MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) The new Latin American Center for Comprehensive Care for Spinal Cord Injuries was inaugurated on Aug. 16 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The event included a Catholic Mass, the ribbon cutting, a ceremony of speeches and videos, and a social hour. The new treatment center was developed for people living with spinal cord injuries thanks to funding Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, received from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (USAID/ASHA) program.

The “Raising Standards of Care for Spinal Cord Injury Patients” project constructed and equipped Mexico’s first comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation center to assist patients who have been paralyzed by spinal cord injuries, with a special focus on youth. The center is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment such as advanced rehab exercise bikes, kinesitherapy equipment for upper and lower limbs, walking support and electric standing frames. The center also generates and promotes new science and technology for the treatment, care, and rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injuries for their independence and reintegration.

It is anticipated that in the first four years in operation, the center will treat at least 500 patients with spinal cord injuries, mainly youth and adults between the ages of 12-35 who live in poverty and a state of high vulnerability. This will also indirectly benefit thousands of family members who are responsible for the care of the patients, as well as health care professionals who will benefit from new technologies and methods for treating spinal cord injuries.

Fr. Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, in a message spoke of Salesian Missions’ partnership with USAID/ASHA. He said, “Together, we have enhanced cooperation by strengthening local capacity and leadership to help young people and vulnerable populations become self-sufficient, contributing members of society.”

The “Raising Standards” project will also provide specialized occupational therapy to retrain people in skills needed to independently carry out typical household chores and activities. This includes a simulated kitchen to help patients to learn how to maneuver and cook with their new physical circumstances. Office and bedroom simulation areas will also be a part of the project.

Salesian Missions has two local implementation partners including Don Bosco Wheels and Vinculos y Redes, a civil organization providing support in the education field. Don Boco Wheels currently connects with people newly afflicted by spinal cord injuries in the hospital and provides information to help them overcome mobility challenges. Don Bosco Wheels will continue to meet with women patients to provide services and will encourage them to participate in the treatment center as the project develops. A 2021 donation of a passenger truck to transfer patients to the rehabilitation center has encouraged more patients to participate.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Mexico

USAID

World Bank – Mexico

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MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Padre Chava Refectory, part of the Salesian Tijuana Project, recently received an award from Dr. José Adrián Medina Amarillas, the secretary of health of the Mexican State of Baja California, Mexico. The award is for the work the refectory does for the city’s most vulnerable people, especially migrants and refugees.

Since 1987, the Salesian Center in Tijuana, which houses the refectory and other project activities, has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the Tijuana Salesian Project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture, and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with their families. The Salesian Center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help.

The Padre Chava Refectory played a significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic even after it was forced to close its dining room. Each day, the Padre Chava Refectory provided upwards of 1,200 meals. Because of the overwhelming need, the refectory never closed, and it instead turned to take-away meals. In the first days of the lockdown, 500 food boxes were distributed. Over the first week, 10,000 food boxes were provided, and that pace continued.

Many workers lost their jobs due to the closure of their workplace, and they had to decide whether to pay the rent or buy food. Informal workers such as domestic workers were urged to stay home and remained unpaid. The closure of the U.S.-Mexican border also left many asylum seekers stuck in Tijuana, and even though many have been deported, others keep arriving. The Salesian Center was a refuge to many.

During the award event, there was a tour of the refectory and conversations with people who use the service. Salesians were able to highlight the great need for what they do while also humanizing the people who come through its doors.

Father Agustín Novoa Leyva, director of the Tijuana Project, accepted the award. He highlighted the right to health for all people, a right that is often denied to those who belong to the city’s most disadvantaged sectors, such as the elderly, those in poverty, those who have disabilities, and especially migrants.

Fr. Novoa said, “As a Salesian work, present on this frontier, which for us is a land of mission, we feel more and more committed every day to the cause of the defense of human rights, in a clearly evangelical perspective.”

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ANS – Mexico – New award for “Salesian Project Tijuana A.C.”

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

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MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries held a service fair at the Santo Domingo Savio Oratory in Tijuana, Mexico. The oratory is one of six in the Salesian Tijuana Project and located in one of the poorest and most violent neighborhoods of the city. Youth are faced with increased crime including murder and drug trafficking. There is also a lack of access to health and social services.

The civil registry office was at the fair to provide issuance and regularization of birth certificates. There were also medical personnel to provide medical and dental services. In addition, the fair featured crime prevention, activities for children and older youth, welfare programs for people with disabilities and the elderly, land regularization, delivery of trees for reforestation, and access to public services such as water and electricity.

At the event, Father Agustín Novoa Leyva, director of the Tijuana Project, met with Dr. Catalino Zabala, secretary general of the Mexican Baja California state government, to discuss migrants and people in situations of social vulnerability on the border of Mexico and the United States. It was decided that with the support of various government agencies, activities in Salesian centers will bring services closer to the local community and enable the staff of these agencies to better understand the needs of the local population.

Authorities from the secretariats of welfare and security of the State of Baja California, the director of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), the state chairwoman of the System for Integral Family Development, and the commander of the Tijuana National Guard were also present during these discussions.

In a statement at the fair, Fr. Novoa Leyva said, “Since our objective is to form good Christians and upright citizens, all our activities must take into account the wholeness and spirituality of the human being. This is what motivates us and what drives us to ensure that people, on the one hand, encounter God, the engine and center of our lives, and on the other hand, can also assert their rights within the society in which they live.”

Since 1987, the Tijuana Project has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the Tijuana Project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

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ANS – Mexico – From dialogue with the authorities come fruits for neediest communities

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

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MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with the Tijuana Project run a summer camp in Tijuana, Mexico, that offers children a chance to engage with their peers in a safe environment. They can play and engage in fun activities while under the supervision of caring adults.

Since 1987, the Salesian Center in Tijuana has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture, and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower and an opportunity to call and make contact with family. The Salesian Center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

More than 400 children and older youth took part in the camp, which was supported by 130 Salesian staff and volunteers. The camp was a respite for youth in a city that has been hit by a gruesome wave of violence, with more than 2,000 deaths in the first half of the year. Many innocent people have paid with their lives for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Salesians are trying to provide a place of peace for these youth. A Salesian missionary in Tijuana said, “We must be builders of peace with concrete actions, with convincing examples of life, but above all by telling the truth, by bearing witness to truth and justice in all our environments, especially in the youth environments of each of our works in Tijuana. Every Salesian playground we have played in these weeks has been a time of healthy sharing, a place where problems are solved without using physical and verbal violence.”

In addition to the camp, Salesians organized a March for Peace featuring shouts of joy and placards. Salesians, youth and lay collaborators marched through the streets of Tijuana. A Catholic Mass was held after the march, and then everyone viewed artistic and cultural presentations that were created during the summer camp.

The Salesian missionary added, “We cannot remain indifferent to the pain caused by delinquency and organized crime, which is why we want to imbue our spaces with the values that can promote peace and social justice.”

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ANS – Mexico – “Peace begins with a smile”: amid violence, “Happy Holidays with Jesus” bring joy and hope to Tijuana

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

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(MissionNewswire) Thanks to funding Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, received from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (USAID/ASHA) program, Salesian missionaries have been able to launch building projects to improve the standard of medical care for people in El Salvador and Mexico. The projects are a mix of construction, equipment purchases and training to improve health care outcomes for people with physical disabilities.

Don Bosco University in San Salvador, El Salvador, is empowering the next generation of medical rehabilitation practitioners to transform the lives of people with mobile disabilities through its “Walking Anew!” project. The project has expanded and upgraded the facilities at Don Bosco University’s School of Rehabilitation Science and the equipment used to train medical rehabilitation professionals. The project is pioneering innovative techniques in the treatment of people with disabilities.

The construction of the new building, which houses the Applied Research Center, allows for the exchange of information with professionals in the field at an international level as well as provides space for a new podiatry laboratory and other specialized practices. The program has already trained people from El Salvador, other countries in Central America, South America, Haiti, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Following the success of the project in El Salvador, the “Raising Standards of Care for Spinal Cord Injury Patients” project is constructing and equipping Mexico’s first comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation center to assist patients who have been paralyzed by spinal cord injuries, with a special focus on youth.

The project runs from October 2018 through the end of September 2023. The Latin American Center for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injuries, which is being built in Guadalajara, will be the only center in Mexico dedicated to serving the target population. Construction for the new center is continuing to progress as scheduled. Equipment is expected to be acquired in early 2022.

The “Raising Standards” project will provide specialized occupational therapy to retrain people in the skills they need to independently carry out typical household chores and activities. This includes a simulated kitchen to help patients to learn how to maneuver and cook with their new physical circumstances. Office and bedroom simulation areas will also be a part of the project.

“We are grateful to USAID for its support and funding for the construction projects in El Salvador and Mexico,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “People with disabilities have the same ability to achieve as their peers if given the opportunity. Projects like these help pave the way for advanced research, learning and innovation that help aid inclusion of people with disabilities in every facet of life, particularly in countries where limited services existed until now.”

These critical health infrastructure projects would not be possible without the support of USAID/ASHA funding, which is making a significant impact in these countries. Salesian Missions is grateful for the continued support and ability to impact health outcomes for people in poverty.

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Don Bosco University

EL SALVADOR: New building receives sustainable construction award

MEXICO: Construction continues on new spinal cord treatment center

Salesian Missions

USAID

USAID American Schools and Hospitals Abroad

The post GLOBAL: Projects improve care for people with disabilities in Mexico and El Salvador first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Reception Center, a new space dedicated to giving shelter to women with children, was launched in Tijuana, Mexico. The reception center was set up to help women at risk, especially migrants. Women can receive legal, psychological, medical and spiritual services.

Both Salesian missionaries and the authorities in charge of assisting migrants have noted an increase in the flow of migrant women into Tijuana. Salesians developed the new reception center in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF.

According to Father Agustín Novoa, director of the Salesian Center in Tijuana, the reception center’s model promotes “social friendship” in which international agencies involved in the project, governmental entities and the host community all work together to support women.

The common interest of the institutions involved is to work together without competition to provide a safe space for women and their children, and to put the woman, her dignity and the defense of her rights at the center of attention. Fr. Novoa said, “This is a great challenge that involves getting out of our comfort zone, being open to dialogue, going out to meet others, learning to live with others and looking for our commonalities.”

This new reception center is one project among many launched by the Salesian Center in Tijuana, which since 1987 has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with families. The Salesian Center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

Within the Salesian Center is the Padre Chava Refectory which provides meals and other assistance to migrants from Mexico, Central America and Haiti, as well as to the homeless, the elderly, people with disabilities and those suffering from extreme poverty. Staff members at the refectory also help migrants obtain or manage their official papers and play a very important role in caring for migrants stuck at the border. In addition, the Padre Chava Refectory acts as a hub for care packages, such as food and clothing, that have been sent as aid to those in Mexico.

Fr. Nova added, “We are known and appreciated for the service we offer in the community. We provide food, nutrition, medical and psychological services, and legal advice, and we also offer a hospitality service for men and now for women with this new center. We serve migrants, deportees, people in street situations, entire families and the elderly. For years we have seen many people suffer from the lack of opportunities, and during the pandemic, the population in difficulty has increased.”

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ANS – Mexico – Opening of the “Don Bosco” Salesian Welcome Centre specifically for women

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

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MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) A new treatment center is being developed for people living with spinal cord injuries thanks to funding Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, received from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (USAID-ASHA) program. The “Raising Standards of Care for Spinal Cord Injury Patients” project will construct and equip Mexico’s first comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation center to assist patients who have been paralyzed by spinal cord injuries, with a special focus on youth.

The project runs from October 2018 through the end of September 2023. The Latin American Center for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injuries, which will be built in Guadalajara, will be the only center in Mexico dedicated to serving the target population. Construction for the new center is continuing to progress as scheduled. In July, the foundation was laid, and the walls, including masonry work, were built. The roof work began in August, and roofing for the physical therapy, electrotherapy and gym sections of the building was completed in September. Work also began on the façade, electrical installation, and distribution of the connections. Equipment is expected to be acquired in the beginning of 2022.

“The state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation center will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and innovative resources,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “In addition to treating patients, the center will also generate and disseminate new science and technology. Within its first four years, it is anticipated that the center will treat 500 patients with spinal cord injuries, mainly youth and young adults between the ages of 12-35 who live in poverty and in a state of high vulnerability.”

People who use wheelchairs in Mexico face difficulties in traversing city streets independently. With a lack of elevators and accessibility in public transportation and work places, people with spinal cord injuries struggle to be given the chance to succeed.

Women who have endured spinal cord injuries face challenges in completing typical household chores that were once under their care, such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Statistical research by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows that Mexican women dedicate more than triple the amount of time on household chores and activities as compared to Mexican men.

The “Raising Standards” project will provide specialized occupational therapy for both women and men to retrain them in skills needed to independently carry out typical household chores and activities. This includes a simulated kitchen to help patients to learn how to maneuver and cook with their new physical circumstances. Office and bedroom simulation areas will also be a part of the project.

Don Bosco on Wheels, Salesian Missions’ implementation partner in Mexico, currently connects with people newly afflicted by spinal cord injuries in the hospital and provides information to help them overcome mobility challenges. Don Bosco Wheels will continue to meet with women patients to provide services and will encourage them to participate in the treatment center as the project develops. The recent donation of a passenger truck to transfer patients to the rehabilitation center has encouraged more patients to participate.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Mexico

USAID

World Bank – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Construction continues on new spinal cord treatment center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Institute Carlos Gómez, located in the city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, has launched a senior technician university diploma program. This course provides a higher level of education than previously offered and is designed to help students obtain an engineering degree. The two curriculum pathways for this course are in industrial maintenance and mechatronics.

The program went through a lengthy certification process to be accredited by technology education authorities in Mexico and through the Salesian Provincial. Feasibility studies were done prior to the course creation that indicated its success given the industrial job sector’s growth in Mexico, particularly in the automotive sector, which requires technicians with advanced skills.

The course lasts three years and eight months. Currently, the lessons and internships are being held in the same space as the technical course at Salesian Institute Carlos Gómez. The institute is in the process of restructuring and configuring spaces for new laboratories and workshops, as well as their equipment. Once updated, the structures will allow workers from different local industries to be trained in new processes and technologies through specific collaboration programs.

According to Father Agapito Francisco Espinoza, director of Salesian Institute Carlos Gómez, these courses make the institute the first technological institution run by a religious community in the Mexican lowland area. Fr. Espinoza said, “Many young people will have the opportunity to be qualified to transform their environments according to a humanistic-Christian vision, as Don Bosco did in his time in Turin.”

Close to 52 million people in Mexico lack access to education, health care, transportation and the most basic necessities such as food and shelter. Youth in the country face a higher rate of poverty at more than 53 percent, which accounts for 20 million children and adolescents, with 5 million of those living in extreme poverty.

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

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ANS – Mexico – New impulse for Salesian technical education

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

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MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) After only serving take-away meals for 15 months, the Salesian Padre Chava Refectory, located at the Salesian Center in Tijuana, Mexico, is open again to the public. The refectory provides meals and other assistance to migrants from Mexico, Central America and Haiti, as well as to the homeless, the elderly, people with disabilities and those suffering from extreme poverty.

Forced to close in-person dining because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Salesians reopened the facility in early June and are now able to provide better service to those in need. People are able to eat in a quiet and safe space instead of on the ground. Despite the pandemic, Salesians continued to offer services outside, benefiting more than 1,000 people a day.

“Hunger and the needs of the people facing scarcity increased in the city during the pandemic, and we had to response the best we could given the circumstances,” explained Father Agustín Novoa, director of the Salesian Center in Tijuana. “Now, the refectory is open once again and serving people in the dining room. There are still a great number of people in need and we are meeting that day to day.”

Many workers have lost their jobs due to the closure of their workplace, and they have to decide whether to pay rent or buy food. Informal workers, such as domestic workers, were urged to stay home and remained unpaid. The challenges at the United States-Mexican border has also left many asylum seekers stuck in Tijuana, and even though many have been deported, others keep arriving.

Since 1987, the Salesian Center has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the Tijuana Salesian Project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with families. The Salesian Center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

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ANS – Mexico – Salesian Refectory “Padre Chava” reopens its doors to needy

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

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MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Tijuana Project has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. for 34 years. The Salesian organization is divided into eight programs including five oratories, two educational institutions and a public meal program, known as the Salesian Padre Chava Refectory. Salesian services are located in the city’s most vulnerable and high-conflict areas. Every month, 30,000 people access food, medical and psychological services, legal advice, sports, cultural activities, and basic education.

The goal of the Salesian Tijuana Project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

At the Salesian Tijuana Project, migrants can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with families.

The Salesian Tijuana Project also acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with families. The Salesian center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

During the pandemic, the Salesian Tijuana Project was forced to suspend many of its activities. The Salesian schools provided education online when they could and also enacted safety measures, meeting the protocols set forth by the government. The only program that never closed its door was the Salesian Padre Chava Refectory, which had to make adjustments in its food delivery. The refectory is one of the youngest programs of the Salesian Tijuana Project, but it is among the best known.

A Salesian missionary said, “We are known and appreciated for the service we offer in the community. We provide food, nutrition, medical and psychological services, legal advice, and we also offer a hospitality service for men. We serve migrants, deportees, people in street situations, entire families and the elderly. For years we have seen many people suffer from the lack of opportunities, and during the pandemic, the population in difficulty has increased.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, services were limited to the delivery of food and medical service. Claudia Portela, coordinator of the refectory, remembers that one morning she had to go out and tell those waiting for services that from that moment, the method of access and administration would be different. People would have to queue, and before entering they had to wash their hands, put on antibacterial gel and then collect the food in several stages.

The pandemic caused difficulty for the organization. Donations dropped, volunteers who ensured services decreased for fear of being infected, and just when the Salesian Tijuana Project could barely provide for 800 people each day, the need swelled to more than 2,000 a day.

Faced with this situation, Salesian missionaries opted to network, turning to governmental and nongovernmental institutions. A Salesian missionary noted, “For example, at the municipal level, we have coordinated with many shelters to buy products at the supermarket. At the state level, the Secretariat for Development gave us food, the mayor’s wife sent burritos, and organizations such as the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the International Organization for Migration, and Amnesty International, as well as many benefactors, have given us great support.”

After more than a year of pandemic, the Salesian Tijuana Project is beginning to reset. One of the project managers said, “We are worried about our schools, children and young people who have stopped studying due to lack of resources, but the refectory continues to work. Little by little we are adding other services that we used to provide such as hair-cutting.”

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ANS – Mexico – Not even pandemic can stop Salesian Refectory “Father Chava”

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Programs serve 30,000 migrants and poor youth each month first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Oaxaca, Mexico, have provided 1,000 Catholic Bibles to 24 Chinantec Indigenous communities thanks to Koch Foundation funding secured by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. This project facilitates scriptural study and faith formation among the local population even when an ordained minister cannot be present.

While there were 1,000 direct beneficiaries of the project, more than 5,000 people were impacted within the households that received the Bibles. It is difficult for these local Indigenous populations to buy a Bible when other basic needs have to come first. Most of the direct beneficiaries were youth, ages 10-18, who attended one of the 24 church communities. After receiving the Bibles, the youth shared what they learned and studied with their families.

“The impact of this project will continue because Salesian missionaries living in the communities teach catechism to youth and encourage them to teach their family members,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian missionaries also train local catechists to provide scriptural orientation to encourage families to come together to read the Bible.”

Thanks to this project, joy and hope were brought to many households. Many people walked far distances on precarious roads to receive them. Families have said that by having the Catholic Bible in their homes, they can feel the presence of God with them.

Close to 52 million people in Mexico lack access to education, health care, transportation and the most basic necessities such as food and shelter. Youth in the country face a higher rate of poverty at more than 53 percent, which accounts for 20 million children and adolescents, with 5 million of those living in extreme poverty.

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

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Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

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MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Pedro Eduardo Valdés Sierra, a mechatronics engineering student at the Don Bosco Technological Institute in Saltillo, Mexico, earned an internship at Tesla in California. Sierra credits his education at the Don Bosco Technological Institute for his chance to work in the United States.

“Working while studying is a commitment and requires a great responsibility,” explained Sierra. “I thank the Don Bosco Technological Institute for supporting me and allowing me to have this great experience. Doing my internship abroad is a great experience. In the United States, I can continue to get an excellent level of learning, as well as new challenges to face.”

During his internship, Sierra will collaborate on a project to install and improve electrical systems and pneumatic and hydraulic controls. He will also be able to help update and adapt various automation systems and integrate new production lines.

Sierra added, “Everything is different at Tesla. There’s a lot of planning. It’s a great work culture.” Sierra is now having a chance to put the classroom lessons he learned into practical hands-on experience. He believes this is a wonderful opportunity for academic, professional and human growth.

Don Bosco Technological Institute was built more than a decade ago and has experienced significant development. More than 1,000 students attend courses as part of a program culminating in a bachelor’s degree in technology. Through workforce development initiatives such as assistance with résumé-writing and interviewing skills, the technical school also helps students find and retain stable employment upon graduation.

“The school’s programs respond to the local need for technical skills training by providing high-quality training courses, which is very much appreciated in a region known for its industrial activity,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through coursework and internships like at Tesla, students leave the technical school with the professional skills and aptitude necessary to excel in the workforce.”

The state of Coahuila’s business community has rallied around the technical school, becoming an integral support to its students. Salesian missionaries working at the school have made connections within the business community to help students make an easier transition from the classroom into the workforce. Employers are impressed with the level of technical skill of the school’s graduates and also their employment preparedness.

Close to 52 million people in Mexico lack access to education, health care, transportation and the most basic necessities such as food and shelter. Youth in the country face a higher rate of poverty at more than 53 percent, which accounts for 20 million children and adolescents, with 5 million of those living in extreme poverty.

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

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

ANS – Mexico – From Saltillo to California: a success story

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Student earns internship at Tesla first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) In March, the Tijuana Salesian Project in Tijuana, Mexico, celebrates 34 years in service to the community. The center provides services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center in Tijuana facilitates the project and acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with families. Through a Salesian Center partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors, psychological and medical help is also available.

Those dreaming of being reunited with their families in the U.S. and those deported from the U.S. often arrive at the center with very little. The Padre Chava Refectory helps migrants obtain or manage their official papers and documents. In addition, the Padre Chava Refectory acts as a hub for care packages, such as food and clothing, that have been sent as aid to those in Mexico.

Each day at the Padre Chava Refectory, 900 to 1,200 meals are served with numbers increasing during Christmas, Easter and summer. Because of the overwhelming need, the refectory could not close during the pandemic. They, instead, turned to take-away meals. In the first day of serving take-out meals, 500 food boxes were distributed. Over the following six days, 10,000 food boxes were provided. The pandemic multiplied the number of people in need of a hot meal. Salesians are now seeing new faces in need including the homeless, children, families, elderly and migrants.

“Because, even if the possibility of contracting the virus is latent, hunger and needs, in these days of scarcity, are increasing,” explained Father Agustín Novoa, director of the Salesian Center in Tijuana.

Many workers have lost their jobs due to the closure of their workplace, and they have to decide whether to pay the rent or buy food. Informal workers such as domestic workers were urged to stay home and remained unpaid. The closure of the U.S.-Mexican border has also left many asylum seekers stuck in Tijuana, and even though many have been deported, others keep arriving. Migrant shelters are not housing new asylum seekers to guarantee basic sanitary conditions for their residents.

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

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

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Sources:

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

ANS – Mexico – Tijuana Salesian Project: 34 years lived with Faith, Hope and Charity

Salesian Tijuana Project

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Center celebrates 34 years of service at border first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Tijuana, Mexico, are still responding to the influx of people needing food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, while already stretched thin providing for those who need food assistance in the city. The Salesian Padre Chava Refectory, located at the Salesian Center in the city, provides meals and other assistance to migrants from Mexico, Central America and Haiti, as well as to the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and those suffering from extreme poverty.

Each day, the Padre Chava Refectory provides upwards of 1,200 meals with numbers increasing due to the pandemic. Because of the overwhelming need, the refectory never closed. They instead turned to take-away meals. In the first days of the lockdown, 500 food boxes were distributed. Over the first week, 10,000 food boxes were provided, and that pace has continued.

“Hunger and the needs of the people facing scarcity are increasing in the city, and we are responding the best that we can given the circumstances,” explained Father Agustín Novoa, director of the Salesian Center in Tijuana.

Many workers have lost their jobs due to the closure of their workplace, and they have to decide whether to pay the rent or buy food. Informal workers such as domestic workers were urged to stay home and remained unpaid. The closure of the U.S.-Mexican border has also left many asylum seekers stuck in Tijuana, and even though many have been deported, others keep arriving. Migrant shelters are not housing new asylum seekers to guarantee basic sanitary conditions for their residents.

Since 1987, the Salesian Center has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the Tijuana Salesian Project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with families. The Salesian Center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Mexico – “Padre Chava” refectory at work during Covid-19 pandemic

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian Padre Chava Refectory serves more than 1,200 meals a day to those in need and impacted by coronavirus pandemic first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) The sudden spread of the COVID-19 in Mexico brought an unseen state of emergency to Tijuana. Salesian missionaries are assisting thousands of migrants and people at risk through the Salesian Padre Chava Refectory located at the Salesian Center in the city. The refectory provides meals and other assistance to migrants from Mexico, Central America and Haiti, as well as to homeless people, the elderly, people with disabilities and those suffering from extreme poverty.

Each day at the Padre Chava Refectory, 900 to 1,200 meals are served with numbers increasing during Christmas, Easter and summer. Recently, the numbers have been increasing due to the influx of migrants. Salesian missionaries are already serving their maximum number of 1,200 breakfasts and they are preparing to continue at that pace.

Because of the overwhelming need, the refectory cannot close. They have instead turned to take-away meals. In the first day, 500 food boxes were distributed. Over the next six days, 10,000 food boxes were provided. The coronavirus has multiplied the number of people in need of a hot meal. Salesians are now seeing new faces in need including the homeless, children, families, elderly, and migrants.

“Because, even if the possibility of contracting the virus is latent, hunger and needs, in these days of scarcity, are increasing,” explained Father Agustín Novoa, director of the Salesian Center in Tijuana.

Many workers have lost their jobs due to the closure of their workplace, and they have to decide whether to pay the rent or buy food. Informal workers such as domestic workers were urged to stay home and remained unpaid. The closure of the U.S.-Mexican border has also left many asylum seekers stuck in Tijuana, and even though many have been deported, others keep arriving. Migrant shelters are not housing new asylum seekers to guarantee basic sanitary conditions for their residents.

Since 1987, the Salesian Center in Tijuana has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the Tijuana Salesian Project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower, and an opportunity to call and make contact with families. The Salesian Center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Mexico – Salesian Refectory “Padre Chava”, its doors open in this time of Covid-19: “We take care of the most vulnerable people”

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian Padre Chava Refectory in Tijuana remains open to serve thousands of take-away meals to those in need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) A group of young adult volunteers from the United States visited the Salesian community in Tijuana, Mexico, over the Thanksgiving weekend. The volunteers spent their time serving those in need at the Salesian Refectory Padre Chava, which assists migrants and people living in the streets. The volunteers helped prepare and serve food to those who visited.

The Salesian Refectory Padre Chava is located at the Salesian Center in Tijuana on the U.S.-Mexico border. The refectory provides meals to migrants from Mexico, Central America and Haiti, as well as those who are homeless, the elderly, people with disabilities and those suffering from extreme poverty. Each day, 900 to 1,200 meals are served, and during Christmas, Easter and summer, the numbers increase.

Volunteers also visited an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS, entertaining them with various games. During the last stop on their visit, volunteers went to a reception center for asylum seekers and had dinner with more than 100 young people, adults and children, who all live together. Volunteers spent time entertaining those at the reception center with a number of recreational activities.

Since 1987, the Salesian Center in Tijuana has been providing services to migrants and poor youth living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. The goal of the project is to create an extensive educational network in areas where poor youth are at risk of social exclusion. The project took shape through Salesian oratories and educational centers where children grow up learning to share faith, culture and sports within their communities.

The Salesian Center acts as a hub for migrants who, besides much-needed material help, are also offered a familiar and welcoming environment. They can access haircuts, a change of clothes, a shower and an opportunity to call and make contact with families. The Salesian Center also has a partnership with the Red Cross and local volunteer doctors who offer psychological and medical help and assistance.

Those dreaming of being reunited with their families in the U.S. and those deported from the U.S. often arrive at the center with very little. The Padre Chava Refectory also helps migrants obtain or manage their official papers and documents and plays a very important role in caring for the Haitian migrants who, in recent months, have flocked into Tijuana. In addition, Padre Chava acts as a hub for care packages, such as food and clothing, that have been sent as aid to those in Mexico.

“Salesian missionaries in these communities continue to provide education, safety and the promise of a better future for youth in need,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Mission trips provide Salesian students in the United States and across the globe opportunities to give back to others in need.”

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

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

Sources:

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

ANS – Mexico – Salesian volunteers from United States West visit Tijuana

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Young adults from the US volunteer at the Salesian community in Tijuana first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries arrived in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, 28 years ago and built their first oratory, San Juan Bosco, on land that was once a landfill. Years later, the Domingo Savio oratory was developed and finally, the Lupita oratory was established, the name an abbreviation of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

It was at one of these Salesian oratories that rapper Eric Ponce learned life lessons that later helped him turn his life around. As a child, Ponce was a good student, but his home environment was far from idyllic. His mother had lived on the street and worked accompanying illegal immigrants to the United States, while his father had joined the army. Ponce grew up alone and even as a boy went to parties where alcohol and drugs were widely available.

He dropped out of school, was tagged as a drug addict as a teenager and ran with boys who were six years older. Without realizing it, Ponce found himself entangled in a gang with a gun in hand and marijuana in his pocket, busy having to defend their territory.

In just five months in 2009, six of his cousins, a brother-in-law and his best friend were killed. Ponce looked very much like one of his cousins, so much so that on several occasions they were mistaken for one another. The last time of mistaken identity was when the killers burst into the funeral home to make sure they had killed the right person. It was at that moment that Ponce decided to escape, hide and get away from violence.

Ponce thought back to the lessons he had learned at the Salesian oratory as a child. Today, Ponce has made a career out of rapping, something he started back in 2003, performing as Ponce PX1. A Salesian even asked him at a Mass to improvise the Our Father in rap form, and it was a huge success. Ponce has released three albums and a dozen videos on YouTube, and he’s about to finish writing a book.

Ponce is also a coordinator of the “Second Opportunity, Fundraising and Development of Educational Programs” for a local youth promotion association. While his rap career is definitely on the rise, Ponce hasn’t forgotten his roots and aims to be a role model for other youth looking for a second chance. Ponce tells them, “A mistake does not say who you are. Don’t let them label you.”

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

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

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Sources:

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

ANS – Mexico – Eric Ponce, the rapper who escaped violence and cares for youth at risk in Ciudad Juárez

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Rapper Eric Ponce gained support at Salesian oratory that helped him later leave gang life first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) In 2012, Salesian missionaries brought joy back to some of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. A decade ago, Ciudad Juárez experienced such a wave of violence that at night there was a curfew. No one walked down the street, and the parks had ceased to be meeting places for the neighborhood youth.

Instead, the parks became market squares and places of criminal organizations and gangs. The extortion of merchants made everyone fear for their lives. At any time, someone might settle accounts with a weapon or sow even more fear with the murder of innocent people.

Salesian missionaries aimed to change that with a project called Brigade of Joy, which offered outdoor games and activities. The project also received Mexico state aid to enable Salesian missionaries to send mobile teams to 20 areas of the city.

The Salesian Brigade of Joy staff and volunteers have a van, t-shirts, flags and drums. They arrive in a park at sunset and play music and songs that attract the attention of children and encourage them to participate in fun choreography and games. Slowly and gradually more and more youth participated.

The events bring together about a hundred children in one park. They enjoy two hours of music and games, followed by a lesson applicable to everyday life and a snack for the participants. Youth are also invited to attend the nearest Salesian oratory or participate in the next visit to their area.

In recent years, the Brigade of Joy volunteers make twice a week visits to minors at one of the two juvenile prisons of Ciudad Juárez. The prison is for boys between the ages of 14 and 18 who have committed serious crimes including violence or kidnapping. Salesian missionaries and volunteers provide games and education on life skills so that when they leave prison, they can start a new life away from the gangs and even resume their studies.

“The Brigade of Joy project is another example of the great work that Salesian missionaries are doing in Mexico to help youth who are at risk of gang activity and violence,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries working in Ciudad Juárez also operate three oratories, located each in different parts of the city. More than 5,000 people visit the oratories every week to access the programs tailored for people of all ages.”

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

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

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Sources:

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

ANS – Mexico – “Brigade of Joy”: perfect excuse for Salesian-style play and fun in Ciudad Juárez

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian missionaries operate the Brigade of Joy project to bring safe activities to parks in Ciudad Juárez first appeared on MissionNewswire.

MEXICO

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries working in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, operate three oratories that sit on several hectares of land, each in different parts of the city. More than 5,000 people visit the oratories every week to access the programs tailored for people of all ages.

“If Don Bosco was in the oratories of Ciudad Juárez, he would be without a cassock and sunburned, but he would undoubtedly like seeing the courtyards full and with activities suitable for children and young people of the 21st century,” says Salesian Father Juan Carlos Quirarte, who directed the centers for seven years and is now responsible for the Salesian Planning and Development Office of the Mexico-Guadalajara Province.

Salesian missionaries arrived in Ciudad Juárez 28 years ago and built their first oratory, San Juan Bosco, on land that was once a landfill. Years later, the Domingo Savio oratory was developed and finally the Lupita oratory was established, the name an abbreviation of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Ten years ago, Ciudad Juárez was the world’s most violent city with more than 300 murders a month. Drug cartels, killers and migration had become a deadly mix for thousands of young people. The city is one of many border cities between the U.S. and Mexico. The border spans 1,969 miles and has more than 20 checkpoints along its route.

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

The oratories in Ciudad Juárez open their doors at 8.30 a.m. and close late at night, offering a series of uninterrupted activities, seven days a week, 365 days a year. In the morning, activities and workshops are held for mothers while children are at school. In the afternoon, parents get a break while children are entertained and offered a chance to learn.

There are also sports schools, martial arts sessions for children and adults, dance, circus workshops, painting and writing workshops, skateboarding lessons, parkour, free-climbing and zip line. There’s even a game of their own invention, “three-way soccer”, with three teams of three participants each and the team receiving the least goals winning. Many of the children who had spent considerable time in the oratories growing up are now the educators and volunteers who give life to the activities taking place throughout the city.

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

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

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Sources:

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

ANS – Mexico – “If Don Bosco was in the oratories of Ciudad Juárez he’d be sunburned, without a cassock”

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian missionaries operate three oratories in Ciudad Juárez that serve more than 5,000 people first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources:

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

UNICEF – Mexico

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

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

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

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

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

BOLIVIA

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

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

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

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

INDIA

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

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

MEXICO

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

SIERRA LEONE

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

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Sources:

Salesian Missions

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

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

USAID – Let Girls Learn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources:

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

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

UNICEF – Mexico

Salesian Missions – Mexico

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

Educational materials and assistance were provided during the camp by Dr. Cinthia Pérez Trejo, director of the General Coordination of the Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees, an organization that provides for the protection and return of migrants as well as refuge or asylum to foreign applicants including child migrants arriving from Central America.

“The goal for this year is to give attention to the humanitarian emergency of unaccompanied minors across Central America,” says Fr. Rojas. “We want to strengthen our missionary work and also our community service wherever there are youth in need. Our focus is on supportive services and connecting them with education and eventually stable work.”

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, Salesian missionaries 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.

With 1,969 miles and more than 20 checkpoints along the border of Mexico and the United States, constant migration is taking place between the two countries. Mexican migrant workers travel to U.S border towns seeking employment, immigrants from both countries cross back and forth and undocumented Mexicans are often repatriated.

Many border towns are plagued by crime and violence such as the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, money and people, and the consequences of social and political tensions between the two nations are felt. Salesian missionaries have been working in Mexico and in these border towns for more than 25 years with a goal of working together to try to address the increase of violence and insecurity in the region and launch proposals for education, social integration, drug prevention and combating the effects of organized crime.

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

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

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

Today, there is a Salesian presence in poorer frontier communities in Mexico and on the outskirts of border cities. Since the inception of the Salesian Frontier Project in 1987, 13 educational youth centers and two community centers have been opened. In addition, Salesian missionaries are collaborating in six parishes (one in the US) and operating a school with three levels of study as well as a welcome center for migrants and the destitute.

Sources

ANS – Mexico – “Camp Cagliero”, an initiative of the Project for the Care of Migrants

UNICEF – Mexico 

The post MEXICO: Youth Camp Held to Provide Education and Assistance to Migrant Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Laura Vicuña A.C. network provides education and shelter to youth, particularly girls, who are living in poverty in Mexico. Participants in the network attend Salesian-run elementary and secondary schools and are provided safe shelter, nutrition, clothing and school supplies.

In 2012, TOMS began distributing shoes to youth served by the Laura Vicuña A.C. network living within communities in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital city of the Sate of Chiapas in southeast Mexico. The area boasts a diverse cultural heritage but its residents have few economic advantages and often live in extreme poverty. Many lack adequate health care, access to clean water and sewage, education and stable jobs.

“Many schools ask parents to invest in required school clothing forcing families to prioritize which children they can send to school. Distributing shoes will open the way for more children to attend school, especially for girls who are often left behind at home,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “When children are protected from the various illnesses and injuries associated with traveling barefoot, they are better able to participate and focus in classes.”

TOMS Shoes are provided to families that participate in Laura Vicuña A.C. education, health and economic development programs. The Salesian Sisters who run the programs offer poor youth, who are often struggling to survive, a place to live while meeting their basic needs and providing education and training in social skills to prepare them for the future. Health education is also an important part of the program and is offered to all participants.

As part of Laura Vicuña A.C. school programs, Salesian sisters combine the distribution of shoes with educational workshops that focus on the importance and health benefits of wearing shoes. Prior to receiving the new shoes, many students were forced to walk to school barefoot and others wore only hard plastic sandals that caused injury. Without shoes, youth are at-risk for injury, parasites, skin fungus and respiratory diseases, among others ailments. Because shoes are required to attend school, some families who could not afford shoes chose not to send their children to school at all.

In addition to distribution in schools, Salesian Sisters distribute the shoes in local villages. Provided along with clothing and food, the shoes are used as encouragement for poor youth and their families to participate in educational, hygiene and literacy programs.

“One of the methods that Salesian missionaries teach on the topic of health and welfare is the use of footwear for children,” adds O’Connor. “By distributing shoes to the children in Salesian programs, we can improve the health of individual children while also stressing the importance of wearing shoes among the community in general.”

As a result of TOMS Shoes, youth enrollment and participation in school has increased, students are more prepared for school activities, and there is less frequency of illness caused by walking barefoot. Shoes also provide students with a sense of dignity. Carmen, a 14-year-old recipient of TOMS Shoes who has lived at one of the Salesian orphanages since she was seven, previously endured a painful walk to school that limited her participation and ability to engage with her friends.

“My old shoes were a very hard material and gave me blisters and felt very hot in the heat as I walked to school. It was very painful. But my new shoes are very comfortable and allow me to walk to school better and play with my friends,” said Carmen.

More than 46 percent of Mexico’s population lives in poverty, according to UNICEF. Close to 53 million people lack access to education, healthcare, transportation and even the most basic necessities such as food and shelter. The poverty rate for youth in the country is higher at more than 53 percent and accounts for twenty million children and adolescents, five million of which live in extreme poverty.

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

ABOUT TOMS:

In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One®.

Realizing that One for One could serve other global needs, Blake launched TOMS Eyewear in 2011 to help restore sight to persons in need with every purchase of sunglasses and optical frames. In 2014, TOMS Roasting Co. launched with the mission to provide clean water to developing communities with the purchase of premium coffee.

TOMS is in business to improve lives. We identify global needs and create products to help address them. This simple idea is what makes us more than a company – we’re a movement that’s continually evolving.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS:

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

The post MEXICO: Students in Salesian Programs Have Improved Health and are Better Prepared for School after Receiving TOMS Shoes first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

The city of Saltillo, the capital of the state of Coahuila in northeastern Mexico, has recently experienced a high rate of industrial growth, especially in the automobile industry, which requires a more skilled and qualified workforce. To capitalize on this opportunity, Salesians working at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Saltillo are now offering new classes in mechanical and electrical engineering.

The technical school was built just a decade ago and in that short time has experienced significant development. More than 1,000 students attend courses as part of a program culminating in a bachelor’s degree in technology. Close to 20 students are already signed up to start the new engineering courses. Through workforce development initiatives such as assistance with resume writing and interviewing skills, the technical school also helps students find and retain stable employment upon graduation.

The state of Coahuila’s business community has rallied around the technical school, becoming an integral support to its students. Salesians working at the school have made connections within the business community to help students make an easier transition from the classroom into the workforce. Employers are impressed with the level of technical skill of the school’s graduates and also their employment preparedness.

“The school’s programs respond to the local need for technical skills training by providing high-quality training courses, which is very much appreciated in a region known for its industrial activity,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through coursework and additional social development programs, students leave the technical school with the professional skills and aptitude necessary to excel in the workforce.”

During the inauguration ceremony celebrating the new engineering program, Father Antonio Martínez, director of the school, reiterated the ongoing support and commitment of the Salesians to both the local youth and the business community by continuing to seek new opportunities for development and innovation.

“Education and innovation has always been a cornerstone of Salesian work as we address local needs and help students break the cycle of poverty,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The Salesians are known for their technical education and have more than 850 vocational, technical, professional and agricultural schools around the globe providing youth necessary practical employment skills while helping them to become contributing adults in their communities.”

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Sources:

ANS – Mexico – New Courses in Engineering at Don Bosco INTEC

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: New Engineering Courses Respond to Local Industry Need 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.

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

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

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

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

Today, there is a Salesian presence in poorer frontier communities in Mexico and on the outskirts of border cities. Since the Salesian Frontier Project’s inception in 1987, thirteen educational youth centers and two community centers have been opened. In addition, Salesians are collaborating in six parishes (one in the US) and operating a school with three levels of study as well as a welcome center for migrants and the destitute.

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

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

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Sources:

ANS – GC27: On the border between USA and Mexico

Salesian Missions – Mexico

UNICEF – Mexico 

The post MEXICO: Salesian Programs in U.S. Mexico Border Towns Help Youth Combat Violence, Provide Hope for the Future first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This year’s annual theme, “Inspiring Change,” focuses on overcoming women’s inequality, encouraging more women to take on leadership roles and pursue careers in the fields of science, engineering and technology, promoting women-owned businesses and supporting financial independence for women.

It is also a day for celebrating the organizations and people who work year round to empower women and girls in an effort to make the world a better place—including nearly 30,000 Salesian missionaries working in more than 130 countries around the globe. Their programs strive to empower young women and girls through educational and social programs. All Salesian-run programs promote gender equality and work to break down barriers young women face, especially in accessing education and obtaining livable wage employment.

“Women and young girls face many barriers and disadvantages to accessing education and achieving financial independence,” says Diana Del Castillo, a program officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs and an expert on gender equality. “Because Salesian missionaries are already living and working directly in many communities they are able to effect change from the inside rather than being viewed as outsiders. They are able to educate community leaders about the importance of gender equality and the benefits of girls’ education for the whole community.”

“There may be many barriers to overcome in providing young girls the same educational and workforce advantages as boys, but there is also huge potential. It is very important for girls to attend school and gain an education. Young girls that are able to are empowered and can lead a life of financial independence, marry at an older age and tend to make better and healthier choices that affect not only their lives but their family and community as well,” adds Del Castillo.

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

MEXICO

Salesians working in Mexico City are directing their efforts toward the country’s at-risk population, including girls and mothers living on the streets. Innovative programs are preventing poor youth from dropping out of school and are providing them important educational and training opportunities.

Through the “Yolia” program, girls and young women are able to spend their days at a Salesian center in the city where they can have meals, receive tutoring, obtain therapy and learn job skills such as jewelry making and hair styling. Some girls choose to live in the residential area where they receive additional education and services while gaining a renewed sense of dignity and self-worth.

Learn more: MEXICO: Salesian Program Brings Hope to Young Girls at Risk of Exploitation

SENEGAL

Salesians in Senegal have been providing vocational and technical training programs to local youth for many years. The Vocational Training Center of Tambacounda, one of three Salesian programs in the country, recently announced the opening of a center of excellence in information technology and communication. One of the primary goals of the center is to provide young girls access to traditional professional courses. To date, only six out of 137 students are female.

A pioneer program in technical education and vocational training in Tambacounda, the center has trained over 2280 students in automobile mechanics and electrical work, both traditionally non-female dominated fields. Expansion of the program expects to attract more female students, granting women and girls further access to professional training.

Learn more: SENEGAL: New Vocational Training Program Brings Opportunities to Girls

SIERRA LEONE

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

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

Learn more: SIERRA LEONE: Girls Education Helps Young Women Break the Cycle of Violence and Poverty

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

In the Dominican Republic, women striving for a better life can access support services through the “Madres Project” in Santo Domingo. This project addresses the root causes that force children to live on the streets. By teaching mothers skills that enable them to earn a living wage and improve their living conditions, their children become more likely to stay at home and off the streets.

Made possible through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the International Volunteer Movement for Development, the program offers women complete courses in literacy, post-literacy, health care and computer skills as well as includes lessons in human rights as part of each training module. Salesians in Santo Domingo also operate a training program for youth in the poorest areas of the city called “Boys and Girls with Don Bosco.”

INDIA

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

For women with children who are unable to leave the refugee camp and attend traditional classes, a special program has been developed within the camp. Through it, women receive training in skills such as jewelry-making and sewing and are also provided entrepreneurial workshops. In addition, they are eligible for financial assistance to start up new businesses where they can use their new skills while continuing to take care of their families, such as the business cooperative created with sewing machines and equipment financed through a micro-credit program. Today, there are close to 400 women taking advantage of this program.

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ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

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

The post INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Salesian Missionaries Inspire Change for Young Women through Education, Workforce Development first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In Mexico City, the country’s capital, poor residents lack safe drinking water and sanitation. Incidents of crime and violence are high within the region. Many young girls and mothers face severe dangers living on the streets including the prospects of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, crime and gang violence. According to UNICEF, close to 240,000 abandoned children live on the streets of Mexico City and up to 90 percent of those have faced sexual exploitation by an adult.

Salesians working in Mexico City are directing their efforts toward the country’s at-risk population, including the girls and mothers living on the streets. Innovative programs are preventing poor youth from dropping out of school and are providing them important educational and training opportunities.

Through the “Yolia” program, girls and young women are able to spend their days at a Salesian center in the city where they can have meals, receive tutoring, obtain therapy and learn job skills such as jewelry making and hair styling. Some girls choose to live in the residential area where they receive additional education and services while finding a renewed sense of dignity and self-worth.

“Access to a program such as this helps to break the cycle of violence and poverty for these young girls,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They are able to live safely while getting the emotional support they need and the education that will help them live independently.”

Most of the girls in the program are adolescents but some have been as young as three years old and abandoned by their families. Salesians work with the young girls to provide for their basic needs so they are better able to focus on their studies. Salesian staff, including Salesian Lay Missioners, teach English classes and bring the girls to and from school. Additional tutoring is offered to help the girls with their studies as well as vocational programs to provide older girls with skills for employment. In addition, therapy is available to help face the emotional challenges resulting from the violence and exploitation the young women have endured.

The “Yolia” program empowers young women to overcome the discrimination they have faced while giving hem a greater awareness of their rights. It focuses on building character while allowing the young women the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives, improve their health and boost their work prospects.

“Girls education is important to the overall community,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Through education, these young women can change their lives. They can help bring their families out of poverty and contribute back to the communities in which they live.”

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Sources:

UNICEF – Mexico: Government and UNICEF launch ground-breaking study addressing child poverty

Salesian Missions – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian Program Brings Hope to Young Girls at Risk of Exploitation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Poverty conditions combined with an extensive drug trade has lead Ciudad Juárez to become one of the most dangerous cities in the world. It is estimated that between ten and twelve thousand people were killed there between 2007 and 2012. In 2012, the number of homicides dropped to 1,000.

Still there is much to be done. The Salesians, who have been working with poor youth in the city for the past 21 years, recently began collaborating with the Mexican government in support of a new national strategic security plan. This new plan is working to curb violence and bring peace and positive change to the community.

Creating safe havens and improving educational opportunities is essential to the deterrence of youth from life on the streets where they are susceptible to drugs and gang violence. With these goals in mind, the Salesians operate three programs in Ciudad Juárez, attended by more than a thousand youth. The programs offer classes in sports, music, dance and drama and give youth access to safe environments and adults who serve as mentors.

“In Riberas del Bravo there are no parks, no shopping centers, sports fields or public gardens,” explains Father Juan Carlos Quirarte Méndez, a Salesian Priest tasked by the Mexican government with studying the city in support of the new security plan. “There are too many dangerous areas. The people are discouraged. They fear the police because of their aggressive methods. Violence in families is rampant. There are no public spaces.”

Through the Salesian programs, youth now have places to go where they can connect with other young people while learning about teamwork, social skills and conflict management. All skills youth will use at home, in their local communities and throughout their lifetimes.

The Salesians know that to effect change they cannot go it alone. Within their programs they focus on collaboration with local organizations, the government and even the local police force, which many residents have lost faith in because of violence and corruption.

“Public institutions must not go against the people,” adds Fr. Quirarte Méndez. “It is essential that citizens recover faith in the institutions. It is necessary to work in collaboration not act aggressively against the people and then abandon them to their own very few resources. Working together we can effect change.”

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Sources:

ANS – Mexico – Working for the Young

UNICEF – Mexico

The post MEXICO: Salesian Sports and Arts Programs for Vulnerable Youth Offer Alternative to Drugs, Violence first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“The rise of the South is unprecedented in its speed and scale,” says the Human Development Report 2013, which uses the term “South” to mean developing countries and “North” to mean developed nations. “Never in history have the living conditions and prospects of so many people changed so dramatically and so fast.”

Meanwhile, the slowdown in economic growth, austerity measures and rampant unemployment in the industrialized world has brought pressure to bear on governments and societies in the North. Global economic and political structures are in flux and the sustainability of the growth spurt in the South is subject to the interrelated issues of governance and public investment.

The year’s report, entitled The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World, emphasizes that this change represents a global rebalancing far greater than that experienced during the Industrial Revolution, with the South becoming the main driver of economic growth and societal change for the first time in centuries.

“The Industrial Revolution was a story of perhaps 100 million people, but this is a story about billions of people,” said Khalid Malik, the report’s lead author.

The Human Development Report, released annually by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), assesses the state of human development on the basis of health, education and income indicators, as an alternative to purely macroeconomic assessments of national progress.

The initial report was published in 1990 by its authors, the late Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen, and introduced a Human Development Index (HDI), which had been calculated by UN economists from 1975, and was essentially a ranking of countries based on strides made with a people-centric model of progress.

The HDI became an influential paradigm that would prod economists, government agencies, planners and development experts to rethink the income-based indicators that were in standard use to measure development success.

Launched today in Mexico City by UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, this year’s report singles out big economies which have shown significant growth over the past 20 years, namely China, India and Brazil. It estimates that by 2020, the combined output of these three countries will surpass the aggregate production of the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada.

However, the ‘rise of the South’ goes well beyond these economies as more than 40 developing countries have made greater human development gains in recent decades than what was predicted.

Countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, Bangladesh, Tanzania and Yemen all registered significant growth, while nations such as Afghanistan and Pakistan had some of the fastest growth rates in the world with 3.9 percent and 1.7 percent over the past 12 years, respectively.

How has the South achieved such dramatic growth levels?

The report attributes many of the achievements of the South to smart national strategies that have allowed them to engage in the global economy while at the same time implementing social programmes that protect those most vulnerable.

“Economic growth alone does not automatically translate into human development progress,” Miss Clark says in the report’s foreword. Southern States are therefore not just tapping into global trade, but they are also improving health and education services, which have allowed them to sustain their growth. This comes in contrast to policies adopted by many developed countries which include austerity measures and cutting social programmes due to the economic crisis.

In Latin America, many countries have put in place programmes to eradicate poverty and address inequality such as Brazil’s Bolsa Familia, Mexico’s Oportunidades, and Chile’s Chile Solidario. These are conditional cash transfer programmes which offer to increase people’s income as long as they fulfil certain conditions such as visits to health clinics and school attendance.

This combination of policies has allowed the middle class in the South to expand and, by 2030, the report projects that more than 80 percent of the world’s middle class will reside in developing countries and account for 70 percent of total consumption expenditure.

Increasing online and mobile connectivity in the South

Increasing connectivity thanks to greater access to technology is also a factor that has contributed to the South’s growth. Globally, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Mexico have more daily social media traffic than any country except the US. China also has more than half a billion people accessing the Internet daily through smart phones.

Indonesia, for example, invested extensively to connect its large cluster of far-flung islands to open the country to the outside world, and as of 2010, 220 million mobile phones were registered in a country of 240 million people.

In Africa, Asian-built mobile phones have made cellular banking cheaper and easier, while leading to better market performance and increased profits by small farmers, as seen in Kenya, Niger and Uganda.

Increasing incomes and the diffusion of technology have also given way to a more informed middle class that has social and political expectations, Mr. Malik said in a press briefing on Tuesday, which means that “the relationship between the State and its citizens is changing.”

He warned that if States are not mindful of these expectations, it could lead to social instability, as was the case in 2011 in various countries across the Middle East.

“The turmoil in several countries in the Arab States is a reminder that people, especially the young, who are better educated and healthier than previous generations, put a high premium on meaningful employment, on exercising a voice in affairs that influence their lives, and on being treated with respect,” the report says.

Booming South-South partnerships

The report highlights the increase in South-South trade and partnerships and projects that trade between them will overtake that between developed nations.

“Emerging partners in the developing world are already sources of innovative social and economic policies and are major trade, investment and increasingly development cooperation partners for other developing countries,” Miss Clark said.

China is already influential in Africa through trade investment as well as through assistance and cooperation. Between 1992 and 2011, China’s trade with Sub-Saharan Africa rose from $1 billion to more than $140 billion.

India is increasingly playing a larger role as a supplier of affordable capital goods to other countries of the South. For instance, Indian firms are supplying affordable medicines, medical equipment and information and communications technology (ICT) products and services to many countries in Africa.

In addition, migration between developing countries has recently surpassed net migration from South to North. “In our changing world, solutions are moving across the South, not from the North to the South,” said UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Ajay Chhibber.

However, a substantial share of South-South trade is driven by demand in the North. For example, since 2007, US exports to China and Latin America and the Caribbean have grown two and a half times faster than US exports to traditional markets in the North. A growing “app economy” supported by companies such as Apple, Facebook and Google employs more than 300,000 people whose creations are exported across borders, and developing country economies continue to be sensitive to shocks in the industrialized world.

Women’s education as a silver bullet for sustainable growth

While there has been remarkable progress, the report warns that there are still many challenges ahead for countries in the South, including an aging population, environmental degradation and inequality. Poverty and inequality are particularly worrying, as an estimated 1.57 billion people, representing 30 percent of the population in the 104 countries studied for the report, still live in multidimensional poverty.

The report provides a series of recommendations and, in particular, highlights education for girls as “the closest thing to silver bullet formula for accelerating human development.”

Many of the countries in the South still have dramatic gender disparities, and their challenge will be to boost efforts to allow women to participate freely in all aspects of their society.

“Gender inequality is especially tragic not only because it excludes women from basic social opportunities, but also because it gravely imperils the life prospects of future generations,” the report says, referring to findings which correlate women’s education to greater child survival, healthier children and better access to contraception.

The report also notes that the global system will need to adjust itself to the rise of the South, which is currently largely underrepresented in global institutions. For example, China, which is the world’s second largest economy, has had a smaller voting share in the World Bank than either France or the United Kingdom.

“Stronger voices from the South are demanding more representative frameworks of international governance that embody the principles of democracy and equity.”

Meanwhile, it merits mention that not all countries in the South are racing ahead. Of the world’s 49 Least Developed Countries, many are lagging behind in this revolution. Even as some are beginning to benefit from Foreign Direct Investment of the emerging giants like China, India and Brazil, there is much more to be done in terms of development transformation.

The report observes that there are three drivers of transformation: a proactive development state, tapping of global markets and determined social policy inclusion. Looking back at the inception of the HDI, it appears that countries that started at the same level – India and Pakistan, or Chile and Venezuela, or Liberia and Senegal – have ended up with different outcomes.

“History and initial conditions matter, but they are not destiny,” according to the report.

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See this United Nations article at its original location >

Rice fields in Sichuan, China. UN Photo/John Isaac

The post UNITED NATIONS: Developing Countries Experiencing Unprecedented Growth, Says UN Report first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“The celebration of the 50th Anniversary of our Province represents a year in which we remember those who laid the foundation for its growth and the quality of the work here,” says Father Salvador Murguía Villalobos, provincial of Mexico-Guadalajara. “This leads us to also see the positive contributions we have made in the lives of young people and their families.”

On the first day of the celebration, the Salesian Youth Movement came together in the auditorium of Anáhuac Chapalita College. There, Fr. Chavez told the young people to dream big and do great things while reminding them to take advantage of all that has been given to them in order to lead happy lives.

“You are Mexico’s future,” said Fr. Chávez. “Think big, dream up a different Mexico.”

According to the World Bank, approximately 45 percent of the country’s population, almost 52 million people, are living in poverty in Mexico. The Salesians there primarily direct their efforts toward the country’s at-risk youth, including girls and young mothers who face severe dangers on the streets.

In Saltillo, a Salesian Youth Center has developed innovative programs that are preventing poor children from dropping out of school while providing important opportunities to keep them on the right track. At-risk youth take part in programs that integrate education, social activities and technical training. The goal is to guide youth back into mainstream education in order for them to reach their full potential.

A Salesian-run “Yolia” program in Mexico City helps girls and mothers who face severe dangers living on the streets. Here, girls and women attend a day center where meals, tutoring, therapy and job skills training in fields such as jewelry making and hair styling is available. Girls can choose to live in the residential area where they receive additional education and services while building a sense of dignity and self-worth.

In early December 2012, a new medical clinic opened as part of a Salesian-run program in Morelia. Each week, close to 600 youth access the Salesian Oratory (youth center) at Morelia. Here, young people are educated and given access to social services. The new clinic provides health services for these youth as well as those in the neighboring villages and districts.

“The Salesians have a long history of providing for the needs of poor youth in Mexico,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “As we celebrate this milestone we look toward the future to continue to educate more youth and provide programs and services that help them not only survive but thrive and lead productive lives.”

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Sources

ANS- Mexico – 50th Anniversary of the Christ the King and Mary Help of Christians Province

ANS- Mexico – Looking to the future with hope

Salesian – Province of Mexico-Guadalajara

Salesian Missions – Mexico

World Bank- Mexico

The post MEXICO: 50 Years of Programs Providing Education, Opportunity to Country’s “Future” first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Each week, close to 600 youth access the Salesian Oratory (youth center) at Morelia. Here, young people are educated and given access to social services. The new clinic will provide health services for these youth as well as those in the neighboring villages and districts.

The clinic was made possible by the commitment, perseverance and help of the youth center students’ parents, health professionals and doctors. All worked together with the Salesians in Morelia to enhance the offerings of the Oratory as well as the social services in the community.

“The health of the young people we serve is very important to us,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The work we do goes beyond education. We serve the whole child by making sure the basic needs of health and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs.”

According to the World Bank, there are 52 million people living in poverty in Mexico, approximately 45 percent of the country’s population. The Salesians in Mexicoprimarily direct their efforts toward the country’s at-risk youth, including girls and young mothers who face severe dangers on the streets.

Innovative programs are preventing poor children from dropping out of school and are providing important opportunities to keep them on the right track. At-risk youth take part in programs that integrate education, social activities and technical training. The goal is to guide youth back into mainstream education so that they can reach their full potential.

Caring for the sick and providing healthcare for youth is nothing new for the Salesians. There are roughly 216 Salesian clinics and hospitals located around the globe, predominantly in rural areas. Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, has been a concern of the Salesians for more than 100 years. Salesian leper hospitals and leprosy control programs can be found in Brazil, Colombia, India, Thailand, Macau and a number of nations in Africa. HIV/AIDS prevention programs are also part of the Salesian work in Africa. In many of the countries with Salesian programs, dental programs and other necessary health services can be found as well.

Learn more about Salesian Missions programs in Mexico >

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Sources:

ANS – A Medical Clinic is Opened in Morelia

Salesian Missions – Mexico

World Bank – Mexico

The post MEXICO: New Salesian Medical Clinic Opens, Serves Youth and Neighboring Communities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In the neighborhoods of Ciudad Juárez, a city usually marred by violence, there is a lack of safe socio-cultural alternatives and spaces for young people. The Salesian community committed itself to provide more services and spaces for youth and developed the Don Bosco Cultural Corridor initiative.

This initiative offers cultural programs to youth to assist them in avoiding the dangerous violence that has spread around the city. It also provides them a safe place to gather while expanding their education in culture and the arts. The Cultural Corridor includes an art gallery, an open space for concerts and artistic activities and a library. All of the activities are organized and run by the youth center members themselves.

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

According to the World Bank, there are 52 million people living in poverty in Mexico, approximately 45 percent of the country’s population. The Salesians in Mexico primarily direct their efforts toward the country’s at-risk youth, including girls and young mothers who face severe dangers on the streets.

Innovative programs are preventing poor children from dropping out of school and are providing important opportunities to keep them on the right track. At-risk children take part in programs that integrate education, social activities and technical training. The goal is to guide youth back into mainstream education so that they can reach their full potential.

Early this year, Cinema Bosco was opened to provide entertainment, an educational aid for local schools and a place for film shows and festivals. In other local spaces, there is a cyber-digital club; a room with Board Games; a second-hand clothing shop with affordable prices; a multi-purpose gym.

Most recently, the Lupita Oratory had one of its buildings restructured and reorganized in order to create new space for various purposes, including The Corner. Local youth assisted in the work of rebuilding and designing the new space by creating murals and other decorations.

About 400 people attended the opening of The Corner at Lupita Oratory. Festivities were held which included an orchestra, a children’s play, games for teenagers, a show of circus arts and pantomimes and a string quartet.

At the same time in the Don Bosco Oratory, located in another part of the city, a skating competition took place in a recently opened public park.

The Salesians began their work on the frontier between Mexico and the United States in 1991. On its 20th anniversary, programs were initiated to address the new realities of violence and the disintegration of the social framework, which directly affects many adolescents and youth in the city. The Salesians in these communities continue to provide education, safety and the promise of a better future for youth in need.

Sources

ANS – The Corner: a cultural space for youth

ANS – Inauguration of the “Bosco Cinema”

Salesian Missions – Mexico

World Bank – Mexico

The post MEXICO: New Cultural Space Opens for At-Risk Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Each year focuses on a particular theme. This year the United Nations chose Ending the Violence of Extreme Poverty: Promoting Empowerment and Building Peace, which was chosen to highlight the link between poverty and social unrest. It also focuses on the need to provide people with the necessary skills to contribute to society.

“Poverty is easy to denounce but difficult to combat,” says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a recent UN article highlighting International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. “Those suffering from hunger, want and indignity need more than sympathetic words; they need concrete support.”

Ban further stressed in the article that that during times of economic austerity it is even more crucial to put policies in place that will protect the most vulnerable.

“As governments struggle to balance budgets, funding for anti-poverty measures is under threat. But this is precisely the time to provide the poor with access to social services, income security, decent work and social protection,” he says in the UN article. “Only then can we build stronger and more prosperous societies—not by balancing budgets at the expense of the poor.”

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed annually since 1993. The UN General Assembly designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in every country.

During the last decade, millions have overcome extreme poverty and have improved access to health care and education. Extreme poverty rates have decreased in every region of the world. More than 39 million children attend primary school and access to clean water has increased to 89 percent. But in spite of these important gains, several critical gaps remain.

Poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a ‘Global Partnership for Development’ were further noted in the UN article as the eight Millennium Development Goals selected by world leaders at the UN summit in 2000.

The Salesians working at the ground level within communities ravaged by poverty see their efforts and these improvements first hand.

“Whether giving food and shelter to street children or building schools and teaching job skills to youth in poverty, the Salesians are giving youth hope for a new future,” says Fr. Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our work gives youth the access to learn employable skills and provides the opportunity for them to break the cycle of poverty in their lives.”

Here are some highlights of Salesian programs around the globe that fight extreme poverty by providing hope and opportunity to youth and their communities:

CAMBODIA:

In Cambodia—through the Don Bosco Children’s Fund—the Salesians provide assistance to children ages six to fifteen who are at risk of dropping out of school due to extreme poverty. Each year approximately 5,000 children receive assistance in the form of medicine, nutritional meals, clothing and personal items. Many children have lost one or both parents to HIV and are currently living with extended family members with elderly grandparents or neighbors. Often they receive little direct supervision, leaving them extremely vulnerable to outside influences. Without support from the Don Bosco Children’s Fund, many children would be forced to beg or turn to street crime in order to support themselves.

COLOMBIA:

In Colombia, 18 percent of school age children have no access to education. One town that previously lacked access is Condoto, a remote village nestled in the middle of a tropical rainforest in western Colombia. Most of the 30,000 inhabitants are descendents of Africans who escaped the slave trade. Mining is the main source of income – with low pay and harsh working conditions. There, Salesian Missions has built the first and only schools in the area which are improving the lives of the students and all members of the communities – and will continue to do so for generations to come.

ECUADOR:

In Ecuador, at Salesian “Project for Street Children” sites throughout the country, vulnerable and at-risk children gain an all-around education that allows them to take the lead in developing their own skills and potential. The project uses an active presence on the streets, technical training and schools and the support of families and communities that care for the boys and their rehabilitation. Specialized programs for youth in need include: prevention of addiction and care for addicts, rehabilitation of youth gang members and hostels that provide an alternative to living on the street. Thousands of children and adolescents are supported each year.

ETHIOPIA:

More than 150 street children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia have a place to call home. And 750 more at-risk children benefit from a variety of programs designed to instill confidence and self-respect. That’s because exciting plans are underway for a new Salesian Center that will feature dormitories, classrooms, a recreation hall and cafeteria. When it opens, the Center will serve hundreds of needy children by providing the immediate basics of food and shelter.

GUATEMALA:

In Guatemala, more than 21 percent of the population had an income of less than $1 a day in 2004 – no improvement since 1989 according to the Pan American Health Organization. Extreme poverty is often associated with rural life. Rural Q’echi (Mayans) are among the rural populations looking to improve their lives.  Through Salesian Missions programs, they are focusing on increasing the capacity of their communities. With the assistance of the Q’echi promoters, community groups are educated in self management for projects benefiting family and community. Salesians also work through the Foundation for Advancement of Indigenous Women in Guatemala (Talita Kumi) to raise the status of women and empower them to become household and community decision-makers.

KENYA:

In Kenya, homeless youth join “Bosco Boys” programs dedicated to creating positive change. Three centers provide services for youth at different stages. Bosco Boys Kariua runs a nursery school and weekend program where street children gather for sporting events and to wash their clothes. Bosco Boys Langata is a rehabilitation center where new boys can overcome addictions and behaviors learned on the street. Bosco Boys Kuwinda provides education and training opportunities for street children, as well as poor children from the neighborhood.

MEXICO:

In Mexico City, girls and mothers face severe dangers living on the streets. Through the “Yolia” program, girls and women become regulars at the day center. There, they have meals, receive tutoring, obtain therapy, and learn job skills such as jewelry making and hair styling. Some girls may also choose to live in the residential area, where they receive additional education and services while building a sense of dignity and self worth.

SIERRA LEONE:

Sierra Leone is still recovering from a brutal 10-year civil war.  More than 500,000 people were displaced and more than 60,000 children were orphaned and homeless. In the 2008 Human Development Index, Sierra Leone ranks last among 179 countries for the well-being of its people. The Don Bosco Fambul program aims to change the lives of children. It directly addresses issues facing street children – including emotional trauma from the war and lost family. With the goal of reuniting with their families, youth participate in a 10-month program which includes counseling and medical care – as well as education. These young people attend classes during the day, according to their level of ability and any previous schooling. In the evening, they are responsible for helping each other with homework.  The youth are tested each month and receive encouragement for progress — building self esteem and motivation – and hope for the future.

TANZANIA:

For more than 20 years, Tanzanian children and youth have had access to education through Salesian Mission facilities. Programs are developed based on the most critical needs of the community. For example, AIDS orphans who have dropped out of regular school learn a trade at a vocational school, and girls attend secondary school in Didia, where previously there had been no secondary school within 40 miles. Schools and other facilities are providing new opportunities to children, youth and families in communities throughout Tanzania where nearly one million children have been orphaned due to AIDS, according to UNICEF. Many of these children are forced to leave school due to poverty or to care for their families. At Salesian technical and secondary schools and youth centers, youth develop skills to overcome obstacles. They learn a trade of their choice and to stand on their own to create a productive life. For more than 20 years, Salesian Missions has been a leader for vocational training and currently provides education and leadership opportunities to youth in communities throughout Tanzania.

UGANDA:

Uganda ranks 157 out of 182 countries in the 2007 Human Development Index. The people of Uganda are working to rebuild after decades of war which left many displaced, as well as to combat the serious increase of HIV/AIDS, which has left millions of children orphaned. The Don Bosco Children & Life Mission offers hope to at risk boys, ages 8-17, through a variety of programs. As they grow and develop, boys move through different stages until they reach the final goal of an independent, productive life.

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Sources

UN News – On Day for Eradication of Poverty, UN highlights needs for a holistic approach to helping word’s poor

ANS – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: Ending the Violence of Extreme Poverty

The post WORLD POVERTY DAY: Salesian Missions Reports on Programs that Fight Extreme Poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Day of the Girl was established by a vote of the United Nations General Assembly in 2011 to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. One of the issues that drew focus was that of child marriage. For the first time, UN member states recognized that child marriage is a human rights violation and is a serious health risk for young girls whose bodies are not fully developed for motherhood.

“This puts them and their babies at risk,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Early marriage also prevents young girls from continuing their education and contributes to many of them remaining in poverty throughout their lives,” he adds, noting that the achievement of their full potential is hindered when girls are forced to assume all of the domestic duties and raise children while they are still children themselves.

A special exhibit on child marriage has been installed at UN Headquarters in New York to help raise awareness and encourage advocacy and action both on the part of member states and those who visit the UN daily.

In spite of many advances in changing the status and perception of women and girls, much more needs to be done to address the serious issues the girl child faces, according to Fr. Hyde. Among these are: limited educational opportunities, illiteracy and school dropout, physical and sexual violence, lack of role models, forced labor and limited work opportunities, trafficking, negative media images and most importantly, inequality.

“Girls are asking to be seen as and treated as equals,” says Fr. Hyde. “They want to participate more fully in decision making, especially in decisions that affect their lives in their families and communities.”

Salesian Missions cares about the growth and development of women in the communities they serve. Women are the backbone of the family structure and by providing women necessary education, training skills and support, families are made stronger. Social outreach programs, child care support, and job training allow for women to work at every level of production and management jobs supporting and keeping their families intact.

To mark the first-ever International Day of the Girl Child, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight some of its programs around the globe that empower girls through education:

CAMBODIA: In Cambodia, education for girls opens doors to opportunities. With basic education, girls are better equipped to face the daily dangers of human trafficking, child prostitution and substance abuse. Today, more than 2,000 girls who live in poverty have access to basic education through the Don Bosco Children’s Fund. In addition, with vocational and technical education, they see possibilities for jobs and independence. Hundreds of students at four specialized schools for girls/young women will open new doors with skills in printing, electronics, secretarial skills and sewing.

COLOMBIA: The “Right to Dream” program is providing aid to many poverty-stricken children in Medellin, Colombia. One such child is Alejandra – who now has access to social support and educational programs previously unimaginable to her and her siblings as they worked on the streets to help their family survive. One hundred students ages 7-18 receive vocational training and hot meals.

GUATEMALA: Extreme poverty is often associated with rural life in Guatemala. Rural Q’echi (Mayans) are among the rural populations looking to improve their lives. Through Salesian Missions programs, they are focusing on increasing the capacity of their communities. With the assistance of the Q’echi promoters, community groups are educated in self management for projects benefiting family and community. Salesians also work through the Foundation for Advancement of Indigenous Women in Guatemala (Talita Kumi) to raise the status of women and empower them to become household and community decision-makers.

KENYA: At the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, girls and women receive training opportunities and learn about the important role they play in society and the community. The microfinance program funded by UNHCR and Caritas Italiana offers graduates, women and other refugees an opportunity to establish small business ventures using skills learned.

MEXICO: In Mexico City, girls and mothers face severe dangers living on the streets. Through the “Yolia” program, girls and women become regulars at the day center. There, they have meals, receive tutoring, obtain therapy, and learn job skills such as jewelry making and hair styling. Some girls may also choose to live in the residential area, where they receive additional education and services, while building a sense of dignity and self worth.

PERU: Since 1982, Salesian Missions has offered training for girls at a vocational school in Yanama, Peru. Currently, there are more than 300 students enrolled in these schools, which are now located in parts of Brazil, Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as Peru. Girls are trained in using alpaca and sheep wool to make sweaters, rugs, gloves and other articles, which are marketed locally and abroad. Upon graduating, they receive a weaving machine as the first step in a new career.

SRI LANKA: Mary Help of Christians in Sri Lanka is home to 173 girls who were soldiers during the country’s civil war. They are the innocent victims of a 25-year civil war that ended in 2009 and generated more than 200,000 young refugees. Today, these girls are safe but have a long recovery process ahead of them. Few people realize that 40 percent of the children kidnapped by guerrilla fighters and forced to fight in the war were girls. The youngest were enslaved as maids to cook and clean for the soldiers. As they got older, the girls were forced to act as spies and informers. By the time they reached puberty, many of the girls were trapped into abusive and humiliating marriages with guerrilla leaders.

Learn more about Salesian Missions at the United Nations >

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SOURCES:

Salesian Missions

ANS (Salesian Info Agency)

The post DAY OF THE GIRL: Salesian Missions Highlights Programs around the Globe that Empower Girls through Education, Opportunity first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) International Women’s Day—created by the United Nations and celebrated by organizations and countries around the globe—is observed each year on March 8.

According to the United Nations, “it is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.”

It is also a day for celebrating organizations and people who work year round to empower women and girls in an effort to make the world a better place. It is work that too often goes uncelebrated.

Salesian programs empower girls in impoverished countries around the globe by helping them build a sense of dignity and self worth, says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

“Education builds self esteem and opens the door to opportunity,” he says. “By providing girls with the opportunity to learn life skills and a trade, they become self sufficient and are able to care for their families. When girls have access to education, families are made stronger and have more opportunities to remain together—breaking the cycle of poverty and improving entire communities.”

Salesian Missions has programs helping the poor in more than 130 countries around the globe, including programs to empower women and girls. Here are some examples of that work:

BOLIVIA

In Bolivia, women face more difficulties finding good education and productive jobs, according to the 2003 Human Development Report on Gender. In addition, education of women and girls impacts the health and education of their children.

Through the innovative “Girls in the Vanguard” initiative of Salesian Missions and USAID, more than 1,000 girls in five key countries – including Bolivia – were given the opportunity to receive training and obtain jobs in the private sector. Training focused on jobs with advancement potential, in areas that were often male-dominated. Special business advisory councils and past pupil associations were formed at each site to provide additional assistance. The program took place from 2001-2006, giving girls and young women in Bolivia the skills needed for a better future for them, their families and their communities.

CAMBODIA

In Cambodia, education for girls opens doors to opportunities. With basic education, girls are better equipped to face the daily dangers of human trafficking, child prostitution and substance abuse. Today, more than 2,000 girls who live in poverty have access to basic education through the Don Bosco Children’s Fund. In addition, with vocational and technical education, they see possibilities for jobs and independence. Hundreds of students at four specialized schools for girls/young women will open new doors with skills in printing, electronics, secretarial skills and sewing.

COLOMBIA

The “Right to Dream” program for many poverty-stricken children in Medellin, Colombia. One such child is Alejandra – who now has access to social support and educational program previously unimaginable to her and her siblings as they worked on the streets to help their family survive. One hundred students ages 7-18 receive vocational training and hot meals.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

In the Dominican Republic, women striving for a better life find support with the “Madres Project” in Santo Domingo.  The project addresses the root causes of street children by working with mothers. By learning skills to earn a living wage in the workforce, women in charge of families can improve their living conditions and keep their children off the streets.  Women complete courses in literacy, post-literacy, health care and various modules of computer studies.  All training modules include lessons in human rights. The program is a partnership with Salesian Missions and the International Volunteer Movement for Development.  In addition, they run a training program for youth in the poorest areas of the city called “Boys and Girls with Don Bosco.”

GHANA

Girls in Ghana find less opportunity than boys to improve their lives through education. In many cases, girls are expected to contribute to the family’s income – which takes priority over attending classes.

Through a boarding school for girls in Odumase, girls have the opportunity to continue their studies while learning job skills that will also help their family.

GUATEMALA

More than 21% of Guatemalans had an income of less than $1 a day in 2004 – no improvement since 1989 according to the Pan-American Health Organization. Extreme poverty is often associated with rural life.

Rural Q’echi (Mayans) are among the rural populations looking to improve their lives.  Through Salesian Missions programs, they are focusing on increasing the capacity of their communities. With the assistance of the Q’echi promoters, community groups are educated in self management for projects benefiting family and community. Salesians also work through the Foundation for Advancement of Indigenous Women in Guatemala (Talita Kumi) to raise the status of women and empower them to become house hold and community decision-makers.

INDIA

In India, education can help overcome inequities in jobs and income that are related to gender. Nisha’s story is an example of how one woman’s achievement helps contribute to the community as a whole:

Nisha, strong and confident, works in her beauty salon doing manicures, styling hair and doing facials in Pune, an Indian town with more than a million inhabitants. “Finally I am able to work for my own living and to offer my children a good education,” Nisha says. But it was not always so. Married as a young girl, Nisha worked as a maid and had to take care of her husband after a severe accident. Her life took a new direction after she became acquainted with the self-help groups founded by the Salesians of Don Bosco and now supported by Jugend Dritte Welt, an NGO affiliated with the Salesians. “Suddenly I wasn’t alone and found a new perspective for my life,” says Nisha. After completing a cosmetics course, Nisha opened her own beauty salon. Today she is able to repay her microcredit loans that she owed to the support group. More than 900 women participate in the microfinancing and skills training groups.

KENYA

At the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, girls and women receive training opportunities and learn about the important role they play in society and the community. The microfinance program funded by UNHCR and Caritas Italiana offers graduates, women and other refugees an opportunity to establish small business ventures using skills learned.

MEXICO

The Salesians in Mexico are directing their efforts toward the country’s at-risk population, including girls and young mothers who face severe dangers on the streets. Innovative programs are preventing poor children from dropping out of school and are providing important opportunities to keep their lives on the right track.

In Mexico City, girls and mothers face severe dangers living on the streets. Through the “Yolia” program, girls and women become regulars at the day center. There, they have meals, receive tutoring, obtain therapy, and learn job skills such as jewelry making and hair styling.  Some girls may also choose to live in the residential area, where they receive additional education and services, while building a sense of dignity and self worth.

PERU

The number of women in the Peruvian workforce is increasing, according to the Pan-American Health Organization.  So, too, is the need for job training for marketable skills that will help women support themselves and their families.

Since 1982, Salesian Missions has offered training for girls at a vocational school in Yanama. Currently, more than 300 students enrolled in these schools, which are now located in parts of Brazil, Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as Peru.  Girls are trained in using alpaca and sheep wool to make sweaters, rugs, gloves and other articles, which are marketed locally and abroad.  On graduating, they receive a weaving machine as the first step in the new career.

PHILIPPINES

In the Philippines, drop-out rates double as children reach secondary school, according to UNICEF, and there are more than 11 million out-of-school youth.

Salesian Missions’ Tuloy Foundation provides another chance for at-risk youth to succeed in school.  Street children are able to take part in an alternative learning module with five levels of instruction in six subjects.  Children progress from first grade through high school. Older youth pursue vocational training in a variety of technologies, including automotive, electrical, welding and woodworking.  The school developed specialized classes focused on female students, including bag making courses.

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa has one of the world’s highest crime rates, according to UNICEF. While violence impacts everyone, gender-based violence is a significant problem.  Girls who live on the street face violence, drug addiction, abuse and other dangers. The “Unwind Your Mind” camps are specifically-designed to encourage girls to talk about what brought them to the street and consider their goals for the future.  They also looked at the importance that young women play in society.

TANZANIA

When a Salesian Missions secondary school opened in Didia, Tanzania, it was the first secondary school within a 40 mile radius. Just as important, girls had the opportunity to take part in classes at the co-educational facility.

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The post INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights Programs that Empower Women Through Education, Opportunity first appeared on MissionNewswire.