(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe in celebrating International Day of Happiness, which falls each year on March 20. In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all people.”

The day is coordinated by Action for Happiness, a nonprofit movement of people from 160 countries, and is supported by a partnership of like-minded organizations. It was founded as a way to inspire, mobilize and advance the global happiness movement. In 2015, the U.N. launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that seek to end poverty, reduce inequality and protect the planet—three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness.

Each year, International Day of Happiness focuses on a particular theme. This year the theme is “Build Back Happier” and focuses on self-care and working to make well-being an overall priority in life.

“For youth to be happy and have a sense of well-being, they must feel valued and have their voices heard,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Youth must also have their basic needs met. Salesian missionaries meet the basic needs of disadvantaged and at-risk youth who often have nowhere else to turn. They provide education and skills training in addition to social and workforce development services to ensure a positive transition into adulthood.”

In celebration of International Day of Happiness 2022, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs that educate and empower youth.

BANGLADESH

Boys staying in the Salesian-run Blessed Zepherino Hostel in Bangladesh receive education and shelter.

Boys staying in the Salesian-run Blessed Zepherino Hostel in the Utrail-Telunjia community of Bangladesh received support from donor funding from Salesian Missions. The boys come from poor backgrounds and their parents are daily laborers who work to earn enough money each day to buy food. Other boys are abandoned or orphaned.

For those in need, Salesians offer help for room and board or provide it free of charge. The hostel relies on donor funding to help fill the gaps in funding. Some of the boys living at the hostel are studying at the Salesian St. Xavier School. Once they pass eighth grade, they can continue up to grade 12 at the Salesian high school and college. Every year, the Salesian hostel hosts 50 to 60 boys.

Father Dang Lam, a Salesian missionary who operates the hostel, said, “Many parents want to send their children to the Salesian hostel because they know that their children will receive a good education in our school and Christian human formation in the hostel.”

CAMEROON

Students learn computer science with added equipment at Don Bosco College Mimboman in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

More than 500 youth attending Don Bosco College Mimboman in Yaoundé, Cameroon, have access to additional computer equipment thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. Prior to the donation, there were only 20 computers available to the students in the new school, which opened this academic year. With the funding, 55 computers will be available so more students can enroll in the computer science class.

“This is the first time that our students are learning computer science using a computer,” said Father Sabé José Maria, economer at the college. “Our students have been studying computer science throughout the year without using a desktop or similar device. Now, we are thrilled that they can do so, and students are very excited about it. On behalf of our student population, we truly appreciate your help to make this situation a reality.”

Fr. Maria added, “Very few schools in Yaoundé have computer resources at their disposal. We dream of providing two computer rooms with 55 computers in each room. This would give our school the golden opportunity to offer computer science education of quality, in order for our students to be properly trained, as they deserve.”

The school provides education for vulnerable youth in the Mimboman neighborhood of Yaoundé. A three-story building includes 12 classrooms, laboratories and offices, and it is allowing more youth to attend school in the region. A new building also provides space for additional educational programs including a bachelor’s level course.

NAMIBIA

In Namibia, Don Bosco Youth Center’s renovated playground gives children and youth a place to play and connect with their peers.

Don Bosco Youth Center in Rundu, Namibia, has renovated a children’s playground thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. Prior to the renovations, the playground was in a dilapidated state and dangerous, leaving children without a place to play and connect with their peers.

With the donor funding, Salesians were able to buy renovation materials and paint. The children who attend the youth center come very poor families and some of them have been abandoned. Since the launch of the primary school, close to 120 children use the playground each morning before school. On the weekends, 180 youth attending programs at the youth center utilize the playground. To safeguard the playground, Salesians have asked the school to contribute a small amount of money toward the maintenance.

Don Bosco Youth Center was opened in 2002, and provides shelter and services for homeless youth. The center offers computer classes for 65 students, pre-school for 70 children and school for 104 students who have dropped out of formal education. In addition, more than 80 youth attend the daily oratory activities including sports programming.

NIGERIA

A Salesian farm in Nigeria is helping poor women and unemployed youth gain skills with hands-on training.

Salesian missionaries have developed the St. Joseph’s Farm, in Sagamu, Nigeria, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The farm is a center for training, research and production on 25 hectares of land acquired by the Salesians. Forty farmers received training in better methods of crop production to help improve production and revenue. A piggery and fishery were also constructed with this funding.

St. Joseph’s Farm assisted poor women and unemployed youth from the local area and provided training and hands-on help with farming techniques. In addition, the project helped small farmers develop skills to manage their farms for increased productivity, self-employment and sustainability.

With a population close to 256,000, including a mix of Christians, Muslims and traditionalists, Sagamu is known for its agricultural products such as cocoa and kola nuts. The region’s rich vegetation and large masses of unoccupied or unused land attract people who develop an interest in agriculture. Yet, the region has high rates of unemployment and underemployment, as well as a low rate of formal education.

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Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

BANGLADESH: Poor youth receive support from donor funding from Salesian Missions

CAMEROON: Students learn computer science with added equipment thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

International Day of Happiness

NAMIBIA: Don Bosco Youth Center renovates playground thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

NIGERIA: Salesians develop farm thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

Salesian Missions

The post INT’L DAY OF HAPPINESS: Salesian Missions programs promote well-being for youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The day is coordinated by Action for Happiness, a nonprofit movement of people from 160 countries, and is supported by a partnership of like-minded organizations. It was founded as a way to inspire, mobilize and advance the global happiness movement. In 2015, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that seek to end poverty, reduce inequality and protect the planet—three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness.

Each year, International Day of Happiness focuses on a particular theme. This year the theme, “Happier Together,” focuses on what we have in common, rather than what divides us.

“For youth to be happy and have a sense of well-being, they must have access to basic human services, including education, that allow them to feel valued and that their voices will be heard,” says Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian missionaries meet the basic needs of disadvantaged youth who often have nowhere else to turn. They provide education in addition to social and workforce development services to ensure a positive transition into adulthood.”

In celebration of International Day of Happiness 2020, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs that educate and empower youth.

ITALY

The Siamo Umani (We are human) project is carried out by the Salesian Social Cooperative within the Sacred Heart Youth Center in Rome, located next to Termini Station and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart founded by Don Bosco. The project helps young refugees and Italians find job placements and was recently selected as an inclusion model at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.

Siamo Umani was founded in 2014 by two young married couples, Cristina and Giuseppe and Francesco and Antonella, with the help of Salesian missionaries. Their goal was to connect young refugees seeking services at the Sacred Heart Youth Center to job placements and fulfill the needs of community residents like the elderly. The goal was to bridge a gap between those new to the country and residents who might be able to help refugees acclimate easier.

The project has been successful to date. Its initiatives have grown and diversified and now include assistance for those wishing to start their own small businesses by creating and selling gadgets and homemade crafts.

For example, Soheila from Iran and Amira from Somali have put their artistic talents to good use in the creation of bonbonniere and gadgets for events and anniversaries. Viviane, originally from the Ivory Coast, provides light assistance to the elderly in the center of Rome. Mirvat, a passionate photographer from Syria, curates a blog and aspires to become an influencer on social networks to transmit a message of integration to young people. Finally, Morteza, a young man who arrived in Italy from Afghanistan, is a video maker who is hired by various local groups.

LEBANON

The Don Bosco Technique, located in Fidar, Lebanon*, is one of the area’s few professional institutes and welcomes a large number of youth who have difficulties attending school. The goal is to provide them education and social support so they remain in school and gain the skills needed for employment.

The Don Bosco institute offers several different programs for youth including mechanics, electrical installations, hairdressing, computer science and much more. One of the institute’s most praised and sought-after programs is focused on training catering and hotel staff students. There is a large employment sector across the world for graduates who want this kind of employment.

In order to implement the restaurant and catering program effectively, Salesian missionaries in Fidar asked for help from highly-qualified Italian chefs. The chefs’ primary objective is to refine the skills of the institute’s teachers in the field of Italian cuisine and gastronomy—much in demand in Lebanese restaurants.

The Italian chefs are also holding seminars and workshops for the preparation of bakery products, pastries and fresh pasta. These bakery courses provide specialized training for students. The ultimate goal is to equip students with highly employable skills in the workplace.

Ninety youth, sponsored by the Salesian Missions Office in Turin, Italy, will be attending the courses. Supporting future Lebanese chefs is one of many ways Don Bosco institutes are helping youth become productive members of their communities.

PERU

The Salesian Center Monte Salvado in Cusco, a city located in the Peruvian Andes, has an agriculture school that offers education to more than 200 children of local farmers who live in isolation. They bring their children to attend the only secondary school in the area. Half of the students live in the two boarding houses attached to the school.

The Salesian Center is located in a region close to the wilderness, 1,100 meters above sea level, and it sits on 80 hectares of land, not all of which is cultivated because some areas extend on the top of steep slopes.

There is a real family atmosphere among the students. They are in contact with nature and animals. They also learn to create jams and fruit buckets with the values ​​of patience and continuous dedication to see the results of their work. The students are working with orange trees, coffee and cocoa crops, and vegetables, along with chickens, rabbits, cattle and pigs.

RWANDA

Don Bosco Technical School in Rango, Rwanda, is providing poor youth hope for the future with vocational and technical training. Uwiringiyimana Grace is a young woman who decided to do away with the cultural beliefs that women can’t pursue technical studies, especially welding courses formerly for men only.

After realizing that the welding sector could provide her a better living, Grace decided to enroll at Don Bosco Technical School. She chose the welding trade because she loves it. Apart from that, she said, “I have been inspired by welders when I saw how they make doors. That’s when I decided to join this career.”

Grace is now in level three in her welding studies. She is optimistic that after graduation she will be able to land her dream job or create her own welding workshop. Grace encourages other young women to look into technical training in trades, adding that they should not underestimate these studies.

Don Bosco Technical School was initially established to accommodate young Salesians preparing to become priests, living there and attending classes. Now it serves as the site for technical and vocational education for young people, a large number of them coming from poor families. Students are also offered lunch at no cost, thanks to the help of donors. Don Bosco Technical School also provides other forms of support for its students, as well as sports and student field visits.

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Sources:

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

International Day of Happiness

ITALY: Siamo Umani project helping young refugees use their skills and talents to start small businesses

LEBANON: Don Bosco Technique offers 90 students training in catering and hotel employment

PERU: Salesian missionaries educate more than 200 children of farmers at Salesian Center Monte Salvado in Cusco

RWANDA: Young woman succeeding in her welding courses at Don Bosco Technical School in Rango

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.

The post INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS: Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs that empower youth, giving them a sense of well-being and happiness first appeared on MissionNewswire.