Don Bosco College is an arts and sciences educational facility providing degree programs in computer science, electronics, mathematics and finance. In addition to fundraising, students participated in an inter-collegiate program known as “Ad Astra 2k15” which included both educational and entertainment activities. Proceeds from the program were combined with proceeds from the direct fundraising and donated to the care society. The students also planted a tree in honor and remembrance of cancer patients at the society.

“This is the first time in the history of our Society that we have received this much genuine and sincere attention and involvement from the students, staff and management of an educational institution,” says the Secretary of the Pain and Palliative Care Society.

The students involved participated in the events as a way to raise funds for an organization as well as to raise awareness of health care needs within their country. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), close to 5.8 million Indians die each year from heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes. One in four Indians are at risk of dying as a result of a non-communicable disease before they reach the age of 70. Doctors in the country are also finding that people are being affected by heart disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases at younger ages.

The WHO notes that globally, more than 4 million deaths are caused by exposures to indoor household air pollution and 3.7 million deaths are attributed to outdoor air pollution each year. Approximately 40 percent of the deaths from indoor air pollution and 25 percent of those attributed to outdoor air pollution occur in Southeast Asia. The poor in India who live near busy roads and industrial sites are disproportionately affected by air pollution as are women and children who spend more time at home breathing in smoke and soot from cooking stoves.

“Students at the Don Bosco College know the value of their educational opportunities and want to give back to their local communities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian students tend to focus on their studies in order to gain an education and later, stable long-term employment. Though education they are able to break the cycle of poverty and support themselves and their families in addition to making a positive impact on their communities.”

With more than 1.2 billion people, India has the world’s fourth largest economy and according to UNICEF, is home to one-third of the world’s poor. Close to 217 million of India’s poor are children. Although more than 53 million people escaped poverty between 2005 and 2010, most remain vulnerable to falling back below the poverty line.

Lack of educational opportunities in India are often due to issues of caste, class and gender and with 44 percent of the workforce illiterate, there is much work to be done. Less than 10 percent of the working-age population has completed a secondary education and too many secondary graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

###

Sources:

ANS – India – DB College Mannuthy sets a trend in reaching out to the terminally ill

Don Bosco College

The post INDIA: Don Bosco College Students Raise Funds for Terminally Ill Patients first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries working and living in the region have reported that while no one enrolled in their programs was injured, some Salesian centers have sustained damage. The majority of the damage was reported in the cities of Iquique and Alto Hospicio. Don Bosco College and the Sagrado Corazón Sanctuary in Iquique and the Domingo Savio College and parish of Nuestra Señora de la Paz in Alto Hospicio sustained the most damage.

The missionaries also reported that roads to Alto Hospicio are impassable leaving the extent of the damage to programs in that area unknown. While communication remains a challenge during this recovery period, Salesians are working to keep programs operational and students safe while assisting the community with basic needs.

Salesians working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor, 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.

According to the World Bank, slightly more than 14 percent of Chile’s population lives in poverty. Although the education system in the country is far-reaching, many poor and disadvantaged youth fall through the cracks. In the city of Santiago, hunger, homelessness and poverty threaten hundreds of children who live on the streets. And throughout the country, young people from impoverished families lack the educational opportunities available to the middle and upper classes.

“Salesians have been working across Chile for over a hundred years and they are very entrenched in their communities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Throughout the earthquake and in the weeks and months following, Salesians will be continuing their work educating and providing for the social and emotional needs of poor youth while helping to repair and rebuild their local communities.”

In January 2013, Salesians at the Don Bosco Institute in Punta Arenas, Chile celebrated 100 years of service. The Salesian institute provides education and technical skills to youth, helping them find stable employment and a path out of poverty for themselves and their families.

For youth who lack the resources to attend Chile’s universities, Don Bosco Institute as well as other Salesian education centers in the country provide opportunities for job skills training. Today, students can choose from a variety of courses including mechanics, electronics, telecommunications, tourism services and accounting. In dual education programs, students complete their education with a chance to gain work experience at the same time.

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

###

PHOTO: REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

Sources:

ANS – Chile – After the Earthquakes

US Geological Survey – Chile Earthquake 2014

World Bank – Chile

The post CHILE: After Massive Earthquake, Salesian Missionaries Report Property Damage but No Injuries first appeared on MissionNewswire.