The most common health issues treated at the clinic include malaria, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, hypertension, malnutrition (especially in children), skin diseases, asthma and urinary and lung disorders. Financial support from the Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund helps to support staff salaries, medications and the cost of vehicle and clinic maintenance. Necessary medical equipment and items such as bandages, gloves, gauze and other medical supplies have been donated to the clinic.

The Maria Auxiliadora Medical Clinic is one of more than 200 medical clinics and hospitals, mostly in rural areas, that handle a wide range of medical care needs and are operated by Salesian missionaries. Leprosy, otherwise known as Hensen’s disease, has been a focus of Salesian-run medical clinics for more than 100 years. Salesian leper hospitals and leprosy control programs can be found in Brazil, Colombia, India, Thailand, Macau and a number of nations in Africa. HIV/AIDS prevention programs are also a vital component of Salesian healthcare initiatives in Africa. In many countries with Salesian programs, additional dental and other necessary health services are offered.

“The health of the young people we serve is very important to us,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The work we do in East Timor and in programs around the globe goes beyond education. We serve the whole person by making sure the basic needs of health and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs.”

East Timor has endured a decades-long civil war and is home to 1.1 million people. According to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index, in 2007, East Timor ranked 162 out of 182 countries for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has just over 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages.

Access to nutrition, education and health services is essential to creating a sustainable society and optimistic future. Salesian missionaries in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Since the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“The Salesians are engaged in a wide range of programs to improve the lives of the people of East Timor,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

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Sources:

Salesian Missions Australia Province Newsletter – Year in Review 2015

World Bank – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Salesian-run Medical Clinic Provided Care for More Than 7,300 People in Poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Through the programs, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians provide for the basic needs of young East Timorese including housing, nutrition, clothing and education. Educational programs aim to impart life skills such as responsibility, self-discipline and organization in addition to offering traditional schooling that enables students to advance to technical and skills training programs to prepare for the workforce.

East Timor has endured a decades-long civil war and is home to 1.1 million people. According to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index, in 2014, East Timor ranked 128 out of 187 countries for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has just over 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages.

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

“Salesian missionaries offer a wide range of programs that work to improve the lives of the people of East Timor,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education. Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment, break the cycle of poverty in their lives and give back to their communities.

“Feeding hungry children is often the first step to providing an education,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Once children have their most basic needs met, they are then able to concentrate on their studies and further their education.”

Stop Hunger Now partners with Salesian Missions (in New Rochelle, N.Y.) which works to identify needs and coordinate delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals, supplemented with additional supplies when available. The partnership was developed in 2011 and since that time, more than 60 shipping containers, including more than 16 million rice-meals, have been successfully delivered to 19 countries around the globe. The meals and life-saving aid has helped to nourish poor youth at Salesian schools and programs and care for those in need of emergency aid during times of war, natural disasters and health crises.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand the scope of services to youth in need,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Operating feeding programs for youth in Salesian schools whose families cannot afford to feed them is very important and integral to the success of our students and their ability to gain an education.”

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Sources:

World Bank – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Donation of Nutritious Rice-Meals by Stop Hunger Now Benefits More than 1,100 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

“Salesian missionaries offer a wide range of programs that work to improve the lives of the people of East Timor. These include programs that provide access to nutrition, education and healthcare, all services that are essential to creating a sustainable society and optimistic future,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

The Don Bosco Orphanage in the city of Lospalos accommodates 109 boys in grades three to nine. The orphanage provides for the boys’ basic needs such as housing, nutrition, clothing and education. Schooling at the orphanage aims to impart life skills such as responsibility, self-discipline and organization as well as offering traditional early education to prepare students to go on to mainstream high schools. In 2014, more than 20 boys left the orphanage to continue their education in high schools around East Timor.

“Successfully completing their early and high school education is the prerequisite for more advanced professional and technical training. Training that will help youth find and retain employment allowing them to break the cycle of poverty and lead productive lives,” explains Fr. Hyde.

The Don Bosco Orphanage owes much of its success to donors who have helped to provide everything from beds and furnishings to school uniforms, clothing and school supplies.

For Arlindo Silva, aged 14, the Don Bosco Orphanage made continuing his education possible. Due to family circumstances, he had to move to his grandmother’s village which was a substantial distance away from his school in Lospalos. Without any means of travel to get to his school, it was unlikely that Arlindo would be able to advance to the seventh grade. His grandmother reached out to the Don Bosco Orphanage where Arlindo was accepted and is now living and continuing his studies. Arlindo has adapted easily and made friends and thrives on the orphanage’s routine with structured time for play, chores and school work. In addition, Arlindo enjoys three meals a day and a stable place to live and learn.

“Youth need a secure and stable environment where all of their needs are met so they can more easily focus on their education. The Don Bosco Orphanage meets its students’ needs while providing them with a sense of family and community,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Don Bosco Orphanage Helps Youth Prepare for Academic Achievement first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians 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.

Recently, faculty and students at the Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, with the assistance of Tony Jurd, an electronics engineer who spends several weeks at the school each year, developed a project that includes the creation of a television station that will broadcast to surrounding villages. The station has garnered a great deal of interest and enthusiasm from both teachers and students and will provide students with up-to-date training opportunities for future employment in the media.

As part of the project, students are trained to operate and maintain the television transmission unit as well as to build and install antennas. Still a work in progress, the goal is to have the television station fully operational by mid-2014 when Don Bosco Fatumaca celebrates its Golden Jubilee.

“Salesians in East Timor are engaging in a wide range of programs to improve the lives of poor youth and their families following years of war,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This new project is helping students learn new skills and preparing them for employment in a sought-after field.”

Five years ago, Jurd worked on a similar project with the students at Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, setting up an FM radio station in the school. Today, the radio station operates for a few hours each day and is very popular in villages up to 50 km away. In addition to providing information on health and other matters, the radio station broadcasts segments responding to local music requests.

The Salesian complex of Don Bosco Fatumaca has diversified its services and educational programs throughout the years to best fit the emerging needs of its students. It currently includes a primary and secondary school for young students from local villages and a technical school which offers coursework in electro-mechanics, electronics, computers and woodwork. There is also a successful agriculture school with programs that reach 15 of the surrounding villages.

Poor youth are able to access a range of offerings at Don Bosco Fatumaca including health services, nutrition, education and general support services which help students prepare for an independent future. The schools also offer room and board for students with a need for housing on campus.

“Salesian programs are so successful in part because they remain flexible and diversified to meet of the needs of their students. Being an integral part of the communities in which they work, Salesians are aware of local needs first hand and are then able to develop programs to directly address those needs,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

Newsletter, Spring 2013 Edition, The Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund

World Bank – East Timor/ Timor-Leste

The post EAST TIMOR: New Television Project Gives Students Media Training for Later Employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Those living with disabilities in Timor-Leste are not alone in their struggles for inclusion. According to UNICEF’s 2013 State of the World’s Children Report focusing on Children with Disabilites, it is estimated that there are close to 93 million children with disabilities in the world. In addition to being disabled, these children are among the poorest and most excluded, facing frequent discrimination when it comes to healthcare, education and basic survival.

Children with disabilities are often less likely to attend school, access medical services and have their voices heard in society. Their disabilities also place them at a higher risk of physical abuse, and often exclude them from receiving proper nutrition or humanitarian assistance in emergencies, according to UNICEF. Many children with disabilities around the globe are left to a life institutionalized, abandoned or neglected.

“More than 1 billion persons live with some form of disability. Eighty percent are of working age and live in developing countries. Yet far too many people with disabilities live in poverty. Too many suffer from social exclusion. Too many are denied access to education, employment, healthcare, and social and legal support systems. Women and girls with disabilities often experience double discrimination – and so we must emphasize the gender dimensions of a disability-inclusive development agenda. All of us suffer when communities are divided; just as all of us benefit when communities are united. We must remove barriers to equality of opportunity so that all people can be free from poverty and discrimination,” explains UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the September 2013 High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on Disability and Development.

Salesians in Dili, East Timor are giving children with disabilities a chance at a brighter future at the Ahisaun Disabilities Foundation. Here, youth with disabilities are provided education and training as well as access to basic needs like healthcare, food, clothing and shelter, all with the hope of breaking the cycle of poverty and helping youth to become independent and self-reliant.

Ahisaun was established in 1999 by Salesian Father Adrian Ola, with the goal of meeting the enormous need for educational and job placement opportunities for youth with disabilities. Students at Ahisaun can take classes in hospitality, music, horticulture, computers, shoemaking and farming while also participating in organized social activities. Small group learning opportunities have also been created for skill development and English-language tutoring.

Eduardo, now 22 years old, was among the first students invited by Father Ola to join the center. Today, he teaches computer skills to other students. He is passionate about demonstrating the intelligence and contributions made by people with disabilities to the wider community. While job opportunities are limited for youth with disabilities, it is Eduardo’s hope that others will realize that people with disabilities have much to contribute. Other students at Ahisaun are hoping to follow in Eduardo’s footsteps and one day teach at the center and fight for the rights of people with disabilities.

“The Salesians believe that all children have a right to education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Children with disabilities should not be left on the fringes of their communities. They have much to contribute and we must provide them the opportunities to advance their lives and gain an education.”

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Work in East Timor

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children Report

UN Report – Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Timor-Leste

UN Statement- General Assembly on Disability and Development

The post EAST TIMOR: Providing Educational Opportunities and Hope to Youth with Disabilities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Access to nutrition, education and health services is essential to creating a sustainable society and optimistic future. Salesians in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Since the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“The Salesians are engaged in a wide range of programs to improve the lives of the people of East Timor,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

The Maria Auxiliadora Medical Clinic in Venilale, East Timor is vital to the local community as well as 13 surrounding villages. In 2012, the clinic provided care to 8,256 poor patients in need of health services. The program takes special care providing for mothers and babies and frequently delivers baby boxes containing essential baby care products to families in need. The clinic also provides free community education focusing on first aid, health issues and family planning.

Recently, staff at the medical clinic attended to 24 cases of tuberculosis which remains a concern for the medical staff and entire community. Not long bfore that, the clinic had to renovate due to damage sustained by heavy rain and wind. Thanks to donations and other funding, the clinic was able to repair the damage and continue to serve the community. Donated materials including bandages, gloves, needles, medicinal creams and hygiene products were very much appreciated by the staff and used effectively to treat patients.

“The health of the young people we serve is very important to us,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The work we do in East Timor and in programs around the globe goes beyond education. We serve the whole person by making sure the basic needs of health and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs.”

This clinic is one of more than 200 medical clinics and hospitals, mostly in rural areas, that handle a wide range of medical care needs and are operated by the Salesians. One such need, the care of Leprosy, otherwise known as Hensen’s disease, has been a concern for well over 100 years. Salesian leper hospitals and leprosy control programs can be found in Brazil, Colombia, India, Thailand, Macau and a number of nations in Africa. HIV/ AIDS prevention programs are also part of the Salesian health care work in Africa. In many countries with Salesian programs, additional dental and other necessary health services are offered.

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Sources:

The Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund 2013 Newsletter

Salesian Missions – East Timor

World Bank – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Salesian Medical Clinic Provides Health Services to Thousands of Poor Patients first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of the devastating civil war 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 focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

Recently, a new breakfast program for Salesian-run schools in Fatumaca, East Timor was made possible by an on-going partnership between Salesian Missions and Stop Hunger Now, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable.

Many youth in Fatumaca must travel great distances to attend Salesian elementary, secondary and technical schools, some walking more than two hours just to get to class. Students leave home in the early morning hours without any breakfast and often arrive at school exhausted and unable to focus. Thanks to the new breakfast program, youth in Salesian schools are starting their educational experience with a nutritious meal every morning.

“Feeding hungry children is often the first step to providing an education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Once children have their most basic needs met, they are then able to concentrate on their studies and further their education.”

Since the free breakfast program was implemented, students’ health has significantly improved, including their physical appearance and weight gain. The overall standard of living has improved, academic performance is up 30 percent, enrollment has increased to 35 percent and graduation rates are approaching 100 percent.

Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education. Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment, break the cycle of poverty in their lives and give back to their communities.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand the scope of services to youth in need,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Operating feeding programs for youth in Salesian schools whose families cannot afford to feed them is very important and integral to the success of our students and their ability to gain an education.”

Stop Hunger Now’s goals are to provide as food and life-saving aid to support sustainable education and development programs, and to create a movement of educated volunteer advocates that are actively involved with poverty and hunger related issues.

“SalesianMissions is a good match for our mission to end hunger in our lifetime by providing food and life-saving aid while creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources,” says Chessney Barrick, director of marketing and communications at Stop Hunger Now.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – East Timor: Feeding Children … and the Future

World Bank – Timor-Leste Data

Stop Hunger Now

The post EAST TIMOR: Partership between Salesian Missions and Stop Hunger Now Feeds School Children, Improves Education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

From today, Somali children will receive the Pentavalent vaccine, a combination of five vaccines in one against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib – the bacteria that causes meningitis, pneumonia and other illnesses), all of which are highly prevalent. The vaccine will be part of the routine immunization program.

More than 1.3 million doses of Pentavalent vaccine have been provided to Somalia for 2013 and will be used to immunize children under one year of age. Pentavalent vaccines will be delivered to the 425,000 child born each year in Somalia through existing health structures as well as community health workers at district level. Each child will require three doses of the vaccine.

The launch of the new vaccine takes place in Mogadishu, Garowe (Puntland) and Hargeisa (Somaliland) and will be attended by leading government officials and representatives from GAVI Alliance, UNICEF and WHO.

“Somalia has one of the lowest immunization rates in the world,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance. “The country’s health system has been destroyed after more than 20 years of conflict and thousands of children are not protected against major killer diseases. This situation is unacceptable and that’s why GAVI and its donors have committed substantial funding to Somalia until 2016.”

The launch of the vaccine is being accompanied by an outreach campaign to make parents aware of the importance of the new vaccine which replaces the DTP vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). A recent household survey (Multiple-Indicator Cluster Survey – MICS4) carried out by UNICEF and the relevant Ministries, found only seven percent of children in Puntland and 11 percent of children in Somaliland had received the required three doses of DTP by their first birthday.

“It is crucial that this vaccine reaches every Somali child in the country,” said Sikander Khan, UNICEF Somalia Representative. “We urge all parents, community, traditional and religious leaders to participate in the immunization activity, to ensure all children of Somalia can benefit from the protection offered”.

Continued conflict in Somalia has resulted in the country having some of the worst health indicators in the world. Child and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world; one in every five Somali children dies before their fifth birthday.

The introduction of Pentavalent vaccine means that the children will for the first time be protected against one of the causes of pneumonia, which is one of the leading causes of child deaths. It is the first time in 35 years that children in Somalia are being offered a vaccination that protects them against additional diseases apart from diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, measles, polio and tuberculosis which they already receive.

“Both Haemophilus influenzae type B and Hepatitis B are of public health importance,” said Dr. Marthe Everard, World Health Organization Representative in Somalia. “There is little data on the epidemiologic burden of Hepatitis B and Hib disease, or on the burden of diseases from meningitis or pneumonia, but data from neighbouring countries and the developing world indicate that Hib is a leading cause of acute bacterial meningitis and an important cause of severe pneumonia.”

Somalia is the 71st GAVI-eligible country to introduce the Pentavalent vaccine – others include Afghanistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, East Timor, Pakistan or Yemen. By the end of 2014, all 73 GAVI-eligible countries will have introduced it.

The launch of the five-in-one Pentavalent vaccine in Somalia takes place during  the Global Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi, co-hosted by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General. In partnership with GAVI, the Summit will celebrate progress in immunizing children against polio and other life-threatening diseases.

The launch coincides with World Immunization Week as well as the African Vaccination Week. During this week, UNICEF and WHO will conduct a nationwide polio immunization campaign in Somalia to protect children from life-long paralysis caused by the disease.

Note

Hib is a deadly bacterium which is the third biggest cause of vaccine-preventable death in children aged under five worldwide. Hib causes a variety of diseases including meningitis and pneumonia with survivors suffering paralysis, deafness and learning disabilities. Hib disease can be transmitted through contact with mucus or droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person.

HepB is a viral infection that is more than 50 times more infectious than HIV and which claims 600,000 lives every year through chronic or acute liver infections. Babies and young children are most at risk from Hep B, with the virus often passing from mother to child before or shortly after birth, and putting victims at high risk of death from cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer in later life.

About GAVI Alliance

The GAVI Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing access to immunization in developing countries. The Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. GAVI uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, GAVI has financed the immunization of an additional 370 million children and prevented more than 5.5 million premature deaths. Learn more at www.gavialliance.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

In June 2012, the Governments of Ethiopia, India and the United States with UNICEF launched a global roadmap to end preventable deaths of children under the age of five. Since then, under the banner of Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed, more than 170 countries have signed up and renewed their commitment to child survival.

About WHO

WHO helps countries integrate immunization into national health policies and plans and thus increase access to existing vaccines. The Organization promotes new vaccines and new initiatives such as the integrated plan to end preventable child deaths worldwide from pneumonia and diarrhoea by 2025. It works to ensure access to quality vaccines and immunization equipment, notably through the prequalification of vaccines and immunization equipment. WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

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

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

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

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

BOLIVIA

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

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

EAST TIMOR

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

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

INDIA

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

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

KENYA

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

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

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Sources:

UN Water – World Water Day 2013

Salesian Missions

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