DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

(MissionNewswire) People who have been internally displaced during the ongoing conflict in the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo* and are seeking shelter at Don Bosco Ngangi in Goma had access to nutritional support thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The shipment of rice-meals and other food helped 1,440 households.

The conflict has left more than 5.8 million people displaced across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika, according to UNHCR – the United Nations Refugee Agency. Since the beginning of October 2022, more than 28,000 people seeking refuge from violence have arrived at Don Bosco Ngangi. Salesian missionaries, with support of volunteers from the Salesian-run International Volunteering for Development (VIS), are supporting people as best as they can.

Those who have been displaced and seeking shelter with the Salesians include 19,000 children, who are suffering from insufficient food and are challenged by harsh living conditions. Salesians have identified more than 1,000 children under age 5 who have been showing signs of malnutrition due to lack of food in sufficient quality and quantity while the war has continued.

One Salesian missionary said, “This area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is extremely fertile and most families work in the agricultural center. However, more than 90 percent of the farmers had already sown their crops and were at a stage where the agricultural crops needed more maintenance in order to hope for a very good harvest. Unfortunately, the war caught them unprepared, and they were forced to leave their homes and take refuge in Ngangi.”

People who received the rice-meals have been extremely grateful for the donation, especially the children who look forward to mealtimes. Salesians report that the rice-meals have helped to address malnutrition. As the war rages on, Salesian missionaries and VIS continue to look for ways to help support those who have been displaced.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Democratic Republic of the Congo

UNHCR – Democratic Republic of the Congo

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

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PERU

(MissionNewswire) More than 9,600 vulnerable people in Peru received nutritional support thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” A shipment of rice-meals was provided to the Don Bosco Foundation in 2022 and distributed throughout the year to 10 civic and religious programs serving people who are sick and elderly, at-risk youth, and other marginalized populations.

Organizations that received the donation include the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Forsaken Elderly in Breña that serves a population of 500 poor elderly people. The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity is a home for 100 youth with terminal cancer and others serious diseases who are receiving treatment. The Brother Thomas Helm Center is a day shelter for youth who are in school. There are approximately 60 boys who participate. The Civic Action with the Joint Command of the Armed Forced provides basic needs for 4,550 people. Hogar San Camilo provides support to people with HIV. It serves approximately 280 people.

The rice-meal shipment also helped volunteers who distributed the meals. Sabina, age 26 and from Lima, delivered meals to the most poverty-stricken and dangerous area of Callao, the port of Lima. Within Callao is the Los Barracones neighborhood, which is known for gang violence. When Sabina arrived to distribute the donations of fortified rice packages, she noticed the lack of police presence in the community and anticipated a hostile atmosphere while distributing food to the households.

However, Sabina was surprised to see how welcoming and warm the beneficiaries and their relatives were when dropping off the meals. She said, “Going door to door, offering rice, being welcomed in the homes of the beneficiaries and exchanging some kind words” was an experience of regaining hope.

The volunteers were grateful for this experience and expressed their gratitude to the Salesians for giving them an opportunity to be active members in their local 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.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Foundation

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

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(MissionNewswire) Youth and families in Ukraine* have nutritional support thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The food shipment impacted 360 people in Zhytomyr.

The food was initially shipped to Salesians in Poland and then transported to Ukraine. It was distributed at the Teterivka Orphanage and Boarding House, the Vsesvit Salesian School and Korostyshiv Catholic Church. Over a two-week period, Salesians were able to distribute approximately 48 boxes of rice to the people connected to these organizations.

Salesians have been working with the Korostyshiv Catholic Church since 1994 and have worked at Vsesvit Salesian school for the last five years. While Salesians are not working directly with the Teterivka Orphanage and Boarding House, the children there have disabilities and need specialized care. Their only source of funding is from the government, which has decreased since the outbreak of war.

One Salesian missionary said, “With the support of Feed My Starving Children, we have been able to step in and distribute food packages to the children who have been greatly impacted and humbled with the support.”

Along with the food shipment, Salesian Missions also sent medical supplies provided by Matter, an organization that provides valuable corporate surplus to the places and people who need these life-saving resources the most. The medical supplies were provided to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the Eastern Rite in Ukraine and then dispersed to the Salesian community in Zhytomyr, among other sites. The supplies are being used in local hospitals and for people in need.

Soon after the war started, Salesian Missions launched a Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund that is helping to provide shelter, nutrition and supplies to refugees in need. This fund is among other fundraising efforts that Salesians in more than 130 countries are doing in support of Salesians on the front lines of this crisis.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Matter

Salesian Missions

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

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Ukraine have medical supplies and rice-meals to aid people thanks to donations secured and shipped by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Salesians living and working in Ukraine* have remained in their centers and churches where they are helping families with shelter, support, and nutrition. The donations impacted more than 1,000 people.

The medical supply donation was provided by Matter, an organization that provides valuable corporate surplus to the places and people who need these life-saving resources the most. The medical supplies were provided to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the Eastern Rite in Ukraine and then dispersed to the Salesian community in Zhytomyr, among other sites. The supplies are being used in local hospitals and for people in need.

Katie Johnson, director of global health initiatives at Matter, said, “The team at Salesian Missions is doing wonderful work and Matter is honored to partner with such a special organization. We are grateful for organizations like Salesian Missions that allow us to be a small part of bringing these life-saving devices to those who need them most.”

“We appreciate this new partnership with Matter, which has enabled us to get critical medical supplies to places in need in Ukraine,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian organizations around the globe have come together to help support Salesians in Ukraine who are working with people displaced inside the country. This support is essential, especially now, when the warehouses of food and medicines in Ukraine are empty. The needs of people are increasing.”

Along with the medical supply shipment, Salesian Missions also sent a container of rice-meals from Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The food is destined for poor residents of towns and villages in eastern Ukraine, where food is needed most.

In addition to these efforts, soon after the war started, Salesian Missions launched a Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund that is helping to provide shelter, nutrition and supplies to refugees in need. This fund is among other fundraising efforts that Salesians in more than 130 countries are doing in support of Salesians on the front lines of this crisis.

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Sources:

Feed My Starving Children

Matter

Salesian Missions

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

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins the international community and organizations around the globe in honoring World Food Day. Celebrated each year on Oct. 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, “Leave no one behind,” calls on everyone to “build a sustainable world where everyone, everywhere has regular access to enough nutritious food.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) noted, “Millions of people around the world cannot afford a healthy diet, putting them at high risk of food insecurity and malnutrition. But ending hunger isn’t only about supply. Enough food is produced today to feed everyone on the planet. The problem is access and availability of nutritious food, which is increasingly impeded by multiple challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, climate change, inequality, rising prices and international tensions. People around the world are suffering the domino effects of challenges that know no borders.”

As many as 828 million people go to bed hungry every night. The number of those facing acute food insecurity has soared from 135 million to 345 million since 2019, and a total of 50 million people in 45 countries are teetering on the edge of famine, according to the World Food Programme.

Salesian Missions operates feeding programs in its schools and centers through partnerships with organizations like Rise Against Hunger and Feed My Starving Children. Salesian Missions identifies needs and coordinates delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals that are supplemented with additional supplies when available.

“Salesians around the globe know how important healthy nutrition is for the children and older youth we serve in our schools and centers,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Children can’t focus on school when they are hungry, and those facing malnutrition often fail to thrive. Salesian feeding programs ensure that youth have access to nutritious meals to fuel their education, play, and connection with their families and friends.”

This World Food Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight feeding programs in schools and centers around the globe.

BENIN

Children at a home for abused and abandoned children in Benin received food support thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.

Children at Foyer Don Bosco, a home for abused and abandoned children in Kandi, Benin, have received food support thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The funding provided food support for 36 children, as well as cleaning products and medicines for the infirmary. Ten girls and boys have also benefited from the purchase of toolboxes for various trades.

Foyer Don Bosco serves boys and girls in very complex situations, including those who have been abandoned by their families, victims of abuse, and victims of forced marriages. The area of Kandi often has an influx of children who are on their own. Children are sometimes sold on the black market and exploited in the workforce. A transit home was started with the support of UNICEF to host these children, while guiding them to other homes or trying to find their families.

Foyer Don Bosco was created for children who have nowhere else to go or need to stay for long periods of time. In collaboration with the juvenile courts of Benin, minors who are in conflict with the law and in high-risk situations are assisted by the Salesians. The border police also intercept children being trafficked from Niger and Burkina Faso.

DR Congo

A farm project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is helping students overcome food insecurity.

Don Bosco Kansebula in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo*, was able to improve the yield from its farm thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The “Food security for the youth of Don Bosco Kansebula” project helped to provide food for 360 children and youth ages 6-22, as well as 83 young Salesians who are studying philosophy at Don Bosco Kansebula.

Most of the children and youth who received nutritional support are attending the local secondary school and college and live in the village. Single mothers were also supported as a part of this project.

Don Bosco Kansebula has a 44-hectare farm that supplies food for the Salesian formation house and to the village nearby. Since its beginning, Don Bosco Kansebula has provided young Salesians with philosophy education and has given them shelter and nutritional support while at the school. Villagers living near Don Bosco Kansebula have used the farm to cultivate food for themselves and the community.

Most of the youth in the village cannot afford to have more than one meal a day and the quality of the food is not sufficient. With COVID-19, many have been pushed further into poverty and do not have the means to support themselves. The goal of this project was to help increase the yield from the farm to provide for the nutritional needs of those in Salesian programs and in the village.

HAITI

Students at schools in Haiti benefited from food program partnerships.

Students attending the Salesian-run Timkatec schools in Pétion-Ville, Haiti, had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger. The shipment provided rice-meals from December 2021 to January 2022.

The rice-meals were distributed at the school canteen and sent home with students in need. A Salesian reported, “Since the canteen was suspended for the months of November to December for lack of rice, we decided to make a first distribution of dry rice to take away on the occasion of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 7. The rice was distributed after mass in the courtyard of the Professional School: Timkatec 2.”

The Timkatec school has existed since 1994 and was founded for former street children. Later, it was expanded to include local disadvantaged children who had not had the chance to attend school until ages 8-10. The vocational schools were added later so youth could learn a trade for employment. Additional rice-meals were distributed at the canteens in the three Timkatec schools and provided to students to take home during times of school closure.

PERU

Don Bosco Foundation, Lima, Peru distributed food aid to Salesian programs serving vulnerable people, including migrant families.

Vulnerable populations in Peru struggling with food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns received food aid in 2020 thanks to a partnership between Feed My Starving Children and Salesian Missions. With the support of the Flexport.org Fund, Salesian Missions received fully-funded logistics services to ship this food aid to Peru and another shipment to Guatemala.

Don Bosco Foundation in Lima was the main recipient of the food aid, which was then distributed to other Salesian programs serving vulnerable youth and adults, including migrant families and women and children living in conditions of poverty. The majority of the distribution went to Salesian programs that host community kitchens that feed local communities.

Don Bosco Foundation found that requests for aid increased dramatically after the quarantine. The aid shipped by Salesian Missions provided significant support to help families who were no longer able to work and put food on the table. Don Bosco Foundation has helped to support more than 6,000 people during the pandemic with a variety of services.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

BENIN: Children receive food support thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

DR CONGO: Farm helps students overcome food insecurity

HAITI: Students benefit from food program partnership

PERU: Vulnerable people receive food aid through partnership

Salesian Missions

World Food Day 2022

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

The post WORLD FOOD DAY: Salesian Missions highlights feeding programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

CAMBODIA

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending Salesian educational programs supported by the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia had access to proper nutrition in 2021 thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” Don Bosco Foundation received 1,200 boxes of rice-meals that sustained the food program for nearly 400 children and older youth.

Don Bosco schools are providing primary, secondary and technical education for poor youth. Those in technical training are studying subjects including electrical, mechanics, welding, automotive, electronics, computer and information technology, printing, media communication, hospitality, and tourism. After students graduate, they are qualified for jobs that offer a decent salary, allowing them to support themselves and their families and break the cycle of poverty.

Don Bosco Foundation in Cambodia received 1,200 boxes of rice meals thanks to a Feed My Starving Children donation.

“Salesian students in Cambodia are grateful for the nutritional support provided by Feed My Starving Children,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Youth who received healthy nutrition are able to concentrate in school and focus on their studies. The food program helps to ensure that students have a baseline of good nutrition while they are in school.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia was a world leader in economic growth and poverty reduction. It sustained an average growth rate of 7.7 percent between 1995 and 2019, and graduated to a lower middle-income economy in 2015, according to the World Bank. The government has implemented policies to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on businesses and people’s incomes and to support economic recovery. Still, the poverty rate rose to 17 percent as a result of the pandemic.

While Cambodia achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving poverty in 2009, the vast majority of families who escaped poverty were only able to do so by a small margin. Around 4.5 million people remain near-poor, vulnerable to falling back into poverty when exposed to economic and other external challenges.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Cambodia

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Cambodia

World Bank – Cambodia

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ZAMBIA

(MissionNewswire) People living in the village of Katongo, Zambia received better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” A rice-meal shipment was received in November 2021 and provided meals for more than 700 people.

Among the recipients of the donation was the Salesian-run Mornese Mission which educates more than 200 students in primary and secondary school. Children received the rice-meals three times a week at school, which supplements food that is procured locally. With the feeding program, there was an increase in the number of children attending school and class participation on the days the food is provided. This demonstrates the strong link between nourishing food and positive educational and social outcomes.

A Salesian missionary noted, “Mornese Mission is located in an area where early marriage is common. Because of this practice, many boys prefer to drop out of school and start work to earn money. However, without finishing their education, their lifelong earning potential is severely hampered. Mornese Mission seeks to reverse this trend, and the food provided by Feed My Starving Children helps keep students in school.”

Other recipients of the donation included children, women and the elderly in the Katongo village. In the village, women work hard to provide food for their children, and even some of the elderly adults are still working to provide for their grandchildren.

Precedence Chama is one of the recipients. She is a tenth-grade student and lives in Brown village with her mother. Because of their financial situation, they only eat once a day and sometimes it is hard to afford even that. Chama has been receiving the rice-meals at school and since that time she has gained weight and become more active. She likes reading, playing netball and visiting different places. She hopes to be able to travel around the world.

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

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

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EL SALVADOR

(MissionNewswire) More than 20,000 people, mostly school children, had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” Two food shipments were sent in 2021 to Salesian-run FUSALMO, located in the municipality of Soyapango in the San Salvador department of El Salvador.

The rice-meals were distributed to schools in the municipalities of Soyapango, San Miguel and Santa Ana. Food was also provided directly to vulnerable families in those areas. The rice-meals helped 9,328 people in Soyapango, 1,499 people in San Miguel and 9,445 people in Santa Ana.

FUSALMO provides education and social development programs for children and older youth who are in situations of social vulnerability. Through recreational programs, enrichment opportunities in the arts and music, vocational training, and more, youth are encouraged to stay off the streets, learn to cooperate and co-exist, and gain the skills they need to become productive, contributing members of a more peaceful society.

The food shipment was particularly helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic when many families were pushed further into poverty because of a loss of employment and wages.

“It is important that youth have access to healthy nutrition so they are able to take part in school and other activities,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian feeding programs not only help with a balanced diet, but they also allow students to focus on getting an education without worrying about where they will find their next meal.”

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 container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka.

Close to 22 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in El Salvador is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

FUSALMO

Salesian Missions (USA) – FUSALMO

Salesian Missions – El Salvador

World Bank – El Salvador

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HAITI

(MissionNewswire) Students attending the Salesian-run Timkatec schools in Pétion-Ville, Haiti, had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.”

A rice-meal shipment was sent to Timkatec in 2020. It was distributed among the boarding school and the canteens of three houses that serve more than 600 children and older youth attending school. In total, the food shipment fed nearly 700 people—643 students and 50 employees.

Timkatec has two schools that received the donation including one with 200 boys ages 10-19 and one for girls ages 8-16. Food is distributed in the canteen in the mornings before class or at noon. Timkatec also has two vocational schools with close to 450 older youth, both boys and girls. Food is provided in the canteen at noon during school days.

The Timkatec school has existed since 1994 and was founded for former street children. Later, it was expanded to include local disadvantaged children who had not had the chance to attend school until ages 8-10. The vocational schools were added later so youth could learn a trade for employment.

One of the people who received the donation was Jerry Coriolan, who lives at the school and works as a guardian for the younger children. Coriolan finished his studies at the Timkatec primary school and now works at the school to pay for his secondary school fees. He is currently in his third year of secondary school and has three more years to complete.

Coriolan was an orphan and suffers from anemia. He was regularly in the hospital for tests and had to take medication for his anemia. Since he has begun to eat the meals from Feed My Starving Children, he has gained strength and is currently in good health.

“It is important that youth have access to healthy nutrition so they are able to take part in school and other activities,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian feeding programs not only help with a balanced diet, but they also allow students to focus on getting an education without worrying about where they will find their next meal.”

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

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Food Programme – Haiti

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MADAGASCAR

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending Salesian programs in Madagascar had access to better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.”

The 2020 shipment was shared among Salesian communities in Fianarantsoa and Mahajanga and Don Bosco House Ivato and Our Lady of Clairvaux Ivato in the capital city of Antananarivo. Among the recipients were three children, Bruno, Evelyne and Jacky, from Ankofafa, the poorest neighborhood of Fianarantsoa.

At the time of the rice-meal shipment, the Salesian school had been closed for five months because of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting quarantines. While some schools continued to teach at a distance, poor youth who relied on feeding programs at the school suffered the most.

A Salesian in Madagascar reported, “Feed My Starving Children rice-meals are highly valued by the poor because they are rich in nutrients. Some children who were malnourished have regained strength and health. Since June, we have bought rice from the market and beans to continue distribution to the poor, replacing Feed My Starving Children rice.”

Without a shipment from Feed My Starving Children, Salesians see the difference in the children’s health. In times of need, Salesians supply the poor with local oil, beans and rice, but funding is tight and was even tighter at the height of the pandemic when donations slowed.

“The confinement prevented the poor from doing little daily chores that allow them to survive. It was a real emergency,” added the Salesian missionary. “Feed My Starving Children rice also enabled us to help families who had had problems with cyclones following the floods.”

Salesian missionaries have been living and working in Madagascar since 1981. Today, they have 11 centers and work in several locations.

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

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Madagascar

UNICEF – Madagascar

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PERU

(MissionNewswire) Vulnerable populations in Peru who are struggling with food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns received food aid in 2020 thanks to a partnership between Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit” and Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. With the support of the Flexport.org Fund, Salesian Missions received fully-funded logistics services to ship this food aid to Peru and another shipment to Guatemala.

Don Bosco Foundation in Lima was the main recipient of the food aid, which was then distributed to other Salesian programs serving vulnerable youth and adults, including migrant families and women and children living in conditions of poverty. The majority of the distribution went to Salesian programs that host community kitchens that feed local communities.

Don Bosco Foundation found that requests for aid increased dramatically after the quarantine. The aid shipped by Salesian Missions provided significant support to help families who were no longer able to work and put food on the table. Don Bosco Foundation has helped to support more than 6,000 people during the pandemic with a variety of services.

“We appreciate Feed My Starving Children and the Flexport.org Fund for supporting vulnerable children and adults during this difficult time,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Don Bosco Foundation supports local initiatives to feed families and ensure they have their basic needs met. In the face of the pandemic, the Salesian response continues to be vigorous and tireless.”

In the early days of the pandemic, Don Bosco Foundation launched an awareness campaign to help educate people about COVID-19 and prevention efforts. They have made and distributed masks, sanitary kits and food to people in need while supporting local efforts like community kitchens.

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Flexport.org Fund

Salesian Missions – Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Vulnerable people receive food aid through partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.

EL SALVADOR

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run FUSALMO and the Salesian Technical Institute Ricaldone, both located in San Salvador, El Salvador, were able to provide nutritional support to youth, families and students thanks to partnerships between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger and Feed My Starving Children.

The rice-meals from Feed My Starving Children were provided to Salesian Technical Institute Ricaldone where 1,200 students and community members benefited from the donation. Food baskets were distributed to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the tropical storms Amanda and Cristobal, and students at the institute.

Daniel Armando Pineda Sánchez, a second-year administrative accounting student, said, “When the COVID-19 pandemic and the tropical storms happened, people were left with limited resources and challenging economic conditions. I’m grateful we received the food basket that had rice with dehydrated soybeans, beans, milk and more. It was essential food for people in the community.”

The Rise Against Hunger shipment provided rice-meals for youth from the Don Bosco Youth Program and communities surrounding FUSALMO. More than 300 youth were impacted by this donation.

FUSALMO provides education and social development programs for children and older youth who are in situations of social vulnerability. The organization was created thanks to the efforts of the Salesians of El Salvador, the Association of Salesian Cooperators and the Foundation for Integral Education of El Salvador. During its time in operation, FUSALMO has served more than 432,000 youth within its programs.

Since 2004, FUSALMO’s flagship program, Don Bosco Youth Program, has helped students complete their secondary education. This program has grown stronger thanks to the support of national and international organizations. Two years ago the program began offering additional skills training to ensure that youth are ready to be part of the changing workforce.

FUSALMO offers traditional and non-traditional educational opportunities for at-risk youth. Through recreational programs, enrichment opportunities in the arts and music, vocational training, and more, youth are encouraged to stay off the streets, learn to cooperate and co-exist, and gain the skills they need to become productive, contributing members of a more peaceful society.

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

Crime is often associated with poverty and close to 22 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in El Salvador is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

FUSALMO

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions (USA) – FUSALMO

Salesian Technical Institute Ricaldone

Salesian Missions – El Salvador

World Bank – El Salvador

The post EL SALVADOR: Salesian programs receive rice-meal donations thanks to Salesian Missions partnerships first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has launched its Annual Food Distribution Appeal, enabling donors to multiply their gift many times over by turning a $1 donation into $20 of critical nutrition. Thanks to ongoing partnerships with international humanitarian aid organizations that donate the food—and the established, trusted presence of Salesian Missions in more than 130 countries—life-saving meals are ready for those who need them most. Salesian Missions needs donor help to transport the meals from shipping docks to Salesian program locations around the globe.

An estimated 135 million people in 55 countries around the world faced acute levels of hunger in 2019, according to the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises, released on April 20. This is the highest level of acute hunger seen since the report’s 2017 inception. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its staggering impact, global experts now predict that this number will nearly double by the end of 2020.

Those who were already dealing with conditions of hunger and poverty are now the ones who are most impacted. For the world’s poorest, malnutrition and food insecurity are expected to increase significantly, and without immediate intervention, these men, women and children literally risk starvation through no fault of their own.

Salesian Missions has ongoing partnerships with other humanitarian organizations, like Rise Against Hunger and Feed My Starving Children, that donate tons of nutritious food for desperately hungry children and families around the world who participate in Salesian programs.

In 2019, Rise Against Hunger rice-meals were shipped to Salesian programs in Cambodia, Burundi, East Timor, Swaziland and Uganda. These meals improved the lives and health of thousands of youth. 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, suffer fewer illnesses and have become more focused on their studies. In addition, teachers are seeing better student performance in class, a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in program enrollment rates.

“Salesian missionaries live and work in the communities in which they serve and are perfectly positioned to effectively and efficiently distribute goods and supplies,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Missionaries know the local and political landscape and have the resources to ensure that this aid reaches those most in need. Our donors are an integral part of ensuring this aid reaches youth who depend on Salesian programs for food, water, shelter and education.”

More than 30,000 Salesian missionaries are dedicated to caring for poor and at-risk youth in programs around the globe. Salesian programs assist poor and disadvantaged youth through education (academic, trade and agriculture), and workforce development initiatives, emergency relief and humanitarian aid, infrastructure support, clean water initiatives, and nutritional and health services.

To learn more and make a donation, visit SalesianMissions.org/lp/food.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

International Food Policy Research Institute – Global Report on Food Crises: 135 million in 55 countries faced acute hunger in 2019

Salesian Missions

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

The post GLOBAL: Every $1 delivers $20 worth of meals with Annual Food Distribution Appeal first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins the international community and organizations around the globe in honoring World Food Day. Celebrated each year on Oct. 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. It is also a chance for the international community to show its commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 2, to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030.

This year’s theme, “#FoodHeroes,” focuses on the important role played by governments, farmers, businesses and the general public, along with the challenges they face and the digital innovations that are helping them and the food systems to perform better. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), more than 2 billion people do not have regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. The global population is expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050.

Nearly 690 million people are hungry. This is up 10 million people since 2019. FAO reports the COVID-19 pandemic could add between 83-132 million people to this number, depending on the economic growth scenario.

Salesian Missions operates feeding programs in its schools and centers made possible by partnerships with organizations like Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. Salesian Missions identifies needs and coordinates delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals and supplemented with additional supplies when available.

“Salesian Missions programs are dedicated to providing feeding programs to ensure that youth have a nutritious and healthy diet,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “During the pandemic, Salesian missionaries, staff and volunteers have worked in countries around the globe to ensure that children out of school, families who have lost income, migrant workers and those living in extreme poverty often on the fringes of society have enough to eat. From providing hot meals to food kits, Salesian programs are working on the front lines helping to feed those most in need.”

This World Food Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight feeding initiatives in schools and programs around the globe.

BRAZIL

Relief work is happening across Brazil for needy youth and families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

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

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

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

EAST TIMOR

More than 1,200 youth attending Salesian schools and youth centers in East Timor had better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger.

More than 1,200 youth attending Salesian schools and youth centers in East Timor had better nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger. The shipment, which arrived in the last quarter of 2019, provided donated rice-meals to ensure students had a healthy meal during the school day.

Don Bosco Technical School Fatumaca, Don Bosco Technical High School Maliana, Don Bosco Training Center of Comoro, Don Bosco Laga Youth Center, Don Bosco Youth Center Baucau and Don Bosco Lospalos Orphanage were all recipients of the donation.

“Hungry students have trouble focusing on their studies and learning,” said Fr. Baek. “Proper nutrition is needed to fully take part in classroom and in-field training. 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.”

SOUTH AFRICA

Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa received food support as part of COVID-19 relief efforts, thanks to funding from Salesian Missions.

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

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

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

ZAMBIA

A partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children provided rice-meals that became a lifeline for people in Zambia in the face of the pandemic.

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

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

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

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BRAZIL: The Salesian Network provided 460 youth and their families food assistance in Manaus

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

EAST TIMOR: More than 1,200 youth attending Salesian schools and youth centers received better nutrition thanks to Rise Against Hunger rice-meals

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

FAO – World Food Day 2020

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions

Rise Against Hunger

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

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

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

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

The post WORLD FOOD DAY: Ensuring youth and their families have access to the nutrition first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ZAMBIA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions – Zambia

UNICEF – Zambia

The post ZAMBIA: At-risk youth and their families impacted by Feed My Starving Children rice-meal donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

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

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

Salesian Missions funds COVID-19 related nutrition and prevention projects

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

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

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

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

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

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

Partnerships provide ongoing food relief

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

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

UNICEF

Salesian Missions

Breedlove

Feed My Starving Children

Rise Against Hunger

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

The post GLOBAL: More children at risk of life-threatening malnutrition due to COVID-19, says new global report first appeared on MissionNewswire.