HONDURAS

(MissionNewswire) More than 1,000 youth in Salesian educational institutions in Honduras are benefiting from school furniture thanks to a donation secured by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The furniture was provided by Furniture Reuse Solutions, which has a commitment to sustainability and societal benefit. The company provides charities and nonprofits with gifts-in-kind donations that aid in their humanitarian missions.

The donation, which was received in December 2021, provided tables, chairs, and shelving units to the San Juan Bosco Vocational Training Center, San Miguel Salesian Institute, and the Archdiocese of Gracias Lempira. Prior to the donation, there were no tables for students in classrooms or chairs for offices. Many of the rooms also lacked shelving for organizing school and office supplies. Students who are studying refrigeration also lacked tables to do their work.

With the furniture, the Salesian schools have much more organizational structure in work and studying spaces. Shelving was installed for equipment and supplies. The refrigeration and barbershop areas now have space to practice. Staff are able to sit in offices and students now can study and learn at tables, which makes learning much more comfortable.

Carmen Lorraine Posadas, a 19-year-old student at the San Juan Bosco Vocational Training Center, was impacted by the donation. She is studying styling and lives with her mother who works as a domestic employee. Posadas noted that for other schools her mother needed to buy everything for her to be able to attend classes. At the center, many things were provided for her.

Posadas said, “I am completely in awe of everything this institution offers us as young people.  They provide us with tools for learning, and the spaces are comfortable. The chairs are suitable for the work that we do and the tables helps us keep everything organized. I think this institution would benefit many in our country. I want to thank all the people and organizations that strive to help and improve the environment at San Juan Bosco Center and improve what we already have available.”

The second largest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in the Western Hemisphere with 60 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rough geographic terrain in the country has limited the development of transportation, keeping much of the rural population isolated. Poverty and food scarcity are severe in rural areas and one out of every four Hondurans struggles with chronic malnutrition. In addition, one out of every five Hondurans lacks access to adequate health care.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Honduras for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers, and medical clinics to help support and educate poor youth and their families.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Furniture Reuse Solutions

Salesian Missions – Honduras

World Bank – Honduras

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HONDURAS

(MissionNewswire) The Mary Help of Christians Parish in Comayagüela, Honduras, facilitates a Salesian youth volunteer program, which provides youth an opportunity to be engaged in acts of service. This year the volunteer program camp had the theme of the Rector Major’s Strenna 2022 “Do all through love, nothing through constraint.” The 70 participating volunteers delved into its meaning and used it as a guide for volunteer initiatives.

Father Ángel Prado, provincial of Central America, gave a video message to the participants. In it he said, “Dear young people, I would like to congratulate you on your willingness to do good and to give all your energy, time and affection to the good of the Church. But remember that you have to do it out of love because you love the Church and the young people you are addressing.”

Volunteering provides youth an opportunity to give back to people in need within their community. Through service, youth learn skills, build relationships with their peers, engage with supportive adults and build confidence through the activities.

In another project to help youth build skills, Mary Help of Christians Parish collaborated with World Vision and the Mexico Fund – Youth Building the Future in Honduras to launch the NINIS project. The project offered youth, ages 19-29 who do not study or work, the opportunity to acquire technical skills and financial support.

“Providing youth in Honduras with technical training is the first step in helping them achieve self-sufficiency,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In many countries around the globe where poverty is high and access to education is not universal, it is crucial that Salesian missionaries continue to offer technical and vocational training to as many youth as possible to ensure that they have access to long-term stable employment.”

The second largest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in the Western Hemisphere with 60 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rough geographic terrain in the country has limited the development of transportation, keeping much of the rural population isolated. Poverty and food scarcity are severe in rural areas and one out of every four Hondurans struggles with chronic malnutrition. In addition, one out of every five Hondurans lacks access to adequate health care.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Honduras for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers, and medical clinics to help support and educate poor youth and their families. In addition, thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable, thousands of people in need are receiving crucial medical aid and nutritious food through Salesian programs in Honduras.

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

ANS – Honduras – Volunteering for love of the Church and young people

HONDURAS: Unemployed youth benefit from skills training

Salesian Missions – Honduras

World Bank – Honduras

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HONDURAS

(MissionNewswire) The Mary Help of Christians Parish in Comayagüela, Honduras, in collaboration with World Vision and the Mexico Fund – Youth Building the Future in Honduras, launched the NINIS project. It offers youth, ages 19-29 who do not study or work, the opportunity to acquire technical skills and financial support.

The project was founded based on social co-responsibility between the public and private sectors to help youth have employable skills. About 250 people have signed up for the program to date.

“Providing technical training to youth is the first step in helping them achieve self-sufficiency,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In many countries around the globe where poverty is high and access to education is not universal, it is crucial that Salesian missionaries continue to offer technical and vocational training to as many youth as possible to ensure that they have access to long-term stable employment.”

The Salesians are regarded as the single largest provider of vocational and technical training in the world. They offer more than 1,000 vocational, technical, professional and agricultural schools around the globe. This training provides youth the practical skills to prepare for employment and helps them lead productive lives while becoming contributing adults in their communities. These programs go beyond educating. They also assist youth with making connections within industries and preparing them for the process of searching, finding and retaining employment.

The second largest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in the Western Hemisphere with 60 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rough geographic terrain in the country has limited the development of transportation, keeping much of the rural population isolated. Poverty and food scarcity are severe in rural areas and one out of every four Hondurans struggles with chronic malnutrition. In addition, one out of every five Hondurans lacks access to adequate health care.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Honduras for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers, and medical clinics to help support and educate poor youth and their families. In addition, thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable, thousands of people in need, from infants to seniors, are receiving crucial medical aid and nutritious food through Salesian programs in Honduras.

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

ANS – Honduras – A project in favor of young people launched

Salesian Missions – Honduras

World Bank – Honduras

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HONDURAS

(MissionNewswire) Honduras has been hard hit by two Category 4 hurricanes. Hurricane Eta hit on Nov. 3, and Hurricane Iota hit less than two weeks later. The torrential rains brought deadly landslides, flash flooding and destruction across Central America. More than 200 people have died, 94 of them in Honduras, according to news reports.

In response to the devastation and overwhelming need, students in the 2021 graduating class at San Miguel Salesian Institute, located in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, launched a fundraiser to support the people affected by Hurricane Eta. With COVID-19 safety measures in place, more than 1,000 people from the Francisco Morazán and Cortés departments were provided food, personal hygiene items, clothes, shoes, sheets, bedspreads, mats and bio-safety equipment.

The initiative also received the support of the Past Pupils Association from the María Auxiliadora Salesian Institute and San Miguel Institute in collaboration with Mis Manos Son Tus Manos Association. Rector Father Horacio Macal and the entire Salesian community also participated.

“Salesian students saw the need of people in these local communities and stepped up to provide support and assistance,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities where they work, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis. The entire Salesian community has rallied behind these youth who are coming to the aid of their fellow citizens.”

In response to the overwhelming needs brought about by the two hurricanes, Salesian Missions has launched its Central American Hurricane Relief Fund. Those who want to support these efforts are urged to make a donation online at salesianmissions.org/lp/hurricane-central-america/. 

The second largest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in the Western Hemisphere with 60 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rough geographic terrain in the country has limited the development of transportation, keeping much of the rural population isolated. Poverty and food scarcity are severe in rural areas and one out of every four Hondurans struggles with chronic malnutrition. In addition, one out of every five Hondurans lacks access to adequate health care.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Honduras for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers, and medical clinics to help support and educate poor youth and their families. In addition, thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable, thousands of people in need, from infants to seniors, are receiving crucial medical aid and nutritious food through Salesian programs in Honduras.

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

ANS – Honduras – Pupils from “San Miguel” Salesian Institute help over 1000 victims of Hurricane Eta

San Miguel Salesian Institute

San Miguel Salesian Institute Facebook

Salesian Missions – Honduras

World Bank – Honduras

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(MissionNewswire) In November, Central America was hard hit by two Category 4 hurricanes. Hurricane Eta hit on Nov. 3 and Hurricane Iota hit less than two weeks later on Nov. 16. Hurricane Eta made landfall south of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, and then Iota made landfall less than 15 miles south near the town of Haulover. The torrential rains brought deadly landslides, flash flooding and destruction across Central America. More than 200 people have died as a result of the storms with millions more impacted and in need of help.

Salesian missionaries across Central America, including Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras, are responding locally to help those in need with shelter, food, clothing and more. Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has launched a new fundraising campaign to help with this relief work.

Salesian missionaries across Central America are responding with shelter, food, clothing and more for those in need of hurricane relief.

“The stakes are high for those impacted by these hurricanes, especially now when we are still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities where they work, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis. They know the local landscape and can ensure that relief aid is provided to those most in need.”

The Salesian community of Carchá, Guatemala, has eight priests who serve 350 villages, including more than 5,000 Indigenous students. At least 40 of the villages have been directly affected. The rains, strong winds and landslides have damaged houses with some completely destroyed under flood water. Many roads have been lost and some communities are no longer reachable. People have lost everything and are facing a challenging road ahead. Villages have opened their schools and churches to welcome displaced people.

Right after Hurricane Eta, Father Vittorio Castagna, a Salesian missionary stationed in San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, said, “It hasn’t rained for three days, yet the water continues to rise and people are unable to go out. I saw some of them with deep sadness, feeling alone and insecure. The displaced people are now crowded into a very small place. It is a very uncomfortable environment, and this is indeed a trial for them.”

In Tegucigalpa, Honduras, students in the 2021 graduating class at San Miguel Salesian Institute launched a fundraiser to support the people affected. With COVID-19 safety measures in place, more than 1,000 people from the Francisco Morazán and Cortés departments were provided food, personal hygiene items, clothes, shoes, sheets, bedspreads, mats and bio-safety equipment.

The initiative also received the support of the Past Pupils Association from the María Auxiliadora Salesian Institute and San Miguel Institute in collaboration with Mis Manos Son Tus Manos Association. Rector Father Horacio Macal and the entire Salesian community also participated.

Salesian missionaries in these local communities are still assessing the damage and working to respond to people in need. In support of this work, Salesian Missions has launched its Central American Hurricane Relief Fund. Those who want to support these efforts are urged to donate online at salesianmissions.org/lp/hurricane-central-america/. 

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

ANS – Honduras – Pupils from “San Miguel” Salesian Institute help over 1000 victims of Hurricane Eta

GUATEMALA: COVID-19 pandemic complicates Hurricane Eta response

Salesian Missions

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HONDURAS

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have launched the Center for Digital Education and Innovation (CEDI San Juan Bosco), a new training center, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, thanks to support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The center has individual areas for the use of technologies, a meeting room and a coworking room with interactive tablets that provide access to a self-learning platform. This environment will offer connectivity to learning and promote collaborative work to generate skills that facilitate youth employment.

Salesian missionaries provide vocational and technical training in Tegucigalpa to help ensure disadvantaged youth gain the social and trade skills needed for long-term employment. The majority of the youth who enter Salesian educational centers come from highly vulnerable areas where gangs and drug trafficking prevail. Most are at risk of social exclusion and vulnerable to exploitation and violence.

Close to 250 youth attend one Salesian vocational center in the city. They attend classes full-time for up to two years of technical and vocational training in key employment sectors. These sectors have been identified by companies that are working with the center to place students into work after they successfully complete their education. The center also has more than 1,000 students attending weekend courses in a variety of subjects, preparing for the workforce and improving upon skills while currently working.

“Through Salesian schools and vocational centers in Honduras, students are taking the first steps to rebuild their lives and their country,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning skills for employment, students are able to find jobs in high growth sectors that help them support themselves and their families. We appreciate USAID helping to launch this new Center for Digital Education and Innovation.”

The second largest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in the Western Hemisphere with 60 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rough geographic terrain in the country has limited the development of transportation, keeping much of the rural population isolated. Poverty and food scarcity are severe in rural areas and one out of every four Hondurans struggles with chronic malnutrition. In addition, one out of every five Hondurans lacks access to adequate health care.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Honduras for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers, and medical clinics to help support and educate poor youth and their families. In addition, thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Rise Against Hunger, an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable, thousands of people in need, from infants to seniors, are receiving crucial medical aid and nutritious food through Salesian programs in Honduras.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Honduras – Inauguration of “San Juan Bosco” Center for Digital Education and Innovation (CEDI)

Salesian Missions – Honduras

World Bank – Honduras

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Close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in the country 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 is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

Recently, the University’s biomedical engineering program received recognition and five-year accreditation by the Central American Accreditation Agency for Architecture and Engineering. The program is recognized for its academic standards and was evaluated for its curriculum, process of teaching and learning, research and technological advances and the physical and technological infrastructure that integrates the practical skills of students and specialized teachers.

“Don Bosco University was the first university accredited at a national level that is part of the worldwide Salesian University Network,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “By offering a biomedical engineering program, Don Bosco University brings advanced educational and employment opportunities to vulnerable youth which in turn prepares them for participation in the country’s continued economic development.”

The University is the only institution of higher education in El Salvador that offers a biomedical engineering program which trains professionals in the design, analysis and management of the technologies and systems that contribute, from an engineering perspective, to the improvement of medical applications. To date, 191 students have graduated as biomedical engineers and many have already distinguished themselves in El Salvador and abroad.

Almost all of the graduates of the program either go on to acquire masters degrees or PhDs or are employed directly in the biomedical engineering sectors. Twenty of the University’s graduates are professionals employed in cutting-edge biomedical companies in the United States and Europe. More than 65 percent of graduates are working in the private health sector. Others are serving as consultants for the acquisition of medical technologies or developing business management technologies.

“The program at Don Bosco University has been successful in providing the education and skills necessary to help its graduates either directly enter the workforce or continue on for advanced degrees,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The accreditation and continued recognition helps support the University’s main objective to provide educational programs that increase the professional skills of its students while contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.”

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 last year. 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.

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ANS – El Salvador – Biomedical Engineering at UDB receives second international accreditation

World Bank – El Salvador

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Close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in the country 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 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 last year. 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 a sense of family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

Don Bosco University is working to provide opportunities for advanced education and employment for disadvantaged youth in El Salvador. The university offers degrees in engineering, social sciences, humanities, economics, technology and aeronautics, among others. The donated furniture, shipped late last year in preparation for a new faculty building, was installed in October. The furniture will help provide students and faculty a better working and learning environment.

In addition to this donation, Salesian programs around the globe have received school and office furniture as well as workstations thanks to the partnership between Salesian Missions and IRN. In recent months, IRN has sent shipments of furniture and workstations to Salesian sites in Haiti, the Philippines, Liberia and the Dominican Republic. Additional shipments have been sent to Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay and Togo.

“IRN donations have furnished Salesian schools and development offices in Central America, South America, Africa and Asia,” explains Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer for Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “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.”

Salesians are known for their education programs for youth around the globe. With countless elementary, secondary and university level educational centers as well as training and certification programs, Salesians are helping to provide a direct path out of poverty for many youth and their families. Programs rely on donations such as those provided by IRN to keep facilities functional for students and staff.

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.”

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Don Bosco University El Salvador

World Bank – El Salvador

Institution Recycling Network

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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 last year. 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.

The Don Bosco Integrated Education Youth Program, operated by the Salesian Savior of the World Foundation, recently celebrated 10 years of service providing education and social development services to at-risk children and adolescents. The program was established in San Salvador, El Salvador’s capital city, and primarily services youth from the neighborhoods of San Miguel, Santa Ana and Soyapango.

Participating students are enrolled in educational programs that complement the formal education system in El Salvador. To date, 55,743 youth from 120 schools have participated in activities. Included in the program is access to a center for youth in need of extra family support, a school of the arts which includes a music club and chamber orchestra, a school of theater and painting and a sports center. The goal is to help youth apply skills they learn at school in a community setting. The different educational programs teach leadership and problem solving skills as well as communication and teamwork, which help to prevent violence.

“Teaching our youth to be leaders is important for their personal development and their communities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth learn leadership skills and then apply them in the real world, helping to shape their environments and give back to the communities they grew up in.”

The program also provides management and mediation training and assists youth in finding and retaining employment or starting their own business venture. These tools provide an alternative to life on the streets, criminal activity and gang violence. Students find opportunities available to them and connect with adults who serve as mentors, helping them achieve their goals and dreams.

“Education is a path out of poverty,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Youth who access Salesian programs are given an educational foundation, 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.”

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ANS – El Salvador – Don Bosco Integrated Education Youth Programme celebrates 10 years

Reuters – Murders in El Salvador spike to record high for May

World Bank – El Salvador

The post EL SALVADOR: More Than 55,000 Students Provided Education and Leadership Training at Don Bosco Integrated Education Youth Program first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The El Niño weather cycle has caused a prolonged heat wave in what otherwise would be Central America’s rainy season, killing thousands of cattle and drying up crops across the region. Farmers growing peas, green beans and broccoli estimate that they will lose up to 40 percent of their crops this year. In addition, almost 80 percent of corn and beans, staples of the Guatemalan diet, are anticipated to wither on the stalk this season leaving little to be harvested.

The drought has also affected parts of Honduras and El Salvador. Close to 2.8 million people in Central America will need food assistance due to the combined impact of severe drought, the Coffee Rust plague and a spike in food prices, according to the World Food Program.

“They are subsistence farmers and day-to-day laborers who are in a critical situation due to the combination of three factors,” said Miguel Barreto, regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Food Program, in a recent article about the drought. “First, they lost their subsistence crops, mostly beans and maize, to the drought. Second, due to the outbreak of the Coffee Rust plague in 2012, coffee production dropped and so did the demand for jobs and the families’ income. And finally, a shortage of beans and maize has caused a rise in food prices in all countries.”

“Some families resort to dangerous survival tactics, such as skipping or reducing the size of meals. Others simply stop sending their children to school to save money. Others send the head of households to Mexico or the United States to find jobs,” added Barreto in the same article.

Because of the drought and food shortages, an estimated 500,000 children under the age of five are at imminent risk of starvation which is devastating in a country that already struggles with chronic undernutrition. According to World Food Program, the chronic undernutrition rate for children under five is 49.8 percent, the highest in the region and the fourth highest in the world.

Salesian missionaries already working and living in Guatemalan communities are perfectly positioned to respond to the crisis. Missionaries in the municipalities of Alta Verapaz, Peten and Quetzaltenango are mobilizing to assist more than 130,000 people in desperate need of food aid and other basic assistance.

“Salesians are on the ground already working with local populations so the response to emergencies like this is usually very quick,” explains Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Because of our existing infrastructure, our partners trust us to be able to get supplies to people in need.”

Emergency situations aside, Salesians have been providing ongoing assistance and education to poor youth and their families in Guatemala for many years through Salesian youth centers, primary and secondary schools and programs for indigenous populations throughout the country.

“Salesian programs are flexible and adaptable to the communities and countries we serve,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Communities have different needs and we help as we can, all the while working to help people break the cycle of poverty and lead productive, healthy lives.”

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Sources

Salesian Missions – Guatemala

World Food Programs – Central America Battles Impact Of Drought And Coffee Rust

The post GUATEMALA: Salesian Missionaries are Mobilizing to Assist More Than 130,000 People in Desperate Need of Food Aid Due to Recent Drought first appeared on MissionNewswire.

As reported by the Pew Research Center, the DHS report details, “For example, many Guatemalan children come from rural areas, indicating they are probably seeking economic opportunities in the U.S. Salvadoran and Honduran children, on the other hand, come from extremely violent regions where they probably perceive the risk of traveling alone to the U.S. preferable to remaining at home.”

Poverty is also a primary factor as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are among the poorest nations in Latin America with Honduras having 30 percent, Guatemala, 26 percent and El Salvador, 17 percent of people living in poverty on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank.

To meet the needs of youth who have fled their Central American homes alone to make their way to Mexico, Salesian missionaries already working in border towns in Mexico such as Tijuana, Mexicali, Nogales, Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Acuña and Nuevo Laredo (among others), are responding with emergency shelter, food and other assistance. The journey these young people take from their Central American communities into these Mexican towns is fraught with danger. Many youth have died or have become seriously injured along the trip and others, faced with little food and water along the way, have fallen prey to theft, sex traffickers and other violence.

Once youth reach the border towns, Salesians there provide the essential first step of meeting their basic needs and offering them a safe place to stay. After settling into Salesian shelters, youth can access other Salesian services such as structured recreation and social activities that provide a way for them to bond with their peers and develop additional interests and skills.

“We reach out to them to provide a home, a school, a parish and a place where youth can meet and share as friends,” says Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez, S.D.B., Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. “Our goal is to address their essential needs.”

For decades, Salesian missionaries have been working throughout Central America on behalf of impoverished youth to tackle the root problems that have caused so many of them to flee. Much of this work focuses on improving economic opportunity through education and workforce development, teaching youth the skills necessary to find and retain long-term employment and become contributing members of their communities.

A cross with a kite attached to it marks where a child died tried to make it into the United States by crossing the Rio Grande in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The river is lined with similar heart-breaking memorials to lost children.

In San Salvador, El Salvador, the Don Bosco Worker Technical Institute offers free education and job training to marginalized youth at risk of joining gangs. As an alternative to criminal activity, more than 400 students pursue training in electricity, mechanics, carpentry, welding and tailoring.

“We cannot change the culture of violence and drugs — the same culture that so many youth migrants are fleeing — with an iron fist,” says Father Jose Moratalla, S.D.B., director of the institute. “Instead, we must use education to produce a new generation of entrepreneurs who can respond positively to the challenges and needs of their country.”

In Guatemala, Salesian missionaries are leading a broad and intensive educational effort that is training hundreds of teachers. In rural mountain villages throughout the country, 835 local students are enrolled in a three-year teacher training course. Upon receiving their certification, the new teachers will serve as many as 600 villages.

“Since this program was initiated, the number of schools in the Alta Verapaz region has doubled,” says Father Tony DeGroot, S.D.B., who founded the initiative. “Now, children who were previously destined to be trapped by a lifetime of illiteracy can see the path to a productive future.”

In Honduras, Salesian missionaries have been working for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers and medical clinics to help support and educate impoverished youth and their families. In a country where one in four residents struggles with chronic malnutrition, food assistance plays a critical role in as many Salesian-run programs as possible.

“While the recent surge of unaccompanied minors traveling to the U.S. has drawn the nation’s attention to the daily horrors these children face — rampant gang-related violence, brutal murders and devastating poverty — the reality is that these conditions have existed in Central America for a very long time,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Any resolution to this complex situation demands a multi-dimensional response, one that upholds our moral obligation to the children who have already arrived, and one that works to effect systemic, sustainable change on behalf of those who remain in their home countries.”

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Sources:

Pew Research Center – DHS: Violence, poverty, is driving children to flee Central America to U.S.

Salesian Missions – Hope for Central American Child Migrant Crisis

The post CENTRAL AMERICA: Salesian Missionaries Assist Youth Fleeing Poverty, Violence by Focusing on Prevention first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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 last year. 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 a sense of family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

To address the rising rates of youth violence, close to 1,000 youth who live in violent, crime-ridden areas of El Salvador have turned to the Don Bosco Youth Symphonic Orchestra as an alternative to becoming involved in the conflict and violence. The orchestra started last year in San Salvador, the country’s capital, and is financed by a $1 million grant from the Social Fund for the Development of Japan, administered by the World Bank.

Salesian Father Jose Maria Moratalla Escudero, known as Father Pepe, runs the orchestra and is president of the Salvadoran Education and Work Foundation. Bryan Cea, the 25 year old orchestra director, has had a similar experience to most of his students, growing up in the local area surrounded by poverty and violence.

Youth in the orchestra range in age from 8 to 20 and are students at various public schools in San Salvador. About 470 youth take part in the music program, with 220 of them in the symphony orchestra and 250 in the choir.

Existing school rivalries and conflicts are left behind when students enter the orchestra program located at Don Bosco Industrial Polygon. Unity and a sense of cooperation prevail as geographic and other differences are put aside and the young people live and work together peacefully.

The orchestra has become very important to San Salvador and its surrounding communities as a peaceful learning alternative for youth who have grown accustomed to violence.

“So this music project is fantastic because it keeps kids occupied all day long. First during school hours and later during their free time, giving them the chance to freely be in an environment where they can get the kind of music classes that most interest them,” said Fr. Pepe in a recent Catholic News Agency article about the program.

According to the same Catholic News Agency article, youth in the program explain that the orchestra has kept them away from violence. Carlos Palma (20), a violinist, notes that projects like this help the country and allow him to grow from a cultural point of view. Madelin Morales (15), a flautist, says that being part of the orchestra has helped her a lot because she has made great strides in her studies and has gained a better perspective on life.

The orchestra program continues to grow. Instructors at a conservatory in Spain are in communication with the program about coming to El Salvador to offer training to new instructors. In November of this year, the symphonic orchestra is scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C. to perform in concerts at the Kennedy Center and other venues. The orchestra is also planning on writing, composing and performing an ambitious musical with close to 3,000 actors.

“Let’s say it’s a gigantic explosion of a vitality that seemed to be dormant in the children, teens and young people of El Salvador and that, thanks to this project, is being awakened,” adds Fr. Pepe in the Catholic News Agency article.

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Sources

ANS – El Salvador – Children and young people fighting violence with music

Catholic News Agency – El Salvador youth saved from violence by music

Reuters – Murders in El Salvador spike to record high for May

World Bank – El Salvador

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The second largest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in the Western Hemisphere with 60 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rough geographic terrain in the country has limited the development of transportation, keeping much of the rural population isolated. Poverty and food scarcity are severe in rural areas and one out of every four Hondurans struggle with chronic malnutrition. In addition, one out of every five Hondurans lack access to adequate healthcare.

Salesians have been working in Honduras for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers and medical clinics to help support and educate poor youth and their families. Thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Stop Hunger Now (an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable) thousands of people in need, from infants to seniors, are receiving lifesaving medical aid and nutritious food through Salesian programs in Honduras.

In 2013, Stop Hunger Now provided three shipments of rice-meals and medical aid to Salesian programs in Honduras. Another shipment was sent this past March. The rice-meals were provided to day care centers, schools, youth centers, senior programs and medical clinics as well as distributed through social programs run by local church parishes.

Staff at Salesian programs reported a marked improvement in their students as a result of the nutritious meals provided. Nutritional benefits of the rice-meals prevent early loss of teeth and well-fed students find it easier to focus in school. With the nutritious meals, fewer students were held back a grade and were able to advance in their studies.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “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.”

After providing seniors with rice-meals, dramatic results included recuperation from illnesses more quickly, the development of stronger bones and more defined muscles and diminished rates of anemia.

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

Salesians in Honduras also run a small medical clinic in an impoverished community where people have little access to healthcare. Medical staff there treat acute respiratory infections, chronic non-communicable diseases, pneumonia, bronchitis and malnutrition. Last year, medical donations to the clinic benefited more than 450 patients each month. The donated medical supplies, including lifesaving medicines, are helping to treat these illnesses while allowing the clinic to focus on preventative health, including prenatal care.

Salesians in Honduras seek to improve the quality of life of their patients and the nutritional state of malnourished children and adults. The clinic offers healthcare to every person who needs it, especially those who are not able to access medical care at other health clinics and hospitals due to economic reasons or because of the long distances they must travel to access them.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand its scope of services to youth in need,” adds O’Connor. “Operating feeding programs and medical clinics for those in need is an important and integral part of promoting healthy communities and the success of our students’ ability to gain an education.”

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Sources:

World Bank – Honduras

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“IRN donations have furnished Salesian schools and development offices in Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia,” explains Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer for Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “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.”

The Salesians are known for their education programs for youth around the globe. With countless elementary, secondary and university level educational centers as well as youth training and certification programs, the Salesians help to provide a direct path out of poverty for many youth and their families. Programs rely on donations such as those provided by IRN to keep facilities functional for students and staff.

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 education, commercial, and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment they need to get rid of. 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 was 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 it is first-come-first-served; the first nonprofit(s) to express interest in the surplus project is the one to receive 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 nonprofits.

“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.

“We know of no other organization in the country other than IRN that is able to match large quantities of surplus with qualified recipients, and then manage the entire project to remove and load the surplus for shipment,” adds Lennon.

About Institution Recycling Network (IRN)

IRN is headquartered in Concord, NH and is a cooperative recycling organization that works with more than 350 colleges and universities, hospitals, K-12 schools and private companies to improve the performance and economics of recycling. IRN negotiates transportation, processing and marketing of recycled commodities and provides a single point of contact to recycle dozens of different materials. IRN handles over 75 commodities – everything from cardboard and fluorescent lamps to concrete and Astroturf. IRN is known particularly for its effective recycling of unusual and complex commodities such as electronic equipment, construction and demolition wastes and surplus property. For more information about IRN, visit www.IRNSurplus.com.

About Salesian Missions

Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for its international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. The Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as laypeople – all dedicated to caring for poor youth throughout the world in more than 130 countries, helping them become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain employment. To date, more than 3 million young people have received services funded by Salesian Missions. To learn more visit www.salesianmissions.org.

The post GLOBAL: Salesian Missions Partners with Institution Recycling Network, Benefitting Programs Around the Globe first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Poverty and lack of opportunity keep generations in the cycle of poverty. According to USAID, El Salvador’s per capita income is the fifth lowest in the Western Hemisphere when adjusted to reflect the cost of living. The poverty rate sits close to 42.5 percent of the population.

The Salesians are working hard in El Salvador to empower youth to create their own opportunities for success now and later in life. Salesian programs focus on academic and trade education to help students find stable employment upon graduation.

Student input, innovation and involvement over the years has resulted in exceptional programs that are enabling youth to overcome poverty and realize their full potential. Salesian partnerships with government-funded facilities are further strengthening the positive impact on young people.

Most recently, youth leadership has been a focus. Fifty-six youth, former graduates of Salesian schools, gathered in San Salvador for an in-person training session that is part of an overall 16-month leadership training program. Alumni came from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua to learn and share their life experiences with one another. The leadership program focuses on ethics, social engagement and character building as well as leadership skills. Students learn primarily through a virtual platform but have two in-person meetings, one that just took place earlier this year and another scheduled in Costa Rica in 2014.

“Developing our youth to be leaders is important for their personal development and their communities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth learn leadership skills and then apply them in the real world, helping to shape their environments and give back to the communities they grew up in.”

There are currently 123 alumni enrolled in the leadership training program, which is coordinated by the Past Pupils Executive group from El Salvador. Salesian Past Pupils Associations are made up of graduated Salesian alumni who work together to give back locally and pay the lessons they learned forward to other poor youth currently being educated in Salesian-run programs. The leadership program has been developed to further the associations’ work in education and community building.

“We encourage all of the youth we have worked with over the years to give back to their local communities,” says Fr. Hyde. “The alumni are showing what a difference someone can make when they apply the skills learned at Salesian-run schools. We are very proud of our former students.”

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Sources

ANS – El Salvador – Young pupils trained as leaders

Salesian Missions – El Salvador

USAID – El Salvador

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