New Rochelle, New York – This summer, between June and September, Salesian missionaries from various locations around the world will be visiting Catholic parishes throughout the U.S. to share inspirational stories about Salesian programs and the donors that support them making a difference in the lives of poor and disadvantaged youth. As part of the annual Missionary Cooperative Program, these forums are open to the public and Salesian donors and others interested in the work of Salesian missionaries are encouraged to attend.

This year, the visiting Salesian missionaries are from Sierra Leone, Tanzania, South Africa, Nicaragua, the Philippines and several locations in India. They will visit Catholic parishes from New York to California with several stops in between, sharing their stories of missionary work in education, workforce development and health and nutrition programs for youth and their families.

“We strive in many ways to communicate the depth and breadth of our mission and work, but nothing can compare to hearing firsthand accounts from our missionaries working and living in impoverished communities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In more than 130 countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries are providing support and life-changing programs that help youth and their families break the cycle of poverty and lead healthy and productive lives.”

Among those visiting include Father Jose Ubaldino, rector and parish priest at St. John Bosco Community in Sierra Leone’s capital city, Freetown. Sierra Leone has been ravaged by a 10-year civil war that has resulted in 500,000 displaced families, 60,000 orphans and thousands of street children seeking refuge in large cities. The Salesian-run Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, is one of the country’s leading child-welfare organizations and has been on the forefront of efforts to help prevent the spread of Ebola while providing care for children left orphaned. Fr. Ubaldino will be visiting parishes in New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and California from June through August.

Several Salesian missionaries from cities across India will also be attending the forums. Father Dennis Panipitcha began his ministry in Arunachal Pradesh, India, where for 12 years he served in various capacities as administrator, rector and parish priest. Since 2006, he has been the rector and principal at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School in Kohima, Nagaland. As one of the only high schools in the impoverished northeast region of India, the school is recognized for transforming the economic, social and cultural status of the area’s residents. Fr. Panipitcha will be visiting parishes in Kansas and Nebraska in June and July.

“The great work of Salesian missionaries is only made possible through our generous donors and we encourage them, and others interested in learning how donations are making a very real and tangible difference in the lives of children and families in need, to join these public forums,” adds. Fr. Hyde.

To learn more about the visiting Salesian missionaries, including their bios and forum dates and locations, please visit Salesian Missions’ Missionary Cooperative Program.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters as well as laypeople—all dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the world in more than 130 countries. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion. For more information, go to SalesianMissions.org.

The post GLOBAL: Salesian Missionaries from around the Globe Visit U.S. Parishes to Share Success Stories first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since violence initially broke 2012, since violence initially broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups more than 6,000 people have died and more than 650,000 were internally displaced with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone. Another 300,000 had fled across the borders as refugees. In 2015, peace had begun to return to the country but smaller outbreaks of violence continue. Small markets are opened, taxi service is available, and residents have begun to move back and forth safely between locations.

During the height of the conflict, the Salesian center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 displaced people and the one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Many arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention. While the situation has improved and many have left the shelter of Salesian centers, the situation remains precarious. Those still internally displaced are homeless and have no other source of shelter and food other than what’s provided at the centers.

“For a few years, Salesian missionaries have been working to provide educational and support services to youth in need as well as a growing population of those who were internally displaced by war,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Resuming educational and social development programs helps youth regain a sense of normalcy and allows them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.”

The funding raised through the campaign so far has been utilized to help training resume at the centers allowing youth who have been affected by the war to return to school. Generators have been provided for the school and vocational training center in Damala and an accumulator system was installed to prevent power outages. Funding has also been utilized to support the purchase of educational materials, footwear, clothing and basic food products, and 110 scholarships were awarded for youth to access professional training.

In addition, Salesian missionaries have repaired all of the damage that was done in the school, the vocational training center and youth center during the war caused by shootings, explosions, assaults and by the presence of thousands of refugees that were accommodated there. Salesian educational staff were also able to access addition training to provide psychological support for children affected by war. Working to meet a local need, missionaries also used some of the funding to start a new training course for taxi and delivery drivers who are in great demand within the country.

The support received also helped in the training of all the educational staff and in providing psychological assistance for children affected by war, and it was possible to offer a new training course for drivers of vehicles who are in great demand in the country.

The Salesian center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

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Sources:

ANS – Central African Republic – Creating real “Peace Spaces” through education

Photo: ANS

*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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In November 2015, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released their Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, which noted that there are 115,738 homeless in California, higher than that of the previous year and more than several states combined. In the same year, a partial assessment of the County of Los Angeles estimated more than 40,000 homeless within that region.

Youth have met several homeless individuals during the volunteer weekends and have come to learn their stories. Andrew lives on the streets repairing bicycles to earn a meager living. Jimmy has been unemployed for six months and homeless as a result. Nieshell has been living on the streets for more than eight years due to a substance addiction. Another man was left homeless after losing his Louisiana diner during hurricane Katrina in 2005. Youth have not only fed the homeless but have given them a voice, learned their stories, and provided compassion and hope during a challenging time.

“It’s really wonderful to see so many youth focused and happy to be giving to others in need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth are learning important lessons through their volunteer work. They are working as a team and showing compassion for those that are less fortunate. They are also taking action, helping to improve their own communities. Nutrition is an important part of proper health and also provides dignity to those who often live unnoticed in our society.”

Working in 132 countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries have created a vast network of primary, secondary, vocational and technical schools serving poor youth. With a focus on education and workforce development, Salesians worldwide provide disadvantaged youth valuable resources to help them find livable wage employment to break the cycle of poverty and lead meaningful and productive lives.

Functioning side by side with Salesian schools, youth clubs offer young people opportunities for engaging in constructive activities during their leisure time. Through organized programs which often include sports and music, youth are taught teamwork and social skills while gaining opportunities for personal growth. Some youth clubs also offer small medical clinics and, where needed, lunch programs to protect children from malnutrition. Youth programs also offer valuable volunteer opportunities for youth to have a chance to engage with others and support their own communities.

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Sources:

ANS – United States – Change is only possible with adequate support

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress

Photo: ANS

The post UNITED STATES: Youth from Salesian Parish Volunteer to Feed Homeless Each Weekend first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The new college campus was built thanks to an alliance between the Antofagasta Industrial Association and the Salesian Province and was financed by the CODELCO and El Abra companies in Chile. The college started with 490 students and offers technical and vocational education for the industrial mining sector providing specific courses in mining, industrial mechanics and industrial electricity. Education is free for its students and classes are offered in both English and Spanish.

“The college is a sign of social co-responsibility in the field of education which is the first and main task of a society that attaches importance to culture, ethics and values,” says Father Alberto Lorenzelli, Provincial of the Salesian missionaries in Chile. “Salesian schools provide an educational environment of high academic excellence and generate opportunities for the most disadvantaged while promoting coexistence and living together in a family atmosphere.”

Salesian schools, social development services and workforce development programs throughout Chile are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many hope for a more positive and productive future. According to the World Bank, although the economy in Chile is one of the more stable and prosperous in Latin America, a little more than 5 percent of the population live on just $2 a day. The country suffers from high economic inequality which is particularly evident in access to educational opportunities.

“Although the education system in the country is far-reaching, many poor and disadvantaged youth fall through the cracks,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Throughout the country, young people from poor families lack the educational opportunities available to the middle and upper classes.”

Salesian technical schools in Chile cater to students who have dropped out of school and are seeking a second chance. In many programs, students complete their education while engaging in internships with local employers increasing their hands-on work experience and chance of gaining livable wage employment after their studies are completed.

“Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social programs to poor and at-risk youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.”

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Sources:

ANS – Chile – Opening of Don Bosco Colegio Técnico Industrial in Calama: a dream that is still being realized

World Bank – Chile

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PARA has set up 759 human rights clubs in 587 schools impacting 32,420 students in the two states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Human rights clubs are part of PARA’s Human Rights Education Program that is carried out in cooperation with the United Nations sponsored Institute of Human Rights Education.

“Youth in every region and in every culture around the globe are entitled to basic human rights,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through educational programming, Salesian missionaries fight tirelessly each day to make sure the voices of marginalized youth are heard. Human rights clubs help to enhance this work and make sure every child knows his or her human rights and is able to become a part of the development process.”

Youth in India, especially those living in poverty, are faced with child abuse, neglect, exploitation and forced child labor at an alarming rate, according to UNICEF. India has the largest number of child laborers under the age of 14 in the world and many are forced into dangerous occupations and live on the streets. In 2010, India passed a landmark law mandating that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 be in school, but according to UNICEF, millions of children remain in the workforce. Full implementation of the law was to go into effect in 2013, but child workers can still be found in almost every industry in India. The problem is enforcing the law, particularly in high poverty regions of the country.

UNICEF also notes that millions of girls in India face discrimination, exploitation and sexual and physical abuse because of their age and their gender. A UNICEF report, “Hidden in Plain Sight 2014”, details the incidence and prevalence of interpersonal violence against children and highlights global figures and data from 190 countries. The UNICEF report notes that violence against children is often so prevalent and deeply ingrained in societies that it can go unseen and is many times accepted as the norm.

Because physical and sexual violence is hidden from public view and tolerated in some societies, it is challenging to gather true statistical data on the magnitude of the problem. In India, a total of 48,338 child rape cases were recorded from 2001 to 2011 but researchers are aware that many more cases go unreported. Fear of social stigma and further victimization often stop children and their families from reporting these crimes.

With more than 400 million poor people, or one-third of the world’s poor, according to UNICEF, ensuring youth have access to education in order for them to find stable employment at the appropriate age and break the cycle of poverty, is a priority in the country. Although more than 53 million people escaped poverty between 2005 and 2010, most remain vulnerable to falling back below the poverty line.

The goal of PARA’s human rights clubs is to ensure that youth are aware of their basic human rights as well as the resources available for prevention and ongoing support. PARA’s advocacy efforts with the government have resulted in more than 167,000 government teachers trained in human rights education. In addition, human rights lessons have been added to mainstream state school text books. Human rights clubs tackle issues relating to child marriage, sexual assault and exploitation, child labor, school dropout rates and the rights to nutrition, clean water and sanitation and adequate infrastructure for home and school.

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Sources:

Don Bosco India – National Convention of Human Rights Clubs in Schools

Salesian Missions – India

UNICEF – Hidden in Plain Sight September 2014 Report

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While 86 percent of people living in Uganda make their living through farming, more youth are seeking jobs in urban areas often leaving small agricultural plots of land in rural areas uncultivated. The soil in Uganda is fertile with two rainy seasons and two harvests per year. In 2013, a first attempt was made to involve youth in the cultivation of the land through an agricultural project raising geese and ducks, pigs, goats and cows. After two years, the raising of the animals was successful but the farming of the land did not yield enough vegetables to feed the students at the school.

In 2015, with better farming techniques and better cultivation of the land, the farm produced cabbage, carrots, onions, beans, corn, manioc, eggplant, peppers and sweet potatoes in abundance. Recently, the program expanded to include a piggery with three pigs, one of which produced eight piglets that will be raised on the school farm. With a goal of eventually raising more than 200 pigs, construction has begun on the piggery in order to house a larger population of pigs and install water pipes to be used for cleaning as well as providing drinking water for the animals.

“The Don Bosco Children and Life Mission is in a constant state of improvement to increase its agriculture output in order to provide nutritious food for its students,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Thanks to this agricultural project, many youth have also learned a trade that guarantees them future employment and the ability to help their communities.”

With the addition of more quality teachers, the agriculture program continues to expand its training. The goal of the school is to provide young farmers with a basic education as well as advanced studies in the latest agricultural practices and modern technologies while moving towards efficiency in farming by exploring and testing new techniques in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and animal husbandry. The school provides both classroom education and hands-on agriculture and livestock training on a working farm on the school campus.

Close to 67 percent of Ugandans are either poor or highly vulnerable to poverty, according to UNICEF. While the country has seen some economic growth as well as improvement in its Human Development Index ranking over the last 20 years, the country still ranks near the bottom at 163 out of 188 countries. After decades of war left many displaced, the people of Uganda face many significant challenges as they work to rebuild their country.

Uganda’s literacy rate has improved with 73 percent of the population literate but only 23 percent of Ugandans go on to acquire a secondary education. According to UNICEF, one of the biggest challenges in the country is combating the serious increase of HIV/AIDS that has left millions of children orphaned.

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Sources:

ANS – Uganda – Agricultural education for young people of Don Bosco Kampala

Don Bosco Children and Life Mission

Human Development Report

UNICEF – Uganda 

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Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has close to half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, has taken away the only source of income from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school, which according to the World Bank has reached 86 percent.

Inequalities between men and women exist in the country with many women unable to access education or equal opportunities in the labor market. Women only represent 13 percent of all those employed. Contributing to the high rate of unemployment is a high rate of illiteracy among youth in rural areas, especially women and girls.

To address these challenges, Salesian missionaries opened Center Kër Don Bosco in January 2015 as part of an ongoing Salesian educational building project facilitated by Solidaridad Don Bosco, a non-governmental organization that is part of the broader Don Bosco Network in Spain. The new center provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

Boasting a large multipurpose room, computer room, three laboratories, two classrooms for literacy education, a meeting room and some offices, Center Kër Don Bosco  sits right in the middle of the neighborhood and is open to those seeking educational services. There is an information office which provides notices about upcoming training and work opportunities as well as counseling and career guidance. The facilities at the center are also available to community associations for organized meetings and activities as well as for sports, leisure and recreation activities for children and youth.

“Salesian missionaries opened the new center in Senegal to address the high rate of unemployment and limited skilled labor among poor youth in the Yoff district,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to serving local youth, the center is focusing on training women who are often underrepresented in the workforce and lack educational and advancement opportunities.”

Prior to the opening of Center Kër Don Bosco, there were few places for disadvantaged youth to access the skills and qualifications necessary to develop a trade and gain stable employment. To address this need, Salesian missionaries are offering vocational training in tailoring, cooking, plumbing, construction and yarn dying. In addition to classroom training in these subjects, students will have the opportunity to apprentice in local businesses where they will have access to hands-on training by professionals in their fields. In this way, students will be able to apply the lessons and skills learned in the classroom in a real working environment while also accessing social skills training to prepare for stable long-term employment.

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – Project on behalf of disadvantaged women comes to an end

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

Don Bosco Network

World Bank- Senegal

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National Public Radio (NPR) is reporting that there is a shortage of shelter in many earthquake-affected regions in the country, leaving people sleeping outdoors. There are fears that the houses still standing might have been damaged and will later collapse. Ecuador’s government has declared a state of emergency and is deploying army troops, firefighters and heavy equipment to search for survivors. Many highways, air traffic control and other buildings along the coast have collapsed.

In Manta, Salesian missionaries operate a school, a parish, an oratory and a center for street children. After the earthquake struck, missionaries there responded immediately helping to dig through rubble to look for trapped survivors and providing assistance to those affected. Salesian programs across the country have been working to collect emergency aid and coordinate volunteer efforts.

“We are helping more than 7,000 families and need funds to buy food and medicine,” says a Salesian missionary working with families in need in Manta. “The people are in great despair and their pain continues at the loss of their loved ones. In the future, we will have to repair the damage, but for now we have to attend to the people first.”

While responding to those in need, Salesian missionaries are also working to address the damage sustained to several of their buildings during the earthquake. Father Jorge Molina, provincial in Ecuador, has formed a support team to address this crisis. The damage to the school, the parish and a retreat house, as well as many of the buildings in the surrounding community, is quite extensive.

“There are 1,800 students attending the Salesian College of San Jose and many have been left homeless,” says Marcelo Mejia, delegate for social communication of the province of Ecuador. “Many of our students live in the area near the school where the damage is irreparable. There have been many stories we have heard of great sorrow our students are going through for the loss of loved ones.”

For now, the church, retreat house and school are closed. However, community members continue to seek assistance and shelter from the missionaries who are responding with aid as best they can. In the coming weeks and months, missionaries will work to assess damage and put a plan into place for responding to aid requests and rebuilding needs.

“Salesian missionaries have been working in Ecuador for more than 125 years, and because they live in the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries provide education and social development services across the country and were among the first responders after the recent earthquake providing emergency aid and assessing relief needs. They will remain to help local families restore their livelihoods and rebuild their homes and communities long after other relief services have left.”

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 five percent. Almost 26 percent of all children under five have stunted growth. In rural areas, the figure is 31 percent, and in indigenous communities, it is even higher at 47 percent, according to the World Food Program. For poor, rural and indigenous youth, education provides the best opportunity for finding employment, reducing inequities and breaking the cycle of poverty.

Headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, Salesian Missions has launched a Disaster in Ecuador fund to help the victims of the earthquake. To raise money for the fund, the Catholic nonprofit aid organization has launched an emergency fundraising campaign and is issuing an urgent appeal for donations. Go to http://www.salesianmissions.org/ecuador.

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Sources:

ANS – Ecuador – The number of dead rises and the damage to property increases. “We cannot solve everything, but we can help in something.”

ANS – Ecuador – The Salesians in Manta supporting the earthquake victims

NPR – Hundreds Dead, Thousands Homeless After Quake In Ecuador

The post ECUADOR: Salesian Missionaries Provide Relief and Assistance to Those in Crisis after Earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The border between the United States and Mexico spans 1,969 miles and has more than 20 checkpoints along its route. Constant migration is taking place between the two countries with Mexican migrant workers traveling to U.S border towns seeking employment and immigrants from both countries crossing back and forth in addition to cases of undocumented Mexicans being repatriated.

Many border towns are plagued by crime and violence such as the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, money and people where the consequences of social and political tensions between the two nations are felt. Salesian missionaries have been working in Mexico and in these border towns for more than 25 years and have recently increased cooperation between the Salesian Province of Mexico-Guadalajara and the Province of USA West. The goal is to work together to address the increase of violence and insecurity in the region and launch proposals for education, social integration, drug prevention and combating the effects of organized crime.

According to UNICEF, there are 52 million people living in poverty in Mexico, approximately 45 percent of the country’s population. For children, the rate rises to just over 53 percent with more than 20 million youth estimated to be living in poverty and 5 million of those in extreme poverty.

Salesian missionaries in Mexico primarily direct their efforts toward the country’s at-risk youth, including girls and young mothers. Creating safe havens and improving educational opportunities are essential to deter youth from life on the streets where they are susceptible to drugs and gang violence.

“Young people need environments where they feel safe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In many Mexican cities that are branded as violent and chaotic, Salesian work has revealed that there are many youth living there who are full of dreams and talents and who have high hopes for a productive and happy future free from violence.”

Currently, the Tijuana Project is serving more than 9,000 people in six Salesian oratories, a parish and a public dining hall which serves food to close to a thousand homeless and migrant people every day. The entire project is facilitated by six Salesian missionaries with the help of volunteers, local collaborators and benefactors in both Mexico and the United States.

In support of the project, Salesian missionaries in the U.S. have been organizing “missionary weeks” for young volunteers. This year, volunteers from Bellflower, California worked together in the oratories and in the public dining hall where they fed those in need, organized activities for children and accompanied youth in charitable activities.

“Every day there was a chance to give of their best for the good of others. There is not much time to rest in Tijuana, there is so much work to be done,” said Armando Prieto, one of the volunteers taking part in a missionary week.

Innovative Salesian programs in Mexico are preventing poor children from dropping out of school and are providing important opportunities for their future. At-risk children take part in Salesian programs that integrate education, social activities and technical training. Classes are also offered in sports, music, dance and drama and give youth access to safe environments and adults who serve as mentors. The goal is to guide youth back into mainstream education so that they can reach their full potential.

“Salesian missionaries in these communities continue to provide education, safety and the promise of a better future for youth in need,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Our programs in Mexico differ depending upon the needs of each specific community but they all share the goal of providing education while building a sense of dignity and self-worth.”

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Sources:

ANS – Mexico – A mission of solidarity with those most in need

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian Tijuana Project Serves More Than 9,000 People Living in Poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Each year, Radio Don Bosco develops a theme around which all its programs revolve. This year, the focus is on education for peace. By the end of 2016, presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in the DR Congo. Father Wilfried Mushagalusa, director general of the station, has noted that the goal this year is to prepare youth to face the elections with confidence, maturity and responsibility.

The radio station has received praise from the DR Congo government for its innovative and important programming. The country’s governmental minister of communications said last year that Radio Don Bosco was among the most important radio stations in the region and constitutes a real instrument of human promotion for young people. The radio station is in the process of seeking funding and assistance to repair some broken equipment to continue operations. In January 2016, lightning struck the building where the station is located and damaged much of the equipment, especially the transmitter.

“Salesian missionaries have been working in the DR Congo for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Primary and secondary schools lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs provide youth with an opportunity for a stable and productive future. The radio station is yet another avenue to reach youth and promote hope through education and social development services while giving those new to the workforce a chance to gain experience.”

The DR Congo has been plagued by intense civil war and internal conflict since the outbreak of fighting in 1998. As a result, there have been close to 5.4 million deaths, according to the International Rescue Committee. Most deaths resulted from non-violent causes such as malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition, all typically preventable under normal circumstances but often fatal in times of conflict. Close to 1.5 million people have been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring countries after having fled the country to escape the continued violence.

Young people make up about 19 percent of the country’s population but account for 47 percent of deaths during this conflict. Poverty is rampant, according to UNICEF, and 72 percent of rural households and 59 percent of urban households are poor. Nearly 40 percent of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition and most of the population lives with moderate to serious food insecurity. The 2013 Human Development Index ranked the DR Congo186th out of 187 countries and territories listed.

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Sources:

ANS – Democratic Republic of Congo – Radio Don Bosco Lubumbashi, a meeting point for young people

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.

The post DR CONGO: Radio Don Bosco Provides Youth Post-Graduate Work Experience first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The association’s members are former students from the Don Bosco Missionary Seminary, formerly the High School Aspirantate, which closed in 2005 and paved the way for the current school. Several past pupils are in the medical profession including Dr. Alex Junia, a cardiologist and current president of the Philippine Heart Association as well as coordinator of the medical clinic.

The annual medical clinic was held in cooperation with the local government of Lawaan, a barangay of Talisay City. Government social workers were able to identify those most in need of medical care and coordinated their attendance at the event. The clinic provided medical consultations, pediatric clearances and referrals, glucose tests, blood pressure examinations, ECGs, medical ultrasounds and free medicines. Close to 200 packs of rice with noodles were also distributed to those who needed the nutritional support.

“The health of 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 the Philippines and in programs around the globe goes beyond education. We serve the whole person by making sure that basic needs like health and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs.”

Access to nutrition, education and health services is essential to creating a sustainable society and optimistic future. More than one year after Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Typhoon Yolanda) devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, Salesian missionaries continue to work in the region to assist those who lost their homes and their livelihoods. While missionaries have successfully completed many community rehabilitation and rebuilding projects that have allowed survivors to return to their normal lives, there is still much work to be done.

“Salesian missionaries are engaged in a wide range of programs to improve the lives of the people in the Philippines,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, education is provided through Salesian-run primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

More than one quarter of the population of the Philippines lives in poverty, according to UNICEF. Poverty is most severe and widespread in rural areas where 80 percent of the population–close to 88 million people–make their home. The poorest Filipinos are indigenous populations, small-scale farmers who cultivate land received through agrarian reform, landless workers and fisherman. In addition, poverty rates are higher for women than men.

Illiteracy and high levels of unemployment contribute to the elevated poverty rate. With more than 11 million out-of-school youth in the country and drop-out rates doubling as children reach secondary school, access to education becomes a critical step in breaking the cycle of poverty.

Throughout the Philippines, Salesian missionaries offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities. The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and skills training to break the cycle of poverty and retain long-term employment.

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Sources:

ANS – Philippines – Past Pupils hold Medical Mission

Don Bosco Formation Center Facebook

Don Bosco Formation Center Website

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Past Pupils of Don Bosco Hold Medical Clinic Providing Care for Children and the Elderly first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This is the second campaign run by Salesian organizations in Spain to help the people of Benin. In 2014, a container was shipped carrying rice, lentils, beans, pasta and other non-perishable food items as well as donated school supplies, bicycles and t-shirts. The items were donated to several Salesian programs in Porto Novo that provide education, workforce development and social services for poor youth and their families.

“Campaigns like these are a great example of how youth in Salesian programs are able to take what they have learned and pay it forward, supporting families in other communities in a time of need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Both campaigns for Benin have been possible thanks to the cooperation of many individuals, small businesses, supermarkets, food suppliers and local shops.”

Salesian programs in Benin provide food, clothing, shelter, medical services and education to poor youth. With the goal of caring for youth in supportive environments with access to education and training, Salesian missionaries in the country hope to help break the cycle of poverty and provide hope for the future.

The Saint Joseph Center, run by Salesian Sisters in the city of Parakou in northern Benin, operates with financial assistance from UNICEF and offers children refuge from the cycle of poverty and exploitation. The Salesian Sisters at the center ensure that children receive nutritious meals and enroll in nearby schools, providing the essential support their families cannot. At the Vocational Training Center Laura Vicuña in Benin’s largest city, Cotonou, Salesian Sisters are working with young girls, many of whom have been victims of trafficking, providing shelter and education that includes training in skills and trades in order to create more stable lives for them.

In 2013, Salesian missionaries at Foyer Don Bosco in Porto Novo launched a program as part of a European Union collaborative initiative called, Development and Action in the Republic of Benin. The four year initiative focuses on the protection of youth at risk in the areas of Littoral, Ouémé and Alibori. Through this program, Salesian missionaries are working to strengthen the collaboration, coordination and teamwork of the state and non-state bodies engaged in the protection of children as well as work to identify children at risk, offer them advice and education and rehabilitation. The program is also creating awareness among local authorities and community leaders in addition to the general population on the protection of children and the need for community programs to safeguard their rights.

Youth in Benin face overwhelming challenges in combating poverty. According to UNICEF, Benin remains one of the poorest countries in the world with close to 70 percent of its population living in poverty. Almost 20 percent are chronically undernourished and the effects of poverty in rural areas are severe. Child labor and trafficking are also concerns with about half of all children between the ages of five and 14 engaged in some form of labor.

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Sources:

ANS – Benin – 23,000 kilos of aid for Benin

UNICEF – Poverty in Benin

The post BENIN: Salesian Programs in Spain Support Food for Benin Campaign with Recent Shipment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Real concerns remain about how the village with so few members will survive. When the village had 270 residents, it was already a challenge to sustain the community working together under challenging weather conditions, frequent water shortages and other threats to growing crops and raising animals. Recently, there has been growing concern about how to work the fields to gather enough to eat with so few people as well as concern about prevention methods to stop another Ebola outbreak.

Having first visited Kumbrabai during the Ebola outbreak to distribute food, water and other aid, Salesian missionaries are now bringing hope to the village by starting projects to improve residents’ health, hygiene and sanitation practices and enhance agricultural capacity for the long-term sustainability of the community.

“Salesian missionaries in the region developed a fondness for the people of Kumbrabai as they helped them cope with the effects of the Ebola epidemic,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco “From the start, they resolved to support concrete, sustainable projects that could help villagers become more self-sufficient and hopeful for the future. The first project, a newly installed water well, is just one small step toward that overall vision.”

Kumbrabai is only accessible via poorly constructed country roads and is surrounded by dense vegetation that during the rainy season turns into soggy marshland. Villagers used a small swamp of dirty water for drinking, washing, watering their animals and even as a toilet. The new water well will provide safe drinking water and water for agriculture as well as opportunities for people to learn healthy habits like hand washing, that can help protect against many diseases. Before the well, nearly two-thirds of Kumbrabai’s crops were lost to weather conditions, including drought, annually.

The new water well is the result of a renewed focus on clean water initiatives by Salesian Missions. According to Water.org, more than 750 million people do not have access to clean water and almost 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation. The lack of clean water causes more than 3.4 million deaths each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related causes.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions has made building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.

Looking ahead, missionaries plan to further expand agricultural expertise among the villagers of Kumbrabai by teaching new farming techniques and animal management practices and distributing seeds. And, they intend to create a local school where children can, for the very first time, begin their primary education.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions- In Sierra Leone, a Village is Reborn

Water.org

The post SIERRA LEONE: Salesian Missionaries Install New Well in Village Hard Hit by Ebola first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to UNICEF, there are an estimated 1.5 million street children in the Philippines, about 75,000 of whom are living in Manila, with thousands more ending up homeless every month. Drop-out rates double as children reach secondary school and there are more than 11 million out-of-school youth.

“Most of the children who end up on our streets are forced into a life of sexual abuse and drugs, and are rounded up into crime syndicates often having no one to turn to,” says Sister Marivic Ana, executive director of the Laura Vicuña Foundation. “The girls are often abused by their own peers and others looking to exploit them and then they become victims of trafficking. They come to us severely traumatized.”

In 2012, the Laura Vicuña Foundation received the Impact Award under the Protection Category in the Asia Pacific Region from the Stars Foundation in London. The comprehensive work of the foundation, particularly its pioneering child protection clinic on wheels and its three Children of the Canes national conferences focusing on a socially responsible sugar industry, were highlighted as programs that helped it secure the award. The Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco used the $100,000 prize money received with the award to help build a larger facility for the healing and recovery of sexually-abused girls. The new building also houses a training center and the foundation’s offices.

“We focus our efforts on reaching out to children in their communities, schools and even homes which is why our mobile protection unit is so effective,” adds Sr. Ana. “We want to extend the reach of that unit to child laborers in the sugarcane industry. These children are highly at risk from hazardous labor, from trafficking and from sexual exploitation. Taking a second mobile unit out into the plantations where these children are is the only way that we can intervene now and offer them protection.”

The Laura Vicuña Foundation also offers technical education to empower youth by training them in the skills necessary to find and retain stable employment and lead lives free from poverty and exploitation. In addition to attending classroom seminars, students enrolled in the foundation’s technical training programs have access to hands-on skills training and internships set up through the foundation and the local business community.

“Traditional classroom learning is an important part of any education program, and when students are able to take those skills and practice them in an interactive learning environment, there is added educational value,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries are preparing students for long-term stable employment while providing a steady workforce for growing industries in the Philippines.”

Throughout the Philippines, Salesian missionaries offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities. The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and skills training to break the cycle of poverty and retain long-term employment.

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Sources:

Laura Vicuña Foundation

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Laura Vicuña Foundation Provides Hope and Healing for Victims of Abuse and Exploitation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

One the most urgent needs in Morobo is access to clean, safe water. The nearest water source is in Juba which requires residents to make a long daily trek to carry water back to their homes. From November to May each year, South Sudan experiences a dry season and most sources of surface water dry up. According to The Water Project, an organization that provides access to clean, safe and reliable water across sub-Saharan Africa, this lack of surface water forces millions of South Sudanese to leave their homes in search of water. Some have to abandon their homes and move all together while others are forced to trek miles every day to collect water from ponds, marshes, ditches or hand-dug wells.

Women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households and globally, spend 140 million hours a day collecting water. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells. Often the water they find is contaminated with disease-causing parasites and bacteria and if drunk, results in pain, sickness and even death, especially for infants and children.

The new water well project in Morobo provides the local people drinking water as well as water for sanitation and daily chores. Missionaries constructed the water well by drilling a borehole and installing a hand pump. Its construction will improve the health of residents, increase agricultural production and lead to a better quality of life for families, especially for girls and women.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

Don Bosco Gumbo includes a Salesian parish, secondary school and youth center and offers educational and social development services to youth and their families living in Morobo. For some, the education offered at Don Bosco Gumbo’s secondary school is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Only 27 percent of the population aged 15 years and older is literate, with significant gender disparities. The literacy rate for males is 40 percent compared to 16 percent for females. Less than one percent of girls complete primary education.

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Sources:

The Water Project

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Dig New Well Providing Close to 4,000 People Clean, Safe Water first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The donated rice-meals will provide nutrition for 320 students at the Enjabulweni Free Primary School, one of the schools under the Manzini Youth Care umbrella. The meals are provided to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates as a result of the feeding program.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

The shipment also included bars of soap and girl’s dresses from Little Dresses of Africa, a nonprofit organization that provides relief to vulnerable children throughout Africa and beyond. As part of Manzini Youth Care, Salesian missionaries provide education and shelter for 28 girls age 8 to 21 at the Zakhele and Ngwane Park homes. Girls in these programs will benefit from the food aid donation as well as the soap and dresses.

Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also serves the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help residents improve their living standards, sanitation and food security.

“The poverty situation in Swaziland is getting worse and during my 45 years here I have experienced so many really desperate cases,” says Father Larry McDonnell, director of Manzini Youth Care. “More and more the signs of an ever deepening poverty are knocking more regularly on our door. The food donation is making a difference for our programs. We are sharing the rice with all seven of the poorer Salesian associated schools including two high schools and five primary. For many, the school meal is the only nutritious intake most of the children will get each day.”

Swaziland is a landlocked nation almost entirely contained within the northeast corner of South Africa. The country faces numerous challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Food Programme, nearly 25 percent of Swaziland’s children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition. With 63 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line, the risk of food insecurity is high. Swaziland also has elevated rates of unemployment and income equality.

Few farmers in the country own agricultural machinery such as tractors or ploughs and as a result, must rely on manual labor and traditional farming methods that require them to spend long hours in the fields producing very little food. Unable to produce enough food to support its population, Swaziland residents are vulnerable to fluctuating food prices from food imports. In addition, many households are coping with the impact of HIV which affects 26 percent of those aged 15 to 49 and 42 percent of pregnant women. The high prevalence of the disease among breadwinners and caregivers further compromises food security.

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Sources:

Stop Hunger Now

World Food Programme – Swaziland

The post SWAZILAND: Students in Salesian Programs Receive Better Nutrition Thanks to Stop Hunger Now Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Don Bosco Mariapuram offers social development services and a middle and high school as well as vocational training programs. It also offers credit programs and assistance to poor women to help them start their own businesses. Many youth enrolled in the schools at Don Bosco Mariapuram come from a shelter at the Warangal railway station. Once these street children enter the school programs, they are provided housing, nutrition, clothing, school supplies and an education.

“This construction project will greatly impact Salesian students and provide them better access to safe sanitation and a place to wash their clothes,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We expect this project will reduce the number of children who become sick due to a lack of proper hygiene and safe water and encourage those who have dropped out to return to Don Bosco Mariapuram.”

With more than 1.2 billion people, India’s growing population is putting a severe strain on the country’s natural resources. According to Water.org, close to 104 million people do not have access to safe, clean water and 808 million have no sanitation services. Most water sources throughout the country are contaminated by sewage and agricultural runoff.

While India has made some progress in the supply of safe water, there remain gross disparities in safe water access across the country. The World Bank estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water with diarrhea alone causing more than 1,600 deaths daily. Access to proper sanitation is extremely poor, particularly in rural areas where only 14 percent of the population have access to a latrine. In addition, hand washing is not commonplace and leads to an increase in the spread of disease.

Salesian missionaries across India are dedicated to ensuring that access to safe water is a priority in Salesian-run programs and schools and in the communities in which they operate.

“Water is vital for life,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – India

Water.org – India

The post INDIA: New Water Project Gives Salesian Students Access to Clean Water and Sanitation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Each year, UN-Water sets a theme for World Water Day corresponding to a current or future challenge. This year’s theme is ‘Water and Jobs’ and highlights the positive effects of having enough quality water to change workers’ lives and livelihoods and even transform societies and economies. UN Water notes that almost half of the world’s workers, 1.5 billion people, work in water-related sectors and nearly all jobs either depend on water or ensure its safe delivery. Yet, the millions of people who work in water are often not recognized or protected by basic labor rights.

UN-Water estimates that worldwide 768 million people lack access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people have no improved sanitation. For those who have no access to clean water, water-related disease is common with more than 840,000 people dying each year from water-related diseases. Women and children often bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households and globally, spend 140 million hours a day collecting water. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has made building wells and supplying fresh, clean water, a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.

“Having access to clean water is essential for life and brings a sense of dignity to the children and families we serve in our programs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Improving water and sanitation facilities also ensures that teachers and students are working and learning in an environment that promotes proper hygiene and has safe drinking water, reducing the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools keeping them away from important study time.”

In honor and celebration of World Water Day 2016, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs around the globe that provide clean, safe water to those most in need.

DR CONGO

Close to 4,000 youth, parents, Salesian staff and community members are benefiting from two water projects at Salesian training and vocational centers in the city of Lubumbashi in the southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo*. The Salesian-run Kansebula St Jean Bosco Institute and Chem Chem Center have nearly completed the renovation of existing water systems which were outdated, wasting energy and had insufficient quantities of water.

Salesian missionaries began the two water projects to ensure clean fresh water for the students and the sustainability of the water sources for their facilities. At Kansebula, the project consists of erecting a high water tower and two 2,500 liter water tanks in connection to the existing water system. Once completed, this project will improve water management and protect the water pump in use. At Chem Chem the project entails upgrading the existing water system to allow proper quantities of clean water for students. This is being accomplished by deepening the existing well, erecting a high water tower and installing two 2,500 liter water tanks.

ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia is experiencing the worst drought the country has seen in more than 50 years. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently announced that agricultural assistance for the upcoming rainy season in Ethiopia is essential to help the drought-affected people as one of the strongest El Niño events on record continues to have devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of farmers and herders.

Salesian missionaries and volunteers with the International Volunteers for Development (VIS) are concerned that the devastating drought is forcing residents to flee the country making them vulnerable to illegal migration (particularly to Europe and the Middle East), exploitation and human traffickers who are already taking advantage of the crisis. Using deep wells built by VIS volunteers in recent years, Salesian missionaries and volunteers are currently distributing water to schools, hospitals and first aid clinics, centers for street children, women’s refuges and diocesan centers. The goal during this emergency phase is to support the 12,000 residents of the Somali, Tigray and Oromia regions and those living in the South.

INDIA

Salesian missionaries working at the Don Bosco St. Joseph School for Children in Ghanaur, a town in the Patiala district in the state of Punjab, India, have begun a construction project to update and improve facilities at the school making it more accessible to its more than 540 students. Currently, the school’s bathroom facilities are dilapidated, out-of-date and insufficient to accommodate the students and faculty.

Situated on the periphery of a large village, the school was created to serve poor students whose parents could not afford traditional school fees. It offers a full range of academic classes as well as recreational programs. Each year, the student population grows as more and more area families require access to affordable education. Due to its growing population, sanitation has been a major concern at the school and will be addressed by the recent construction project which will provide separate bathroom facilities for male and female students. To date, a well has been dug and the purchasing of materials and digging of pits are underway. Once enough funds are raised to complete the project, construction of the bathroom buildings will begin.

RWANDA

Salesian missionaries in the community of Rukago in the city of Kigali, the capital and largest city of Rwanda, just completed a water and sanitation project for the local Salesian school which had been in desperate need of new sanitation and safe drinking water. The project, funded by Salesian Missions, provided eight new toilets and repaired a water tank that provides clean drinking water for the students. Prior to the repair of the water tank, students had to walk more than a mile to collect water from a hill in a swampy area.

The construction project for the new toilets consisted of digging a pit, purchasing materials and constructing a beam, walls and roof. After that, doors were added and the new building was painted. Salesian missionaries expect that this new project will help local families save on medical expenses for treating children who develop water-related diseases and illnesses due to contaminated water. The new improvements will also give the school children better access to safe water so they can turn their attention and focus to their studies.

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Sources:

UN Water – World Water Day 2016

*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.

The post WORLD WATER DAY: Salesian Missionaries Ensure Safe, Clean Water for Teachers and Students first appeared on MissionNewswire.

New desks, chairs, tables, bookcases and filing cabinets were among the furniture received in Monrovia. Desks and chairs help to provide a more dignified and organized educational environment for students to complete their studies. As a result, students are often more focused on classroom work and more prepared for their lessons.

“This donation is especially important for the children in our schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The furniture has contributed greatly to their discipline and learning environment while bringing smiles to their faces. This has been a great contribution to the high school.”

The Institution Recycling Network was started in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every educational, commercial and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

“There is a clear match between Salesian Missions’ need for furniture and equipment for their worldwide projects and the supplies of surplus to which IRN has access,” says Mark Lennon, principal of the Institution Recycling Network. “Salesian Missions has been an excellent partner.”

IRN partners with nonprofits who are known to be reputable and effective providers of relief and development assistance, and who are able to use the types of surplus that IRN can provide. The organization has a “wish list” from each of its nonprofit partners of the types and quantities of surplus they can use.

When a project comes to IRN, it makes a match against these wish lists and offers the surplus to the most appropriate nonprofits. At this point, surplus is offered on a first-come-first-served basis; the first nonprofit(s) to express interest in the surplus, receives it. In many cases, a single nonprofit will claim the entire project but in some cases, the surplus will be split among two or more organizations.

“There is almost infinite demand in the U.S. and worldwide for good quality surplus so IRN’s surplus program will continue to grow,” says Lennon. “The school or company that supplies the surplus pays IRN for the service of matching their surplus with our nonprofit network. In almost all cases they pay IRN much less than they would pay to bring in dumpsters and throw the surplus away.”

In addition to the recent shipment to Liberia, additional furniture from the same source has been donated to Salesian programs in the Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Vietnam and East Timor.

“IRN donations have furnished Salesian schools and development offices in Central America, South America, Africa and Asia,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We plan to continue working with IRN because they are a reliable partner who is eager to assist in our mission and provide quality donations to our programs.”

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with 64 percent of its population of 3.5 million people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. The 2014 Human Development Index ranks Liberia 175 out of 187 countries. Still recovering from the effects of a 14 year civil war that ended in 2003 and the most recent Ebola outbreak, Liberians struggle with social and economic hardships.

Those living in rural areas make up close to 75 percent of the country’s poor and the World Bank classifies Liberia as a low-income, food-deficit country, reporting that half of the population is food-insecure or highly vulnerable to food insecurity. Orphans, street children and adolescent ex-combatants often find themselves on their own facing adult responsibilities with little support and no education.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Liberia since starting a vocational institute there in 1979. Since then, missionaries in the country have been developing programs with a focus on providing youth with the education and skills necessary to transform their lives and their country.

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Sources:

Institution Recycling Network

2014 Human Development Index

The post LIBERIA: More Than 500 Students Benefit from New School Furniture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

By providing analysis and research on the real reasons for migration, informing potential migrants about the risks of the journey and the real chances of success and giving individual guidance to those who want to leave, the campaign is working to deter young people from leaving countries where people are most at risk of human trafficking such as Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Ghana. In collaboration with Salesian missionaries in Africa, the campaign will also raise funds to help with program development in targeted countries in Africa.

The campaign has already found success in Senegal after research there showed that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are leaving in search of better educational opportunities. Funds raised through the campaign are helping to provide scholarships to students in Senegal so they are able to access educational opportunities within their own country.

Salesian missionaries developed the campaign to meet the needs of the migrant youth who enter their programs in Europe and in Africa. In 2014, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) produced A Global Report on Trafficking in Persons which offered the first global assessment of the scope of human trafficking and what is being done to combat it. Based on data gathered from 155 countries, the report shows that more than 1.2 million children worldwide are victims of child trafficking which accounts for just over 20 percent of all trafficking victims. In some parts of Africa, children make up the majority of trafficking victims and in parts of West Africa, children account for nearly 100 percent of trafficking victims.

The report also notes that close to 80 percent of human trafficking is for sexual exploitation with the victims being predominantly women and girls. A surprising finding from the report is that in nearly 30 percent of the countries assessed, women make up the largest portion of traffickers. The second most common form of human trafficking, accounting for 19 percent, is forced labor. Although, research notes that this may be underrepresented because forced labor is frequently harder to detect than trafficking for sexual exploitation.

“From awareness programs in communities to radio programs, the Stop Human Trafficking campaign is utilizing a number of different methods to reach its audience,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The campaign is also using real stories of young people who have returned home after having been victims of human trafficking, which has been quite effective.”

Since the launch of the Don Bosco Child Protection Center in Ghana in 2014, Salesian missionaries have been providing residential services and educational programs to victims of child trafficking. As part of the campaign, the center is also providing information on the risks of illegal migration including interviews with children who survived their migrant journey and returned home, videos, radio programs and local newspaper stories in addition to sponsoring forums, films and debates in rural areas.

“This campaign has been successful in reaching thousands of youth and creating awareness of the many forms of fraud, trafficking and exploitation facing those who venture on such migrant voyages while at the same time giving information on the possibilities for development that exist in these countries,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

Stop Human Trafficking Campaign

The post ITALY: Stop Human Trafficking Campaign is Helping to Prevent Exploitation and Abuse first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The emergency food relief was made possible thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit Christian organization committed to, “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The partnership has resulted in the donation of 10,000 kgs of rice meals to help provide food security for 40,000 displaced flood victims residing in settlements along the Paraguay River. Any remaining rice meals will be distributed to Salesian programs in the region.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries in Paraguay are responding to the ongoing needs of flood victims and working across the country providing education and skills training to help youth excel in the workforce.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Paraguay since establishing a church in Asunción in 1896. Through the years, missionaries have operated educational programs to help advance the skills and knowledge of the indigenous population in the area while promoting strong cooperation with leaders of the indigenous culture. Local Salesian programming supports laws in favor of the indigenous populations, the recovery of original lands, sustainable development, the appreciation of cultural values in each ethnic group and the fostering of internal leadership.

“Through educational programs, Salesian missionaries are focusing on increasing the capacity of indigenous communities,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Youth who lack educational resources remain in poverty. Our programs teach necessary trade skills to advance employment opportunities and give youth the chance of a better life.”

Paraguay is among the poorest countries in South America. According to UNICEF, almost 23 percent of its population of 6.5 million people live in poverty earning less than $1 per day. The gap between the small upper class and the large lower class is extreme and offers virtually no social mobility. Conditions of poverty drive youth into early labor and a lack of literacy in addition to a weak educational foundation compounds the problem. Those in poverty face overcrowding, low quality housing and a lack of access to basic household services. Paraguayans who only graduate from primary school are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who have access to and complete secondary school.

According to the World Bank, those in Paraguay that are monolingual Guarani speakers have almost a 50 percent greater chance of being poor than monolingual Spanish speakers and migrant populations have a 60 percent higher probability of being poor than non-migrants.

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Sources:

UNICEF – Paraguay Statistics

World Bank- Paraguay

The post PARAGUAY: Donation Provides Emergency Food Relief to 40,000 Displaced by Flooding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The 2016 theme for International Women’s Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality.” This year the U.N is reflecting on how to accelerate and build momentum for the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its new commitments under the UN Women’s Step It Up initiative. This new initiative asks governments to make national commitments that will close the gender equality gap – from laws and policies to national action plans and adequate investments.

Some key targets of the 2030 Agenda include: ensuring that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes; ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation; and eliminating all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

“On this International Women’s Day, I remain outraged by the denial of rights to women and girls – but I take heart from the people everywhere who act on the secure knowledge that women’s empowerment leads to society’s advancement. Let us devote solid funding, courageous advocacy and unbending political will to achieving gender equality around the world. There is no greater investment in our common future.”— UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon’s statement on International Women’s Day.

Salesian missionaries living and working in more than 130 countries around the globe are focused on achieving gender equality through programs targeted specifically for young women and girls. These programs strive to empower young women and girls by providing opportunities for education and training that lead to livable wage employment.

“Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “It is very important for girls to attend school and gain an education. Girls that are empowered though education are more often able to achieve financial independence, marry at an older age and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

In honor of International Women’s Day, Salesian Missions is proud to share some of its programs around the globe that empower young women and girls.

BOLIVIA

Started in 1992, the Casa Maín girl’s home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, provides shelter, nutritious meals and schooling for girls and young women with little access to education and those who were once living on the streets. Currently, there are more than 160 girls living and being educated at the home. Casa Maín is comprised of three houses and the girls are divided among them by age. The youngest girls, attending elementary school, live together in one house supported by several volunteer students from the secondary school. A second house provides shelter and peer support for girls attending secondary school while a third house is for young women attending the local university. The university students enjoy a setting that allows them to finish their degrees in higher education in a stable environment while learning how to live independently.

In addition to academic classes, the young women and girls at the home learn skills in communication and conflict management. Additional classes in dance, gymnastics and crafts are provided in the evenings and on weekends. Recently, the organization offered a three-week technology workshop to teach the girls basic computer skills including typing, word processing and drawing.

INDIA

Women from the slums of Mumbai, a densely populated city on India’s west coast, graduated from a Salesian-run 45-day skills training course. The women took courses in basic computing, English, tailoring, garment making, beauty care, hair dressing and mehndi (henna) application. The goal of the training was to help participants become better prepared for employment.

The Don Bosco Development Society in Mumbai which works to empower women in poverty to gain the skills and confidence they need to seek work, facilitated the training. For many of the participants, this was the first time they received educational training since the basic education they received when they were young. Salesian missionaries conducting the program modeled it after Skill India, an initiative by the Government of India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. After the course was completed, many of the students noted that through the course they gained a sense of self-worth that they had not had before. They also felt that the skills and confidence they gained would enable them to earn a living and support their families.

SENEGAL

Center Kër Don Bosco officially opened at the end of January in Dakar, the capital and largest city in Senegal. The new center provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women living in the Yoff district on the outskirts of the city.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

SIERRA LEONE

Salesians at Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone, have been running a Girls Shelter for the past two years. Here, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Those that access services at the shelter are also able to enroll in educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network. These programs train young women in the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

As part of the rehabilitation program at the Girls Shelter, young women take coursework in hotel management, hairdressing and tailoring. This training helps to empower them to overcome the discrimination they have faced, gain a greater awareness of their rights and boost their work prospects. It also helps to build character while allowing the young women the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives and their health. Recently, both the trainers and the students in these programs were able to present their skills and products to the general public at an exhibition in Freetown.

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Sources:

International Women’s Day 2016

UN – International Women’s Day 2016

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In February, Salesian educators from across the country met at the Salesian House in Cochabamba, a city in central Bolivia, to discuss educational priorities and training needs, assess the current educational resources available and to develop new programs for pastoral work, schools for families and pedagogical work. More than 130 Salesian educators participated in the meeting.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system and we are dedicated to providing the support and training they need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The value of strong teachers can be seen in the accomplishments of youth that graduate from their classes. Salesian missionaries believe that access to education is critical to help youth learn job skills, improve their lives and find a path out of poverty.”

One successful Salesian program in the capital city of Santa Cruz is the Don Bosco Project which offers a safe haven for homeless children with nowhere else to turn. The goal of the project is to provide comprehensive rehabilitation and vocational training opportunities that bring social inclusion and meaningful employment to students. Extending beyond providing emergency shelter, clothing and nutritious meals, the project brings together psychologists, social workers, medical staff and teachers to address the needs of the more than 700 youth who access the program.

“This work is more important now than ever,” says Fr. Hyde. “The number of children living on the streets of Bolivia has reached crisis levels. Without our help, poor youth fall through the cracks of a society bent on pushing them aside and the cycle of poverty and hopelessness continues.”

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. According to UNICEF, 60 percent of Bolivians live below the poverty line with 40 percent of those living in extreme poverty. The poverty rate is higher in rural areas where the rate increases to 75 percent of the population. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities.

The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure in place, negatively impacting the indigenous farming populations who typically live there. Only half of rural children complete primary school and many others leave school to help support their families, according to UNICEF. There are others who are left homeless by parents who cannot afford to care for them and those who leave their homes to escape violence.

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Sources:

ANS – Bolivia – Don Bosco Schools serve thousands and thousands of young people

UNICEF – Bolivia

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The new laboratory is the first of its kind and was made possible through a partnership with New Holland Agriculture, a leading global manufacturer of agricultural machinery. The Teresa Gerini Vocational Training Center is now able to offer a specialist training course for 20 students who have already completed a three-year certificate of professional qualification. Students enrolled in the course will spend half their time taking courses at the training center and half their time gaining experience at companies in the New Holland dealer network or within the CNH Industrial group. Graduates of the program will be highly skilled technicians who will be able to meet the demands of the labor market.

Having grown throughout its seven year history, the TechPro2 project is currently operating in 57 Salesian training centers around the globe with more than 9,300 students accessing more than 240,000 hours of training in eight different languages. TechPro2 aims to help train youth to enter the workforce while meeting the employment needs of the industry.

Both Fiat Chrysler and CNH Industrial require a specialized workforce to provide service in dealerships and authorized service companies. This project is a win-win for both the companies and the students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are able to access technical training and gain the skills necessary to find and retain long-term livable wage employment.

“Salesian missionaries know how important it is to provide poor and disadvantaged youth access to education and employment training both for the individual student’s professional development and for the economy,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students graduating from the TechPro2 training program are prepared to enter a growing employment sector and many are successful in finding stable long-term work directly after graduation.”

In April 2015, the TechPro2 project developed a new website with innovative features and up-to-date functionality so that students and dealerships can more easily access information. At the end of 2013 in Italy alone, 885 students completed the course in institutions offering the project. More than 45 percent of the graduates found employment directly after graduation, a significant feat given the current state of Italy’s economy.

Europe’s third-largest economy, Italy has close to 2 million children live in poverty, according to UNICEF. With more than 25 percent of the country’s children living in poverty, Italy has the highest percentage of child poverty out of all 25 European countries. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis and 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.

Some youth are unable to attend school and others 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.

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Sources:

ANS – Italy – Opening of the first laboratory of Agricultural Machinery for the Professional Training of the young

TechPro2

UNICEF – Italy Poverty

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The partnership has resulted in a donation of rice-meals that has benefitted more than 20,000 people in Estelí, including students in Salesian schools and those living within poor communities. The majority of beneficiaries have few resources and live in extreme poverty. The donated rice-meals provided to Salesian schools are given to students during the school day as part of a free lunch program begun by Salesian missionaries to meet the needs of the many area families with limited resources to feed their children. The meals ensure students receive proper nutrition and a balanced diet, helping them to focus on their studies and extracurricular activities.

Salesian missionaries and volunteers also distributed donated rice-meals to families in need through community outreach efforts and at local churches. The food aid helped elderly residents receive proper nutrition and aided in improving their strength, health and mental wellbeing. Food aid was also delivered directly to families at home to ensure that children receive more than just the one meal offered at school.

“Many of those participating in Salesian programs in Nicaragua are malnourished,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “For students, this donated food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds. Fr Hyde. “Youth who access Salesian programs in Nicaragua are given an educational foundation, technical skills training and life and social skills to help them excel in the workforce. They are then able to break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities.”

Nicaragua is one of the least developed and poorest countries in Latin America, second only to Haiti, with more than 42 percent of its residents living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty, although declining steadily in recent years, remains high. More than 80 percent of Nicaragua’s poor live in remote rural communities where access to basic services is a daily challenge.

After decades of political instability and vulnerability to natural hazards, the country has achieved a remarkable economic turnaround and is now focusing on innovative ways of reducing poverty. However, 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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Sources:

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Nicaragua

The post NICARAGUA: More Than 20,000 People Living in Poverty Have Access to Better Nutrition Thanks to Food Aid Donation from Feed My Staring Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

The construction of a simple well improves the health of residents, increases agricultural production and leads to a better quality of life for families, especially for girls and women. Women and children often bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households and globally, spend 140 million hours a day collecting water. Children in communities without access to local wells are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells.

Salesian well projects in Ethiopia utilize construction techniques compatible with cultural traditions, practices and customs of the region and use locally sourced materials. The new wells will improve sanitation and provide safe drinking water and water for agriculture and food production.

Residents of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia are experiencing chronic food insecurity made worse by recurring periods of drought, low soil fertility and an unsustainable use of natural resources. Agriculture is the primary source of sustenance and survival for communities in this region and the onset of drought has negatively impacted all aspects of family life. In order to address this situation and provide access to clean, safe water, Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy is planning to implement a well project. Each well equipped with pump is expected to cost just over $11,000 U.S.

A collaborative project between Salesian missionaries and International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS) volunteers began in 2011 and has successfully completed five wells in the Gambella area of Ethiopia. The wells are operated by a hand pump and are between 50 and 60 meters deep, guaranteeing water to local villages that will benefit close to 1,200 people. To ensure that the wells last as long as possible, a village committee has been set up to oversee their management and maintenance.

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing educational and support services to poor youth in Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers in the country. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while accessing support services including family sponsorship and school feeding programs. These supports reinforce the missionaries’ goal of keeping youth in school as long as possible. Missionaries at these programs continue to assess water and sanitation issues for the programs and surrounding villages. New water well projects are planned and implemented as needs arise.

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, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. 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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Sources:

ANS – Spain – Wells in Ethiopia to improve the lives of people in the poorest regions

UNICEF – Ethiopia

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The tour included visits to various stations in the biomedical engineering workshop at the medical center where engineers explained how the equipment works and how technology is helping doctors and nurses provide the best care for their patients. They also shared with the students what it takes to be a good biomedical engineer: a fascination with the creation of tools that help promote peoples’ health.

The high school students also visited the medical center’s clinical simulation laboratory where they were introduced to patient simulators capable of presenting hundreds of medical conditions in realistic scenarios. The lab is used by medical students to build upon their schooling by developing practical hands-on skills. The Biomedical Pathway program at St. John Bosco gives high school students exposure to many of the major concepts behind human medicine with the goal of inspiring them to pursue higher education and a career in health care.

“Biomedical Pathway students have an interest in health care and unique experiences like this where students can meet health care professionals and explore different careers in health care first-hand is invaluable,” says Robert Linares, biomedical pathway coordinator at St. John Bosco High School.

Throughout their four years at St. John Bosco High School, students are taught health and science technology, biomedical ethics, anatomy and physiology, cell and molecular biology and biochemical genetics as well as participate in field work and gain real world experience. Students conduct independent research, participate in medical simulations and attend lectures provided by physicians, research scientists and other health care professionals. Upon graduation, students have a solid knowledge base to build a future on.

Long Beach, the seventh largest city in California, has close to 18 percent of its population under the age of 18. According to U.S Census data, the city has a poverty rate of 22.8 percent which rises to 33 percent for youth under the age of 18. Access to education and hands-on learning opportunities is critical to prepare youth for advanced studies or the workforce.

“Working in more than 132 countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries have created a vast network of primary, secondary, vocational and technical schools serving poor youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “With a focus on education and workforce development, missionaries provide disadvantaged youth an education and valuable resources to help them find livable wage employment all with the goal of breaking the cycle of poverty and helping youth lead meaningful and productive lives.”

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Sources:

ANS – United States – St. John Bosco High School Students Explore Careers in Health Care

Census Data – Long Beach, CA

St. John Bosco High School

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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 exposure 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.

HIV/AIDS is also a serious concern in India. According to UNICEF, the disease was first detected in the country in 1986 and today there are 5.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS in India. Close to 38 percent of those infected with HIV are women and 55,000 to 60,000 children are born every year to mothers who are HIV positive. It is estimated that the country has more than 220,000 children infected with HIV/AIDS.

Salesian missionaries care for the sick in nearly 100 clinics and hospitals, located mostly in rural areas, around the globe. The new mobile medical project provided by Salesian missionaries helps address a number of serious and sometimes chronic health concerns faced by youth living on the streets. For some, this is the only medical care they receive.

According to Father Jose Matthew, a Salesian missionary overseeing work in New Dehli, the mobile medical team covers four locations per day. With two in the morning and two in the afternoon, it provides care for more than 20 young people each day. Prepared to address any number of medical conditions, the team  most commonly treats malnutrition but also tends to those with malaria, traumatic injuries, upper respiratory infections, scabies, abdominal pain, abscesses, seizure disorders, conjunctivitis, anemia, viral fevers and infected wounds. Fr. Matthew adds that in addition to medical help, the team provides youth information and counseling on substance abuse including alcohol, chewing tobacco, drugs and the sniffing of correction fluid (a serious problem in India in recent years) as well as educational sessions on health and hygiene that teach preventive measures to maintain a healthy body and mind.

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.

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Sources:

UNICEF – India – HIV/AIDS

PHOTO: Getty/iStock 2014: Children play in the streets of a Delhi shanty town

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Both the Don Bosco Technical Center and the Don Bosco Hotel School provide two-year skill training programs to poor and orphaned youth between the ages of 17 and 22 years with limited opportunities for education. The Don Bosco Hotel School focuses on hospitality programs to prepare students for work in restaurants, at catering companies and hotels and in other areas of the tourism field. The Don Bosco Technical Center, the largest technical school in the area, offers courses in electricity, electronics, automotive repair, printing, web design, audiovisual editing and production, journalism, social communication, secretarial skills, sewing, culinary arts, hotel management and welding.

Primarily known for its social communication and journalism program, the Don Bosco Technical Center is home to the Salesian-run Audiovisual Center which operates as a teaching institution for media communications while providing audiovisual production services to the local community. Started in 2007 by Father Albeiro Rodas Samnang, rector of the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia, the Audiovisual Center trains youth from rural and disadvantaged communities in media communications with the goal of teaching them a viable trade that will lead to stable employment after graduation. In addition to courses in media communications, the center offers workshops facilitated by Cambodian journalists.

The donated rice-meals are provided to students during the school day, and for 161 students who are boarders at the schools, meals are provided three times a day.

“Technical students need the proper nutrition to focus on their studies and fully take part in classroom and in-field training,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

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 its services for youth in need,” adds Fr. Hyde. “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.”

Salesian missionaries have a long history of teaching job skills to youth in Cambodia. Through the United Nations, missionaries began providing technical and vocational education to Cambodian refugees living in camps along the Thai-Cambodian border in the late 1980s. In 1993, at the invitation of the government of Cambodia, a technical School in Phnom Penh was established to republish, translate and write books and educational documents that were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge regime. The technical school contained the only working printing press in the country – and served as a model of hope through education.

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Don Bosco Technical Center

Don Bosco Hotel School 

Stop Hunter Now 

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Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Chile are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian schools equip students with a foundational education and the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses in carpentry, farming, electrical and mechanical engineering, computers and more. Salesian schools also build partnerships with local businesses to help youth gain employment after graduation. This further helps the local economy by providing a well-trained labor force.

According to the World Bank, although the economy in Chile is one of the more stable and prosperous in Latin America, a little more than 5 percent of the population live on just $2 a day. The country suffers from high economic inequality which is particularly evident in access to educational opportunities.

“Although the education system in the country is far-reaching, many poor and disadvantaged youth fall through the cracks,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Throughout the country, young people from poor families lack the educational opportunities available to the middle and upper classes.”

Many of the Salesian technical schools in Chile cater to students who have dropped out of school and are seeking a second chance. And for youth who lack the resources to attend Chile’s universities, Salesian schools provide the opportunity to receive job skills training. In many programs, students complete their education while engaging in internships with local employers increasing their hands-on work experience and chance of gaining livable wage employment after their studies are completed.

“Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor, at-risk youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “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.”

Operating for more than 15 years in Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city, the Don Bosco Foundation has successfully educated and provided social services to more than 15,000 children and adults. Responding to a rise in the homeless population in the city, Salesian missionaries at the foundation created programs in partnership with other local social welfare programs to meet the basic needs of both adults and children living on the street while providing opportunities for education. Participants are provided shelter, nutritious food, clothing, medical care and an education. Educational programming includes vocational and technical training to help those in need find and retain stable employment. Counseling and recovery services are also offered.

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Sources:

ANS – Chile – The Atacama desert, fertile land for Don Bosco

World Bank – Chile

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Students from four Salesian schools in the Cambodian provinces of Kep, Kampot and Takeo were selected to receive the bicycles after Salesian volunteers had visited the schools to determine which children were most in need of transportation. Many children live in remote areas of the country and must travel great distances to gain an education. The donated bicycles will provide the transportation necessary to help students reach their schools faster and more efficiently.

“In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children Fund since its inception in 1992,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This donation is a great example of a Salesian student from the United States who has benefitted from an education, paying it forward by helping students on the other side of the world access education.”

The donation also included spare bicycle parts and tire pumps as well as eight bags of gently used blankets for the students. Through the Don Bosco Children Fund’s programs, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that youth make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework.

“Many parents in Cambodia did not have the same opportunities for education as their children do today so they do not see staying in school as a priority, particularly when many children have been forced to work to bring in extra money for the family,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Youth need the extra support to stay in school and get an education. Salesian missionaries provide that much needed support and stability to help youth achieve.”

Cambodia has a long history of violence that has resulted in a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty and surviving on less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. About 80 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas and has limited access to education, healthcare and other public services.

Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesian missionaries in the country operate 45 schools in poor, rural villages through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education. Salesian missionaries also operate seven vocational training centers that impart much needed job skills.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Children Fund

World Bank – Cambodia 

The post CAMBODIA: Salesian High School Student Pays it Forward Sending 39 Bicycles to Students Supported by Don Bosco Children Fund first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Started by Father Francisco Oreglia, a Salesian priest, the Don Bosco School was the first institution of its kind in Latin America and has since become a leader in agro-industrial development both regionally and nationally. Salesian missionaries teaching at the school have witnessed tremendous growth in the winemaking industry throughout the years and today the main Argentinean wineries and agro-industrial establishments rely on the school for its production facilities. Declared “A Provincial Heritage of Tourist Interest”, the Don Bosco School is recognized as the birthplace of winemaking in Argentina.

Originally, the Don Bosco School was developed out of necessity to meet the needs of the local winemakers and fruit growers of the time who required fuller and more mature fruits and winemaking expertise. Farming and winemaking was the backbone of the economy of the Cuyo region and the increasing expansion both in terms of volume and quality required trained technical staff who could receive continuing education to enhance their expertise. Students at the school were often poor local youth who might not otherwise have access to education.

“Salesian missionaries have been working in Argentina to provide educational opportunities to poor youth for many years,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian technical and agricultural programs and other services educate youth and help them learn skills to gain stable employment.”

“Investing in agriculture education in developing countries is also vital to a community’s livelihood and essential not only to overcoming hunger and poverty, but also to ensuring overall economic growth for surrounding villages and cities,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Salesian missionaries operate more than 90 agricultural schools world-wide and 10 agricultural programs in Argentina alone. In addition to agricultural programs in the country, missionaries run primary and secondary schools as well as technical and vocational programs.

“Salesian missionaries are working hard to educate youth in Argentina and provide them a path out of poverty,” says Fr. Hyde. “The academic and technical programs offered show how education and training not only benefit the individual student, but also entire communities as graduates return home and share the skills they have acquired or start up local businesses.”

Although viewed as a relatively wealthy country, Argentina has a poverty rate of just over 26 percent, according to the World Bank. Close to 4.4 million people live below the poverty line and the country’s high school dropout rate is close to 20 percent. Youth account for one in three of those unemployed.

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Sources:

ANS – Argentina – 50 years of wine-making

World Bank – Argentina

The post ARGENTINA: Don Bosco School Celebrates 50 Years of Excellence in Winemaking and Viticulture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The success of the conference was made possible through the support of the Don Bosco Formation Center’s Pastoral Communication students from Talisay City, the Commission on Youth Ministry, the Salesian Youth Movement and FIS Social Communications.

The conference theme was “Ctrl Shift Del: Cyber Teens Responsible Leaders” and utilized commands typically available on a computer keyboard to convey the main conference message of “Teaching the youth to shift their views, control their lives and delete the negativity in social media.” As part of the conference, youth drafted and signed a manifesto against cyber-bullying.

“We see that cyber-bullying is an inhumane, intolerable act and if left unattended, will eventually damage more people and teens like us. However, we, as Cyber Teens Responsible Leaders, can be advocates for its eradication,” the manifesto read.

The manifesto also contained the young leaders’ commitment to advocacy on how to use social media appropriately and effectively.

“We believe that our advocacy begins with defining our boundaries on proper media usage anchored on the values of respect, empathy, discipline, sincerity and compassion. We likewise believe that such advocacy empowers young people like us in accepting our differences regardless of physical attributes, race, social status, economic standing, belief or religion,” the manifesto read.

It went on to say: “Therefore, we commit to be catalysts in an enlightened youth movement that boldly stands up against cyberbullying, raises awareness and educates our fellow teenagers on the responsible use of ICTs and lends voice to those who don’t have the courage to seek help and speak out.”

During the conference, a special Twitter hashtag, #CTRLYouthCon, was launched and conference messages reached nearly 30,000 people during the week following the event.

“Salesian missionaries aim to provide education and tools to help youth lead safe, happy and productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This conference covered a very important topic for youth today.”

Having access to education is a critical step in overcoming poverty. In the Philippines, drop-out rates double as children reach secondary school and there are more than 11 million out-of-school youth, according to UNICEF. Almost a quarter of the country’s population (including a large percentage of children) live in poverty.

Salesian missionaries in the country offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities. The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and break the cycle of poverty as well as the skills to secure and retain long-term employment.

Sources:

ANS – Philippines – Youth Against Cyber Bullying

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Salesian Anti-Cyberbullying Conference Provides Education to 200 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Given the struggles in the community, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs. Students taking part in educational programs at the San Juan Bosco Children’s Home concluded their 2015 studies with a presentation of their accomplishments to Salesian staff and administrators. During the presentation, students played the guitar, sang and danced as well as showed off their new computer skills and academic achievements.

The Children’s Home facilitates the Children of Lead project which is supported by the Don Bosco in the World Foundation and serves more than 80 youth from the area who have high levels of lead in their blood.

Puerto Nuevo’s population is contaminated by lead as a result of the environmental damage generated by the storage and transportation of lead ore to the community’s port. Most of the children participating in the Children of Lead project have levels of lead close to 19.9 micrograms per deciliter in their blood. This level is considered highly dangerous and can cause children to suffer cognitive delays.

Salesian missionaries who operate the Children of Lead project provide education and skills training opportunities to the participating children and adolescents while addressing their behavioral and cognitive difficulties. Often because of their cognitive and emotional difficulties, these students struggle in traditional classrooms and are less likely to achieve the higher levels of education necessary to break the cycle of poverty. The project provides specially trained staff to work with the students and also provides the expertise of a psychologist on staff.

The Children of Lead project aims to improve students’ educational outcomes through tutoring in reading, math and other academic subjects while simultaneously offering workshops in interpersonal communication, logic and educational psychology. Activities that include music and dance are also offered through the project and are designed to boost participants’ physical, mental and emotional development. In addition, participants have access to computer classes using online programs and games that help them develop reason and literacy as well as useful technological skills.

“In an economically depressed area where jobs are scarce and future opportunity bleak, adults in Puerto Nuevo face an almost unimaginable choice,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They can refuse paid work and risk the effects of long-term poverty or they can reluctantly support the presence of mines and refineries at the risk of their children’s health. The immediate need to feed, clothe and shelter their families trumps any consideration of long-term well-being so Salesian missionaries work to help in whatever way they can.”

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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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Puerto Nuevo: over the violence there is a proposal Salesian

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Provide Education and Safety in Violent Community first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The First Professional Experience program provided internships and hands-on work experience to its participants who were placed into a business where they worked for up to four months. Each participant was accompanied by a professional tutor who motivated them and guided their professional development and specialized training within the company. Many of the most well-known companies in the hospitality and tourism industries participated in the program including Meliá Hotels International, Hilton Madrid Airport, Grupo Vips, Parques Reunidos, KFC and the Accenture Foundation.

Javier Llorente, president of the Pinardi Foundation, noted that the program has proved to be an effective way of ending youth unemployment. He also explained that the foundation began by focusing its efforts on students and their individual goals and educational needs and then matched them with the most suitable company.

Pedro Boada, managing director of JP Morgan in Spain, spoke at the presentation of the program about how the successful results demonstrate that collaboration between companies and social organizations ensures youth have access to a better future. He also noted that the program will help to provide better growth prospects for Spain.

Hard hit by the current economic troubles in Europe, Spain now has the greatest inequality of the 27 countries of the European Union. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of Spanish workers are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. One in five citizens are living below the poverty line and poor youth with too few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment.

“With so many young people out of work and facing conditions of poverty in Spain, it is vital for Salesian workforce development programs to respond to market demand,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students in these programs have a real opportunity to enter the workforce prepared both in terms of the skills they have learned and in their social development, ensuring a lifelong ability to retain livable wage employment and escape poverty.”

Since its inception in 2001, the Pinardi Federation has been developing programs to help poor youth between the ages of 12 and 16 and is currently operating close to 40 projects aiding more than 2,000 youth. Projects focus on promoting the quality of children’s lives, helping youth retain employment and supporting migrants through family mediation. Other community projects work to raise awareness of volunteerism.

For its youth employment projects, the Pinardi Federation develops training programs that collaborate directly with the business sector so that students learn marketable skills and make an easier transition from coursework into employment. It encourages the business community to take an active role in program development as well as meeting with students to help shape standards and students’ academic and social development, ensuring greater opportunities for employment after graduation.

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – First Job, more than just an opportunity

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian-run Pinardi Federation’s First Professional Experience Program Placed Close to 75 Percent of its Participants into Employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Beginning directly after the war ended, Salesian missionaries sought and received aid for the reconstruction of schools, vocational training centers, medical clinics, bridges and general infrastructure. While they did not receive aid for the reconstruction of churches, missionaries sought financial support from within local communities and Salesian congregations. To date, more than seven Salesian churches have been rebuilt across Angola. In addition to being places of worship, Salesian churches function as community hubs where residents can gather and access services.

“Stable infrastructure is vital in a community,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian schools, churches and community centers provide life-changing services to youth and their families living in conditions of poverty. These buildings also bring a sense of normalcy back to communities that experienced more than 27 years of destruction and war.”

During the civil war, educational disparities were widespread but recent reforms have paved the way for more youth to have better access to education and social equality. According to UNICEF, more than 36 percent of the population lives in poverty. In addition, more than one in 10 children under the age of 14 has lost one or both parents and 43,000 are separated from their families. As a result, nearly a third of these children are working and child trafficking has become an emerging problem in the country.

With a 67 percent illiteracy rate, the educational opportunities provided by Salesian programs can be truly life changing. Through these programs, both youth and adults have access to schools and educational programs. Classes range from simple lessons in reading and writing for adults in refugee camps to shelter and education for street children. Students are also able to access life skills training, workforce development opportunities and nutrition programs.

“At-risk children, teenagers and young adults across the country are achieving in the classroom,” adds Fr. Hyde. “They participate in programs that promote social inclusion, emotional development and access to education.”

In Luanda, the capital and largest city in Angola, the Salesian-run St. Kizito House functions as both a day and night shelter and offers a clean environment for boys who are accustomed to life on the streets. The house has a large playground at the back, ideal for sporting activities, and also boasts a new plumbing system with running water, bathroom facilities and a well-equipped kitchen. Currently, St. Kizito houses 20 boys between the ages of 10 and 15.

At the Don Bosco Sambizanga School in Lixeira, one of the poorest areas within the city of Luanda, Salesian missionaries run the Don Bosco Band. The band is one of many programs offered at the school and serves disadvantaged youth, many of whom have discovered a passion for music through their participation in the program. Started in 2008, the band currently has more than 80 participants.

Organized band activities have replaced idle time when students would often browse the internet or loiter in markets or on the streets with little to do. Participation in the band brings much needed structure to students’ lives as well as teaching valuable concepts like teamwork and collaboration. Participants become an integral part of the band’s larger community and find purpose in working together toward a common goal.

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Sources:

ANS – Angola – Salesians rebuilding churches, schools and infrastructure

Salesian Missions – Angola

UNICEF – Angola Statistics

The post ANGOLA: Salesian Missionaries Rebuild Infrastructure to Deliver Education and Social Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that there were more than 14,122 total cases of Ebola and 3,955 deaths from the virus in Sierra Leone alone. During the Ebola outbreak, Don Bosco Fambul mobilized its staff and immediately began providing information about the prevention of Ebola. Salesian missionaries worked with local communities to provide food aid and education about Ebola while disseminating protective clothing including long-sleeve shirts and cleaning and disinfecting agents such as chlorine.

In addition, the organization provided 20 mobile hand washing basins fitted with taps and hygiene-related products to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs for use in Freetown. Brother Lothar Wagner, director of Don Bosco Fambul, noted that the mobile hand washing basins were placed in strategic locations around the city to act as a reminder that good hygiene practices are some of the best methods to prevent the contraction of the Ebola virus.

Since 2010, Don Bosco Fambul has provided a countrywide phone counseling service. The organization began advertising its free hotline as a preventative defense against Ebola in May 2014 and youth were encouraged to call to access critical information about the virus. Since that time, more than 25,000 calls about Ebola have been answered and fielded. The data gathered as a result of the calls helped the country’s national registration office identify Ebola hotspots and crisis regions. The head of Don Bosco Fambul’s telephone counseling department maintained permanent contact with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Social Affairs as well as the Ebola command center. In addition, food deliveries were organized to the quarantine zones identified by these calls. Through the hotline, Don Bosco Fambul brought hope to the children and adolescents of one of the poorest country in the world during a terrible time of crisis.

Don Bosco Fambul, with assistance from the Catholic non-governmental development organization, Manos Unidas of Spain, also transformed a school into a home for 120 boys orphaned by Ebola. This unique care center for orphans on the Don Bosco Fambul campus meets the children’s basic needs while providing schooling and education on health and hygiene. Precautions around health and hygiene, including a focus on preventative measures, are extremely stringent since the orphans have all been in contact with people infected by Ebola.

Youth who do not have extended family to go to are able to stay long-term at Don Bosco Fambul, attend school and participate in activities such as music, dance and organized games. Counseling is also available to help them successfully transition into adulthood.

“Salesian missionaries live and work in the communities in which they serve so they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis as they did during the Ebola epidemic,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to all of the Ebola related services, Don Bosco Fambul was still able to continue all of its regular programming providing education and social services to children and families who live in poverty.”

Providing crisis intervention services, long-term counseling, shelter, nutritious food and an education, Don Bosco Fambul reaches out to an estimated 2,500 street children in the region each year, many of whom have been abandoned by parents, the government and those who were supposed to protect them. Don Bosco Fambul staff are also active in providing services to young prisoners at the Pademba Road Prison in Freetown.

Don Bosco Fambul has also been running a Girls Shelter for the past two years. Here, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been victims of sexual assault. Girls that access the shelter’s services are also able to attend educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network.

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Sources:

ANS – Sierra Leone – President awards Don Bosco Fambul

WHO – Ebola Stats

The post SIERRA LEONE: Don Bosco Fambul Receives Sierra Leone’s Presidential Award for Its Efforts in Fighting Ebola Epidemic first appeared on MissionNewswire.

More than 200 young men and women are enrolled at the school to learn farming and other high demand trades. Courses are offered in planting and care of crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, root crops and fruit trees as well as basic fish farming and forestry. There are also courses in basic mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, computer skills and dressmaking. In addition, literacy and music classes are available in the evening.

The center recently marked its 10-year anniversary with a celebratory gathering that was attended by more than 500 young people. The event included talks on leadership and youth taking responsibility for the future of their nation, numerous sporting activities and a vibrant concert that showcased a variety of talents.

“Most of the students who attend the center are from poor families who have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “At the Don Bosco Rural Training Center, these students are getting a second chance to acquire skills that will enable them to find a job and support themselves and their families.”

The center benefits from a partnership with the Rotary Club of North Balwyn, located on the outskirts of the city of Melbourne in Australia, which helps provides program and infrastructure support as well as encouragement to the Salesian missionaries and teachers who operate the center. The club’s support has injected new life and enthusiasm into the center through new ideas and practical suggestions.

Over the last few years, the Rotary Club of North Balwyn has made several donations to the Don Bosco Rural Training Center. This monetary support has funded a three-month intensive training course in rice cultivation for the center’s deputy principal as well as the installation of three new water pumps, a concrete rice-frying platform, 400 mosquito nets and timber for new bunks at the student boarding house.

One of the most important contributions to the center was the purchase and installation of a windmill in 2013, made possible by financial assistance from the Rotary Club, that ensures the supply of fresh water to the rice paddy fields that are integral to a feeding program for the students and teachers. Considered one of Don Bosco Rural Training Center’s greatest achievements is expanded rice production throughout the Solomon Islands by former students who applied the skills learned in Don Bosco programs in their home villages.

“Don Bosco Rural Training Center has the potential to be one of the Solomon Islands’ greatest producers of a new generation of youth who possess the energy, technical skills and integrity to help advance the country,” adds Fr. Hyde.

With almost 40 percent of the population living in poverty, the Solomon Islands is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific region, according to UNICEF. About 20 to 25 percent of youth in the country never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending, never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuates the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Access to health and other social services is very limited and the poor to non-existent access to reliable transport, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions Australia Province Newsletter – Year in Review 2015

Salesians – Australia – Pacific

UNICEF – Solomon Islands 

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Don Bosco Rural Training Center Provides Education for More Than 200 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian programs in Senegal have a focus on sports education. Socio-sports schools in the cities of Dakar and Thies started their programs in 2012 and one in the city of Tambacounda has been in operation since 2010. The overall objective of the schools is to provide students between the ages of 5 and 17 with organized sports that promote positive values and teamwork. The sports programs are provided in addition to traditional vocational education programs and social development services.

During the Real Madrid Foundation’s training course at the Don Bosco Kër Center, Salesian educators learned sports techniques and advanced educational lessons. As part of the foundation’s “They play, we educate” program already operating in Salesian schools across the globe, participants receive nutritional, family and psychological support, regular health checkups and the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts and reading and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse are also provided.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

The Don Bosco Kër Center is one of the newest Salesian centers in Senegal and provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women living in the Yoff district on the outskirts of the city of Dakar.

The center is part of an ongoing Salesian educational building project facilitated by Solidaridad Don Bosco, a non-governmental organization that is part of the broader Don Bosco Network in Spain. Salesian missionaries opened the new center in Senegal to address the high rate of unemployment and limited skilled labor among poor youth in the Yoff district. In addition to serving local youth, the center will focus on training Senegalese women who are often underrepresented in the workforce and lack educational and advancement opportunities.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has close to half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, has taken away the only source of income from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school. According to the World Bank, that number has reached 86 percent.

“Salesians in Senegal have been providing vocational and technical training programs to local youth and women for many years,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The constant expansion of our programs is important to us and provides access to education to all youth who want to improve their quality of life.”

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – The Real Madrid Foundation in the Salesian centre: “they play, we educate.”

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

World Bank- Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Salesian Educators and Coaches Attend Real Madrid Foundation Socio-Sports Training Course first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Led by young adults from the St. Vincent de Paul parish, pre-novices from the Salesian community and volunteers, the camp program encouraged a holistic, balanced lifestyle designed to help campers develop a strong foundation of mind, body and spirit. It also provided local youth the opportunity to spend their vacation time in a positive, healthy environment.

The camp opened by registering campers and assigning them to one of four teams. During the course of the 10 days, the teams competed in recreational activities and sports with an emphasis on developing a healthy sense of competition and camaraderie. Each day began with a morning assembly that included positive messages of hope, joy, peace and love followed by morning classes in English and Arabic. After a mid-morning breakfast, campers engaged in sports and recreational activities including games and art, speech, singing and dance competitions.

“Youth living in poverty in South Sudanese communities have difficulty excelling and remaining in school,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian youth programs, like summer camps, provide positive role models, structured activities, a safe place to get off the streets and a nonviolent, supportive environment in which to engage with peers.”

Don Bosco Gumbo includes a church parish, secondary school and youth center and provides education and social development services for poor youth and their families. For some students, the secondary school at Don Bosco Gumbo is their only option for continued studies.

Don Bosco Gumbo is one of the host sites for the Salesian Lay Missionaries program which provides lay volunteers to work alongside Salesian priests and sisters on various projects throughout the world. Since the program started in 1981, more than 350 lay missioners have served in 20 countries on projects that range from youth ministry to agriculture to nursing.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its third year of independence last July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

The civil war has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In the capital of Juba, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything behind.

Salesian missionaries assist those internally displaced through programs across South Sudan and in neighboring Kenya at the Kakuma refugee camp. More than 44 percent of refugees at the camp are from South Sudan and arrived after escaping conflict and violence.

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Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – Don Bosco Gumbo Summer Camp 2015

World Bank – South Sudan 

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Summer Camp Provides Activities for 270 Marginalized Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to statements made by Father Reechee Espiritu, a Salesian administrator, in a recent Sun Star newspaper article about the festival, the name of the event derived from an acronym for One Negros Encounter, a celebration of the unification of two Negros provinces through the establishment of the NIR (Negros Island Region) or Region 18. “Juan” refers to St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians.

Father Espiritu also noted that the festival was responsible for the recent partnership between St. John’s Institute in Bacolod and the Salesians of Don Bosco of the South Province. The sports festival worked to foster unity and camaraderie among the three Salesian educational institutions and showcased the talents and skills of participants through various sporting and recreational events. Games began shortly after the opening ceremonies and activities on January 8 and were followed by friendly sports competitions. The event closed with a Catholic mass and dinner for the athletes.

“Throughout the Philippines, Salesian missionaries offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and skills training to break the cycle of poverty and retain long-term employment.”

Salesian missionaries across the Philippines incorporate sports programs into their traditional educational activities. The Madridejos Football Club of Cebu Province, Philippines, recently extended its programs to Bantayan Island and donated soccer balls to Salesian elementary and high school students and those attending Salesian youth programs there. The soccer program is part of the rehabilitation and rebuilding assistance provided by Salesian missionaries since typhoon Yolanda devastated much of the country in 2013. The football club has helped many young people remain in school, and for many players, their skills on the field have granted them access to scholarships that have allowed them to continue their studies at the university level.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

More than one quarter of the population of the Philippines lives in poverty, according to UNICEF. Poverty is most severe and widespread in rural areas where 80 percent of the population–close to 88 million people–make their home. The poorest Filipinos are indigenous populations, small-scale farmers who cultivate land received through agrarian reform, landless workers and fisherman. In addition, poverty rates are higher for women than men.

Illiteracy and high levels of unemployment contribute to the elevated poverty rate. With more than 11 million out-of-school youth in the country and drop-out rates doubling as children reach secondary school, access to education becomes a critical step in breaking the cycle of poverty.

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Sources:

Sun Star – Salesian schools in NIR to hold sportsfest

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Three Salesian Schools Take Part in Sports Festival Highlighting Student Skills first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The three-day festival featured innovative presentations, dances, music, rituals, folktale narration and street theater dramas presented across 13 venues. Close to 200 aspiring artists participated in the festival entertaining and educating more than 2,000 attendees. Youth from the Institution for Culture and Rural Development were responsible for the preparation and execution of the festival including setting up, making and selling craft items, organizing performances and lighting and preparing informational materials on local cuisine.

A special attraction of the event were the many stage scenes presented by youth that brought to life traditional stories from Mising culture and the various rituals that mark community life. Also featured were 16 food stalls constructed like colorful umbrellas that served various ethnic foods. In the main building of I-CARD, attendees were able to study the historical heritage of the Mising people and artifacts collected from different parts of the Mising world.

The festival’s aim, in addition to celebrating Mising culture, was to remind tribal youth of the importance of belonging to a community. Each individual, rich in culture and history, contributes to a community and as the festival noted, differences are to be embraced. The festival also gave a platform to young artists to highlight their work and increase their employment prospects.

“Culture and community are an integral focus of our work with youth around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This festival demonstrates how Salesian missionaries help youth discover who they are and where they come from while encouraging them to celebrate their differences and their many talents. Festivals like these work to build character, self-esteem and cultural pride as well as help to educate the wider community.”

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.

India’s youth 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, too many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

Salesian missionaries have a long history of helping poor youth in India. From providing education and technical training that prepares youth for employment to art and cultural events like this festival, Salesian missionaries focus on creating opportunities for their students to become well-rounded citizens and future leaders in their communities.

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Sources:

UNICEF – India

The post INDIA: Salesian Ethnique Festival Teaches Community about Mising Culture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Teachers should educate themselves more about learning disabilities and work in a way to mold each child as the best student,” said S. Kannappan, director of School Education in India, speaking at the launch of the program in late November.

The CARE Institute for Behavioral Sciences will provide the course content and trainers. Teachers will be educated on topics that include awareness, screening of children with learning disabilities and remedial education. Both a three-day module and a three-month module will be offered.

“This new program will educate teachers how to help a child with a learning disability to overcome the difficulties in reading, writing and other school subjects which will help them to improve their academic performance,” said Father John Alexander, rector at Don Bosco Egmore. “The school-based training program will also help decrease the hardship for the parents that right now must access remedial education for a learning disability outside the school. We are opening this program to teachers at other local schools as well to help the entire community.”

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 3,200 primary and secondary schools and more than 800 vocational, technical and agricultural schools in more than 130 countries around the globe.

Many Salesian students have faced severe poverty and often lack basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Some were previously living and working on the streets and others have faced war as child soldiers or become refugees in war torn communities. Salesian teachers meet these challenges head on, providing education and hope for a brighter future.

“Teachers are the backbone of the Salesian educational system and we at Salesian Missions are dedicated to providing the support and training they need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The value of strong teachers can be seen in the accomplishments of the students that graduate from their classes. Salesians missionaries believe that access to education and highly qualified teachers is critical to help youth improve their lives and find a path out of poverty.”

With more than 1.2 billion people, India has the second largest population in the world, the fourth largest agricultural sector and is home to a third of the world’s poor, according to UNICEF. More than 400 million Indians live on less than a dollar a day and 212 million are undernourished. According to the United Nations Development Program’s human development index, India ranks near the bottom at 136 out of 186 countries.

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. India’s youth 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, too 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 – India – Teachers to be trained to handle special children

UNICEF – India

The post INDIA: New Teacher Training Program Developed to Help Educate Teachers about Learning Disabilities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Every Monday, more than 80 low-income, mostly elderly people between 80 and 95 years of age, visit a Salesian church in Managua and are provided food and other assistance from the church community. Salesian missionaries in the community have noticed that since the rice-meal donation, the recipients’ strength and health as well as their mood has improved. Salesian Sisters who operate a boarding school for girls just outside the city also received part of the donation and provided the meals to their boarders who take classes in baking, sewing and embroidery in addition to academic courses toward a high school diploma. The added nourishment has had a significant impact on the girls’ ability to concentrate on their studies.

The primary recipients of the rice-meal donation were two Salesian schools in Managua, a kindergarten for young students 3-5 years old and a Salesian high school. Between the two schools, more than 200 students received better nutrition as a result of the donation. The rice-meals were provided to students during the school day as part of a free lunch program to ensure they receive proper nutrition and a balanced diet, helping them to focus on their studies and extracurricular activities. Salesian missionaries began the school feeding program to meet the needs of the many area families with limited resources to feed their children.

“Many of those participating in Salesian programs in Nicaragua are malnourished,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds. Fr Hyde. “Youth who access Salesian programs in Nicaragua are given an educational foundation, technical skill training and life and social skills to help them excel in the workforce. They are then able to break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities.”

Nicaragua is one of the least developed and poorest countries in Latin America, second only to Haiti, with more than 42 percent of its residents living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty, although declining steadily in recent years, remains high. More than 80 percent of Nicaragua’s poor live in remote rural communities where access to basic services is a daily challenge.

After decades of political instability and vulnerability to natural hazards, the country has achieved a remarkable economic turnaround and is now focusing on innovative ways of reducing poverty. However, 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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Sources:

World Bank – Nicaragua

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ASAP accepts tool donations at its Peachtree City, Georgia location and then utilizes volunteers to help refurbish and package the tools, both new and used. From there, the tool kits are sent to Salesian vocational training programs in Haiti to help graduates prepare for future work.

Tools are expensive and students graduating from carpentry, electrical, plumbing, auto repair and other similar training programs need tools in order to retain stable employment. The tool kits provided by ASAP are vital for those students who can’t afford to buy the tools they need for work.

“The partnership with ASAP has helped Haitian graduates gain employment and break the cycle of poverty,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many Salesian students do not have the financial resources to purchase the tools of their trade and find it challenging after graduation to be fully ready for the workforce. This donation will prepare students for that next step and make them more employable.”

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after a January 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. In 2012, more than 3 million children were able to return to school with more than 200,000 students educated in Salesian-run institutions.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

Salesian schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

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

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

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Sources:

A Self-Help Assistance Program

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: More than 230 Salesian Graduates Receive Workforce Readiness Tool Kits first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Originally founded as the Salesian Boys’ Club, it was established in San Francisco in 1918 by Father Oreste Trincheri to serve at-risk boys and those living in poverty in the North Beach area, an area accounting for 60 percent of the city’s delinquency rate. Father Trincheri’s goal for the club was to provide a positive atmosphere and structured activities for boys in the area. In 1994, after serving only boys for almost 80 years, the club opted to include girls and expand its programs accordingly.

“Our primary mission is working with the underprivileged, but we are very diversified ethnically and socioeconomically,” said Russ Gumina, executive director of the Salesian Boys & Girls Club, in a recent Catholic San Francisco article about the reopening. He also noted that the club has many children from local public housing projects as well as from middle class and wealthy families. He added, “I told the archbishop we are the best kept secret in San Francisco.” The archdiocese is leasing the land the club sits on to the club for $1 a year for 70 years – which the club has already paid upfront.

Functioning side by side with Salesian schools, youth clubs offer young people opportunities for engaging in constructive activities during their leisure time. Through organized programs which often include sports and music, youth are taught teamwork and social skills while gaining opportunities for personal growth.

“I’ve been a member since I was about 4 or 5 years old,” said Dave Mana, 60, at the club’s grand reopening, according to the recent Catholic San Francisco article. “There are so many great things about the club. The fact it kept us on the straight and narrow is one thing.”

The Salesian Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco provides a safe space where youth can engage in sports, music, art and other social activities. Programs help build confidence and teach team building and conflict resolution skills. Leadership development, health programs and wrap-around family services are also offered and help youth connect with their peers, families and communities. The Salesian club offers drop-in services as well as scheduled activities. It also serves as an after-school program for the local St. Peter and Paul School.

“The Salesian Boys & Girls Club targets youth who would otherwise be on their own during their time away from school,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Instead of being on the streets or home alone, young people are able to join in the youth club’s activities and use their free time productively, staying safe and accessing support services that help them stay in school and keep focused on leading a happy and healthy life.”

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Sources:

Catholic San Francisco – Grand reopening of ‘landmark’ Salesian Boys and Girls Club

Salesian Boys & Girls Club San Francisco

The post UNITED STATES: Salesian Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco Reopens after $11 Million Renovation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

While the city of Lubumbashi has both agricultural and mineral resource wealth, the area faces numerous economic and social challenges. The city and surrounding areas have close to 8.2 million people, most living in poverty. More than 60 percent of the population is less than 20 years old. A large percentage of children and young adults have dropped out of school because they are unable to pay for tuition, uniforms and school supplies. This leaves many young adults unemployed and living on the streets.

The Kansebula St Jean Bosco Institute and the Chem Chem Center are providing educational opportunities for at-risk youth living in poverty within in the community. The Kansebula Institute emphasizes a human science curriculum while the Chem Chem Center specializes in agricultural training. Both facilities prepare youth for the workforce but face challenges around energy and water sources due to their remote locations. Neither facility has water services provided by its town or government and must rely on local resources such as wells and rivers.

Salesian missionaries began the two water projects to ensure clean fresh water for the students and the sustainability of the water sources for their facilities. At Kansebula, the project consists of erecting a high water tower and two 2,500 liter water tanks in connection to the existing water system. Once completed, this project will improve water management and protect the water pump in use. At Chem Chem the project entails upgrading the existing water system to allow proper quantities of clean water for students. This is being accomplished by deepening the existing well, erecting a high water tower and installing two 2,500 liter water tanks.

According to UN-Water, the United Nations inter-agency coordination mechanism on all freshwater related issues, 1.3 billion people cannot access electricity, 768 million people lack access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people have no improved sanitation, worldwide. For those who have no access to clean water, water related disease is common with more than 840,000 people dying each year from water related diseases.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has made building wells and supplying fresh, clean water, a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work. The two projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are just two of many underway.

“Water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “From helping to ensure our communities have access to clean water for drinking and agriculture to helping build a hydro-electric power station, Salesian missionaries working in 132 countries around the globe are always looking to expand their services to meet the needs of the poor youth and families they serve.”

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been plagued by intense civil war and internal conflict since the outbreak of fighting in 1998. As a result, there have been close to 5.4 million deaths, according to the International Rescue Committee. Most deaths resulted from non-violent causes such as malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition, all typically preventable under normal circumstances but often fatal in times of conflict. Close to 1.5 million people have been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring countries after having fled the country to escape the continued violence.

Young people make up about 19 percent of the country’s population but account for 47 percent of deaths during this conflict. Poverty is rampant, according to UNICEF, and 72 percent of rural households and 59 percent of urban households are poor. Nearly 40 percent of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition and most of the population lives with moderate to serious food insecurity. The 2013 Human Development Index ranked the Democratic Republic of the Congo 186th out of 187 countries and territories listed.

Salesian missionaries have been working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Primary and secondary education schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs provide youth with an opportunity for a stable and productive future.

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Sources:

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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The ongoing violence in the Central African Republic has resulted in more than 650,000 internally displaced people (with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone) and 300,000 who have fled across the borders as refugees. Due to the conflict, close to 2.2 million people have needed humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. Earlier in 2015, peace had begun to return to the country. Small markets were opened, taxi service returned and residents were able to move back and forth safely between locations. Although violence between the militias has receded, attacks on civilians remain widespread with witnesses describing them as retaliatory.

During his visit to the country, Pope Francis visited a refugee camp for those who have been internally displaced. Nearly 4,000 people, mostly women and children, live in the settlement of white tents donated by the United Nations. Here, the Pope visited mostly with the more than 500 children in the camp and offered some remarks.

“Peace without love and forgiveness isn’t possible,” said Pope Francis as quoted in a recent Crux article about his trip. “Each one of us has to do something to forge peace. I wish for all of you, and everyone in Central Africa, peace, that you can live in peace regardless of your ethnicity, culture, religion and social status.”

The Pope expressed similar messages of hope in Uganda and Kenya. According to the Crux article, the Pope’s trip to Africa underscores the importance of the continent to the Catholic Church. Africa has the fastest-growing population of Catholics and Muslims in the world, according to the Pew Research Center, with both Islam and Christianity expected to have more than twice as many followers in the region by 2050 as they did in 2010.

“Salesian missionaries work across the African continent and in more than 130 countries around the globe providing education, workforce development and social development programs for vulnerable youth and their families,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries have also been on the forefront of assisting those affected by violence and those that have been displaced in the Central African Republic.”

In the Central African Republic, Salesian missionaries operate two centers, Don Bosco Damala and Don Bosco Galabadja, both located near Bangui, the country’s capital city. The centers have provided shelter for those who have been internally displaced reaching well over 1,000 people at one time. The Salesian Center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

Both centers operate the Spaces of Peace project where youth of all ages, cultures and religions learn to live and work together peacefully. Through the project, Salesian missionaries offer sports, musical training, summer camps and other activities that promote teamwork and social skills. In addition, the program offers one meal a day to more than 1500 students during their school day, helps 700 students with school supplies and scholarships and assists 120 older youth gain the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

Salesian missionaries will continue to work diligently for the young and poor in the Central African Republic and across the African continent carrying out the Pope’s message of peace and hope while helping youth gain an education and break the cycle of poverty.

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Sources:

ANS – Central African Republic – The Pope’s Visit: a call for peace and a new way forward

Crux – Pope arrives as ‘Pilgrim of Peace’ in war-torn Central African Republic

*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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Flooding has killed more than 300 people in the region and close to 28,000 have needed to be rescued, according to India’s National Disaster Response Force. The flooding knocked out government services, stopped public transportation, damaged roads and left people stranded. As the flood water begins to recede, relief efforts are already underway. India’s National Crisis Management Committee recently reported that nearly 90 percent of the city has power, buses are running again and many schools are starting to reopen.

Salesian missionaries living and working in the region are dealing with the damage to their own facilities while responding to the situation with aid for the flood victims, many who have lost everything. Several Salesian houses situated in the worst hit areas were badly affected and the children living in them had to be moved to safety. Some older buildings and walls around Salesian compounds have collapsed due to erosion caused by the flooding.

Many of the children in the damaged Salesian houses lost the few possessions they had including clothing, bedding, pillows and blankets as well as valuable school supplies such as books and stationary. Also lost to the flood damage were major kitchen appliances, televisions and DVD players in the houses. At this point, the primary concern for Salesian staff is making sure the children remain safe and have their basic needs met including food, clothing and adequate shelter.

A Don Bosco Flood Relief Services team has been organized under the direction of Salesian Father Johnson, Father Mani Lazar and Father Jesumanickam and has been reaching out to hundreds of people in need. In addition, more than 100 youth volunteers with bikes have been aiding villages that are inaccessible due to flooded and collapsed roadways. For those in the surrounding communities of Chennai whose homes could not be repaired right away, Salesian missionaries and students have relocated villagers, mostly women and children, to safety by transporting them by boat to local church compounds and state school buildings. Missionaries have also set up temporary camps to provide shelter to those in need. In total, Salesian missionaries have been able to assist and provide supplies to close to 60 villages.

“Salesian missionaries were able to immediately assess the situation on the ground and move into action providing assistance and relief,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our programs are helping to provide food, clothing and shelter to those in need and our missionaries will remain in Chennai through the long recovery process helping the many affected families.”

With the support of students, teachers and volunteers, Salesian missionaries have distributed more than 8,000 packets of cooked food and candles as well as clothing and other supplies to families in communities and villages in the area. Looking ahead to the weeks and months to come, missionaries plan to repair their facilities and replace lost items while continuing to help local families in need.

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Sources:

ANS – India – Don Bosco Flood Relief continues

ANS – India – The Flood Relief works of the Salesians in the affected areas

CNN – Relief effort underway for flood-ravaged Chennai in India

The post INDIA: Salesian Missionaries are Providing Relief and Assistance to Those Affected by Intense Flooding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The two Covenants together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights form the International Bill of Human Rights and outline the civil, political, cultural, economic and social rights that are the birthright of all human beings. The theme of Human Rights Day 2015 is “Our Rights. Our Freedoms. Always” which aims to promote and raise awareness of the two Covenants on their 50th anniversary. The day also marks the kick-off of a year-long campaign that will promote the theme of rights and freedoms – freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

According to the United Nations, many people around the globe remain unaware of the existence of the International Bill of Human Rights and many countries still have much to do to build political institutions, judicial systems and economies that allow people to live with dignity. Through education and social development programming, Salesian missionaries in more than 130 countries around the globe fight to ensure that all youth know their rights, are able to fully participate in their communities and have their voices heard.

Whether it’s combating child labor, assisting homeless youth or building schools where children previously had no access to education, Salesian missionaries are on the front lines educating youth on their rights and ensuring access to programs and services they need. Working in more than 5,300 Salesian primary and secondary schools around the globe, missionaries educate children in some of the poorest places on the planet. Education provides vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth and helps to break the cycle of poverty. At Salesian schools, young children gain an education, learn about their rights and freedoms and participate in sports and other activities all in a safe environment that encourages learning and growth.

“Education is always our primary focus,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “We know youth are dealing with much more than just needing access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Homeless and malnourished youth are simply not able to focus effectively on their studies while they struggle to meet their basic needs. Salesian programs also provide food and shelter so students are able to focus on the education provided.”

In honor of Human Rights Day, Salesian Missions highlights its unique educational programs that are helping poor youth receive an education, understand their rights and find a path out of poverty, bringing them hope for the future.

CAMBODIA

In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children Fund since its inception in 1992. The Don Bosco Children Fund assists poor youth between the ages of 6 and 15 who are either unable to go to school or have had to drop out due to poverty. Through the fund’s program, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that participants make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework. During the 2013-2014 school year, the Don Bosco Children Fund supported 4,426 students in Cambodia’s government-run schools and another 637 students in schools managed by Don Bosco Schools Battambang.

INDIA

The Child Rights Education and Action Movement Project operated out of the city of Bangalore reached out to poor youth in both urban and rural areas of the State of Karnataka in southwestern India to create a culture that will support and uphold the protection of children’s rights. The goal was to encourage and enhance youth participation in the development process of promoting children’s rights and ensuring their care and protection. The project included the formation of more than 450 child rights clubs and the training of 900 teachers and 22,500 children in human rights education. The clubs aim to impart children’s rights awareness to about 75,000 children within a three year period.

SIERRA LEONE

Salesian Missions in Madrid, Spain recently released a report titled, Right to Protection of Children in Sierra Leone, which detailed a number of child rights violations that have been occurring in the country in the wake of the Ebola epidemic. According to the report, youth are faced with the devastating repercussions of Ebola including forced child labor, child abuse and more than 12,000 children who have been left orphaned. In Sierra Leone’s capital city, Freetown, Don Bosco Fambul, one of the country’s leading child welfare organizations, has been working for the prevention and detection of child rights violations as well as providing care and social integration for children and youth at-risk. Since 2010, the organization has provided a countrywide phone counseling service and since the outbreak of Ebola in 2014, the counseling line has turned into a widely used resource for Ebola prevention and support. More than 25,000 calls about Ebola have been answered and fielded. The data gathered as a result of the calls has helped the country’s national registration office identify Ebola hotspots and crisis regions. Through the hotline, Don Bosco Fambul brought hope to the children and adolescents of one of the poorest countries in the world during a terrible time of crisis.

SOUTH SUDAN

As a result of violence and a struggle to gain independence, much of South Sudan had been reduced to rubble. Infrastructure including hospitals, churches, schools and social program buildings were almost totally destroyed. Given the inability of the government to solve the problem, two Salesian priests decided that the best way to help the fledgling nation was through education. At the time of independence, more than 70 percent of the country’s children did not attend school. The “One Hundred Village Schools for South Sudan” project started in 2012 and since that time, 60 primary schools, comprised of four classrooms and a teacher’s office, have been built across the Salesian dioceses in the country. These schools are currently educating 13,500 children. The remaining 40 schools are expected to be completed by 2017.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

UN – Human Rights Day 2015

The post HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights Education, Child Rights Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The donated meals are provided to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, grown taller, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class and two programs have increased enrollment rates as a result of the feeding program.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

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 its services for youth in need,” adds Fr. Hyde. “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.”

The recent Stop Hunger Now shipment also contained 54 boxes of soccer clothing and equipment. Sports programs are an integral part of many Salesian centers around the globe and encourage teamwork while imparting valuable leadership skills. They also teach important social skills and provide opportunities for participants to grow and mature.

The Don Bosco Children and Life Mission, the primary recipient of the donation, provides more than 200 at-risk boys aged 8 to 17 access to primary, secondary and technical education along with sports programming, youth clubs, guidance counseling and life skills training. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities including Jazz band, brass band, acrobatics and Youth Alive Uganda, an organization that works with youth to promote social skills and values.

Each year, Youth Alive Uganda works with Salesian students to organize a festival to showcase singing, drama and poetry performances and fine arts exhibits. These arts activities help students express themselves and realize their individuality while developing skills and talents outside of the classroom.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Children and Life Mission

UNICEF – Uganda 

The post UGANDA: Students Receive Soccer Equipment and Rice Meals in Recent Stop Hunger Now Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to USAID, the lead U.S. government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential, there are more than 62 million girls around the globe who are not in school. Many families cannot afford school fees and others send their daughters to work at a young age instead. As a girl ages, the fight to get an education becomes progressively more difficult. USAID notes that in the developing world, one in seven girls is married before her 15th birthday. Girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to marry as children compared to girls who have little or no education.

For those who are able to attend school, the walk to and from school is often unsafe. Around the world, 246 million children experience gender‐based violence at or on their way to school every year. A report released by the United Nations Human Rights Council noted that attacks on schools occurred in at least 70 countries between 2009‐2014, and that approximately 3,600 attacks against schools, teachers and students were recorded in 2012 alone.

“Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “It is very important for girls to attend school and gain an education. Girls that are empowered though education are more often able to achieve financial independence, marry at an older age and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

In honor of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs around the globe that empower and educate young women and girls.

BOLIVIA

Started in 1992, the Casa Maín girl’s home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, provides shelter, nutritious meals and schooling for girls and young women with little access to education and those who were once living on the streets. Currently, there are more than 160 girls living and being educated at the home. Casa Maín is comprised of three houses and the girls are divided among them by age. The youngest girls, attending elementary school, live together in one house supported by several volunteer students from the secondary school. A second house provides shelter and peer support for girls attending secondary school while a third house is for young women attending the local university.

The university students enjoy a setting that allows them to finish their degrees in a stable environment while learning how to live independently. In addition to academic classes, the young women and girls at the home learn skills in communication and conflict management. Additional classes in dance, gymnastics and crafts are provided in the evenings and on weekends. Most recently, the organization offered a three-week technology workshop to teach the girls basic computer skills including typing, word processing and drawing.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

In the Dominican Republic, women striving for a better life can access support services through the “Madres Project” in Santo Domingo. This project addresses the root causes that force children to live on the streets. By teaching mothers skills that enable them to earn a living wage and improve their living conditions, their children become more likely to stay at home and off the streets. Made possible through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the International Volunteer Movement for Development, the program offers women complete courses in literacy, post-literacy, health care and computer skills with each training module including lessons in human rights. Salesians in Santo Domingo also operate a training program for youth in the poorest areas of the city called “Boys and Girls with Don Bosco.”

INDIA

In the state of Tamil Nadu, India, the Salesian “New Beginnings” program helps to educate Sri Lankan refugees while giving their families the chance to achieve stability in their new country. The program offers technical and vocational courses and skill training as well as job placement support to aid refugees in finding employment.

For women with children who are unable to leave the refugee camp and attend traditional classes, a special program has been developed within the camp. Through it, women receive training in skills such as jewelry making and sewing and are also provided entrepreneurial workshops. In addition, they are eligible for financial assistance to start up new businesses where they can use their new skills while continuing to take care of their families. One such business is a cooperative that utilizes sewing machines and equipment financed through a micro-credit program. To date, close to 2,500 refugees have received vocational training scholarships through the program and 550 women are benefiting from the refugee camp-based small business incubator program. In addition, Salesian missionaries are currently serving 550 individuals by providing vocational training through a network of nine Salesian-run Don Bosco schools spread across Southeast India.

MEXICO

Salesians working in Mexico City, Mexico, are directing their efforts toward the country’s at-risk population, including girls and mothers living on the streets. Innovative programs are preventing poor youth from dropping out of school and are providing them important educational and training opportunities. Through the “Yolia” program, girls and young women are able to spend their days at a Salesian center in the city where they can have meals, receive tutoring, obtain therapy and learn job skills such as jewelry making and hair styling. Some girls choose the residential program where they receive additional education and services while gaining a renewed sense of dignity and self-worth.

SIERRA LEONE

Salesians at Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone, have been running a Girls Shelter for the past three years. Here, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Those that access services at the shelter are also able to enroll in educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network and which train them in the skills necessary to find and retain employment. The training helps to empower them to overcome the discrimination they have faced and gain a greater awareness of their rights. It also helps to build character while allowing the girls and young women the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives, improve their health and boost their work prospects.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

United Nations Human Rights Council Report: Attacks on Girls February 2015

UN Women – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

USAID – Let Girls Learn

The post GLOBAL: Salesian Missions Highlights Girls Education and Empowerment Programs for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Youth currently comprise more than 23 percent of the country’s total population and those between the ages of 20 and 24 years face an unemployment rate close to 40 percent, according to  a 2014 United Nations Human Development report. A Sri Lanka Labor Force Survey conducted during the first quarter of 2015 found there were 422,446 unemployed persons between the ages of 18 and 24 years.

Since 1983, ethnic violence in the north and east of the country has forced more than 800,000 people from their homes and sources of livelihood. Thousands of children lost one or both parents in the conflict and the number of households headed by women increased, negatively impacting the poverty rate in the country.

Nine out of 10 poor people in Sri Lanka live in rural areas, according to the World Bank. More than 40 percent of the country’s rural poor are small-scale farmers with farm production often hampered by neglect and low investment levels resulting from poor financial services and limited technology. Sri Lankans are affected by a significant lack of infrastructure including roads, electricity, irrigation systems and communication channels. In several areas of the country, seven out of 10 people have no access to electricity and almost half of the population does not have access to safe drinking water. Malnutrition among children is also common.

“Youth unemployment stems from the ongoing war and deeply entrenched social factors of class, ethnicity and caste,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries working in the country focus their efforts on meeting basic needs as well as education and social development services for poor youth and their families.”

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Sri Lanka are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many hope for a more positive and productive future. The Don Bosco Vocational Training Center equips its students with the skills they need to compete in the labor market by offering courses in hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computers and more. The center is also serving local employers by providing them a well-trained labor force.

“I am in a good position to help my family financially and hope to have a better future,” said 19-year-old W. Tiron Lakmal who stopped studying due to financial problems and undertook a welding course at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center, according to a recent UCA News article about the school.

Lakmal said he is grateful for the vocational training or else he would have been just another unemployed young person with no future and no confidence to find work.

Many of the technical school’s students are school dropouts seeking a second chance. The school is accessible to poor youth regardless of their religious affiliation who are looking to dedicate themselves to overcoming the challenging labor conditions in the country. The Salesians of Don Bosco have been operating in Sri Lanka since 1956. In 1963, missionaries set up their first technical institute and since then, have established 17 more in locations across the country.

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Sources:

The Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Nochchiyagama, Sri Lanka

UCA News – Sri Lankan Salesians help youth in difficult job market

World Bank – Sri Lanka

The post SRI LANKA: Salesian Missionaries Provide Technical Training to Poor Youth to Help Them Gain Employment in Difficult Labor Market first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The organization serves child laborers, victims of child abuse and youth who are orphaned, abandoned or live on the streets at nine BOSCO rehabilitation centers and six outreach hubs spread throughout the city. In its 35 year history, BOSCO has helped improve the lives of more than 125,000 children and rescues and rehabilitates close to 7,000 children each year. In 2014, BOSCO volunteers rescued 6,451 runaway youth and were able to reunite 4,681 of them back with their families. Those remaining are under the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee. Of the youth rescued, there were 5,561 boys and 900 girls, the majority of whom were between the ages of 6 and 16 with 75 of the children under age five.

Many children living on the streets are runaways who have left home in search of work or to escape violence or other family difficulties. According to UNICEF, more than 40,000 children are reported missing every year in India. Of these, close to 11,000 remain untraced. As many cases go unreported, it is suspected that the actual number of missing children is much higher. Many runaways come to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru in search of work and a better life with the majority of them living on the streets and on the country’s railway platforms where they beg, steal or perform menial jobs to survive. All too often, they fall victim to child traffickers.

In 2010, India passed a landmark law mandating that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 be in school, but according to UNICEF, millions of children remain in the workforce. Full implementation of the law went into effect in 2013, but child workers can still be found in almost every industry in India. The problem has been enforcing the law, particularly in high poverty regions of the country.

Once youth are identified by BOSCO and convinced to come in off the street, their basic needs are provided for such as housing, food and clothing. In addition, they receive counseling and, if appropriate, are reunited back with their families. Education is also a primary component of BOSCO and is provided to those in the rehabilitation program while those who are returned to their families have access to Salesian schools throughout India. Youth who continue their education are more likely to find and retain stable employment later in life and break the cycle of poverty.

“Salesian missionaries in India are working hard to rehabilitate street children and restore their childhoods,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many take for granted having a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat and access to medical care. Salesian missionaries recognize how critical it is to meet these basic needs before expecting youth to be able to focus on education.”

BOSCO is also involved in child rights education in schools, colleges, and for the general public and has made significant contributions towards the development of government policies for the protection of children. In addition, BOSCO has been running the Childline Youth Hotline since 2002. This hotline is a safety net for youth on the streets and connects them to safe shelter and other services. Salesian missionaries collaborate extensively with the Indian government and child protection system by providing training, advocacy and outreach program development to help reduce the number of street children while sharing resources for finding, identifying and rehabilitating those currently living on the streets.

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota

Don Bosco India – Government of India names BOSCO, Bangalore the best NGO for Child Welfare

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2012

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: Indian Government Awards Salesian-run BOSCO Bangalore the 2014 National Award for Child Welfare first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since violence initially broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups, thousands have died, more than 650,000 have been internally displaced (with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone) and 300,000 have fled across the borders as refugees. Due to the conflict, close to 2.2 million people have needed humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations (UN). Earlier in 2015, peace had begun to return to the Central African Republic. Small markets were opened, taxi service returned and residents were able to move back and forth between locations.

A new outbreak of violence has since erupted after a body of a young man was found in September causing residents to flee from their homes again to seek shelter in the country. Those in need have sought refuge and assistance at the two Salesian centers. According to local Salesian missionaries on the ground, the recent clashes have killed close to 60 people and left 300 wounded.

The donated rice-meals were distributed to children, women and the elderly at a Salesian school and church as well as to local villagers. The distribution happened quickly in order to reach the populations in need without any interruption from the armed groups of rebels and bandits. For many families, this donation has brought some relief as it had been several months since they had the supplies for regular meals. The rice-meal donation has improved the health and overall mood of the recipients and helped students to concentrate on their school studies.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Those who access Salesian programs in the Central African Republic have very little and are in need of the basics like proper nutrition, clothing, shelter and education. This donation will go a long way in helping those who are most vulnerable.”

The Salesian Center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

Both centers operate the Spaces of Peace project where youth of all ages, cultures and religions learn to live and work together peacefully. Through the project, Salesian missionaries offer sports, musical training, summer camps and other activities that promote teamwork and social skills. In addition, the program offers one meal a day to more than 1500 students during their school day, helps 700 students with school supplies and scholarships and assists 120 older youth gain the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

Despite the ongoing violence, Salesian missionaries continue to work diligently for the young and poor in the Central African Republic. Educational and social development programs helps youth regain a sense of normalcy while allowing them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.

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Sources:

ANS – Central African Republic – Recurring cycles of violence … hoping for 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.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Rice-Meal Donation Impacts Close to 1,500 Internally Displaced People Seeking Assistance from Salesian Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Actor Michael Peña and director Joe Kelly have collaborated on a public service announcement, You Are My Sunshine, for the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles. You are My Sunshine tells the story of a young girl’s journey to the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles where children from less fortunate circumstances are provided a safe place to dream, learn and become successful educated adults.

The public service announcement is available on YouTube and has been shared on Twitter by some of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities including actors Mark Wahlberg and Andie MacDowell, director and producer Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Michael Peña also provided another short film which is available on the Salesian Boys & Girls Club’s website, speaking about his own connection to the Salesian club. Since 1966, the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles, located within walking distance of more than 13,000 elementary, middle and high school students, has served the Boyle Heights and City Terrace communities by providing positive after-school activities and low-cost alternative programs for thousands of at-risk and economically disadvantaged youth between the ages of 6 and 18.

Young people living in the East L.A. area face a number of challenges. According to the most recent 2012 U.S. census data, close to 27 percent of residents of East L.A. live in poverty, an increase from the overall 15.3 percent poverty rate for California. Youth living in poverty face lower rates of high school graduation and difficulty finding and maintaining employment as well as struggle with high crime rates and gang activity. Only 50 percent of youth living in East L.A. graduate high school and only 7 percent go on to college. For those involved in the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles, more than 85 percent graduate from high school and 50 percent go on to college.

“Youth living in poverty in East L.A. communities often have difficulty remaining in school. They also face high levels of unemployment and pressure to join gangs and engage in other illegal activities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian youth programs provide positive role models, structured activities, a safe place to get off the streets and a nonviolent, supportive environment in which to engage with peers.”

Functioning side by side with Salesian schools, youth clubs offer young people opportunities for engaging in constructive activities during their leisure time. Through organized programs which often include sports and music, youth are taught teamwork and social skills while gaining opportunities for personal growth. Some youth clubs also offer small medical clinics and, where needed, lunch programs to protect children from malnutrition.

Functioning side by side with Salesian schools, youth clubs offer young people opportunities for engaging in constructive activities during their leisure time. Through organized programs which often include sports and music, youth are taught teamwork and social skills while gaining opportunities for personal growth. Some youth clubs also offer small medical clinics and where needed, lunch programs to protect children from malnutrition.

The Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles provides a safe space where youth can engage in sports, music, art and other social activities. Programs help build confidence and teach team building and conflict resolution skills. Leadership development, health programs and wrap-around family services are also offered and help youth connect with their peers, families and communities. In addition, the club offers at least one full meal a day and additional tutoring and educational programs to complement school studies. Currently the club has more than 3,400 registered members.

“The Salesian Boys & Girls Club targets youth who would otherwise be on their own during their time away from school,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Instead of being on the streets or home alone, young people are able to join in the youth club’s activities and use their free time productively, staying safe and accessing support services that help them stay in school and keep focused on leading a happy and healthy life.”

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Sources:

Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles

United States – Hollywood stars collaborate for LA Salesian Club

The post UNITED STATES: Actor Michael Peña, Director Joe Kelly Collaborate on PSA for Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Earlier this year, while speaking to Salesian priests and nuns at a Sunday mass in Turin, Italy’s Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, the Pope recounted fond childhood memories of his family’s closeness to the Salesians and how when his mother was ill, he was taken out of public school to spend one year studying with Salesian missionaries. The Pope went on to recall how he grew very attached to the Salesian community during the year he spent with them. Noting how Salesian missionaries go above and beyond classroom teaching by using creative arts, sports and other activities to engage young people, he recalled the creation of a soccer team for Argentinian street children by Salesian Father Lorenzo Massa in 1908.

In anticipation of the bicentennial of  Salesian founder St. John (Don) Bosco’s birth on August 16, Pope Francis sent a letter to Father Ángel Fernández Artime, the Salesian Rector Major. In the letter, Pope Francis praised the work of Don Bosco and the Salesian Family and highlighted Don Bosco’s call to service and his work with poor and disadvantaged youth. Pope Francis also praised Salesian efforts in establishing education and social development services that are open to all youth regardless of language, race, culture or religion.

As part of the letter, Pope Francis states, “A characteristic feature of Don Bosco’s pedagogy is loving kindness, which is to be understood as a love that is manifested and perceived, and reveals itself in caring, affection, understanding and involvement in the life of another person. In the experiential process of education, according to Don Bosco, it is not enough to love, but love needs to be expressed in gestures that are concrete and effective. Thanks to this loving kindness, so many children and adolescents in Salesian settings have experienced an intense and serene emotional growth, which has proved very valuable in the shaping of their personality and in their life’s journey.”

Salesian missionaries educate more than 1 million youth in more than 5,300 primary and secondary schools and nearly 1,000 vocational, technical and agricultural schools. To date, more than 3 million youth have participated in Salesian programs operated by more than 30,000 Salesian missionaries in more than 130 countries around the globe. Salesian programs provide poor youth and their families access to education, workforce development, humanitarian relief, youth clubs, health services, feeding programs and more.

“Salesian missionaries are dedicated to caring for poor youth through programs that are innovative in design and customized to meet local needs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries focus on helping young people become self-sufficient through education and skills training that leads to employment, which in turn builds strong communities.”

Salesian missionaries are widely considered one of the largest private providers of vocational and technical training in the world. Programs focus on helping vulnerable youth in some of the poorest places on the planet by providing access to educational opportunities that match local workforce development needs. Through Salesian skills training programs, youth are able to gain the skills necessary to find and retain stable employment. This work helps grow local economies and breaks the cycle of poverty for poor youth and their families.

“Salesian missionaries are often faced with challenges when providing programs in some of the most difficult environments, especially after natural disasters and in regions plagued by conflict and war, but despite hardship, their mission to bring hope and opportunity to those living in poverty remains strong,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

Vatican Radio – In Turin, Pope recalls charism of Salesians’ Don Bosco

The post GLOBAL: Pope Francis Recalls His Positive Educational Experiences in Salesian Schools first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Rural life in Guatemala is often associated with extreme poverty. However, rural Q’eqchi are among those in the community looking to improve their lives. Through Salesian programs, Q’eqchi are learning new skills that can lead to additional income for their families while increasing the capacities of their communities.

The Don Bosco Center is the male counterpart to a local educational project for girls known as Talita Kumi which was started by a Salesian missionary from India, Father Jorge Puthenpura, and is now run by the Salesian Sisters of the Resurrection. This program works to raise the status of women and empower them to become household and community decision-makers.

“Both of these educational efforts are part of the much broader mission developed by the Salesian community in Guatemala,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian educational programs have been very successful with the number of schools in the region doubling, allowing for more children than ever before to have the opportunity for a brighter future.”

Under the leadership of Salesian missionary, Father Anthony De Groot, the Don Bosco Center has also developed an extensive teacher training program. Father De Groot came to the Carchá mission in the Alta Verapz region of Guatemala in 1975 and has been helping youth break the cycle of poverty and improve their lives through education ever since.

Upon his arrival in Guatemala, Fr. De Groot was immediately struck by the extreme poverty and deprivation in the mountain communities. What started for him as an effort to provide support to remote villages neglected during a civil war, turned into an educational revolution resulting in the training of hundreds of teachers while offering poor youth a second chance.

“Determined to make a difference, Fr. De Groot began visiting the villages to build hope and offer support,” adds. Fr Hyde. “After a while, he realized much more needed to be done especially for the sake of the children. He started to build schools and initiated a teacher training program.”

Today, more than 850 local students are enrolled in a series of teacher training courses. Upon receiving their teaching certificates, these students will go on to teach in some of the 600 villages throughout Guatemala that participate in the program.

Rural poverty hasn’t changed much in Guatemala during the last 20 years, according to the World Bank. Close to 75 percent of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line and almost 58 percent live below the extreme poverty line which the World Bank defines as struggling to afford even a basic basket of food.

For the country’s indigenous population, the poverty rates jump even higher with almost 90 percent facing crippling poverty and few resources. Salesian missionaries have been working in Guatemala for many years, particularly with indigenous populations, to help break the cycle of poverty and provide access to basic needs and education.

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Sources:

World Bank – Guatemala

The post GUATEMALA: More Than 800 Indigenous Q’eqchi (Mayans) Receive Technical Training at Don Bosco Center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The donation by IRN provided new desks, chairs, tables, bookcases and filing cabinets for Salesian-run elementary and nursery schools, a library, a youth center and an office. Desks and chairs help to provide a more dignified and organized educational environment for students to complete their studies. As a result, students are often more focused on their classroom work and more prepared for their lessons.

“This donation is especially important for the children in our schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The furniture has contributed greatly to their discipline and learning environment while bringing smiles to their faces. This has been a great contribution to the primary and nursery schools.”

The Institution Recycling Network was started in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every educational, commercial and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

“There is a clear match between Salesian Missions’ need for furniture and equipment for their worldwide projects and the supplies of surplus to which IRN has access,” says, principal of the Institution Recycling Network. “Salesian Missions has been an excellent partner.”

IRN partners with nonprofits who are known to be reputable and effective providers of relief and development assistance, and who are able to use the types of surplus that IRN can provide. The organization has a “wish list” from each of its nonprofit partners of the types and quantities of surplus they can use.

When a project comes to IRN, it makes a match against these wish lists and offers the surplus to the most appropriate nonprofits. At this point, surplus is offered on a first-come-first-served basis; the first nonprofit(s) to express interest in the surplus, receives it. In many cases, a single nonprofit will claim the entire project but in some cases, the surplus will be split among two or more organizations.

“There is almost infinite demand in the U.S. and worldwide for good quality surplus so IRN’s surplus program will continue to grow,” says Lennon. “The school or company that supplies the surplus pays IRN for the service of matching their surplus with our nonprofit network. In almost all cases they pay IRN much less than they would pay to bring in dumpsters and throw the surplus away.”

There is a three pronged benefit to the work that IRN does. The generating organizations profit by disposing of their surplus for less than the cost of throwing it away, while the recipient organizations profit from a very low cost source of quality furniture and equipment. Impoverished and disaster-stricken people benefit from furniture and equipment they otherwise would have no access to. And finally, the planet benefits from reuse of important resources.

In addition to this shipment to Sierra Leone, additional furniture from the same source has been donated to Salesian programs in the Ivory Coast, Vietnam, East Timor and Liberia.

“IRN donations have furnished Salesian schools and development offices in Central America, South America, Africa and Asia,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We plan to continue working with IRN because they are a reliable partner who is eager to assist in our mission and provide quality donations to our programs.”

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Sources:

Institution Recycling Network

Salesian Missions – Sierra Leone 

The post SIERRA LEONE: Salesian Programs Benefit from Furniture Donation from the Institution Recycling Network first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Sports for Peace program, the third of its kind in Brazil, is made possible through a collaboration between the Salesian Missions office in Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation and benefits close to 200 youth from the most disadvantaged areas around Rio de Janeiro. Many of the boys participating in the program live in the slums and once had very little hope for the future.

The program’s motto is, “They play, we educate” and participants receive nutritional, family and psychological support, regular health checkups and the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts, reading and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse are also provided. Outside of normal school hours, participants in the program receive sports training by coaches qualified by the Real Madrid Foundation.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

The trip to Spain included many cultural and recreational activities including a trip to the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid to watch a live soccer match between Real Madrid and Levante. For 13 year old Guilherme Ferreira who lives in Niterói’s Santa Rosa slum with his parents and two small brothers, the trip was an opportunity to see one of his favorite players and show his younger brothers that hard work and education can lead to many rewards.

“This is one of the biggest dreams of my life. I’m going crazy at the idea of seeing Cristiano Ronaldo playing. I identify a lot with him, in his determination and hard work to achieve all that he sets out to do,” said Ferreira. “I have to be an example for my brothers and I am filled with pride at being chosen by the Salesian Youth Center to join the team because of my behavior and my efforts.”

According to Elaine Holanda, a psychologist and director of the Salesian Youth Center in Niterói who was a chaperone on the trip, many of the boys were filled with emotion when they entered the stadium. Having only watched soccer matches on television, they never dreamed they would have the opportunity to experience a live game on the field.

“These boys are very talented, but also very unlucky,” said Holanda. “We try to give them, through education, the opportunity to realize their dreams.”

The collaboration between Salesian programs and the Real Madrid Foundation has been very successful, granting more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children the opportunity to participate in similar programs around the globe. This socio-sports program in Brazil is operating alongside 13 other socio-sporting schools in nine countries including Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Senegal and the Dominican Republic.

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 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 opportunities for furthering their education and skills.

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Sources:

ANS – Brazil – The school social club “Sport for Peace”. A dream fulfilled

UNICEF – Brazil Statistics

Real Madrid Foundation

*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.

The post BRAZIL: Students Participating in Salesian-run Sports for Peace Program Awarded Trip to Madrid, Spain first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Nepal has struggled with a poverty rate of 25 percent even before the earthquakes and the rate jumps to 50 percent for those living in the mid-western and far western parts of the country due to rough terrain that makes farming almost impossible. Close to 80 percent of the country’s population live in rural areas and rely on farming to make a living and these rural residents, many affected by the earthquake, face the worst poverty. Most of these households have little to no access to health care, education, safe drinking water, sanitation or other basic services. In addition, nearly half of all children under the age of five in the country are malnourished.

The earthquakes exacerbated already challenging conditions especially for residents of remote villages and those living in poverty. 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 remain in need of shelter and other assistance.

Salesian missionaries have been living and working within Nepal’s communities for many years and were among the first to respond with emergency relief after the earthquakes, providing food and water to those who had lost everything. Less than two weeks after the earthquakes, Nepal Don Bosco Society, a Salesian non-governmental organization, distributed more than 100 tons of relief materials including sixty tons of food and tarpaulins for temporary shelter to more than 30,000 people in 19 villages spanning six districts.

“Salesian missionaries have been able to reach out to many places, many villages, including those areas that government officials were not able,” says Bishop Paul Simick, Vicar Apostolic of Nepal. “There are other places that are very difficult to reach and we have heard that people are still waiting for the first relief to reach them.”

Today, months after the earthquake, Salesian missionaries are building temporary schools and addressing long-term training needs as part of their reconstruction and relief efforts, especially in the Kathmandu Valley where Salesian missionaries operate two programs. Don Bosco Thecho is a technical school located in the Kathmandu suburb of Lubhu and Don Bosco Siddhipur, located in the Lalitpur district, offers both a primary and secondary school.

The United Nations has noted that more than 32,000 classrooms and 1,383 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes. Salesian missionaries will utilize the skills of the newly trained students from Don Bosco Thecho to assist in the rebuilding of schools with a goal of reconstructing at least 40 schools. Each village in the area will be asked to form a school-reconstruction committee that will mobilize the villagers to contribute as much as possible in cash, labor and locally available materials. To date, more than 21 temporary learning centers have been completed. In a recent evaluation meeting with Nepalese government officers and other non-government organizations, it was acknowledged that the temporary learning centers built by the Salesian missionaries and students were of such high quality they could possibly serve as permanent school buildings.

Children of Nepal have been most affected by the earthquakes and getting them back to school has remained a priority for Salesian missionaries. Schools provide a sense of normalcy for children who have faced devastation and destruction. Along with normal classroom instruction, schools also provide psychosocial programs to help children process their fears and concerns as well as the changes they are experiencing as a result of the earthquakes and displacement. They also provide a safe haven from the human trafficking that has surfaced in the country in the wake of the earthquakes.

“As with any natural disaster, the children are the worst affected,” says Father Tony Valiaparackattu, a Salesian missionary serving in Nepal. “They have been displaced from their homes and families and have been traumatized by the scenes of devastation surrounding them. Many have lost parents, siblings or other loved ones. Their world has been turned upside down.”

Immediately after the initial earthquake, Salesian Missions launched an emergency fund to assist Salesian missionaries in Nepal. The funding goes directly to support relief efforts on the ground in communities and remote villages. Salesian Missions is urging the public to donate to its Nepal Emergency Fund. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/Nepal for more information and to give to the relief efforts.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Nepal is Calling

Salesian Missions – Nepal Emergency Fund

Don Bosco Thecho

The post NEPAL: Short Video Documentary Tells Story of Salesian Missionaries Helping with Relief, Rebuilding Efforts after Devastating Earthquakes first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries bring life-changing education, workforce development and social programs, and critical humanitarian aid to some of the most disadvantaged communities in the world. In 2014, missionaries faced an unprecedented Ebola epidemic, civil strife in the Middle East and parts of Africa, and high numbers of unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S. border escaping hardship in Central America and searching for a better life. Through it all, Salesian missionaries remained true to their mission to provide youth facing adversity the education and social support they need to be able to live happy and healthy lives.

Working in more than 5,300 Salesian primary and secondary schools around the globe, missionaries educate children in some of the poorest places on the planet. Education gives vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth — breaking the cycle of poverty. At Salesian schools, young children attend classes and participate in sports and other activities. These schools provide them with a safe place to learn and grow.

“Education is always our primary focus,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “We know youth are dealing with much more than just having access to education. Salesian programs are tailored to meet the needs of the youth in the communities they serve. Homeless and malnourished youth are simply not able to focus effectively on their studies while they struggle to meet their basic needs. Salesian programs also provide food and shelter so youth are able to focus on the education provided.”

Salesians of Don Bosco are widely considered the largest private provider of vocational and technical training in the world, providing education and workforce development at nearly 1,000 Salesian-run vocational, technical, professional and agricultural schools and programs. Programs focus on helping vulnerable youth by providing access to educational opportunities that match the local workforce development needs. Youth are given the practical skills to prepare for meaningful employment while learning how to lead productive lives and become contributing adults in their communities.

Living and working in the communities they serve, Salesian missionaries are also perfectly positioned to coordinate and deliver lifesaving aid to those who need it most. In 2014, the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs coordinated the delivery and distribution of $14.3 million worth of supplies provided by giving supply partners. Among the many donations, relief aid was sent to missionaries working in West Africa amidst the Ebola outbreak, including medical and dental supplies, personal protective equipment, soap and sanitary supplies, and fortified-rice meals.

“Salesian programs are made possible by generous donors who support our important work,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We are strongly committed to assuring our donors that their donations are used wisely where the need is greatest. We stretch every dollar for maximum impact and are proud to report that over 85 percent of our total operating expenses go directly to mission programs and services that benefit those who rely on us for help.”

Salesian Missions 2014 Annual Report provides a detailed overview of all of the organization’s programs and services as well as highlighting their financial accountability to funders and donors. To read this year’s annual report, visit http://salesianmissions.org/about-us/accountability.

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This is made possible through ongoing partnerships with food aid organizations like Stop Hunger Now and Feed My Starving Children. Combined with donor contributions to the food appeal, this allows for the delivery of lifesaving food to Salesian programs around the globe. Once there, missionaries work to ensure it is safely and efficiently distributed to those most in need.

Also making this possible is the fact that Salesian Missions is a trusted recipient of the USAID Ocean Freight Reimbursement Grant program, which enables its Office for International Programs to transport shipments of humanitarian aid and development commodities at low- to no-cost.

More than 793 million people across the world go hungry every day, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. More than 70 percent of food insecure people live in rural areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East. Additionally, two billion people lack the vitamins and minerals needed to live healthy lives, according to the World Food Program and the United Nations.

Of those who go hungry daily, 98 percent reside in developing countries where there is not only a shortage of food, but major challenges for aid to reach its destination. Working and living in the communities they serve, Salesian missionaries are perfectly positioned to ensure that the distribution of food aid reaches those who need it most. Operating primary schools, technical training centers, agricultural schools, youth centers, orphanages and programs for street children, Salesian missionaries are on the front lines of the battle against hunger. In fact, Salesians operate more than 5,300 primary and secondary schools that serve more than a million students worldwide.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions.

Salesian food programs provide meals to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the feeding programs, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates as a result of the feeding program.

“Feeding programs are a necessity to meet the needs of the massive number of children around the globe who are hungry today,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The impact of Salesian feeding programs can be seen places like Monrovia, Liberia, where the Ebola epidemic has challenged an already-struggling economy. Survivors rely on petty trade to earn incomes that are inadequate to support themselves and their families. Children like 6-year-old Nyumah and his 12-year-old sister (who live in a one-room shack with their widowed mother and grandmother) regularly go hungry, putting their health and futures at risk.

Thanks in part to funds raised by the Annual Food Distribution Appeal, Nyumah and his family now receive a monthly supply of fortified rice-meals, enough to keep the children healthy and engaged in school. The meals were donated by Feed My Starving Children and arrived in September in a 40-foot shipping container filled with 35 pallets containing 1,260 boxes of rice meals each. Coordination of the donation and shipping was managed by the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs and for just $2,000, the cost to ship the donated meals, close to 400 families in Nyumah’s impoverished community have access to healthy nutritious meals.

“The beneficiaries of these shipments are children,” says Father Nicola, director and economer of the Salesian house in Monrovia. “We distribute the meals to the poorest families of the Matadi quarter in Monrovia, where 70 percent of the people live in zinc houses in a swamp environment. We give additional preference to families caring for orphans, children affected by Ebola, to widowed mothers struggling to survive, and to the elderly.”

Salesian Missions feeding programs are providing healthy nutrition, preparing youth to better achieve in school and improving health conditions in countries like Liberia, Swaziland, El Salvador, Myanmar and beyond. To raise money for the Annual Food Distribution fund, the Catholic nonprofit aid organization has launched a fundraising campaign and is issuing an appeal for donations. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/food to give.

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The Don Bosco Technical Institute has been providing education and skills training in the electrical, automotive, carpentry and machine fitting maintenance trades as well as life skills training and employment assistance for more 200 students over the last 13 years. Within the last year, the institute has added new workshop materials and built a basketball court for recreational activities and six apartments for staff members who require accommodation on campus.

While the majority of students are male, the institute has been working to increase enrollment of female students by encouraging them to take courses in more typically male-dominated trades as well as providing opportunities for those who previously left school due to marriage or pregnancy. Currently, most young women begin at the institute with life skills training followed by courses in teaching and nursing.

The Laura Vicuna Hostel, operated by Salesian Sisters, provides safe accommodation for 36 young women from economically deprived backgrounds who have come to Honiara to attend university. The hostel is at maximum capacity and has a growing waiting list of young women who wish to live at the hostel and study and at the Don Bosco Technical Institute.

Responding to local need and numerous requests, the Salesian Sisters have been providing a five-month home economics course for women from disadvantaged backgrounds who have had very little formal education. In the Solomon Islands, only 20 percent of female adults are literate. The home economics program offers classes in basic literacy, math, computing, dress making, cooking and health awareness. Students learn practical skills in sewing and textiles as well as home and small business management. Many choose additional classes in music, basket weaving and gardening as well.

In 2013, the technical school introduced new courses in the basics of hospitality and tourism for young men and women seeking employment in hotel management and the hospitality industry. The school’s curriculum continues to expand based on the employment needs of the local community and student interest.

“Most of the students at the Don Bosco Technical Institute are from poor families and many have dropped out of traditional schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “There, they are getting a second chance by learning skills that will enable them to find employment to support themselves and their families.”

The Solomon Islands is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific region with almost 40 percent of the population living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The majority of the country’s children live in remote areas where access to education is limited. Close to 25 percent of youth never attend primary school with 30 percent of those attending never completing. Limited access to education and an adult literacy rate of less than 35 percent perpetuates the cycle of poverty from generation to generation.

Eighty-four percent of Solomon Islanders reside in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Limited access to health and other social services and a lack of transportation, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure compounds already challenging economic conditions. With the majority of youth living in remote areas with limited educational and employment prospects, overcoming poverty is an uphill battle.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Technical Institute, Solomon Islands

Salesian Missions Australia Province Newsletter – Year in Review 2015

UNICEF – Solomon Islands

The post SOLOMON ISLANDS: Salesian Missionaries Help Youth Learn a Trade at Don Bosco Technical Institute first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The prisoner, Musa Brima, was accused of fraud he did not commit. He saw a judge only once at the start of his imprisonment to declare he was not guilty and then was largely forgotten by the system until identified by Salesian missionaries. When his case was brought back to court, the judge told him he was free and could go home.

“I remember well my time in prison because when you live through a sad reality you count every day hoping this terrible nightmare will end,” says Brima. “It was wonderful to be able to go home free and unhindered, after all this time, and hug my wife and my three children.”

Many of the prisoners who will be assisted through the project do not have family outside the prison to ensure that the court and prison system acts in a fair and balanced way. Don Bosco Fambul hopes the project will free up to 100 inmates who have been held for more than three years without a conviction.

“We obtain the information for which prisoners are eligible for the legal support from personal interviews with the detainees, and we check the prison register to verify their requests and their claim that they had been in prison for more than three years,” says Brother Lothar, director of Don Bosco Fambul.

Prison life in Sierra Leone offers very little hope for rehabilitation or reintegration back into society once a prison term has ended. According to humanitarian watch groups, prisons in Sierra Leone face overcrowding and inadequate food as well as lack vital sanitation and health care. Inmates 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 population of the country’s largest detention facility, Pademba Road Prison in Freetown, was designed for 324 detainees but had over 1,300 inmates at the time of the report with the number continuing to grow.

In addition to providing legal support, Don Bosco Fambul provides education and counseling services to reach youth inside the prison. A long-term partnership between the prison and Don Bosco Fambul was established to allow the opening of a youth counseling center for the prisoners that is staffed four hours each day with two social workers and three assistants. The goal of the center is to give youth and their families the necessary tools for rehabilitation and reintegration upon release.

Don Bosco Fambul is also providing food and water to more than 70 inmates of Pademba Road Prison each day while offering counseling services, medical assistance and stress therapy to ensure inmates are mentally fit when their prison terms have ended.

“Youth incarcerated in Sierra Leone must see hope for the future if we expect to deter them from crime and other dangerous behavior,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our goal is for youth to use their time in prison constructively and through counseling, begin to address what brought them to the prison in order to prevent their return.”

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Sources:

ANS – Sierra Leone – The Salesians obtain the release of a young man imprisoned for five years without sentence

UNICEF – Sierra Leone

The post SIERRA LEONE: Salesian Missionaries Are Working to Free Young Prisoners Who Never Received Convictions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Established in 2005, the Don Bosco St. Joseph School for Children was brought under Salesian oversight in 2013. Since then, the school has been undergoing major renovations to accommodate its growing student population. Situated on the periphery of a large village, the school was created to serve poor students whose parents could not afford traditional school fees. It offers a full range of academic classes as well as recreational programs. Each year, the student population grows as more and more area families require access to affordable education.

Due to its growing population, sanitation has been a major concern at the school and will be addressed by the recent construction project which will provide separate bathroom facilities for male and female students. To date, a well has been dug and the purchasing of materials and digging of pits are underway. Once enough funds are raised to complete the project, construction of the bathroom buildings will begin.

“This project will greatly impact Salesian students and provide them better access to safe drinking water and water for washing their hands,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We expect this project will reduce the number of children who become sick due to lack of proper hygiene and safe water.”

Salesian missionaries involved in the project hope to help families save on medical expenses for treating children who develop water related diseases and illness due to contaminated water. Once construction is complete on the new facilities, children will no longer have to wait in long lines to use the bathroom and can turn their attention to their studies.

With more than 1.2 billion people, India’s growing population is putting a severe strain on the country’s natural resources. According to Water.org, close to 104 million people do not have access to safe, clean water and 808 million have no sanitation services. Most water sources throughout the country are contaminated by sewage and agricultural runoff.

While India has made some progress in the supply of safe water, there remain gross disparities in safe water access across the country. The World Bank estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water with diarrhea alone causing more than 1,600 deaths daily. Access to proper sanitation is extremely poor, particularly in rural areas where only 14 percent of the population have access to a latrine. In addition, hand washing is not commonplace and leads to an increase in the spread of disease.

Salesian missionaries across India are dedicated to ensuring that access to safe water is a priority in Salesian-run programs and schools and in the communities in which they operate.

“Water is vital for life,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – India

Water.org – India

The post INDIA: Salesian Missionaries Begin Construction Project for New Bathroom Facilities at St. Joseph School for Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Road to Life program was started by the Salesian International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS) and is co-financed by the European Union. A recent theater production was performed by 10 participants in the program who shared their stories in front of an audience of more than 60 youth between the ages of 10 and 15. By performing their stories, these former street children are able to overcome the trauma they have suffered in the past.

“At-risk children, teenagers and young adults across Angola are achieving in the classroom and through alternative offerings like The Road to Life program,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal is to have youth participate in programs that promote social inclusion, emotional development and access to education.”

The Road to Life program helps young people share their stories including who they are, where they come from and how they have achieved success in their lives. The stories are performed as songs, plays, poems or other creative outlets chosen by each participant. By performing their stories, participants are aided in their recovery while helping to encourage other young people to succeed. Marco, one of The Road to Life participants, read a poem he had written about his experience living on the streets and his success finding shelter and education at a Salesian center resulting in renewed hope for a better life.

Five other participants put on a collaborative play about their past experiences, the challenges they have overcome and their hopes for the future. The play focused on their educational pursuits, the job training they have received and the support from Salesian missionaries, volunteers and educators from VIS.

Casa Magone provides shelter and a safe place for youth coming in off the streets. Salesian missionaries at the shelter work to meet the basic needs of the youth who live there while helping them access counseling and education and later job training and stable employment.

“Our programs for street youth go beyond providing shelter and meeting basic needs,” says Fr. Hyde. “Salesian centers like Casa Magone provide a stable, nurturing environment that enables former street youth to access education and find a way out of poverty.”

The people of Angola are still recovering from a civil war that ended 13 years ago. During the war, educational disparities were widespread but recent reforms have paved the way for more youth to have better access to education and social equality. According to UNICEF, more than 36 percent of the population lives in poverty. In addition, more than one in 10 children under the age of 14 has lost one or both parents and 43,000 are separated from their families. As a result, nearly a third of these youth are working and child trafficking has been an emerging problem in the country.

With a 67 percent illiteracy rate, the educational opportunities provided by Salesian programs can be truly life changing. Through these programs, both youth and adults have access to schools and educational programs. Classes range from simple lessons in reading and writing for adults in refugee camps to shelter and education for street children. Students are also able to access life skills training, workforce development opportunities and nutritional programs.

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Sources:

ANS – Angola – “Testemunarte” another initiative to take the children from the streets

UNICEF – Angola

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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.

The Salesian Education and Work Foundation serves more than 700 at-risk youth in primary and secondary school and at the Don Bosco Institute of Technical Training and Management, a technical training institute for older youth. The donated rice-meals are provided to students in school to ensure they receive proper nutrition and a balanced diet in order for them to focus on their studies as well as extracurricular activities such as art, sports and the Salesian Education and Work Foundation’s internationally known orchestra program. Salesian missionaries began the school feeding program to meet the needs of the many area families with limited resources to feed their children.

“Many of those participating in Salesian programs in El Salvador are malnourished,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds. Fr Hyde. “Youth who access Salesian programs in El Salvador are given an educational foundation, technical skill training and life and social skills to help them excel in the workforce. They are then able to break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities.”

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 the country is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014 when compared to the same time the year prior. 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 family and belonging that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

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Sources:

Salesian Education and Work Foundation

World Bank – El Salvador 

The post EL SALVADOR: Rice-Meal Donation Helps to Provide Better Nutrition for Students and the Elderly first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Celebrated each year on October 16, the day was established to bring attention to the plight of the world’s hungry and undernourished while providing an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the complex solutions for ending hunger. This year’s theme “Social protection and Agriculture: breaking the cycle of rural poverty” aims to underline the role social protection plays in reducing chronic food insecurity and poverty by ensuring direct access to food or the means to buy food.

More than 793 million people around the world go hungry every day, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Over 70 percent of food insecure people live in rural areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East. And according to the World Food Program and the United Nations, 2 billion people lack the vitamins and minerals needed to live healthy lives.

Of those who go hungry daily, 98 percent reside in developing countries where there is not only a shortage of food but major challenges for aid to reach its destination. Salesian Missions’ programs are dedicated to developing sustainable food systems and providing agricultural education in more than 130 countries around the globe. Operating primary schools, technical training centers, agricultural schools, youth centers, orphanages and programs for street children, Salesian missionaries are on the front lines of the battle against hunger.

Working and living in the communities they serve, Salesian missionaries are perfectly positioned to ensure that the distribution of food aid reaches those who need it most while offering programs that teach agricultural techniques to increase local food production. Through ongoing partnerships with organizations like Stop Hunger Now and Feed My Starving Children, Salesian missionaries are able to deliver life-saving food aid and other supplies to those in need in their communities.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Salesian food programs provide meals to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the feeding programs, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates.

“Feeding programs are a necessity to meet the needs of the massive number of children around the globe who are hungry today,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

Many Salesian programs are also dedicated to developing sustainable food systems and providing agricultural education. This World Food Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian agricultural programs which include those offered at more than 90 agricultural schools around the globe.

CAMBODIA

Salesian-run Don Bosco Kep, located in Kep Province, Cambodia, has developed a small farm to better serve the needs of poor and disadvantaged youth in the region. The new farm will help to support the work of the agricultural department which serves to train Cambodian youth in mechanical agriculture while producing food for the technical school to aid its sustainability. Since 2011, the agricultural department has worked with limited resources on a small piece of land inside the school’s campus. Over the past several years, the department has been growing with the addition of more teachers and students and has been making a broader social impact in the regions of Kep, Kampot and Takeo.

DR CONGO

Salesian-led International Voluntary Service for Development (VIS) volunteers hosted a special workshop for farmers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo*. The goal of the workshop was to empower farmers to envision a viable and stable agricultural framework and boost their confidence to bring it to fruition. The farmers’ ideas will provide the foundation for a new agricultural service center in the country. The new center will provide resources and expertise to help improve crop yields, profitability and the overall quality of life for farmers and their families. The input of local farmers will help direct the center’s resources and training curriculum.

INDIA

The Don Bosco Agro-Educational Complex, located in the town of Sulcorna in the state of Goa in western India, has developed the area’s first agriculture college. The new college will utilize 110 acres of fertile land for hands-on farm training and emphasize organic cultivation in its four-year degree program. The mission of the college is to train undergraduates and postgraduates in the latest agricultural practices and modern technologies while moving towards efficiency in farming within Goa by exploring and testing new techniques in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and animal husbandry. Salesian missionaries in the area are working towards marketing agricultural products and services to local farmers by utilizing the college and its staff as a resource for everything related to farming and off-farm activities. They are also working with local women’s groups helping them to plant specific crops that have greater viability in the marketplace. Salesian missionaries hope the agriculture degree program will entice more local youth to choose agriculture as their long-term livelihood.

MOZAMBIQUE

The Austrian Salesian Youth of the World program has planned its second agricultural project in the town of Moatize, located in the Tete province in northern Mozambique. The project, which will be carried out in seven different rural communities, aims to educate farmers in the latest innovations in agriculture and livestock techniques in order to improve food security and increase income potential. Educators will help farmers introduce or intensify the production of vegetables, experiment with new methods of production and processing of products and assist with raising livestock. Farmers will learn new skills in agriculture and animal husbandry, horticulture and fruit growing and breeding cattle and sheep. They will also be provided with irrigation pumps which will help to support local schools and healthcare centers. In addition, Salesian staff will work with local residents to establish community associations for product sharing and sales. The project will train close to 1,000 families, or about 5,000 people. With increased food production in the small rural communities participating in the program, about 8,000 residents will be positively impacted.

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Sources:

World Food Day 2015

*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.

The post WORLD FOOD DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights School Feeding Programs and Agricultural Education in Fight against Hunger first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Stop Hunger Now, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable, holds meal packing events with volunteers from corporations, congregations, schools, colleges and universities and civic groups. During the recent event, volunteers worked in teams at packaging stations filling bins with raw ingredients, scooping ingredients into meal bags, weighing and sealing the bags, boxing and stacking them on pallets and loading the pallets and equipment onto a truck for shipment.

Stop Hunger Now partners with Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, 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 shipping containers including more than 20 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 care for those in need of emergency aid during times of war, natural disasters and health crises.

Stop Hunger Now staff and volunteers have packed and shipped more than 215,000,000 meals along with other life-saving aid to 71 countries impacting millions of lives. The nonprofit provides more than just food aid. It also provides significant in-kind aid (such as food, medicines and other supplies) that support education and vocational training programs which are proven to have long-term sustainability—like those run by Salesian NGOs around the globe.

The donated meals from Stop Hunger Now are helping to enhance the educational environment for poor youth and are offered to students during the school day. For some students, the meals they receive at Salesian-run centers are the only meals they have each day. The food aid also serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school and as a result Salesian schools have experienced increased enrollment and students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffer fewer illnesses and are more focused on their studies. Teachers are noting better student performance in classes as well as less conflict among students.

Don Bosco Navajeevan is a shelter and youth center that places special emphasis on rescuing and rehabilitating children engaged in child labor and offers shelter to child laborers and street children. Once a child arrives at the center, they receive 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. This necessary extra assistance enables students to enter back into mainstream schools. The donated rice-meals from Stop Hunger Now will be used to feed children living at and enrolled in programs at the center.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment, break the cycle of poverty in their lives and enable them to give back to their communities.”

With programs in more than 130 countries around the globe and extensive knowledge and experience with aid shipments, Salesian Missions has one of the largest networks currently working with Stop Hunger Now. Salesian Missions’ programs are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and the organization plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand its scope of services to youth in need,” explains Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Stop Hunger Now is one of our favorite partners to work with because they are very flexible. They actively seek out opportunities to enhance shipments with additional donated items that the beneficiaries need and they go the extra mile to help Salesian Missions meet any additional emergency requests for food that it receives.”

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Sources:

Don Bosco India – Stop Hunger Now, Makes A Difference at Don Bosco Navajeevan

Stop Hunger Now

The post INDIA: Stop Hunger Now Meal Packing Event Benefits Salesian-run Don Bosco Navajeevan first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This is the sixth donation of rice-meals from Feed My Starving Children the Salesian organization received this year, most of which was utilized during the recent Ebola crisis in the country which continues to affect the many families living in Matadi who lost family members including primary wage-earners. Contained in the shipment were more than 1,200 boxes of rice-meals that have been provided to students in Salesian programs.

More than 70 percent of the population of Matadi live in conditions of poverty. The rice-meal donation has been essential in the battle against malnutrition and disease in the area. In addition to feeding students in Salesian youth programs and schools, Salesian missionaries are providing rice-meals to those most in need in Matadi including single mothers, elderly residents and children affected by Ebola.

“Feeding programs like the one in Liberia are helping to meet the needs of the massive number of children around the globe who are hungry today,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The Sean Devereux Don Bosco Youth Center in Matadi was one of the recipients of the rice-meal donation. The organization offers vocational training, recreational activities, academic assistance, counseling and youth retreats. Activities at the center are geared toward helping youth appreciate one another through daily interaction thereby cultivating genuine acts of tolerance, love and concern for one another. Moreover, the activities assist youth in acquiring marketable skills in tailoring and typing.

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds. Fr Hyde.

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with 64 percent of its population of 3.5 million people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. The 2008 Human Development Index ranks Liberia in the bottom five of countries in the world. Still recovering from the effects of a 14 year civil war that ended in 2003, Liberians struggle with social and economic hardships.

Those living in rural areas make up close to 75 percent of the country’s poor and the World Bank classifies Liberia as a low-income, food-deficit country, reporting that half of the population is food-insecure or highly vulnerable to food insecurity. Orphans, street children and adolescent ex-combatants often find themselves on their own facing adult responsibilities with little support and no education.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Liberia since starting a vocational institute there in 1979. Since then, missionaries in the country have been developing programs with a focus on providing youth with the education and skills necessary to transform their lives and their country.

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Sources:

Feed My Starving Children

World Bank – Liberia

The post LIBERIA: More than 1,200 Boxes of Rice-Meals Provided to Salesian Programs Thanks to Partnership with Feed My Starving Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Pope Francis has nurtured close ties to Salesian missionaries and priests throughout his life and recently praised them for their work bringing hope and relief to those living in poverty. The Pope was baptized by a Salesian priest, educated in a Salesian school and encouraged in his vocation by the same Salesian priest who introduced his parents to one other.

On June 24, prior to his U.S visit, the Pope sent a letter to Father Ángel Fernández Artime, the Salesian Rector Major in Italy, in honor of St. John (Don) Bosco’s bicentennial birthday on August 16. In the letter, Pope Francis praised the work of Don Bosco and the Salesian Family and highlighted Don Bosco’s call to service and his work with poor and disadvantaged youth. Pope Francis also praised Salesian efforts in establishing education and social development services that are open to all youth regardless of language, race, culture or religion.

On the historic occasion of Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., Salesian missionaries celebrate the powerful bond that unites them on behalf of the poor, the disenfranchised and the exploited.

“Salesian missionaries are dedicated to caring for poor youth through programs that are innovative in design and customized to meet local needs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries focus on helping young people become self-sufficient through education and skills training that leads to employment, which in turn builds strong communities.”

To date, more than 3 million youth have participated in Salesian programs. Through these programs, more than 30,000 Salesian missionaries are working in more than 130 countries around the globe providing poor youth and their families access to education, workforce development, humanitarian relief, youth clubs, health services, feeding programs and more. Salesian missionaries educate more than 1 million youth in more than 5,300 primary and secondary schools and nearly 1,000 vocational, technical and agricultural schools.

Salesian missionaries are widely considered one of the largest private providers of vocational and technical training in the world. Programs focus on helping vulnerable youth in some of the poorest places on the planet by providing access to educational opportunities that match local workforce development needs. Through Salesian skills training programs, youth are able to gain the skills necessary to find and retain stable employment. This work helps grow local economies and breaks the cycle of poverty for poor youth and their families.

“Salesian missionaries are often faced with challenges when providing programs in some of the most difficult environments, especially after natural disasters and in regions plagued by conflict and war, but despite hardship, their mission to bring hope and opportunity to those living in poverty remains strong,” adds Fr. Hyde.

With more than 20,000 people in attendance, Pope Francis celebrated mass at New York’s Madison Square Garden during his visit. Among those present included priests from three Salesian communities and Salesian Brother Salvatore Sammarco who led a team of day laborers to make the Pope’s chair for the mass. In addition, some of the linens used during the mass were made by women from the Salesian parish of Corpus Christi in Port Chester, New York.

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Sources:

ANS – United States – “Go out and proclaim this joy which is for all the people”

Salesian Missions – In Solidarity with Those on the Margins

The post UNITED STATES: Salesian Missionaries Reflect on Pope Francis’ Message of Providing Hope and Opportunity to Those in Poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Swaziland is a landlocked nation almost entirely contained within the northeast corner of South Africa. The country faces numerous challenges including poverty, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and a climate that is often unpredictable. According to the World Food Programme, nearly 25 percent of Swaziland’s children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition. With 63 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line, the risk of food insecurity is high. Swaziland also has elevated rates of unemployment and income equality.

Few farmers in the country own agricultural machinery such as tractors or ploughs and as a result, must rely on manual labor and traditional farming methods that require them to spend long hours in the fields producing very little food. Unable to produce enough food to support its population, Swaziland residents are vulnerable to fluctuating food prices from food imports. In addition, many households are coping with the impact of HIV which affects 26 percent of those aged 15 to 49 and 42 percent of pregnant women. The high prevalence of the disease among breadwinners and caregivers further compromises food security.

Manzini Youth Care was established in the 1970s and provides services to marginalized youth including free primary school for children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, two vocational training centers for older youth, residential care for former street children and a drop-in school for street children when they first come in off the streets. Manzini Youth Care also works in the communities surrounding the city of Manzini to help local people improve living standards, sanitation and food security.

The donated rice meals are provided to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates as a result of the feeding program. Included in the latest shipment of rice meals was soap, protein and nutrition bars and soccer equipment and clothing.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

Masekwene Care Point and Soup Kitchen was also a recipient of the rice-meal donation. The Salesian organization provides education and a feeding program that offers morning and lunchtime meals to more than 400 disadvantaged children. Close to 80 percent of the participants in the program are from single parent households.

For Gogo Gadlela, the Salesian feeding program helps to provide nutritious meals for her seven grandchildren that live with her in a two room house. She survives on very little government assistance and the income she makes from selling firewood. Her grandchildren are enrolled in school and appreciate the meals they receive there. During times of food shortage at home, the grandchildren must go to school without having had anything to eat for breakfast and only receive lunch when it is provided at the school. As a result of the rice meal donations, the grandchildren are being fed breakfast at school and attend regularly.

“The poverty situation in Swaziland is getting worse and during my 45 years here I have experienced so many really desperate cases,” says Father Larry McDonnell, director of Manzini Youth Care. “More and more the signs of an ever deepening poverty are knocking more regularly on our door. The food donation is making a difference for our programs. We are sharing the rice with all seven of the poorer Salesian associated schools including two high schools and five primary. For many, the school meal is the only nutritious intake most of the children will get each day.”

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Sources:

World Food Programme – Swaziland

Stop Hunger Now

The post SWAZILAND: More Than 2,100 Youth in Salesian Programs Receive Better Nutrition Thanks to Rice-Meal Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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 resulting in close to 90 percent of children from poor households failing to complete their basic education.

The Bosco Boys program provides education and workforce development opportunities. Students in the program who complete their primary education are 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, but can also be at another school close to a student’s home where they can be easily monitored.

“The school attracts youth that do not do well on national college exams and provides them an alternative opportunity to acquire marketable skills that can help them make a living,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The tuition cost of the training is highly subsidized to make it affordable for the low income student population in Kenya.”

In addition to the education provided, youth in the 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.

Two-year technical training programs are offered through Bosco Boys in a wide variety of vocational skills 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.

Eric Matata, a graduate of the Bosco Boys program, recently received his law degree from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He credits the rigorous education and support he received while at Bosco Boys for helping to achieve his educational dreams. Matata received financial assistance to pay for university from Heinz Rovelring through the offices of Don Bosco Mondo, Germany, as well as support from the Jasani Memorial Sterling Trust. Mr. Mathenge, a volunteer counselor from the Bosco Boys program, also contributed towards Matata’s tuition fees.

“All youth deserve a chance at a better life,” adds Fr. Hyde. “At Bosco Boys, Salesian missionaries help young people take responsibility for their own lives and train them in the skills necessary to find and retain employment in order to support themselves and improve their communities.”

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 notes 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 living 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.

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Sources:

Salesians of Don Bosco Province of Eastern Africa

UNICEF – Kenya Statistics

The post KENYA: Bosco Boys Programs Help Street Youth Gain an Education and Hope for the Future first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Last year, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. For Salesian missionaries in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing a foundation of lifelong learning for poor youth and teaching them valuable skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild the country after the earthquake, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. Over half of its population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank.

“Even before the earthquake, Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the world and was desperately in need of schools and qualified teachers,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The earthquake diminished the few educational opportunities available for a generation of girls and boys already facing a future with little hope. Education is one of the most crucial factors in determining whether or not a child can escape a lifetime of poverty so it is imperative we do all we can to rebuild.”

Once Mr. Oderda saw and understood the educational challenges in Haiti resulting from the earthquake, he was moved to act. To date, he has provided the financial underwriting for the construction of four of the nine classrooms with more on the way. When the project is completed, the new school will be comprised of the nine classrooms as well as a laboratory, library, infirmary, bathroom facilities and a teachers’ lounge, all fully  furnished. The new school will be able to serve 360 students aged 6 to 15 who will have the opportunity to gain the basic education needed to enter the Salesian-run technical school at the same location.

“My aim is to help a devastated country by building a school where young people can learn the skills for a real job, one that will allow them to become independent and free from the chains of poverty,” explains Mr. Oderda in a recent video he created about the project.

Salesians missionaries in Haiti are focused on providing education and technical training to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the Haitian people. Mr. Oderda chose to partner with Salesian Missions because of the organization’s nearly 80 years providing educational and workforce development programs and opportunities in Haiti. Salesian programs are made possible through the ongoing support of donors who help provide funding for this important work.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – A Meaningful Legacy for Haiti’s Children

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Loyal Salesian Missions Supporter Builds Classrooms for New School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Children of Lead project serves youth who have high levels of lead in their blood due to environmental pollution. Youth participating in the “Sowing Oxygen” campaign have taken to the streets to promote awareness among community members and have planted seedlings in areas that have no green spaces. The purpose of the initiative is to sensitize citizens to the environment and help reduce pollution in the area.

Puerto Nuevo’s population is contaminated by lead as a result of the environmental damage generated by the storage and transportation of lead ore to the community’s port. Most of the children participating in the Children of Lead project have levels of lead close to 19.9 micrograms per deciliter in their blood. This level is considered highly dangerous and can cause children to suffer cognitive delays.

Salesian missionaries at the Children of Lead project provide education and skills training opportunities to the participating children and adolescents while addressing their behavioral and cognitive difficulties. Often because of their cognitive and emotional difficulties, students struggle in traditional classrooms and are less likely to achieve the higher levels of education necessary to break the cycle of poverty.

The Children of Lead project aims to improve students’ educational outcomes through tutoring in reading, math and other academic subjects while simultaneously offering workshops in interpersonal communication, logic and educational psychology. Activities that include music and dance are also offered through the project and are designed to boost participants’ physical, mental and emotional development. In addition, participants have access to computer classes using online programs and games that help them develop reason and literacy as well as useful technological skills.

“In an economically depressed area where jobs are scarce and future opportunity bleak, adults in Puerto Nuevo face an almost unimaginable choice,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They can refuse paid work and risk the effects of long-term poverty or they can reluctantly support the presence of mines and refineries at the risk of their children’s health. The immediate need to feed, clothe and shelter their families trumps any consideration of long-term well-being so Salesian missionaries work to help in whatever way they can.”

The outcomes for many of the participants of the Children of Lead project are good despite challenges along the way. By gaining an education and developing skills and talents through the project, many are able to gain stable employment and give back to their communities.

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.

“Those living in poverty in Peru are in great need,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Many need proper nutrition, shelter, healthcare and education in order to survive and thrive. Salesian programs are working to ensure those in poverty have the resources they need to lead safe, healthy and productive lives.”

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Sources:

Peru – “Sowing Oxygen”, the new campaign of the “Children of Lead” Project

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Children of Lead Project Launches Environmental Awareness Campaign first appeared on MissionNewswire.

With a knowledge of the local communities and the most disadvantaged sections of the cities, street educators aim to develop a sense of trust with the street children they reach out to. The process of first meeting a child and then formally bringing them into the program is often slow and arduous. Often, migrant populations that include child workers come into urban city centers during the Christmas and New Year holiday season for only two weeks to a month at a time and then disappear. The street educators must work to build trust with both the young people and their families in order for the program to be successful.

Once trust is established, street educators invite youth to participate in the program which provides education and social development services while meeting basic needs such as housing, food, clothing and school supplies. Participants are also offered tutoring and assistance reintegrating back into school.

Seminars for both youth and their parents that focus on the dangers of child labor and the right to education are also offered through the Acción Guambras project. Once youth become formally enrolled in the program, they are able to access school canteens, health and social services, psychological counseling and emergency care. Before starting a new school year, youth are given a kit with school supplies and other basic needs in exchange for their participation in educational activities.

“The problem of child labor is something that is always present in Ecuador,” says Freddy Ruiz, a manager of the Acción Guambras project. “To combat this phenomenon, the Salesian Foundation developed contacts within the Municipality of Quito in 1992. This led to the birth of the Acción Guambras project and street educators whose role it is to accompany and care for the children and their families.”

The goal of the project is to stop child labor and decrease the risks for vulnerable youth while providing a well-rounded education that allows youth to take the lead in developing their own skills and potential. The project uses an active presence on the streets, technical training, schools and the support of families and communities to care for the youth and promote their rehabilitation.

“These youth need specialized programs including prevention of addiction and care for addicts, rehabilitation of youth gang members and hostels that provide an alternative to living on the street,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Thousands of children and adolescents are supported each year in Ecuador through this and other Salesian-run educational and social development programs.”

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 five have stunted growth, increasing to 31 percent in rural areas and 47 percent in indigenous communities.

Violence, especially towards young people, is high in the country. Homicides are the second leading cause of death among young people and the primary cause of death among young women. Instances of physical abuse and domestic violence happen frequently and are often not properly handled by local law enforcement agencies. In addition, a high percentage of youth engage in drug use and are at-risk of falling prey to criminal activity and gang violence.

Close to 20 percent of Ecuador’s population are 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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Sources:

ANS – Ecuador – Acción Guambras: A Salesian project to rescue street children

UNICEF – Ecuador

The post ECUADOR: Salesian Program Has Rescued More Than 2,300 Street Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries living and working in the region are responding to the situation with aid for the flood victims, many who have lost everything. With the support of current and former students and volunteers from the Salesian Vocational Training Center located on the outskirts of the city of Myitkyina, the capital of Myanmar’s Kachin State, missionaries have distributed food, water, bedding and medicine to those affected. In addition, more than 125 Salesian students are assisting flood victims in cleaning mud from their houses and repairing damage. Their work has allowed some flood victims to return to their homes.

For those whose homes could not be repaired right away, Salesian missionaries and students relocated villagers, mostly women and children, to safety by transporting them by boat to local church compounds and state school buildings. In total, Salesian missionaries have been able to assist and provide supplies to close to 60 villages.

“Salesian missionaries were able to immediately assess the situation on the ground and move into action providing assistance and relief,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our programs are helping to provide food, clothing and shelter to those in need and our missionaries will remain through the long recovery process helping the many families who will be forced to rebuild their homes and salvage their livelihoods.”

The regions most affected include Chin, Rakáin, Magwe and Sagaing which the Burmese government declared a state of natural disaster. The Salesian house of Kalay, a boarding school in the region of Chin, is located at the center of one of the most flood-stricken areas but did not suffer any damage. In the region, there are still many villages where aid has not reached, and some villagers have had to walk more than 10 days from their homes to reach assistance.

There are concerns about long-term food shortages affecting the people in Chin. Most of the rice fields are buried under mud causing residents to suffer the loss of their only yearly crop and their livelihood. Daily wage workers who once earned their food by working in the fields are currently unemployed because the mud-covered fields are noncultivatable and the time of sowing or planting is over.

Salesian missionaries in Myanmar have joined local authorities and other non-governmental aid groups in assessing the damage to determine the best course of action required long-term. At this point, missionaries are addressing the most basic of needs but as the death toll rises, they are reporting massive numbers of homeless people, starvation and vulnerability to infectious diseases.

“The scale of devastation is massive,” says Salesian Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon. “In a region that is chronically poor, the poor have lost everything and have become refugees. Urgent survival assistance is still needed in many villages and we are calling on everyone we can to assist us in this work.”

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Sources:

ANS – Myanmar – The Salesians continue to offer assistance

UN food relief now reaching more than 400,000 flood victims in Myanmar

The post MYANMAR: Salesian Missionaries Continue Flood Relief and Assistance to Those Affected first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Started in 2010, the Don Bosco Wheels project, coordinated by Father James Reyes Retana, provides supportive services to youth with disabilities while working to ensure that their rights are respected. The project also offers educational opportunities and forges relationships between youth with disabilities and their peers.

“Educational and community inclusion for youth with physical disabilities has been a focus for Salesian missionaries in Mexico,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries help youth with disabilities access education and workforce development training and increase their sense of community and support among their peers.”

The Don Bosco Wheels project created a committee focused on technology for greater autonomy and health. This committee is developing the personalized wheelchairs that permit users to stand on their feet and move around more freely. With a simple push of a button, a mechanism on the wheelchairs allow the seats and backrests to rise to levels required by their users.

“There are many benefits for those who use these chairs,” says Aldo Alan Chavarria, one of the founders of the Don Bosco Wheels project. “It betters our circulation and helps in the calcification of the bones, while helping the digestive process. Not only that, it also contributes psychologically, as it permits one to stand at the same level as the others, like for example at a meeting. Besides, there are obvious advantages in one’s own house as if one wants to get something it is easier now to go and get it.”

The hope is to eventually make the chairs readily accessible to youth in the program as well as make them commercially available. While a similar wheelchair could cost up to $5,000 in the open market, the Don Bosco Wheels project wheelchairs are far more accessible costing less than $700 with the added mechanism included in the price.

UNICEF notes in its State of the World Children 2013: Children with Disabilities report that globally, close to 61 percent of boys finish school but for boys with disabilities that number drops to 51 percent. For girls, 53 percent finish school but among those living with a disability, only 42 percent finish their education.

The UNICEF report also notes that studies across countries show a strong link between poverty and disability, which in turn is linked to gender, health and employment issues. More than 46 percent of Mexico’s population lives in poverty, according to UNICEF. Close to 53 million people lack access to education, healthcare, transportation and even the most basic necessities such as food and shelter. The poverty rate for youth in the country is higher at more than 53 percent and accounts for 20 million children and adolescents, 5 million of which live in extreme poverty.

Salesian missionaries in Mexico primarily direct their efforts toward the country’s at-risk youth, including girls and young mothers. Creating safe havens and improving educational opportunities are considered essential to deter youth from life on the streets where they are susceptible to drugs and gang violence. The UNICEF report suggests that inclusion in mainstream schools and educational settings is usually most appropriate for children with disabilities and when teachers and personnel are trained to consider disability-related issues, they look upon inclusion of children with disabilities more positively.

“Youth living in poverty are among the least likely to have access to educational programs that provide the skills necessary to lead stable productive lives,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Children living in poverty with a disability are even less likely to attend school when compared to their peers. Salesian missionaries in Mexico are working to ensure that every child, no matter their situation, has access to education.”

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Sources:

ANS – Mexico – “Don Bosco Sobre Ruedas” is on its feet with its new chair

UNICEF – State of the World Children 2013: Children with Disabilities

UNICEF – Mexico

Salesian Missions – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Wheelchair Developed by Don Bosco Wheels Project Gives Youth With Disabilities Greater Mobility first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Children and Life Mission, located just outside of Kampala, the largest city and capital of Uganda, was the primary recipient of the rice-meal donation. Through an educational program at the mission, more than 200 at-risk boys aged 8 to 17 have access to primary, secondary and technical education along with sports programming, youth clubs, guidance counseling and life skills training. The rice-meal donation will be shared with the Salesian-run St. Mary’s Secondary School and Salesian Technical School, both located in Luweero, a town in Central Uganda as well as the Salesian-run Kira Primary School, located in Kira Town, a municipality in the Wakiso District of Central Uganda.

The meals are provided to students during the school day and serve as an incentive for families to send their children to school. As a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, grown taller, suffered fewer illnesses and become more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class and two programs have increased enrollment rates as a result of the feeding program. Included in the latest shipment of rice meals was soap, protein and nutrition bars and soccer equipment and clothing.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment and break the cycle of poverty in their lives while enabling them to give back to their communities.”

The Don Bosco Children and Life Mission is in the process of increasing its agricultural productivity in order to continue to provide nutritious food to its students. Already harvesting sweet potatoes and other vegetables, the agriculture program has recently expanded to include a piggery with three pigs, one of which produced eight piglets that will be raised on the school farm. With a goal of eventually raising more than 200 pigs, construction has begun on the piggery in order to house a larger population of pigs and install water pipes to be used for cleaning as well as providing drinking water for the animals.

Close to 67 percent of Ugandans are either poor or highly vulnerable to poverty, according to UNICEF. While the country has experienced some economic growth as well as improvement in its Human Development Index ranking over the last 20 years, it still ranks near the bottom at 161 out of 186 countries. After decades of war left many displaced, the people of Uganda face many significant challenges as they work to rebuild their country.

Approximately 86 percent of Uganda’s 34 million inhabitants make their living farming but nearly 40 percent of Ugandans lack access to clean water for work and household use. Uganda’s literacy rate has improved with 73 percent of the population literate but only 23 percent of Ugandans go on to acquire a secondary education. According to UNICEF, one of the biggest challenges in the country is combating the serious increase of HIV/AIDS that has left millions of children orphaned.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Children and Life Mission

UNICEF – Uganda

The post UGANDA: Close to 1,500 Students Receive Better Nutrition Thanks to Rice-Meal Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Celebrated each year on August 19, the day was established by the United Nations to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others and was designated to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. The theme of World Humanitarian Day 2015 is, “Inspiring the World’s Humanity” and highlights humanitarian organizations around the world while inspiring people to become active messengers of humanity.

“On World Humanitarian Day, we honor the selfless dedication and sacrifice of workers and volunteers from around the world who devote themselves – often at great personal risk – to assisting the world’s most vulnerable people,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in a statement on World Humanitarian Day 2015. “This year, more than 100 million women, men and children need life-saving humanitarian assistance. The amount of people affected by conflict has reached levels not seen since the Second World War, while the number of those affected by natural and human-induced disasters remains profound. On this Day we also celebrate our common humanity. The families and communities struggling to survive in today’s emergencies do so with resilience and dignity. They need and deserve our renewed commitment to do all we can to provide them with the means for a better future.”

From the recent earthquakes in Nepal and flooding in Myanmar to the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Salesian missionaries are on the forefront of relief efforts and operate programs in more than 130 countries around the globe. Missionaries provide immediate assistance but also remain in countries in need to assist families, rebuild communities and restore livelihoods long after other organizations have left.

“Because Salesian missionaries live within the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our programs help to provide food, clothing and shelter to those in need and our missionaries remain through the long recovery process after a humanitarian crisis to help families rebuild their homes and salvage their livelihoods.”

In honor and celebration of World Humanitarian Day 2015, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight its humanitarian efforts that have benefited more than 450,000 people since the start of 2015.

MYANMAR FLOODING

Salesian missionaries have been providing emergency relief and helping flood victims displaced by the heavy monsoon rain and flooding that has affected Myanmar this summer. Nearly 1 million people have now been affected by the widespread flooding across the country since June. Myanmar government officials have reported that close to 100 people have died and 1.2 million acres of rice fields have been destroyed. Heavy rains in early August caused by Cyclone Komen worsened the already precarious situation and led to intensified flooding across much of the country. Salesian missionaries living and working in the region are responding to the situation with aid for the flood victims, many who have lost everything. The regions most affected include Chin, Rakáin, Magwe and Sagaing which the Burmese government declared a state of natural disaster. The Salesian house of Kalay, a boarding school in the region of Chin, is located at the center of one of the most flood-stricken areas but did not suffer any damage. The Salesian community in the region is already actively engaged in emergency relief work and also planning long-term rebuilding and education and social development initiatives to help flood victims.

NEPAL EARTHQUAKES

Salesian missionaries immediately responded with food, medicine and temporary shelter after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25 and a second earthquake struck on May 12. More than 8,000 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 remain in need of shelter and other assistance.

Salesian missionaries are building temporary schools and addressing long-term training needs as part of their reconstruction and relief efforts. To date, more than 21 temporary learning centers have been completed. In a recent evaluation meeting with Nepalese government officers and other non-government organizations, it was acknowledged that the temporary learning centers built by the Salesian missionaries and students from the Salesian-operated technical school, Don Bosco Thecho in Kathmandu, Nepal, were of such high quality they could possibly serve as permanent school buildings.

SYRIAN CONFLICT REFUGEES IN TURKEY

Sharing a 500-mile-long border with Syria, Southeastern Turkey has more than 1.6 million Syrian refugees, as reported by the United Nations. Salesian missionaries are providing services at three sites within Syria while also providing for Syrian refugees in Turkey. While many Syrian refugees stay in towns on the Turkey-Syrian border, many find their way to big cities like Istanbul where Salesian missionaries operate a program that currently serves close to 400 Syrian refugees.

At the Don Bosco Center in Istanbul, Salesian Father Andres Calleja Ruiz leads special programs for refugee children and youth from Syria as well as for a growing number of families fleeing ISIS persecution in Iraq. Because most refugees do not speak the local language it is difficult for children to attend school and adults to find work. At the Center, Salesian missionaries provide a school for more than 350 refugee children where they learn the English language and traditional school subjects such as mathematics, geography and music. Students have access to sports and dance programs intended to help them connect with their peers and find enjoyment and comfort in their new surroundings. In addition, the program provides counseling both for youth and their families to help them overcome the challenges and traumas they have faced.

Technical skills training is a critical component of Salesian work in Istanbul. Many refugees leave the country’s border towns and refugee camps and make their way to Istanbul hoping to find employment and a more stable life. If they fail to find work, refugees are often left in dire circumstances. The Don Bosco Center’s technical skills training program is a critical safety net for those in need.

WEST AFRICA EBOLA OUTBREAK

The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the most deadly on record, has infected close to 21,200 and killed more than 8,400 across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Salesian missionaries in both Sierra Leone and Liberia immediately responded with health prevention education and humanitarian assistance in the form of food aid and medical supplies as well as soap and other cleaning and disinfecting products to help slow and eventually stop the spread of Ebola. The Salesian-run Mother Patern College of Health Sciences, one of five colleges that make up the Stella Maris Polytechnic University in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, was on the front lines of the Ebola crisis with all 63 of its staff reassigned to address the Ebola outbreak. Education was an important step in stopping the spread of the disease and Salesian missionaries in Liberia and Sierra Leone went door to door providing education on Ebola and passing out prevention materials. Salesian missionaries also continue to provide ongoing support, shelter and education to Ebola orphans, those children who have lost parents, and for some, their entire families, as a result of the deadly disease.

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – “In the midst of calamities, we reassert our commitment to the poor”

World Humanitarian Day 2015

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Access to professional training and workforce development services is highly valued by youth in India given the current state of the country’s economy. According to the International Labor Organization’s Global Employment Trends 2015 Report, India experienced a sharp slowdown in the economy during 2012 and 2013 when growth dropped below 5 percent. The economy grew slightly faster in 2014 reaching 5.4 percent, reflecting an improvement in the growth rate of the services sector and a better monsoon season than originally anticipated. However, the unemployment rate for youth is remaining flat after having risen 3.6 percent in 2012 and again climbed in 2013 to 3.7 percent.

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.

India’s youth 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, too many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.

For poor youth who lack access to education and skills training, risk of exploitation in the labor market increases as does their chance of continuing to live in conditions of poverty. The current automobile repair industry in India is characterized by an inadequately skilled workforce and a lack of professional training opportunities for repair and diagnostics. The Toyota training program at the Don Bosco Center for Learning, which was been successfully facilitated in 53 countries, will enhance the technical abilities and employability of its trainees. Youth between the ages of 16 and 18 will have access to this program.

“At present, there is a huge skills gap in the automotive repair industry in India,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This partnership is meant to address the rise in youth unemployment while providing Toyota a skilled employable workforce. Students will now have access to training and education that will lead directly to long-term stable employment.”

Toyota will train Salesian instructors at the Don Bosco Center for Learning in the latest technologies specific to the Toyota brand and the automotive industry in general. In addition, Toyota has provided high-tech training packages including tools, equipment and Toyota-specific service training manuals and materials. Once students successfully complete the classroom education part of the program, they will have access to hands-on job training in one of Toyota’s dealerships. It is anticipated that upon successful completion of the program, students will easily gain employment with Toyota.

“To further help prepare students for the workforce, Salesian missionaries will offer students in this program resume writing assistance, interview skills training, life skills training and other social development services,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The goal is to help students break the cycle of poverty, gain stable employment and contribute back to their communities.”

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Sources:

ANS – India – Toyota and Don Bosco Centre for Learning join forces

International Labour Organization – World Employment Social Outlook 2015

UNICEF – India

The post INDIA: Toyota and Don Bosco Center for Learning Develop Collaborative Training Partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In anticipation of the day, Pope Francis sent a letter on June 24 to Father Ángel Fernández Artime, the Salesian Rector Major, after the Pope’s visit to Turin, Italy. In the letter, Pope Francis praised the work of Don Bosco and the Salesian Family and highlighted Don Bosco’s call to service and his work with poor and disadvantaged youth. Pope Francis also praised Salesian efforts in establishing education and social development services that are open to all youth regardless of language, race, culture or religion.

As part of the letter, Pope Francis states, “A characteristic feature of Don Bosco’s pedagogy is loving kindness, which is to be understood as a love that is manifested and perceived, and reveals itself in caring, affection, understanding and involvement in the life of another person. In the experiential process of education, according to Don Bosco, it is not enough to love, but love needs to be expressed in gestures that are concrete and effective. Thanks to this loving kindness, so many children and adolescents in Salesian settings have experienced an intense and serene emotional growth, which has proved very valuable in the shaping of their personality and in their life’s journey.”

The work of Salesian missionaries was started in 1859 by Don Bosco, a young priest at the time, along with 18 young men who were once poor street children cared for by Don Bosco. Their goal was to bring hope to thousands of poor youth and instill in them confidence while training them in the skills needed for a better life. Despite the anti-religious age in which Don Bosco lived, he served thousands before his death. More than 125 years later, this legacy continues and impacts millions of children in need.

Don Bosco was born in the village of Becchi in northern Italy on August 16, 1815. From an early age, he was drawn to helping disadvantaged youth. He joined the seminary in 1835 and supported himself by working as a tailor, blacksmith, shoemaker, carpenter, violinist, acrobat and magician. His various talents would later help him to meet and inspire youth in need. As the founder of the Salesian order, he spent his ministry educating and helping improve the lives of disadvantaged children by setting up homes and schools for them within the city of Turin, Italy as well as in other parts of the world.

During the Industrial Revolution, Don Bosco saw many young boys migrating from villages to towns looking for better education and work opportunities only to end up sleeping on the streets facing exploitation and often being forced to beg for food and other basic needs. He began looking out for these young boys, meeting with employers to ask for better wages and treatment for them. Eventually, he founded a trade school to help young people develop skills and gain an education. He also introduced many to music and sports. Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888 and was canonized a saint in 1934.

Today, his work continues in primary, secondary, vocational, trade and professional schools around the globe. Through Salesian programs, poor youth and their families have access to education, workforce development, humanitarian relief, youth clubs, health services, feeding programs and more. Salesian missionaries focus on rebuilding lives and helping young people become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain long-term employment.

“Just like Don Bosco, Salesian missionaries work and live among the youth they serve,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Following his example, Salesian missionaries continue to provide innovative programs that are customized to meet the immediate needs of poor youth in the communities they serve. On Don Bosco’s bicentennial, we reflect back on the foundation of this great work as well as on how far we have come in providing youth hope for a brighter future.”

During many of the bicentennial celebrations of Don Bosco’s life and work, current and former Salesian students expressed their appreciation and gratitude for their education and the many additional services that have helped them break the cycle of poverty and access opportunities for a better life.

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Sources:

ANS – Italy – 16th August 1815 – 2015: Eucharist of the Bicentenary

National Catholic Register – Bosco Bicentennial: Street Party for Saint Draws 15,000 People

Salesian Missions – Letter from Pope Francis to the Salesians in Celebration of the Bicentennial of Don Bosco’s Birth

The post GLOBAL: Thousands of Salesian Missionaries and Youth around the Globe Celebrate Bicentennial of St. John (Don) Bosco’s Birth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Immediately following the initial earthquake, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, launched an emergency fund to assist Salesian missionaries in Nepal. The funding goes directly to support relief efforts on the ground in remote villages and affected communities, epecially those in the Kathmandu Valley where Salesian missionaries operate two programs. Don Bosco Thecho is a technical school located in the Kathmandu suburb of Lubhu and Don Bosco Siddhipur, located in the Lalitpur district, offers both a primary and secondary school.

“Salesian missionaries living and working in Nepal are continuing their long-term reconstruction efforts, helping communities to rebuild homes and schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Missionaries are beginning to assess and address training needs to help youth and their families develop skills for long-term employment. One of the primary training efforts underway is helping to further the reconstruction efforts and put those in the community who have lost their livelihoods back to work. Salesian missionaries are using the technical school at Thecho to train young men and women in the building and construction skills needed to assist in reconstruction.”

The United Nations has noted that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes. Salesian missionaries will utilize the skills of the newly trained students from Don Bosco Thecho to assist in the rebuilding of schools with a goal of reconstructing at least 40 schools. Each village in the area will be asked to form a school-reconstruction committee that will mobilize the villagers to contribute as much as possible in cash, labor and locally available materials. To date, more than 21 temporary learning centers have been completed. In a recent evaluation meeting with Nepalese government officers and other non-government organizations, it was acknowledged that the temporary learning centers built by the Salesian missionaries and students were of such high quality they could possibly serve as permanent school buildings.

Salesian missionaries are also in the process of developing an orientation program for teachers to aid them in assisting students who have dealt with trauma related to the earthquakes. Missionaries are working directly with students to connect them to therapy services and offer financial assistance to those who lack mid-day meals, textbooks, uniforms and other schools necessities.

In addition, Salesian missionaries are working with 40 volunteers from Teach for Nepal, an organization of university graduates and young professionals who are committed to end education inequity in Nepal, to help prepare students affected by the earthquake for their public examinations given by the Nepalese government after grade 10. The exams determine admission to higher secondary school.

A lack of rain during Nepal’s monsoon season has hampered agricultural production and has Salesian missionaries concerned about long-term food shortages. Missionaries will continue to monitor this situation as it unfolds and work to address food needs with its partners as they arise.

“Salesian missionaries are continuing their work but funds are limited. The emergency appeal will help provide aid directly to those who need it most,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Salesian Missions is urging the public to donate to its Nepal Emergency Fund. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/Nepal for more information and to give to the relief efforts.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Nepal Emergency Fund

Don Bosco Thecho

The post NEPAL: Salesian Missionaries Focus on Rebuilding Schools and Providing Long-term Assistance to Earthquake Victims first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Youth come from all over the Philippines to access the services provided by Don Bosco Pugad. They are referred by other religious, civic and lay organizations as well as by government organizations that work with poor and at-risk youth. Many of the Don Bosco Pugad participants were ineligible for services elsewhere but were extremely vulnerable to drug and human trafficking, sexual exploitation and child labor. Others came to the center after having been used as young combatants.

Don Bosco Pugad’s educational programs work to empower young men by training them in the technical skills necessary to find and retain stable employment and lead lives free from crime, poverty and exploitation. The center offers educational programs in electrical technology, welding, machinery and equipment installation, air-conditioning and refrigeration, automotive technology, water refill station management, baking, cooking and poultry and vegetable gardening.

In addition to attending classroom seminars, students have access to hands-on skills training and internships set up through Don Bosco Pugad and the local business community. Many of the young men who graduate from Don Bosco Pugad go on to find employment in companies across the Philippines as well as in international companies.

“Traditional classroom learning is an important part of any education program, and when students are able to take those skills and practice them in an interactive learning environment, there is added educational value,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries are preparing students for long-term stable employment while providing a steady workforce for growing industries in the Philippines.”

Sports and social activity programs and educational field trips offered at Don Bosco Pugad help youth develop socially, connect with their peers and learn practical life skills.

“Sports programs for youth teach valuable skills both on and off the field,” says Fr. Hyde. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership and teamwork. Students also learn important social skills and are given opportunities to grow and mature.”

Don Bosco Pugad is planning to expand its operations with the opening of a professional baking, culinary and agricultural school within four years. The goal is to provide advanced professional training to students who demonstrate an aptitude in these subject areas. Once the professional school is operational and has graduated students with advanced degrees, Salesian missionaries hope that some of those graduates will remain at the school to teach incoming students.

More than one year after Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Typhoon Yolanda) devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, Salesian missionaries continue to work in the region to assist those who lost their homes and their livelihoods. While missionaries have successfully completed many community rehabilitation and rebuilding projects that have allowed survivors to return to their normal lives, there is still much work to be done.

Throughout the Philippines, Salesian missionaries offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities. The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and skills training to break the cycle of poverty and retain long-term employment.

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Sources:

Bosco News – Center for poor and needy migrant youth

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Don Bosco Pugad Helps Troubled Youth Gain an Education and Long-term Employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Celebrated each year on August 12, the day was established by the United Nations to raise awareness of issues affecting young people around the world. The theme of International Youth Day 2015, is “Youth Civic Engagement” and focuses on the engagement and participation of youth for the achievement of sustainable human development. The UN notes that while opportunities for youth to engage politically, economically and socially are low or non-existent, developing the foundation for youth engagement improves their lives and the communities in which they live.

“As the world changes with unprecedented speed, young people are proving to be invaluable partners who can advance meaningful solutions,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in a statement on International Youth Day 2015. “Youth movements and student groups are challenging traditional power structures and advocating a new social contract between States and societies. Young leaders have contributed fresh ideas, taken proactive measures and mobilized through social media as never before. I applaud the millions of young people who are protesting for rights and participation, addressing staggering levels of youth unemployment, raising their voices against injustice and advocating global action for people and the planet.”

Working in more than 130 countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries focus on education, workforce development programs, social development services and human rights education to provide young people with the knowledge and skills needed to lead productive lives and become contributing members of their communities.

“For youth to be actively engaged in their communities they must have access to education and other basic human services that allow them to feel valued and that their voices will be heard,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries meet the basic needs of disadvantaged youth who often have nowhere else to turn. They also provide education and social and workforce development services to ensure a positive transition into adulthood.”

In honor and celebration of International Youth Day 2015, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs that empower youth.

CAMBODIA

In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children Fund since its inception in 1992. The Don Bosco Children Fund assists poor youth between the ages of 6 and 15 who are either unable to go to school or have had to drop out due to poverty. Through the fund’s program, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that participants make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework. During the 2013-2014 school year, the Don Bosco Children Fund supported 4,426 students in Cambodia’s government-run schools and another 637 students in schools managed by Don Bosco Schools Battambang.

INDIA

The Child Rights Education and Action Movement Project operated out of the city of Bangalore reached out to poor youth in both urban and rural areas of the State of Karnataka in southwestern India to create a culture that will support and uphold the protection of children’s rights. The goal was to encourage and enhance youth participation in the development process of promoting children’s rights and ensuring their care and protection. The project included the formation of more than 450 child rights clubs and the training of 900 teachers and 22,500 children in human rights education. The clubs aim to impart children’s rights awareness to about 75,000 children within a three-year period.

SIERRA LEONE

Salesians at Don Bosco Fambul in Freetown, Sierra Leone, have been running a Girls Shelter for the past three years. Here, professional social workers and pastoral workers provide crisis intervention and follow-up care for girls and young women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Those that access services at the shelter are also able to enroll in educational programs that are a part of the broader Don Bosco Fambul network and which train them in the skills necessary to find and retain employment. The training helps to empower them to overcome the discrimination they have faced and gain a greater awareness of their rights. It also helps to build character while allowing the girls and young women the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives, improve their health and boost their work prospects.

SOUTH AFRICA

Through the Salesian Institute Youth Projects, an organization in Cape Town, South Africa, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services in an effort to meet the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty. For the last four years, one of the Salesian Institute’s projects, Waves of Change, has been assisting unemployed youth in finding work in the fishing industry. Requiring minimal levels of education, jobs in the fishing industry can provide a significant income, a stable career path and extensive travel opportunities for poor youth. Some youth employed through the project have had the opportunity to travel as far as Antarctica. The Waves of Change project offers a compulsory five-day life skills course after which students who successfully complete the course are awarded financial assistance towards obtaining the required certification for work in the fishing industry through the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). During the 2013-2014 school year, more than 300 youth received education and life skills training through this program. Nearly 75 percent have already been placed into jobs within the fishing industry.

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Sources:

UN – International Youth Day 2015

The post INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY: Highlights Programs Providing Child Rights Training, Education and Workforce Development Opportunities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

International aid has begun to reach communities in need across Myanmar but continued heavy rain is expected to flood large parts of the low-lying southern delta region in the upcoming days and weeks. The area of most concern is the southwest region where the Ayeyarwady River and other rivers fork into a delta leading to the sea. This area is home to 6.2 million people, nearly 12 percent of Myanmar’s population.

“We’re very concerned about secondary flooding that is likely going to happen in the delta region as more water flows downstream,” said Pierre Peron, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in a recent Reuters news report about the continued flooding.

Salesian missionaries living and working in the region are responding to the situation with aid for the flood victims, many who have lost everything. The regions most affected include Chin, Rakáin, Magwe and Sagaing which the Burmese government declared a state of natural disaster. The Salesian house of Kalay, a boarding school in the region of Chin, is located at the center of one of the most flood-stricken areas but did not suffer any damage. The Salesian community in the region is already actively engaged in emergency relief work and also planning long-term rebuilding and education and social development initiatives to help flood victims.

“Because Salesian missionaries live within the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our programs are helping to provide food, clothing and shelter to those in need and our missionaries will remain through the long recovery process helping the many families who will be forced to rebuild their homes and salvage their livelihoods.”

Salesian missionaries in Myanmar have joined local authorities and other non-governmental aid groups in assessing the damage to determine the best course of action required long-term. At this point, missionaries are addressing the most basic of needs but as the death toll rises, they are reporting massive numbers of homeless people, starvation and vulnerability to infectious diseases.

In an August 4th statement, the Salesian Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon said food and medical supplies are urgently needed to help thousands in the inundated Rakhine and Chin States and in the Sagaing Region. Cardinal Bo called for particular attention to be paid to the situation in Rakhine State which in recent years has experienced deadly religious conflicts and was already home to at least 100,000 displaced people, mainly Rohingya Muslims living in temporary camps.

“The scale of devastation is massive,” says Cardinal Bo. “In a region that is chronically poor, the poor have lost everything and have become refugees. Urgent survival assistance is needed in many villages and we are calling on everyone we can to assist us in this work.”

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Sources:

ANS – Myanmar – Floods devastate the country. Salesians help the population

BBC – Myanmar flooding affects one million

Reuters – Myanmar braces for more flooding as international aid flows in

The post MYANMAR: Salesian Missionaries are Providing Emergency Relief to Flood Victims first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Don Bosco Kep provides basic, secondary and technical education to poor youth living in the Cambodian provinces of Kep, Kampot, Takeo, Ratanakiri and Mondolkiri. The organization’s educational and social development programs help students break the cycle of poverty in their lives and become contributing members of their communities. Don Bosco Kep provides special attention to children and young people from ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, orphans and at-risk youth in danger of becoming victims of human trafficking, labor exploitation or other abuses.

“Youth living in poverty are among the least likely to have access to educational programs that provide the skills necessary to lead stable, productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries in Cambodia are working to ensure that every child, no matter their situation, has access to education.”

In order to best meet the needs of the youth it serves, Don Bosco Kep is constantly expanding its services. In October 2011, courses in social communication and journalism as well as front office management, housekeeping and tailoring were added to the technical school. In October 2012, an electrical department opened and information technology and language classes began. A year later, the technical school again expanded to include coursework in culinary arts, agriculture, food and beverage, art communication and office administration.

The addition of a farm will help to support the work of the agricultural department which serves to train Cambodian youth in mechanical agriculture while producing food for the technical school to aid its sustainability. Since 2011, the agricultural department has worked with limited resources on a small piece of land inside the school’s campus. Over the past several years, the department has been growing with the addition of more teachers and students and has been making a broader social impact in the regions of Kep, Kampot and Takeo.

In order to sustain this growth, Salesian missionaries have obtained a plot of land near the school for the development of the small farm. Thanks to the support of donors from Germany, Salesian missionaries are planning for new facilities on the land including a classroom, a store for equipment and a farm house. In order to make the land operational, missionaries are working to secure funding for the required fence around the property and for the installation of 10 solar panels that will allow the project to supply its own energy and ensure its sustainability. The project will also require a newly drilled well as Kep Province lacks a public water service. Once completed, the small farm will provide an opportunity for additional hands-on training for the agricultural students and serve to provide a sustainable food source for the technical school.

Cambodia’s long history of violence and conflict has led to almost a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty, according to UNICEF. Since the end of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia’s economy has been strengthening with particular growth in construction, tourism and agriculture. However, Cambodians are still struggling, particularly those living in rural areas where close to 75 percent of the population face seasonal food shortages.

With almost a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 illiterate with very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesian missionaries in the country operate 45 schools and seven vocational training centers in poor, rural villages through a partnership with Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Kep

UNICEF – Cambodia 

The post CAMBODIA: Salesian Missionaries Developing Small Farm at Don Bosco Kep to Aid Agriculture Education, Food Production first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Self-Reliance program works to bridge the gap between graduation from secondary school and employment. At this critical juncture, the program provides access to additional skills training and social development services while offering opportunities to study and gain professional qualifications. In this way, the program aids young people with the transition to adulthood and meaningful employment as well as helps to break the cycle of poverty in their lives.

Given the high rate of youth unemployment in India, this program is especially relevant. According to the International Labor Organization’s Global Employment Trends 2015 Report, India experienced a sharp slowdown in its economy during 2012 and 2013 when growth dropped below 5 percent. The economy grew slightly faster in 2014 reaching 5.4 percent, reflecting an improvement in the growth rate of the services sector and a better monsoon season than originally anticipated. However, the unemployment rate for youth is remaining flat after having risen 3.6 percent in 2012 and having again climbed to 3.7 percent in 2013.

“All youth deserve a chance at a better life and access to the skills necessary to find and retain employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “To help close the employment gap, Don Bosco Ashalayam helps youth gain a foothold in the competitive job market by providing employment and soft skills training in an environment of learning and mentoring that is responsive to the individual’s emotional and developmental needs.”

Salesian missionaries working at Don Bosco Ashalayam utilize their vast network of technical and vocational training programs within India to help their students gain viable employment skills. For student, Anarjeet, the Self-Reliance Program has helped him gain the experience and skills necessary to complete his four year degree in hotel management while also accessing an internship. Before discovering Don Bosco Ashalayam, Anarjeet was an orphan who lost his parents at the age of two. He was sent to live with an aunt and uncle who were physically abusive to him. After a few years living and struggling to survive on the streets of New Delhi, Anarjeet was found by a street outreach worker who led him to Don Bosco Ashalayam.

“I look at my life with gratitude to the Don Bosco organization, because I grew up in Ashalayam and received everything possible that my family was unable to provide,” says Anarjeet. “I was brought to Ashalayam, a new world of experience, a place of safety and security, which has transformed my life. I was given all the care and protection with every possibility and opportunity to grow properly.”

Another student, Kapil, spent 16 years at Don Bosco Ashalayam after being found by Salesian missionaries at one of India’s railway stations, a haven for runaway youth in the country. Kapil ran away from home after his mother died and his father remarried. Subjected to physical abuse at home, he felt he had little choice other than to try to survive on the streets. With the help of the Self-Reliance Program, Kapil is finishing his degree in computer science and has already started an internship at an Indian software company.

“Don Bosco Ashalayam showed me the rays of new life,” says Kapil. “Active participation in various co-curricular activities increased my confidence and I learned many skills such as book binding and candle making. The life was so amazing at Don Bosco that I could enjoy and learn to mend my life. I often wonder how I have achieved all I have in spite of being a boy who ran away from home to take shelter in railway stations. Don Bosco Ashalayam is really a home for the children in need of care and protection.”

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

International Labour Organization – World Employment Social Outlook 2015

UNICEF – India

The post INDIA: Don Bosco Self-Reliance Program Helps Youth Transition into Adulthood first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2005, in partnership with South Africa’s Departments of Health and Education, Life Choices was established to provide youth living in the southwestern port city of Cape Town with education, training and support around the issues of HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, violence and unemployment. The organization’s programs are offered to youth in the communities of Athlone, Delft and Manenberg and are based on the belief that sustained and positive behavior change requires significant investment of time, one-on-one support and resources.

According to UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, South Africa has been the country hardest hit by HIV/AIDS worldwide. There are 6.1 million people living with HIV in the country but the rate of new transmissions of the virus has slowed. UNAIDS data shows that new HIV infections have been reduced from 540,000 new infections in 2004 to 370,000 in 2012. That same year, according to South Africa’s National Department of Health, some 2.2 million people were accessing HIV treatment, making it the largest HIV treatment program in the world.

Life Choices programs are offered in schools and students in grades 4 through 12 participate in educational workshops and activities designed specifically for each age group. The programs benefit youth by employing a multipronged approach to HIV/AIDS prevention. This approach not only offers health education on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, but also life skills training, parental/teacher/community support, recreational activities, sports, youth camps, counseling and job placement services.

For youth like Sinethemba who very early on in life joined a Cape Town gang, his life was a cycle of substance abuse, theft and violence. He was born to young and absent parents and abandoned by his extended family. He began drinking at the age of 13, was first arrested for robbery at 16 and was back on the streets within five months and this time with gang affiliation.

“I didn’t have any family to stop me,” says Sinethemba. “And the gang gave me a sense of belonging. It supported me financially and made me feel safer out on the streets. I felt powerful and respected and no longer a nobody.”

Thanks to a prison outreach program offered in parallel with the life-skills and vocational training programs provided by Life Choices, Sinethemba found his way out of despair and gained a renewed sense of belonging. Today, Sinethemba has become the role model he never had and aspires to be a leader and a good father one day. He is studying electrical engineering and theology and works directly with youth involved in substance abuse and gang activity.

“Salesian missionaries understand how important it is for youth to have the skills and knowledge to make healthy choices in life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The training and education provided by the Life Choices programs help young people of all ages gain the skills needed to make positive changes while understanding the consequences of their actions.”

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than 45 percent of the population living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than one dollar 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, Salesian missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – South Africa: From Gang Member to Role Model

Salesian Institute’s Youth Projects

UNICEF – South Africa

The post SOUTH AFRICA: Salesian Life Choices Program Provides Hope and a Better Future for At-Risk Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The program is designed for poor and at-risk youth from Santiago de Cali who wish to train as kitchen assistants, work that is highly desirable given the current employment situation in the area. More than 230 youth have graduated from the program with nearly 80 percent of graduates finding employment directly after graduation. The program is 100 percent donor funded and made possible through financial support from the private sector, Colombia’s National Learning Service (SENA), the Governor of Valle del Cauca and the restaurant industry.

Through the Food for All program, students learn a variety of kitchen skills to prepare them for employment while gaining access to life skills training as well as interviewing and resume assistance. An emphasis is placed on building relationships with students from different backgrounds and parts of the region.

“Years ago it was almost impossible to imagine that a young person from a poor rural area could find work in one of the Colombia’s urban centers and now this happens every day,” says Father Germán Londoño, director of the Don Bosco Center. “This program works to develop a sense of trust between students and in turn they begin to trust their communities and their communities trust them. A lot of young people who have gone through this program have set up their own businesses and have reformed their lives. If you learn how to cook well, life is good, and it elevates the spirit.”

In 2008, Rosa Inés Naranjo, then 42 years of age, had lost her job and felt like she had lost everything. After becoming aware of the Food for All program, she decided to explore the idea of turning her love of cooking into a career, something she had dreamed of but never imagined could become a reality.

“The kitchen is a joy,” says Naranjo. “In the kitchen we laugh a lot, learn a lot, get to know each other and discover many things. The kitchen gives peace and happiness, and it’s a place where we forget our problems and focus on the food we are offering to people. If someone says that what you have prepared is delicious, it gives us great satisfaction.”

Many youth enrolled in the Food for All program lacked the education and skills to find viable employment and had nowhere else to turn. Some had previously turned to life on the streets, violence or criminal activity. Through this program and others operated by the Don Bosco Center, participants are given a second chance.

“Youth in Colombia struggle to gain an education and lead productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because of conditions of poverty, youth are vulnerable to exploitation and criminal activity. Education provides a path out of poverty and helps youth gain the jobs skills necessary to find meaningfully livable wage employment.”

Close to 33 percent of Colombians live in poverty, according to the World Bank. One in five children in the country have no access to education and 800,000 children reside in refugee camps. The number of street children has reached epidemic proportions and thousands of at-risk youth have been recruited as child soldiers.

In addition, many orphaned youth in Colombia live in poverty and have lost their parents to natural disasters, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other diseases, war or domestic issues. Some children remain living with a single parent, struggling to survive and are often pulled out of school to earn income for the remaining family. Other youth live in shelters or on the streets.

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Sources:

ANS – Colombia – “Did you know that there is ’Food for All’ in Cali?”

World Bank – Colombia

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Many children living on the streets are runaways who have left home in search of work or to escape violence or other family difficulties. According to UNICEF, more than 40,000 children are reported missing every year in India. Of these, close to 11,000 remain untraced. As many cases go unreported, it is suspected that the actual number of missing children is much higher. Many runaways come to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru in search of work and a better life with the majority of them living on the streets and on the country’s railway platforms where they beg, steal or perform menial jobs to survive. All too often, they fall victim to child traffickers.

In 2010, India passed a landmark law mandating that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 be in school, but according to UNICEF, millions of children remain in the workforce. Full implementation of the law went into effect in 2013, but child workers can still be found in almost every industry in India. The problem has been enforcing the law, particularly in high poverty regions of the country.

In 2014, BOSCO volunteers rescued 6,451 runaway youth and were able to reunite 4,681 of them back with their families. Those remaining are under the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee. Of the youth rescued, there were 5,561 boys and 900 girls, the majority of whom were between the ages of 6 and 16 with 75 of the children under age five.

Once youth are identified by BOSCO and convinced to come in off the street, their basic needs are provided for such as housing, food and clothing. In addition, they receive counseling and, if appropriate, are reunited back with their families. Education is also a primary component of BOSCO and is provided to those in the rehabilitation program while those who are returned to their families have access to Salesian schools throughout India. Youth who continue their education are more likely to find and retain stable employment later in life and break the cycle of poverty.

“Salesian missionaries in India are working hard to rehabilitate street children and restore their childhoods,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many take for granted having a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat and access to medical care. Salesian missionaries recognize how critical it is to meet these basic needs before expecting youth to be able to focus on education.”

Salesian missionaries collaborate with the Indian government and child protection system by providing training, advocacy and outreach program development to help reduce the number of street children while sharing resources for finding, identifying and rehabilitating those currently living on the streets.

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota

Video – BOSCO Street Children in India

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2012

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: BOSCO Bangalore Outreach Programs Help Rescue and Rehabilitate Homeless Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Don Bosco Kep provides basic, secondary and technical education to poor youth living in the Cambodian provinces of Kep, Kampot, Takeo, Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri. The organization’s educational and social development programs give special attention to children and young people from ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, orphans and at-risk youth in danger of becoming victims of human trafficking, labor exploitation or other abuses and aim to help students break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities.

A branch of the Don Bosco Children Fund is operated out of Don Bosco Kep and assists poor youth between the ages of 6 and 15 who are either unable to go to school or have had to drop out due to poverty. Called the Don Bosco Kep Children Fund, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also to receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that youth make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework.

In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children Fund since its inception in 1992. The new kindergarten is an extension of the Don Bosco Kep Children Fund and works to educate children who might not otherwise have access to schooling.

The new Don Bosco Kep kindergarten is located in a child friendly environment on the technical school campus and is surrounded by a colorful playground and many trees. The stimulating learning environment helps prepare children to go on to primary school. With a school day from 8 a.m to 4 p.m., the program consists of English language, basic numbers and counting lessons and includes games, arts and crafts. The kindergarten strives to be a safe, comfortable environment where the children can develop their social, academic and physical skills.

“Many parents in Cambodia did not have the same opportunities for education as their children do today so they do not see staying in school as a priority, particularly when many children have been forced to work to bring in extra money for the family,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need the extra support to stay in school and get an education. Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Kep provide that much needed support and stability to help youth achieve.”

The Don Bosco Kep Kindergarten is still in its early phases of development. Many activities take place in the outdoor kindergarten area while the indoor classroom is used solely for academic lessons. The children nap in a community building not originally designed to be a classroom. Plans are underway to create new classrooms to allow for smaller class sizes that encourage better concentration, provide fewer distractions and enable teachers to provide more personal attention.

Once new classrooms are built, the larger space will protect children from the heat and create additional exhibition space for educational posters and student artwork while allowing for storage of teaching materials. In addition, the program is planning to build a new bathroom with showers the children can use if necessary. The goal of the new construction is to establish an efficient and comfortable kindergarten environment for children to learn, grow, thrive and reach their full potential.

Cambodia has a long history of violence that has resulted in a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty and surviving on less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. About 80 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas and has limited access to education, healthcare and other public services.

Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesians in the country operate 45 schools in poor, rural villages through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education. In addition, Salesians operate seven vocational training centers that impart much needed job skills.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Cambodia

World Bank – Cambodia

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Organized in 1996 by Coach Cesar Cantancio by the invitation of the Madridejos Mayor, Doroteo Salazar, the Madridejos Football Club was part of a sports program developed for a fishing town in Northern Cebu. Eventually, the club became a football powerhouse throughout the Island of Cebu. Coach Cantancio has dedicated eighteen years of his life to developing the football club whose players consist of elementary and high school students. He learned to play soccer himself when he was a student at the Don Bosco Boys Home in Banilad, Philippines and went on to play for the Don Bosco varsity high school team and the University of Cebu.

The Madridejos Football Club has been a champion of the Salesian Provincial Meet and has had its members go on to achieve acclaim in the sport. Elson Dorimon, a former member of the club, went on to play in the Homeless World Cup in Poland in September 2014.

Through a partnership with and support from Don Bosco Boys Home in Banilad, the football club has helped many young people remain in school. For many players, their skills on the field have granted them access to scholarships that have allowed them to continue their studies at the university level.

“Sports programs for youth teach valuable skills both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership and teamwork. Students also learn important social skills and are given opportunities to grow and mature.”

The super typhoon which struck on Nov. 8, 2013 was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded and the deadliest typhoon on record in the Philippines killing more than 6,200 people in that country alone. According to the United Nations, the super typhoon affected more than 13 million people overall. An estimated one million homes were destroyed and 4 million people were left homeless with close to 2.5 million of those displaced needing food assistance. According to the UN World Food Program, more than 5 million of those affected were children, leaving 1.5 million children at risk of acute malnutrition.

Salesian missionaries in the country offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities. The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and break the cycle of poverty as well as the skills to secure and retain long-term employment.

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Sources:

ANS – Philippines – Promoting Football to the Grassroots

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Due to complications securing land, construction of a new youth center in San Benito was a long time in the making and faced many delays. Now that the land has been secured, construction is underway and once completed, the youth center will provide poor and at-risk youth additional educational and social supports and a meeting space to build relationships with peers and engage in safe after-school activities. Tutoring and life skills training as well as recreational activities and sports will also be available.

“After so many battles with the municipality to get the ground to build our youth center, we are finally starting work,” says Father Giampiero De Nardi, a Salesian missionary in San Benito. “We have cleared the land, made measurements and started to level the ground. Next we will build the fence and wait for the architect to prepare the final plans and make our dream something more concrete. We are hoping that people will help us financially to be able to complete this program for the good of the young people at risk in Petén.”

In addition to the development of a new youth center, Salesian missionaries in San Benito are distributing ecological filters for purifying water. Since the local water is unsafe and often sickens those who drink it with dysentery and disease, the filters are vital for the many poor families in the area who cannot afford to buy bottled water. The new filters last for five years and produce enough drinking water for five or six families. Close to 50 filters have already been distributed through the project which was generously funded by donors from Italy.

“Water is essential for life and clean water projects have been a focus for Salesian missionaries around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Water is at the core of sustainable development and relates directly to the viability of poverty reduction, economic growth and environmental sustainability. For those who have no access to clean water, water related disease is common with more than 840,000 people dying each year globally from water related disease.”

Additional Salesian-run programs in the El Petén region continue efforts to prevent HIV/ AIDS and provide treatment for those who have the disease. The area has the third worst incidence rate for contraction of HIV in Guatemala. Despite the fact that the project that financed this work has ended, Salesian missionaries continue to do prevention work and offer medical care and other social services for those infected with the virus. Missionaries continue to seek additional funding and are working with the Office for the Prevention of AIDS of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala which is operating many of the existing prevention programs for women in the country.

Rural poverty hasn’t changed much in Guatemala during the last 20 years, according to the World Bank. Close to 75 percent of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line and almost 58 percent live below the extreme poverty line which the World Bank defines as struggling to afford even a basic basket of food. For the country’s indigenous population the poverty rates jump even higher with almost 90 percent facing crippling poverty and few resources.

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 technical schools, vocational training workshops and two universities. Additional social and educational programs help provide for youth living on the streets and those living in poor indigenous communities.

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Sources:

ANS – Guatemala – A New Centre for the Young People of Petén

World Bank – Guatemala

The post GUATEMALA: Salesian Missionaries Have Undertaken New Projects Helping Poor Youth and their Families in San Benito first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The graduation ceremony in Thanjavur brought together family members, Salesian staff and dignitaries to celebrate the accomplishments of the Sri Lankan graduates while offering cultural activities facilitated by refugees from local refugee camps. Women currently enrolled in a garment making training program at the school displayed their handmade garments and crafts at the event. During the ceremony, graduates were awarded course completion certificates and given trade-related tools to help prepare them for the workforce.

The New Beginnings program, coordinated by Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. To date, more than 3,300 refugees have received vocational training scholarships through the program.

Since 1983, ethnic violence in Sri Lanka has forced tens of thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils from their homeland in search of safety and a new life in Tamil Nadu, India. According to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, there are close to 140,000 Sri Lankan refugees in 65 countries with almost 70,000 in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu.

Refugees face many challenges as they begin to make a new life in their host countries. Sri Lankan Tamils are unique in that their host population in Tamil Nadu is also ethnically Tamil. While Sri Lankan refugees share a common language and customs with their host community, they still struggle to gain marketable skills and find livable wage employment.

Since 2010, Salesian Missions has been offering its New Beginnings program to young male and female Sri Lankan refugees who have been living in refugee camps in 15 target districts in India. The program provides market-conscious vocational and technical skills training that results in livable wage employment while allowing trainees to better support themselves and their families. Many refugees enter the program with few, if any, job prospects or with a history of low paid part-time work experience which is typically unskilled and often dangerous and exploitative.

The training provides New Beginnings’ graduates with at least one market-demand technical skill as well as workplace readiness training to enhance positive attitudes, hygiene, personal presentation and teamwork. Results-oriented job placement assistance helps graduates transition from the classroom to employment in the local labor market. In addition, all trainees receive counseling to help them overcome traumas related to their displacement as well as recreation opportunities that promote non-violent conflict resolution and a healthy inclusive community.

“Young men who once worked as painters or unskilled construction hands for just a dollar each day have gone on to technical positions in established local and regional businesses,” says Neill Holland, program officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Some have leveraged their training to travel beyond local areas toward the Indian state’s technology companies and auto manufacturers in the Chennai industrial hub.”

Serving no less than 40 percent women and young girls, the New Beginnings program promotes gender equality and generates opportunities for women whether they prefer to seek work at a local company or join a women’s company collective that allows them to remain home with young children while still engaging in meaningful employment.

Often women with young children are unable to leave the camps to attend school. In response, Salesian Missions created a program to bring training inside the refugee camps. Women can receive training in skills such as jewelry-making and sewing and are also provided entrepreneurial workshops. The program also helps women create a business cooperative while a micro-credit program helps them buy new equipment such as sewing machines. As a group, the women are able to provide their services and merchandise to local businesses, taking advantage of their new skills while continuing to care for their families.

“Young women and girls face many disadvantages and barriers to accessing education and achieving financial independence despite their huge potential,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “It is very important for girls to attend school and gain an education. Girls that are empowered though education are more often able to achieve financial independence, marry at an older age and make better and healthier choices that affect not only themselves, but their families and communities as well.”

Salesian missionaries are also providing the New Beginnings program for refugees in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp and refugees living in Colombia.

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Sources:

ANS – India – Sri Lankan Refugee Skill Training Graduation Day

UNHCR – Sri Lanka

Salesian Missions Office for International Programs

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration

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Residents of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia are experiencing chronic food insecurity made worse by recurring periods of drought, low soil fertility and an unsustainable use of natural resources. Agriculture is the primary source of sustenance and survival for communities in this region and the onset of drought has negatively impacted all aspects of family life. In order to address this situation and provide access to clean, safe water, Don Bosco Missions in Turin, Italy is planning to implement a well project. Each well equipped with pump is expected to cost just over $11,000 U.S.

The project will utilize construction techniques compatible with cultural traditions, practices and customs of the region and use locally sourced materials. It will also establish village committees that will be responsible for the management of the wells and water-collection systems in addition to the training of community members in appropriate sanitation practices.

The new wells will provide water for agriculture and food production and access to safe drinking water in addition to improving sanitation. Women and children often bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households and globally, spend 140 million hours a day collecting water. Children in communities without access to local wells are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

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, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. 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.

Salesian missionaries have a long history of providing educational and support services to poor youth in Ethiopia. Missionaries operate six primary schools, three secondary schools and six vocational training centers in the country. At all these Salesian-run educational facilities, youth are able to gain an education while accessing support services including family sponsorship and school feeding programs. These supports reinforce the missionaries’ goal of keeping youth in school as long as possible.

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Sources:

ANS – Ethiopia – A comprehensive water project

UNICEF – Ethiopia

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The donated furniture from Asset 360 is being shared by Salesian programs across Haiti. Salesian-run educational institutions in Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital city, bring homeless children in off the streets and provide them with food, clothing, shelter and education. These schools then work to reintegrate youth back into society through a variety of small economic initiatives.

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

“Salesians in Haiti are focused on providing education and technical training to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the Haitian people,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Partnerships like those with Asset 360 help us to provide much needed supplies for our programs. Students find it easier to concentrate on their studies in a structured environment and the donated desks and chairs make that possible.”

Bedroom furniture such as beds and dressers were donated to Salesian students. The new furniture has given many a sense of dignity, especially those who have never had their own bed or dresser before.

“This is like a dream for me because where I was on the street before I never thought that one day I would have a bed for myself like rich people,” says a young student at the Salesian-run Lakay shelter and educational program in Port-au-Prince.

The shipment of furniture was the first of several donations provided by Asset 360 and coordinated by Salesian Missions. Salesian programs in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador will also receive shipments of donated furniture.

“This was a unique project at Bowling Green State University, in that multiple facilities were involved in the removal project on campus and multiple destinations were targeted for the shipments through Salesian Missions,” says Mark Berry, president of Asset 360. “Coordinating all of these moving parts was the challenge that we faced, and the campus community at BGSU could not have been more satisfied with the outcome.”

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. Over half of its population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day, and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank. Haiti continues to have significant needs in education, healthcare and nutrition.

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

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

ABOUT ASSET 360

ASSET 360 is an environmental services company specializing in the responsible repurposing of no longer needed surplus materials from a wide variety of clients. Any private organization or public institution generating surplus furniture, fixtures, equipment and supplies is paired with Asset 360’s extensive network of humanitarian relief organizations whose mission it is to provide relief supplies to needy communities here in the U.S. and in the developing world.

Asset 360 staff have shipped more than 3,000 shipping containers to over 40 countries, accounting for more than 45 million pounds of materials diverted away from already over-burdened landfills. Asset 360 clients realize significant financial, social and environmental benefits through the use of this surplus reuse program.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in some of the poorest places on the planet. The nearly 30,000 Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters—all dedicated to caring for poor children around the globe in more than 130 countries. The Salesians are widely considered the world’s largest private provider of vocational and technical training. Additionally, more than 1 million children attend Salesian primary schools, many of which are UNICEF-supported. Millions of vulnerable youth have received services specifically funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion.

The post HAITI: More than 700 Students Have Access to School and Bedroom Furniture Thanks to Salesian Missions Partnership with Asset 360 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries responded immediately after the earthquake providing food, medicine and temporary shelter to more than 17,000 families. Many residents remained in temporary shelter after the earthquake and faced the country’s monsoon season. Missionaries responded again providing stronger polythene sheets, tarpaulins and CGI sheets to ensure safer shelter.

Immediately after the initial earthquake, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, launched an emergency fund to assist Salesian missionaries in Nepal. The funding goes directly to support relief efforts on the ground in affected communities and remote villages.

“Salesian missionaries living and working in Nepal are now turning their attention to long-term efforts, starting by helping families to rebuild their homes and their communities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Their work will begin with the families of Salesian staff and students and will then branch out to other families in districts where there are Salesian programs.”

Salesian missionaries operate two programs in the Kathmandu Valley. Don Bosco Thecho is a technical school located in the Kathmandu suburb of Lubhu and Don Bosco Siddhipur, located in the Lalitpur district, offers both a primary and secondary school.

In order to help further the reconstruction efforts and put those in the community who have lost their livelihoods back to work, Salesian missionaries will be using the technical school at Thecho to train young men and women in the skills needed to assist in reconstruction. The United Nations has noted that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes. With a goal of reconstructing at least 40 schools, Salesian missionaries will utilize the skills of the newly trained students to assist in the rebuilding of schools. Each village will be asked to form a school-reconstruction committee that will mobilize the villagers to contribute as much as possible in cash, labor and locally available materials.

In addition to rebuilding the physical structures, Salesian missionaries are seeking permission from District Education Officers to hold orientation programs for teachers to aid them in assisting students who have dealt with trauma related to the earthquakes. Missionaries will also work directly with students to connect them to therapy services and offer financial assistance to those who lack mid-day meals, textbooks, uniforms and other schools necessities.

“Salesian missionaries are continuing their work but funds are limited. The emergency appeal will help provide aid directly to those who need it most,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Salesian Missions is urging the public to donate to its Nepal Emergency Fund. Go to www.SalesianMissions.org/Nepal for more information and to give to the relief efforts.

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Sources:

ANS – Nepal – Post-earthquake reconstruction

UN Office for Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Nepal Earthquake Situation Report

Salesian Missions – Nepal Emergency Fund

Don Bosco Thecho

The post NEPAL: Salesian Missionaries are Focusing on Rebuilding Homes and Classrooms after Earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.