(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 Literacy Day. Celebrated each year on Sept. 8, the day was launched in 1967 to “remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.”

This year’s theme focuses on “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces” and calls on educational communities to rethink the fundamental importance of literacy learning spaces to build resilience and ensure quality, equitable, and inclusive education for all. Despite progress, literacy challenges persist for 771 million illiterate people around the world, most of whom are women, increasing their vulnerability, according to UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

UNESCO noted, “Rapidly changing global context took a new meaning over the past years, hampering the progress of global literary efforts. In the aftermath of the pandemic, nearly 24 million learners might never return to formal education, out of which, 11 million are projected to be girls and young women. To ensure no one is left behind, we need to enrich and transform the existing learning spaces through an integrated approach and enable literacy learning in the perspective of lifelong learning.”

“Salesian missionaries establish vital primary, secondary and vocational schools in some of the most impoverished and remote places on earth,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian missionaries focus educational efforts on literacy as well as skill building initiatives, including learning English language skills.”

In honor and celebration of International Literacy Day 2022, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs with a focus on educational and literacy efforts for poor youth.

BOLIVIA

Children continue their studies in Bolivia with scholarships through donor funding from Salesian Missions.

Salesian students in primary and secondary school in the San José de la Floresta Parish in Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, received scholarships thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. A total of 23 children and older youth were supported with the scholarship funding.

The youth who received scholarships are from low-income families and large families with parents who could not afford school fees. Some children lost their father or mother due to COVID-19 and were left in the care of a relative or in a single-parent family. Most of the parents work in an informal business or as street vendors. Some have a small business but only earn enough to feed their families for the day.

A Salesian missionary said, “La Floresta Parish can only help children and young people with the collaboration of good-hearted people, since as a parish it does not generate any type of income, and the collection only serves to cover parish expenses. Thanks to the help of donors, we can support families in need so that their children can continue studying.”

INDIA

Free digital literacy training helped rural young women learn skills for employment in India.

Assam Don Bosco University held a free digital literacy training on the basics of desktop publishing for young women from the State Home for Women in Jalukbari, Guwahati, India. The training, organized by VanitAgrata, the women empowerment group of the university, helped rural young women learn skills for employment. The one-day training involved lectures, practical sessions, demos and hands-on practice sessions.

VanitAgrata began in 2015 with the motto “By the Women, For the Women.” It provides free digital training to empower young girls and women in Assam, bridge the digital divide, and facilitate gender equality. Tools and technologies covered include basic computer training, using mobile phones, banking transactions, housekeeping and use of the internet.

PAKISTAN

More than 780 students accessed technology to gain skills with a new computer lab at Don Bosco Learning Center in Pakistan.

Students at the Don Bosco Learning Center, within the Don Bosco Quetta community in Pakistan, have a new digital computer lab thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The center has been teaching primary and secondary school in Quetta since 2000. More than 780 students, ages 8-22, were positively impacted by this new lab.

The funding provided new computers, a projector, printers, a computer table, chairs and Wi-Fi connection. Teachers are beginning to develop classes for Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, networking, graphic design and web design.

The Don Bosco Learning Center is teaching computer literacy skills and technology to students. The lab will be used for daily classes for grades 3-10. In the evening, computer classes for other students and those in the community will be held. Salesians in Quetta also have a long tradition of assisting Afghan refugees. This project will also enable refugees to learn skills after they are settled.

ZAMBIA

A Salesian secondary school in Zambia built more classrooms to meet the growing demand for education.

Students have four new classrooms at the Salesian secondary school in the Zatti community in Kabwe, Zambia, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. In addition to the classrooms, the project also installed new toilets for the classrooms.

Salesians were able to construct the foundation, roofing, walls, windows and doors of the classrooms, as well as install electrical and plumbing. They also furnished the classrooms. About 150 male students and 200 female students directly benefit from the new classrooms.

Salesians started the primary and secondary school in Kabwe in partnership with other education organizations and the agreement of the government. The community where the school is based has many youth living in the area, and the other schools could not meet the demand for education, particularly grades 8-12. The Salesian secondary school filled the gap for poor youth who could not afford other schools. The goal is to provide training to equip them with the skills and the knowledge so they can live a self-sustainable life.

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Sources:

BOLIVIA: Children continue studies with scholarships from donor funding/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

INDIA: Young women gain digital literacy/Photo courtesy of Salesian Institutions of Higher Education

International Literacy Day 2022

PAKISTAN: Students gain technology skills with new computer lab/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions

ZAMBIA: 4 new classrooms benefit students/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

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This year’s theme focuses on “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.” The day highlights the role of educators and changing pedagogies. The United Nations noted, “The recent COVID-19 crisis has been a stark reminder of the existing gap between policy discourse and reality: a gap that already existed in the pre-COVID-19 era and negatively affects the learning of youth and adults, who have no or low literacy skills, and therefore, tend to face multiple disadvantages. During COVID-19, in many countries, adult literacy programs were absent in the initial education response plans, so most adult literacy programs that did exist were suspended, with just a few courses continuing virtually, through TV and radio, or in open air spaces.”

There are 773 million adults and young people who lack basic literacy skills, according to the UN. In addition, 617 million children and adolescents are not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics.

“Salesian missionaries focus educational efforts on literacy and an array of other foundational skill building initiatives, including learning English language skills,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “During the pandemic, Salesians are working to address educational challenges head-on with many changing and adapting to providing educational lessons remotely and in person with safety measures in place.”

In honor and celebration of International Literacy Day 2020, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight Salesian programs with a focus on literacy and that give poor youth a chance to gain an education.

INDIA

In the wake of the extended lockdown in India due to the coronavirus pandemic, Radio Salesian and Salesian TV offer broadcast and podcast lessons for the University of North Bengal’s undergraduate and graduate programs. The virtual launch of “Radio Edu Pods,” the mass education project for college students, was held on May 1.

The lessons are available for free 24 hours a day, seven days a week on Salesian TV’s YouTube channel. The Monday to Friday radio broadcast and web transmissions are also provided at 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the Listen2MyRadio app.

“This no-cost mode of teaching and learning, which reaches the maximum number of students at any given time, is offered by faculty members of the University of North Bengal’s colleges,” said Father C. M. Paul, director of Radio Salesian.

Subjects currently featured on the Salesian TV YouTube channel include the English and Bengali languages, mass communication, sociology, history and philosophy. More subjects and lessons will be made available.

NEPAL

Two Salesian schools in the Don Bosco Community of Bharoul in eastern Nepal are conducting educational lessons for 1,500 students using 42 rented rooms, each called a community classroom. Each class educates only 10 students at a time and strictly follows government restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There are 46 teachers who are facilitating this new way of learning. The lessons began on July 16.

Schools in Nepal have been closed for the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, and there is still uncertainty when schools will be back to normal. School premises cannot be used to conduct lessons because the students cannot all come together to learn. To continue reaching students, Salesians rented rooms to conduct lessons in nearby villages, educating smaller subsets of students. This method was preferred over online lessons because of the financial restrictions on many students.

The local government educational department has given Salesians the authorization to carry out the lessons this way. All regulations must be strictly respected, such as the use of masks, social distancing and frequent hand-washing.

Currently, lessons in major subjects such as English, Nepali, math, science and social studies are being taught. Students, parents and teachers are all in support of these new lessons. From the first day lessons started, 95 percent of students were in class.

NICARAGUA

COVID-19 has forced millions of people into isolation and caused a major disruption in educational systems around the globe. San Juan Bosco Salesian Institute in Granada, Nicaragua, has sought a number of alternatives to continue providing quality education to its students, including utilizing technology for online education.

In countries where there are no large budgets for education, the challenges of providing education have been complicated. Although many countries do not have a consolidated national strategy for distance education, they have made significant efforts even with limited capabilities.

The Salesian Institute in Granada has started using interactive blogs and Google for Education G-Suite tools. Salesian educators are responding to the needs expressed by parents while ensuring that students are still receiving an enriching educational experience. Teachers have have tapped into a wealth of audiovisual resources to make the teaching and learning process more dynamic and interactive. Many teachers, although initially fearful, began recording their lessons and providing them to students.

The process has been complex because it also required engagement from parents, who now must work more closely in the learning process. The Salesian Institute has continued to monitor progress of online education and modify as needed to meet the needs of teachers, students and parents.

SAMOA

The Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua, Samoa, is continuing education for poor youth. Samoa has no COVID-19 cases after a strict lockdown of the country started in March. Both boys and girls can access education at the Don Bosco Technical Center and all courses are open to both.

The Don Bosco Technical Center was established in 1989 as a second chance for education for many poor youth who were at risk because they were excluded from formal education. Over the years, the center has become well-known throughout Samoa and the Pacific for its excellent technical training and focus on integral student development. Originally established as a school for young men ages 16-22, the center opened enrollment to girls, who have now completed their first semester.

The center provides both classroom and hands-on learning to ensure students are prepared for the workforce. In 2019, the center extended the duration of the work experience for students from two weeks to four weeks. This has already brought success. Four students who have been studying plumbing and sheet metal impressed the Samoan Water Authority with their know-how and dedication, and they were offered work immediately.

The importance of a work-study experience has been backed by a study conducted by the Samoan Qualification Authority, which also found that the Salesian technical school has the highest number of graduates that go on to be enrolled in the private sector. The center places an emphasis on building confidence, self-esteem and teamwork, as well as a love of culture through singing and dancing.

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Sources:

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

INDIA: University of North Bengal launches ‘Radio Edu Pods’ to provide educational lessons for college students during lockdown

NEPAL: Two Salesian schools provide education to 1,500 students with rented rooms to allow for small class sizes

NICARAGUA: San Juan Bosco Salesian Institute in Granada turns to online education during the coronavirus pandemic

Salesian Missions

SAMOA: Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua continues education for poor youth who want a second chance to learn

UN – International Literacy Day

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