALVADOR

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco University in Soyapango, El Salvador, has provided 33 students academic scholarships which will allow them to continue their higher educational studies. The students selected have shown an attitude of commitment and responsibility to contributing to the country’s socio-economic and cultural development.

The students will take engineering and technical university courses. According to Don Bosco University’s secretary-general, Xiomara Martínez, the scholarships add to the university’s efforts to provide financial support to students whose families have been affected by the pandemic and who are at risk of discontinuing their university studies.

During the virtual ceremony to award the scholarships, Martínez said in a statement, “The assignment of 33 new scholarships on this day, in addition to the 459 already assigned, is an important milestone for Don Bosco University. Even during this crisis, we have always tried to support our young people, and it is of great satisfaction for us to be able to do that this year, facing so many adverse circumstances. We must appreciate the effort, commitment and courage that each of us has put forth to get through this moment.”

Martínez added, “Dear students, this scholarship is encouragement and recognition of your good academic performance and your desire to improve. We trust that you will continue to give your best to maintain it and to give life to the teachings of our beloved founder, Don Bosco, to be good Christians and upright citizens.”

For Josué Adolfo Ángel, one of the beneficiaries of the scholarship, the lack of economic resources can be difficult but not an obstacle to success. He is currently a student in a three-year degree course in communication sciences. Ruth Escobar, a student in a three-year degree course in arts and graphic design, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to have this privilege.

The scholarships awarded come in part from Don Bosco University funds, and in part, from external funds, thanks to donors, private companies and institutions that support young people in the country.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. In 2016, San Salvador was named the murder capital of the world, seeing more murders and violent crime than any other city. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country, and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

Crime is often associated with poverty and close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in El Salvador is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15 to 24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

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ANS – El Salvador – In midst of pandemic crisis, “Universidad Don Bosco” offers scholarships for young students

Don Bosco University

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World Bank – El Salvador

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MALAWI

(MissionNewswire) St. Don Bosco Parish in Lilongwe, Malawi, received funding from Salesian Missions donors to buy maize to help families in the out-stations of the parish. In total, 382 families received the maize. At the Don Bosco Church, 280 families from 28 small Christian communities benefited along with families connected to Salesian centers in Mbunu, Kundi, Kangonoma, Chipeni and more.

“We appreciate the support of our donors who were able to provide the funding to help poor families in Malawi,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Providing maize helps families have the nutritional support they need, especially during a time of great difficulty during the pandemic. Many families have seen a loss of income and have been pushed further into poverty.”

Father Mulenga Oswald, St. Don Bosco Parish priest, said, “We sincerely thank Salesian Missions donors for their support, which enabled us to reach out to needy families of our parish. Salesian Missions prompt response helped us to mobilize and assist the people that needed help most.”

In Lilongwe, Salesian missionaries provide many programs to help support poor youth and their families. The Don Bosco Youth Center offers counseling workshops, seminars and educational literature that addresses the multitude of challenges faced by youth in the region. The program focuses on life skills training and the avoidance of high-risk behavior such as substance abuse and gang participation.

During normal operations, The Don Bosco Youth Center hosts more than 600 youth each day from the surrounding townships of Areas 23, 24, 44, Kawale and Chilinde, among others. It has become a symbol of youth empowerment through sporting activities as well as vocational and technical education. The center conducts motivational evening talks for spiritual and moral growth and also provides leadership training for youth with the aim of equipping them with skills in leading other youth toward positive behavior and social change in their respective communities.

The Don Bosco Youth Center campus includes facilities for youth development in sporting disciplines and features a soccer pitch and courts for basketball, netball and volleyball. The campus includes the Don Bosco Youth Technical Institute which offers commercial and technical courses in fashion arts and beauty, accounting, bricklaying, motor vehicle mechanics, hospitality, and information and communications technology.

In Malawi, more than 50 percent of the population lives in poverty and the majority of households have women as the head of the household, according to the World Bank.

Agriculture is a central part of Malawi’s economy but land distribution is unequal and crops are highly vulnerable to the region’s frequent droughts. Few houses have piped water and less than one in 10 Malawians has access to electricity. Water is collected from wells or streams, and most people cook over an open fire. Malawians deal with hunger and malnutrition on a daily basis. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, 45 percent of the country’s children under age 5 are stunted due to a lack of adequate nutrition. Many children also lack educational opportunities and have few options for improving their circumstances.

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Salesian Missions – Malawi

USAID – Malawi

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MALI

(MissionNewswire) Hand-washing stations have been installed in Salesian educational centers in Bamako, Sikasso and Touba, Mali, where educational activities have resumed. Salesian missionaries are well aware of the risks Mali faces during the pandemic, and they are working to protect and support youth and the most vulnerable families in their programs and communities.

Creating a culture of personal hygiene and careful hand-washing is one of the most important prevention measures. Father Romeo Salami, from the Salesian Planning and Development Office of the West Africa Province, is working to ensure local programs have what they need to provide a safe environment for youth. He also wishes to thank all of the people who collaborated in the “Faced with the pandemic, Global Solidarity” project, which raised funds to help these efforts.

“The installation of hand-washing devices in our vocational training centers in Bamako, Sikasso and Touba guarantees the continued education of the most vulnerable,” explained Fr. Salami.

Salesian educational centers had closed for months, but recently the government allowed activities to resume. Fr. Salami added, “Thanks to the collaboration of Bosco Global we have managed to comply with the safety measures required in most of our projects. We distributed masks to every student and distributed disinfectants to the whole educational community.”

Fr. Salami is confident that awareness campaigns to ensure compliance with security measures are essential to contain the pandemic. He concluded, “We are working very hard to sensitize the population about the risks of contagion and the necessary protective measures. It is not easy, in the context of poverty in which we work. But there is no choice, we must all be aware of our personal responsibility to stop the pandemic.”

Since 2012, Mali has faced a political and security crisis that has been concentrated mainly in the north of the country. The crisis has now reached the center of the country and is affecting hundreds of people, especially children. In 2017, armed groups in the northern region and the Malian government signed a reconciliation agreement, but in 2018 the conflict reemerged. According to World Vision, currently more than 483,400 people need humanitarian assistance.

As a result of this crisis, the situation in the country has worsened and the population is living in alarming conditions. It has affected access to food, water, health, safety and a means of livelihood.

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ANS – Mali – Handwashing devices installed in most vulnerable schools against spread of pandemic

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SPAIN

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian St. James Major Province in Spain recently coordinated a “Training Plan for the Development of Online Skills” project for educational centers. During the lockdown that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic, teachers had to quickly learn how to teach their lessons online. As a result of the change, educational centers needed training on how to facilitate distance learning most efficiently and effectively.

The training project had organizational support from TECH Don Bosco, and the State Foundation for Employment Training in Spain provided a virtual video conference room where the online courses were held. The basic training course provided digital teaching skills to 386 teachers, 58 of whom were on educational centers’ management teams. Teachers from all grade levels, from kindergarten to bachelor’s degrees and higher vocational training, participated.

The basic training course included four sessions of 90 minutes each that were structured to tackle various themes in online education including communication through the screen, security and digital teaching.

“There were morning and afternoon sessions,” explained Charo Fernández from the Salesian province innovation team and coordinator of this initiative. “We all worked together in an online environment divided into nine virtual classrooms. From time to time, as a coordinator, I visited the online classrooms to make sure there were no problems. I have been working on digital skills training for many years, but this was the first time we had organized such a thing. It worked perfectly.”

The training proposal for the development of distance teaching skills aims to support teachers and school management teams by strengthening their skills in achieving quality online education, and keeping the teaching and learning processes as close as possible to the Salesian educational style.

“The confinement was an opportunity to launch this proposal and the response of the teams, centers and teachers exceeded all expectations. We initially thought we’d give training to three groups, and in the end, we configured 12 of them. We have nine expert tutors with digital competence and Salesian Preventive System,” added Fernández.

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

Close to 37 percent of young Spanish workers under the age of 25 are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. Poor youth with few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment. Women in Spain face inequality in the workforce. They earn up to 14 percent less than men and represent only 34.5 percent of those listed as the highest earners in Spain.

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ANS – Spain – Distance teaching training exceeds all expectations: over 400 teachers trained in June

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ITALY

(MissionNewswire) Four 18-year-old students, two of whom attend Salesian schools in Milan, Italy, have started a project to help families have access to computers at home for distance learning. The website PC4U.tech was set up to handle both donations and requests for a computer.

The team is made up of Matteo Mainetti, a student from Leone XIII Institute, who deals with the project’s logistical aspect; Salesian students Emanuele Sacco, who works on the programming of the site, and Pietro Cappellini, who takes care of the graphics and design; and Jacopo Rangone, who is dedicated to the administrative part of the project and studies in England.

The idea first came to the students during the general lockdown period that was required when COVID-19 hit Italy. Many students could not follow their academic lessons remotely because they did not have a computer or a tablet at home. The four friends began to collect devices from those who donated them spontaneously.

Through the online platform, people have the opportunity to donate functioning devices or to request one, if needed. The initiative, which is free for all, is also aimed at companies that have obsolete devices that they can give away. Each device is collected at the donor’s home, reformatted by an expert in the sector, sanitized and loaded with a message from the donor to the recipient. Cappellini said, “In the end, we are not donating an instrument, but a door to knowledge.”

Sacco explained, “The numbers of those who are hungry for technology, even in Lombardy, remain high. More than 2,600 students, nearly 14 percent, do not have a computer, and have not been able to go to school in recent months.”

“A recent ISTAT survey says that 33.8 percent of Italian families do not have a computer or tablet at home, and 57 percent of the kids must share only one computer in the family,” added Sacco. “This problem goes beyond the need highlighted by COVID-19 and the lockdowns because schools increasingly are digital, and students will increasingly need technological supports to be able to study.”

The project has also received help from Microsoft, which is providing support for the activation of Microsoft Office A1, the edition dedicated to schools.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

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ANS – Italy – “PC4U”: a solidarity chain in Milan

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SYRIA

(MissionNewswire) There are have been 372 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed and 14 people have died to date in Syria, but as in other countries the data is not completely transparent, and the virus has been increasing in recent weeks. According to the World Health Organization, a large-scale outbreak could be catastrophic for the population because half of the hospitals were destroyed by the war, and more than 50 percent of medical personnel were killed during the conflict or have left the country.

If the virus were to spread to refugee camps, it would be impossible to contain it because physical distancing is unattainable. For this reason, more than 200,000 people are leaving the camps to look for other temporary shelters or to return to their old houses, almost all completely destroyed by the bombings. The drastic economic deterioration is increasing. The main concern for the whole population is economic instability and the lack of basic necessities.

Samar is a 51-year-old woman who lives in the Alidan area in Aleppo with three children aged 20, 18 and 15 years. Her husband passed away in 2016. She doesn’t work, and the family’s only source of income is money her sons earn. All three were working in a restaurant, but lost their jobs when the restaurant closed at the beginning of the pandemic.

At the beginning of June, the government allowed activities to resume, but the country is now collapsing. The devaluation of the currency has caused a rise in the prices of all goods. This impacts all families—but especially families like Samar’s who have almost no income to survive.

Rashad, who owns a small dairy products distribution shop, is a beneficiary of the youth entrepreneurship support project created by the Salesians in Aleppo and Damascus. He was a student at the Don Bosco Center in Damascus. Rashad is married and has two children. Thanks to the entrepreneurial support project, he had managed to start his small business, which yielded fair earnings until all shops were forced to close.

The closure of his business was a serious challenge and recovery has not been easy. The drastic change in prices has become a huge problem because it means that customers ultimately have low purchasing power. Rashad cannot keep prices constant because with a day’s earnings he cannot buy products from suppliers for the next day.

Lockdown restrictions have brought vulnerable Syrian households closer to the brink of financial ruin. Tens of thousands of jobs have been eliminated. Meanwhile, the foreign support that sustained many Syrian households is drying up. Significant wage loss, currency devaluation, rising unemployment and a permissive environment for cross-border smuggling are all likely to amplify needs and place Syrian households under greater economic stress, especially as costs of goods continue to outstrip purchasing power.

Salesian missionaries operate three centers in Kafroun and the particularly high conflict areas of Aleppo and Damascus. Salesian centers continue to meet the needs of their communities through the distribution of food, economic aid and scholarships to help young people continue with their schooling, but there have been some interruptions as a result of the pandemic and lockdown. Salesians are resuming work as they are allowed in the country.

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ANS – Syria – The lives of Samar, Rashad … And millions of Syrians are still in danger

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SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in South Sudan are working with local populations as the effects of coronavirus spread across the country. According to the most updated official data, 10,000 people have been tested and 2,021 were positive. To date, 38 people have died. The challenge is preventing outbreaks because the country has a fragile local health system that cannot help an influx of people.

There are five Salesian communities in the country. In Gumbo, Salesian missionaries have a parish, a technical-vocational training center, elementary and middle schools, a women’s promotion center, and a youth center. There is also a camp for internally displaced persons directly managed by the Salesians. The camp currently has 9,800 people—not counting very young children—who have all fled the violence of the 2013-2016 civil war.

“The biggest fear we have is an epidemic in the camp. The tents are close and there is no room for social distancing,” reported Salesians working in Gumbo. “Controlling the masses for any type of distribution is very difficult. The camp is adjacent to several crowded local communities. It is impossible to prevent the flow of people between the camp and these communities because there is no separation wall around the camp.”

Several years ago, the Sisters of Charity of Jesus opened a small medical dispensary inside the camp. It has 10 beds, but no possibility of residential assistance nor a test facility, respirators or other specialized equipment. “It seems that there are only four respirators in the whole country,” added the Salesians.

In recent days, the archbishop of Juba, Msgr. Stephen Ameyu, made an informal visit to the Salesian camp. Salesians noted, “Msgr. Ameyu appreciated our awareness-raising efforts and our preventive measures and encouraged people to follow our advice. He blessed us and entrusted us to the protection of God. We need it!”

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on the equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one-third of the population lacks secure access to food.

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ANS – South Sudan – Gumbo IDP camp facing Covid-19 hazards

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

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NICARAGUA

(MissionNewswire) COVID-19 has forced millions of people into isolation and caused a major disruption in educational systems around the globe. San Juan Bosco Salesian Institute in Granada, Nicaragua, has sought a number of alternatives to continue providing quality education to its students, including utilizing technology for online education.

The Inter-American Development Bank has noted, “The pandemic has had a direct impact on the education systems of all the countries in the region, involving students, families, ministries, secretariats, schools, teachers and principals. The closure of schools to contain the spread of the virus has brought more than 165 million students out of school, from kindergarten to higher education.”

In countries where there are no large budgets for education, the challenges of providing education have been complicated. Although many countries do not have a consolidated national strategy for distance education, they have made significant efforts even with limited capabilities.

The Salesian Institute in Granada has started using interactive blogs and Google for Education G-Suite tools. Salesian educators are responding to the needs expressed by parents while ensuring that students are still receiving an enriching educational experience. Teachers have have tapped into a wealth of audiovisual resources to make the teaching and learning process more dynamic and interactive. Many teachers, although initially fearful, began recording their lessons and providing them to students.

The process has been complex because it also required engagement from parents, who now must work more closely in the learning process. The Salesian Institute has continued to monitor progress of online education and modify as needed to meet the needs of teachers, students and parents.

Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere, has widespread underemployment and poverty with a quarter of its population living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. More than 80 percent of Nicaragua’s poor live in remote rural communities where access to basic services is a daily challenge.

Years of widespread poverty have taken their toll and many residents suffer from poor health conditions including HIV/AIDS. In addition, crime, violence against women, gang violence and high unemployment result in challenging economic and social conditions, particularly for young people and women.

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“Salesian missionaries live in the communities in which they work so they are well-positioned to understand the local needs and come up with solutions to address them,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “We have funded projects in seven countries to date that address nutritional support, sanitary and hygiene, and educational materials for prevention. These activities help respond to the local need and help families who have been pushed even further into poverty.”

The Salesian Parish in Rukago, Burundi*, has access to hand-washing stations thanks to the funding from Salesian Missions. This project, which benefited 65,000 people in the parish and local community, provided hand-washing stations in eight churches, 15 schools and the Don Bosco Oratory.

“Installing hand-washing stations in front of churches, offices, schools and playgrounds is an effective means of fighting the coronavirus pandemic while giving the local population the hope of living,” said Father Raphaël Katanga, economer of the Salesian Community in Rukago. “With the funding, we have also supported some vulnerable families from a local indigenous group, who were at risk of facing food shortage due to the limited circulation of goods and people.”

Salesian Missions funding also supported Sisters of Maria Auxiliatrix in Madhavaram, Chennai, India, to provide help to those impacted by the lockdowns in local slum communities. The funding will help purchase groceries such as rice, dal, oil, sugar, vegetables and grains for 510 families. The Sisters of Maria Auxiliatrix will also be able to provide 2,500 masks and antibiotics to those in need, as well as sanitary supplies like soap and hand sanitizer. In addition, funding will be used to help individuals with medical and travel expenses to be able to go to the hospital if needed.

Other COVID-19 related projects have been funded in Peru, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Togo and Uruguay. While Salesian missionaries are responding to new needs brought about by the pandemic, they are still working to meet their core mission of providing the programs and services children and families need to break the cycle of poverty for good. Missionaries are still feeding malnourished families, rescuing homeless children from the streets, educating impoverished children and teaching youth the skills they need to have hope for a brighter future.

Salesian Missions has set up a donation page for those who wish to provide support to projects like these: https://salesianmissions.org/lp/faith/.

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BURUNDI: Salesian Missions provides funding for hand-washing stations and food support for Salesian Parish in Rukago

Salesian Missions

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

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Radio Salesian, based out of Salesian College Sonada in Darjeeling, India, has been selected by India’s Community Radio Association as a partner to raise awareness about COVID-19 through a national project. The project is sponsored by UNICEF, which has been reaching out to public service broadcasters globally through community radio stations.

Each community broadcast partner is allowed to tailor the topics according to local requirements on COVID-19 prevention. Titled “Mission Corona,” the five-month initiative will feature a 25-minute weekly program in the Nepali language that will focus on issues related to the usage of masks, home quarantine, physical distancing, building the immune system and elderly care, among other relevant topics. Radio Salesian programming will also look at nutrition and hygiene aspects, as well as a poster campaign through social media.

“During this unprecedented public health emergency, as a community radio station, we can inform and educate people on the impending danger of the pandemic through ‘Mission Corona,’” said Father C.M. Paul, the radio station director.

With coverage of over 15 kilometers, the radio station is heard across tea plantations around the college. Listeners are mostly based in Kurseong, Sonada, Balasun Valley, and the border towns of Nepal like Pashupati, Illam, Kakrabitta and Birtamore. Five local radio journalists are part of the production team for the project, which is led at Radio Salesian by program coordinator R.J. Samir.

“Besides the scheduled COVID-19 programs, from July 1, we are hosting four hours of a live show to reach out to local people in real-time and educate them on scientific viewpoints on myths about diseases, and also create awareness on preventive measures,” said Samir.

Radio Salesian 90.8 FM was established in 2016 and is the only college campus radio of North Bengal and northeast India. There are 64 colleges affiliated with the University of North Bengal offering 169 courses in 11 streams with some 30 faculty departments and 20 specializations. The station is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on web radio worldwide through the Listen2MyRadio app. It is the only Nepali language broadcasting community radio in India.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

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ANS – India – Radio Salesian Darjeeling to Partner UNICEF Sponsored ‘Mission Corona’ in Nepali

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SIERRA LEONE

(MissionNewswire) Prisons in Sierra Leone face overcrowding as well as lack vital sanitation and health care. Inmates often die from overcrowding, illness and violence. All too often, minors are detained for petty crimes and end up falling prey to prison violence, giving them little hope for the future upon their release. The Pademba Road Prison, the country’s largest detention facility, was designed for 324 detainees but can at times have up to 2,000 inmates. Overcrowding and a lack of clean water and proper hygiene, in addition to a lack of medical care, contribute to the persistent spread of disease and illness among the inmates which have led to deaths.

The Salesians are the only institution that works with detainees. Recently, fear of COVID-19 led to a riot that ended in unrest, fires and deaths among the detainees. On April 29, 237 prisoners were scheduled for release for minor offenses. A few days before that, however, the first case of COVID-19 inside the prison had been confirmed and visits prohibited. Prisoners were also forbidden to leave the cells as a preventive measure, but they interpreted it as another humiliation.

Pademba Road Prison experienced a bloody revolt that day. In the morning several inmates reached the internal clinic and set fire to it. They then circumvented the guards, opened all sections and burned the kitchen, pharmacy, document registry and all the workshops. Material damage, fires, many injuries and deaths were the toll of the revolt.

“There was some damage to the chapel and the Don Bosco room where 225 inmates receive an extra meal every week. The computer room and a library room were also destroyed,” said Father  Jorge Crisafulli, director of Don Bosco Fambul, which oversees the Salesian work at the prison.

Some of the inmates who are beneficiaries of Salesian initiatives at the prison helped the guards climb the walls to save their lives. The police and army opened fire indiscriminately. The revolt was suppressed within four hours and the prisoners locked up in their cells. For three days, they received no food or water and were tortured to locate the fomenters. Some, without medical treatment, died in the following days.

The Salesian team working in the prison managed to enter to assess the damage and the situation of the prisoners the next day. The Salesians committed to start feeding all the prisoners, currently 1,421, and to provide medical visits.

Coronavirus has also spread in prison, infecting 19 people to date. Fifteen of them have already recovered and four are still confined. Fr. Crisafulli said, “We brought beds and rehabilitated an area to isolate it as a hospital.”

The Salesians give each prisoner a bag containing a paste called gari, powdered milk, vegetables, fruit, sugar and water. Fr. Crisafulli added, “Gradually the prison officials let inmates out of the cells and they also bought buckets of water for cleaning.”

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MADAGASCAR

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with Don Bosco House in Ivato, Madagascar, are helping poor and disadvantaged families, supporting them with donations of food and medicines, and assisting them in building small houses. But it is still not enough, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

The area has a population of about 28,000 people. There are families who live making ends meet with small jobs including laundry on behalf of wealthy families, car washing, and loading and unloading of goods at the market. Many of these families have fallen further into poverty during the lockdown period. While they have received a little help from the government, restrictions have taken away their ability to earn a living.

The Salesian Mission Office in Turin, Italy, has offered support to the local Salesians and has provided the funding for the distribution of rice, beans, soap and oil twice a week. The aim is to guarantee the minimum necessary for families facing difficulties. Many of these families are single mothers with children who live in shelters and other dilapidated housing. The project has helped 70 families and a foster family home with around 25 children. About 500 people are receiving concrete help from this project.

“The coronavirus pandemic has not only been a risk to people’s health, but the resulting lockdowns have put strain on people’s livelihoods,” says Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians in Madagascar and around the globe are providing nutritional and health support to help people through this challenging time.”

Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world. Seventy percent of Madagascar’s almost 19 million people live in poverty with 5.7 million of those being youth between the ages of 10 and 24, according to UNICEF. This number is expected to double by 2025. Women and children in the country are particularly vulnerable to the effects of poverty.

For close to 80 percent of the country’s inhabitants who live in rural areas and practice subsistence farming, living conditions have been steadily declining in recent years, particularly when it comes to access to transportation, health services, education and markets. Because of the lack of hygiene and access to safe drinking water, coupled with chronic malnutrition, people in Madagascar often suffer from respiratory ailments, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

In order to help youth break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness, Salesian missionaries in Madagascar operate elementary, middle and high schools throughout the country. The focus of the schools is on providing educational opportunities, increasing literacy and laying a foundation for education well past the compulsory education in the country. Access to education and training in social and life skills encourages graduates to find livable wage employment, breaking the cycle of poverty.

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INDIA

(MissionNewswire) Retreat-Don Bosco in Yercaud, Tamil Nadu, India, has launched a new livelihood program, known as CALLS, for those who have lost their jobs and those without any means of survival because of the pandemic. Yercaud is a hill town, and with most of the tourism industry shut down, residents have seen poverty and hunger on the rise. This new program aims to train 40 people in greenhouse and plant nursery skills, garden care, and greenery maintenance.

The participants receive stipends of Rs 300 per day during the 14 days of training and work. For the first seven days, participants learn from professionals in the field and then later apply those skills in the gardens.

The program also helps foster part-time work and self-employment, as participants grow  plants at home and sell to the nurseries. The Retreat Estate Organics Nursery run by Retreat-Don Bosco will also buy directly or help find other dealers. Each participant at the end of the 40 days of this part of the program will receive Rs 4,500 and a certificate that will help them gain employment in tourist resorts, private homes or nurseries to create gardens and lawns, as well as provide greenery maintenance.

In addition to the 40 participants, there are 10 college students who would like to grow plants and sell them to nurseries to pay for their school fees.

“This is an innovative program that is helping people in the local community have an alternative means of earning a living,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to providing nutrition and health support during the pandemic, Salesian missionaries are working to ensure people are able to work when they can or acquire new skills to go back to work when the lockdowns are lifted.”

The program is a joint initiative of Shevaroy Hills Tribal Development Institute of the Retreat-Don Bosco, Jugend Eine Welt of Austria and BoscoNet, New Delhi. It is coordinated by Salesian Father Selvakumar, the local project manager.

India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22 percent of the country lives in poverty. About 31 percent of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. A multidimensionally poor child is one who lacks at least one-third of 10 indicators, grouped into three dimensions of poverty: health, education and standard of living.

Salesian missionaries living and working in India place special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor. There are Salesian-run programs throughout the country that have helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth through the years, and this work continues today.

Missionaries will continue to assess needs for prevention and support during this challenging time and work to support youth and their families during the pandemic.

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ANS – India – Inauguration of PROJECT ‘CALLS’: COVID19 Livelihood & Living Services for tribal community in Yercaud

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are working to ensure that families living in Abobo, located between the cities of Gambella and Pugnido in western Ethiopia, have access to the services and resources they need. The majority of the population in Abobo is of Sudanese origin because of its proximity to the border of Sudan. Many people have sought refuge there to escape war and famine. In Ethiopia, where rural poverty is endemic, Sudanese refugees find themselves lost and without support except for the refugee camps that have sprung up around Gambella.

In 2002, a group of Italian and Spanish volunteers set up the Abobo Health Center in collaboration with local Salesian missionaries. Today, the Abobo Health Center serves as a symbol of the community and provides health services for the more than 4,000 local villagers. The facility has 40 beds, a small ward dedicated to sick children and those suffering from malnutrition, and a small wing that houses obstetrics. Having expanded its reach over the years, the health clinic serves the approximately 20,000 people living in the area and the 200,000 people in the entire region.

“The services provided at the Abobo Health Center are critical to this community, especially in the face of coronavirus,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries also provide education and social development services for people in the area. There is a parish, oratory and kindergarten, which has served more than 100 children since its inception. Missionaries also work to ensure the local population has the food and water it needs.”

Salesian missionaries in Abobo are also helping families improve their living conditions. Many of the families still live in huts with little to no sanitation. Because of deforestation in the region, the availability of dry grass for roofs and wood for building structures is decreasing. Many of the structures have makeshift roofs that have to be redone every three years. Salesian missionaries are working to help these families have more stable structures to reside, ensuring both their health and safety.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38 percent of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85 percent of the country’s workforce is employed in agriculture but frequent droughts severely affect the agricultural economy leaving more than 12 million people chronically, or at least periodically, food insecure. In addition, more than two-thirds of the population is illiterate.

The country has 4 million orphans which account for nearly 12 percent of all children and according to UNICEF, more than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis that has affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

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ANS – Ethiopia – From health to the home: Salesian support for the poorest does not exclude any area

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

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ETHIOPIA

(MissionNewswire) In an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, Ethiopia closed schools and universities for three months. One of the biggest challenges for Salesian missionaries was what to do with children who were a part of the Bosco Children project, located in Addis Ababa. Salesians opted for a lockdown and kept all of the children and staff, including cooks, social workers, guardians and a driver, inside of the Salesian campus.

Father Angelo Regazzo, director of the project, explained, “We could not send the children gathered from the streets of Addis Ababa back to the streets. They had not yet finished the rehabilitation process to be reintegrated into their families. We would have lost them.”

He added, “It was forbidden to go out. Those few who could go out and come back, including the driver, had to disinfect and wash thoroughly at the entrance gate. We have been able to stay healthy to date, but we must not let our guard down.”

The confinement at Bosco Children was organized so that children were busy and kept on a schedule. Activities included school, library time, computer school, sports, manual work, educational videos, drawing competitions and language study.

“As the days passed, some kids became nervous and asked to reunite with their family or some close relative,” said Fr. Regazzo. “If youth identified who they were going to live with, we gave them permission to go. They would return at the end of the emergency. Those who left also received financial help because the families of origin are already very poor.”

The majority of youth preferred to stay and face a quarantine. Meanwhile, outside of Bosco Children the virus continued to spread. As of June 24, there are 4,848 infections and 75 people who have died. The government has decided not to continue the lockdown to prevent poverty from leading to starvation but some parts of the metropolis have been isolating.

Bosco Children is also helping those in the community. Thousands of street children have been identified by the Federal Police and brought to Assistance Centers. Some of the relief support raised by Fr. Regazzo has helped these children.

Fr. Regazzo is also proud of the surgical mask factory they have set up in the tailoring workshop, which is part of the Salesian Technical School inside of Bosco Children. He said, “We have made and distributed about 15,000 masks. Every two or three days our driver brings all of these goods to the street children in the Assistance Centers and to many other poor people. We also supported street boys and girls in prison reformation who are in dire need of help because of COVID-19.”

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 38 percent of its population living in poverty, according to Feed the Future. Close to 85 percent of the country’s workforce is employed in agriculture but frequent droughts severely affect the agricultural economy leaving more than 12 million people chronically, or at least periodically, food insecure. In addition, more than two-thirds of the population is illiterate.

The country has 4 million orphans which account for nearly 12 percent of all children and according to UNICEF, more than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis that has affected the country. Thousands more children run away each year seeking a better life on the streets.

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ANS – Ethiopia – 24 hours a day at school with the Salesians. Thus young people at risk during confinement are “reborn”

Salesian Missions – Ethiopia

UNICEF – Ethiopia

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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

(MissionNewswire) For the last two years, the Don Bosco Center, located in the city of Bukavu in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been supporting women who wish to join women’s groups run by the Association Villageoise d’Epargne et Crédit (AVEC), an association for savings and credit in the villages. The Don Bosco Center has helped create 20 groups of women, mostly mothers.

Every week, the women deposit 1,000 to 5,000 Congolese Francs (CF), which is roughly 60 cents, into their group’s safe, in addition to depositing another 200 CF in the solidarity fund. After a few weeks, the group members can apply for credit and receive up to 10,000 CF to help in situations of necessity such as the birth of a child, an illness or a death in the family.

On March 19, public authorities in the DRC imposed limitations on groups of 20 people or more from convening to help stop the spread of coronavirus. This impacted the work of AVEC groups. Some decided to suspend activities while others reduced the number of participants in the weekly meeting. These associations are an effective means of allowing members to better prepare themselves economically for a disaster such as COVID-19.

Unfortunately, most members live day by day and use the money from the AVEC group for activities that guarantee little more than survival. Members are currently having difficulty repaying their credit or putting something aside. For security reasons, some have suspended income-generating activities even if they have credit to repay. Others are prioritizing food costs.

Adidja Sikambwe, a 53-year-old member, sells fried bananas on the street. Since the pandemic started, her revenue has dropped dramatically because of the lack of customers due to the lockdown measures. The business is no longer profitable, and while she would like to change it, she lacks the means. Due to the situation, she can no longer repay her credit nor can she save money in her group.

If this situation persists, Sikambwe’s small business risks bankruptcy because she will be forced to use all her capital to meet the food needs of her family instead of on her business. Her capital now comes from a loan taken out two months ago from her AVEC group. Failure to repay the loan means committee members don’t have funds to meet the demands of other members in need of credit. There is a risk of bankruptcy for the entire group.

“Many of the women who seek to join the AVEC groups and are supported by the Don Bosco Center were already in desperate situations before the pandemic started and have been pushed now to greater vulnerability,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The Don Bosco Center helps these women and their families by meeting their basic needs and providing education and social support. The goal is to help these women so they can recover and have an income of their own to give their children the hope of a better tomorrow.”

Despite its vast material wealth, the DRC has long been a very poor nation. Half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line on less than $1 a day, especially those in rural communities. Because of ongoing strife and violence within the country, more than 8.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that’s expected to increase. More than 4.1 million Congolese are now displaced with 620,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 7.5 million people do not have enough food to eat.

Salesian missionaries have been working in the DRC for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Salesian primary and secondary schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs offer many youth the opportunity for a stable and productive future.

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ANS – Democratic Republic of the Congo – AVEC groups and Covid-19 pandemic in Bukavu

Salesian Missions – Democratic Republic of the Congo

UNICEF – DR Congo

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

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PERU

(MissionNewswire) Father Angel Carbajal and Father Pedro Da Silva, both Salesians in Peru, are taking care of families living amid the Castile landfill in Piura. The people living there are trying to survive by collecting plastic and cardboard from the garbage. Now, during the coronavirus pandemic, these are the people who are most at risk and those most forgotten.

Piura, a coastal city located in northern Peru, has the most coronavirus infections outside of Lima, the capital city. Hospitals in the city collapsed a month ago with fatal consequences, and now there is a lack of care for those who need it. During the pandemic, schools have been closed, but Salesian missionaries have continued to support the poorest among them.

When Fr. Carbajal and Fr. Da Silva visit the landfill they hear the suffering of people. People explain how family members have died, lacking oxygen. Others have approached the Don Bosco School in Piura to ask for something to eat because they have no food. The two Salesian missionaries have launched relief efforts and invited workers, parents, past pupils, friends and suppliers to help with the initiative.

The aid operation began in Salesian oratories with the families of the hundreds of children who endured the lockdown and quarantine. From there, Salesians moved on to providing aid within the community and especially to the Castile landfill on the outskirts of the city.

When Fr. Carbajal was asked why he took this risk to go there himself and not send others, he explained, “I did the same thing that Don Bosco would have done. It is pastoral charity in all its splendor. It’s the apostolic impulse that moves us to go towards those who need us.”

Relief efforts are still continuing within Salesian communities across Peru. Salesians are assessing the situation in their centers and communities and providing relief to those most in need.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce, as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

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.

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ANS – Peru – “My father, people die: oxygen is lacking, food is lacking …”. Salesians in landfills help the forgotten

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

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ITALY

(MissionNewswire) The work of Salesian missionaries with at-risk youth was recently highlighted on social media by the Fundamental Rights Agency, a European Union agency focused on human rights. The agency shared a post on Twitter and Facebook that asked, “What did the COVID-19 isolation mean for vulnerable youth?” Thanks to the participation of Don Bosco International with the Fundamental Rights Agency, the agency highlighted the work of Salesian Social Platforms of Spain and Salesians for Social APS in Italy.

The Salesian Social Platforms in Spain has 83 residential centers for youth that house close to 700 across these centers. During the period of isolation, the work of Salesian missionaries and staff changed considerably.

“The extension of hours of intervention brought more time to foster conversation. We have seen how some gave their best, and we were forced to leave our comfort zones to seek new resources. They made us change,” said José Carlos Rodríguez, coordinator of the Salesian residential project Casa Garelli Protección in Madrid.

Ignacio Vázquez, general manager of the Don Bosco Foundation, which is active in Andalusia, Extremadura and the Canary Islands, said, “The efforts and creativity of the educational teams were fundamental. Today more than ever it has been seen that Don Bosco is the home of boys and girls who do not have another home.”

The work of Salesians in Italy was also critical. Many minors who have no place else to go rely on the services provided by Salesians for Social, which kept residential services open and operating during the pandemic. While many projects were on hold because of coronavirus, youth remained in residential services. Salesian staff did everything they could to minimize the risks of the coronavirus.

At several Salesian centers across Italy, Salesians for Social bought sanitizer kits, masks and gloves, supplied tablets to the houses to foster distance learning, and purchased tools to allow young workers to continue their training and to produce masks to prevent infections.

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

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ANS – RMG – Salesian activities with minors at risk also appreciated by “Fundamental Rights Agency”

Salesian Missions – Italy

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

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SWAZILAND

(MissionNewswire) Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, Sister Elsa P. Joseph, Sister Mary Clara Topno and Sister Susan Soren, based at the Salesian Parish St John Bosco, located in Malkerns, Swaziland, launched impressive relief efforts in the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Salesian sisters wrote letters and presented aid projects to individuals, companies, friends and benefactors, involving diverse people in their initiatives. They rallied support from truck drivers who made available their vehicles and their expertise to deliver the aid. They also garnered support from the Indonesian Consulate and the Taiwanese Embassy ​​who shipped several tons of food.

While planning for the arrival of the food aid, the sisters identified priority recipients, including the poor, sick, elderly and lonely. The sisters worked in collaboration with the village heads, the catechists and local authorities in all phases of gathering and disseminating information and aid. From March 14 until the end of May, they physically distributed food and health and protection devices to 900 families in 52 villages, while also making the population aware of the correct prophylaxis practices.

At the end of their activities, the sisters met to thank everyone including volunteers and benefactors, Father Martin McCormack, and Father Mbongiseni Shabangu. Their work was so appreciated that Father George Menamparampil, the Salesian deputy from the congregation for the coordination of emergency activities for COVID-19, declared, “Congratulations, sisters! You have become experts in resource mobilization, an excellent model for all of us!”

The people of Swaziland face immense challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Bank, an estimated 63 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and about 29 percent lives below the extreme poverty line. The HIV/AIDS prevalence of 31 percent of the population is among the highest in the world and life expectancy has fallen to approximately 49 years.

Salesian missionaries work to meet the most basic needs while providing education to youth in need. With education, youth can find and retain employment and in turn give back to their families and communities.

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ANS – eSwatini – Three nuns mobilize an impressive relief machine against Covid-19. The example of the MSMHC

Salesian Missions – Swaziland

World Food Programme

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UGANDA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at the Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda are working to provide prevention information and food support in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been no coronavirus deaths in Uganda to date, but there are 696 confirmed cases of infection.

It’s difficult to raise awareness among a population that has not yet personally witnessed the impact of a pandemic of this type, according to the Salesians active in the refugee camp. The camp currently houses 56,000 people who remain at great risk.

Father Jeffrey Albert, one of the Salesian missionaries living and working at Palabek, said, “Movements are found among refugees from South Sudan sneaking through the unofficial borders and from other refugee camps. About 50 of the transiting truck drivers who went to South Sudan have tested positive for coronavirus. We are concerned because refugees at the Palabek Refugee Settlement Camp are not following rules and regulations that could control the spread.”

Medical services provided to refugees have always been poor. There are only three health units, with minimal facilities. The facilities are used by those in the refugee camp and by the several thousand Ugandans who live in the surrounding areas. Now, due to the lockdown, providing medical services is even more difficult, and there is an increase in diseases such as stomach ulcers and other problems related to poor nutrition.

The closure of schools at the national level also affected the 11 primary schools and the secondary and technical schools, which serve more than 25,000 school-age refugee children and older youth. Because they are staying at home with less food than before and without lessons or any kind of distraction, children and youth are nervous and at times unruly.

The lockdown has also impacted food rations, decreasing them by 30 percent. It’s nearly impossible for families to have enough food to maintain themselves for the month. Father Lazar Arasu, head of the Salesian mission at Palabek, said, “This can also generate frustration, anger and other social unrest.”

Salesians are working to provide food to hungry people asking for food support. They are also handing out prevention materials inside the camp, in the surrounding community and across the border.

Salesian missionaries at the settlement are offering much-needed psycho-social support and pastoral care for thousands of Christian residents. They also operate four nursery schools that educate more than 1,000 children. In addition, more than 700 children are attending Salesian primary and secondary schools and more than 700 families are supported by other initiatives.

Salesian missionaries also launched a vocational training center to offer life skills and other training to help young refugees prepare for employment. Young refugees can attend vocational training courses for free. Depending on the discipline, some courses run for 3-6 months while others run as long as a year. Salesian missionaries have also set up a job placement office that helps students make contact with companies that are hiring, prepare resumes and prep for interviews, and find internships and on-site training opportunities

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ANS – Uganda – Breaking point: the life of refugees in the time of Covid-19

Don Bosco Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp

Salesian Missions – Uganda

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GUATEMALA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at the Salesian parish in San Benito Petén, Guatemala, are working to help those who have been left vulnerable in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The lockdowns, curfews, restrictions on mobility and slowdown in economic activity have left millions of families in poverty around the globe. Without being able to work, people have no food to eat.

The Salesian mission in San Benito Petén was started in 2011 to provide education and social development programs for at-risk youth. Father Giampiero De Nardi, an Italian Salesian missionary active in San Benito Petén, has recently started a refectory for the poor that aims to reach the most vulnerable. The refectory will help hundreds of people who are without resources because of the coronavirus.

With public transportation closed and the curfew of the past few weeks, Guatemala is trying to control the spread of coronavirus nationwide. Salesian missionaries have found ways to continue offering their pastoral support and social services to people. In addition to the refectory, Salesians hold daily online broadcasts of the Mass, initiated the procession with the Blessed Sacrament by car through the city and have distributed food on the weekends.

“During the pandemic, we want to continue helping the most vulnerable people,” said Fr. De Nardi. “To this end, the arrival of a container with non-perishable food will be essential in these days. In addition, we want to buy vegetables, condiments and some meat, so that families can eat meat once a week.”

Fr. De Nardi added, “The solidarity of the population is seen in the collaboration they offer us with the delivery of non-perishable products that are then distributed. Rice, beans, eggs, oil and pasta arrive every day at the refectory thanks to the generosity of the population.”

Rural poverty hasn’t changed much in Guatemala during the last 20 years, according to the World Bank. While 70 percent of Guatemalan citizens live below the poverty line, the number is as high as 91 percent for its indigenous population. Many rural residents in Guatemala have only completed a 6th-grade education. This is largely due to the expenses required to send children to schools which are often located far from their homes.

Salesian missionaries working and living in the country have been providing for the basic needs of Guatemala’s youth while helping to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. They work extensively with poor youth and their families at youth centers, orphanages, parishes, and primary and secondary schools as well as operate technical schools, vocational training workshops and two universities in the country.

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ANS – Guatemala – Refectory in San Benito Salesian parish serves most vulnerable during pandemic

Salesian Missions – Guatemala

World Bank – Guatemala

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