(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and the international community in honoring International Migrants Day. Each year, International Migrants Day is held on Dec. 18 to recognize the efforts, contributions and rights of migrants worldwide.

Youth often leave their homelands in search of employment, education and a better way of life. Many choose or are forced to migrate to escape poverty, violence, or conflict, or they are displaced due to the effects of war or climate change. The United Nations notes that youth are heavily represented in migration for humanitarian reasons including as refugees, asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors.

Salesian missionaries care for and provide educational services to young migrants in countries around the globe. Unaccompanied migrant youth often face rejection, homelessness, exploitation and delinquency as they make their journey to find a new way of life. They are also at risk of human trafficking and exploitation.

“Salesian programs help young migrants adapt to their new environment through language and skills training and workforce development programs,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “A lack of employment is one of the root causes of migration in countries that see high rates of youth migrating to seek a better life elsewhere. In addition to helping young migrants, Salesian missionaries are working to create new educational and employment opportunities in countries youth leave as an incentive for them to remain at home.”

Migrants were particularly hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Far away from home and often taking day laborer work, many were left homeless and without any source of income as countries went into lockdown. Salesian missionaries, particularly in India, focused on providing support to this population.

To mark International Migrants Day 2021, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs around the globe that provide life-changing education and social support to migrants.

GUATEMALA

At Casa Betania in Guatemala, children, youth, adults, pregnant women, families, and the elderly find support and relief thanks to a group of volunteers.

The Salesian-run Casa Betania, located in San Benito Petén, Guatemala, welcomes thousands of people every year, most of them migrants in search of a better life. Children, youth, adults, pregnant women, families, and the elderly find support and relief thanks to a group of volunteers.

One of these volunteers, Rosa Forlán, said that in the three weeks she worked at the Salesian facility she witnessed the tragedy experienced by thousands of people. She said, “Esteban arrived with his feet seriously injured by the long walk. Matias was picked up at the door, dehydrated, almost dying, and it was necessary to call for medical assistance. Hours later, Maribel arrived, a single mother with two children under 8, and Julia, with her three daughters. The eldest, aged 11, had a hand injured from a fall on the way across the border. I also met Luis, who appeared alongside Oscar, Lucas and William, who said they were unemployed, but with a desire to work and improve despite their poor education.”

Every day, Salesian volunteers listen to stories of migrants who arrive exhausted and tired, due to the high temperatures, hunger and thirst. At Casa Betania, they receive accommodation, food, rest, psychological assistance and other services.

“Collaborating in the restaurant, laundry, reception and cleaning service allowed me to get to know a reality that is sometimes little told,” said Forlán. “Migrants are not looking for a dream, they are going through an ordeal, asking for justice and understanding. But understanding is only possible ‘walking with them’ in a silent and supportive accompaniment, making oneself available to listen without judgment because each person brings a heavy burden that only he or she knows.”

INDIA

In India, help desks provide support services and legal assistance to migrant laborers.

The Kerala Interstate Migrants Alliance for Transformation project has been intervening in the lives of the interstate migrants across Kerala, India, by setting up migrant help desks in 11 districts. These help desks provide support services and legal assistance to migrant laborers, especially those who have been isolated and marginalized.

To ensure effective execution of the project, Don Bosco institutions across the selected districts have partnered with BREADS – Bangalore Rural Education and Development Society. All the activities are centrally coordinated and replicated across the state through the state office at Don Bosco Veedu, located in Trivandrum.

There was a meeting to assess the project’s success over its first 18 months in operation. The evaluation meeting was organized by Don Bosco Veedu and held at the Don Bosco College in Sultan Bathery, Kerala.

Father Sojan, from HOD Social Work, educated project coordinators about social work and its importance among migrant workers. He encouraged coordinators to read more journals, articles and books related to migration, which will enhance their knowledge and guide them in their practical work among the migrants. Fr. Sojan also advocated that the project become a replicable model for the entire state of Kerala.

MEXICO

The Salesian Padre Chava Refectory in Tijuana, Mexico provides meals and other assistance to migrants from Mexico, Central America and Haiti.

After only serving take-away meals for 15 months, the Salesian Padre Chava Refectory, located at the Salesian Center in Tijuana, Mexico, re-opened in June. 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 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.

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.

SENEGAL

Salesian International Volunteering for Development’s (VIS) UNO project, “A New Opportunity,” is giving migrants a chance to start a business and have financial success back in their home countries.

Salesian International Volunteering for Development’s (VIS) UNO project, “A New Opportunity,” is giving migrants a chance to start a business and have financial success back in their home countries. Salesians report that Senegal has 105,937 people living in Italy. Among them, 39.9 percent are inactive or unemployed.

Elhadi Ndiaye, a Senegalese worker and father, is one of the people who have benefited from this project. He is a father of six and has spent 19 years as a migrant in Italy where he worked in a leather and hide processing factory and then later as a sales person of costume jewelry and footwear.

When his residence permit expired and he could not guarantee that his self-employment business license would be renewed, Ndiaye became an undocumented migrant and was no longer able to meet his and his family’s needs, who were back in Senegal. The UNO project allowed him to return to Senegal permanently and develop his own business.

Research in Senegal has shown that nearly 40 percent of youth leaving the country are doing so in search of better educational opportunities. With that knowledge, Salesian project activities are now being targeted to provide scholarships and educational initiatives to help youth gain employment in their communities. Other initiatives are targeted toward adults in the hopes to provide more employment and business opportunities in Senegal so that they can return home.

###

Sources:

GUATEMALA: Migrants find support and relief

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

INDIA: The Kerala Interstate Migrants Alliance for Transformation project provides migrant help desks in 11 districts

Photo courtesy of Kerala Interstate Migrants Alliance for Transformation

International Organization for Migration

MEXICO: Dining room reopens for migrants and other vulnerable people

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

Salesian Missions

SENEGAL: Migrants return home, find success through project

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

The post INT’L MIGRANTS DAY: Salesian Missions highlights educational and social programs that support migrants first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and the international community in honoring International Migrants Day. Each year, International Migrants Day is held on Dec. 18 to recognize the efforts, contributions and rights of migrants worldwide.

According to the International Migrant Stock 2019, a dataset released by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the number of international migrants reached 272 million in 2019, continuing an upward trend in all regions of the world. This is an increase of 51 million migrants since 2010.

The UN further reports that in 2019, Europe hosted the largest number of international migrants (82 million), followed by North America (59 million) and northern Africa and western Asia (49 million).

Youth often leave their homelands in search of employment, education and a better way of life. Many youth choose or are forced to migrate to escape poverty, violence or conflict, or are displaced due to the effects of war or climate change. The UN notes that youth are heavily represented in migration for humanitarian reasons including as refugees, asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors.

Salesian missionaries care for and provide educational services to young migrants in countries around the globe. Unaccompanied migrant youth often face rejection, homelessness, exploitation and delinquency as they make their journey to find a new way of life. They are also at risk of human trafficking and exploitation.

“Salesian programs help young migrants adapt to their new environment through language and skills training and workforce development programs,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “A lack of employment is one of the root causes of migration in countries that see high rates of youth migrating to seek a better life elsewhere. In addition to helping young migrants, Salesian missionaries are working to create new educational and employment opportunities in countries youth leave as an incentive for them to remain at home.”

Migrants were particularly hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Far away from home and often taking day laborer work, many were left homeless and without any source of income as countries went into lockdown. Salesian missionaries, particularly in India, focused on providing support to this population.

To mark International Migrants Day 2020, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs around the globe that provide life-changing education and social support to migrants.

GUATEMALA

In San Benito Petén, Guatemala, Salesian missionaries provide support for migrants from Honduras.

Salesian missionaries in San Benito Petén, Guatemala, have been providing support for migrants from Honduras who are trying to reach Mexico. Central American migrants, mostly Hondurans, are part of a new caravan and have been looking for alternative ways to enter Mexico. They are passing through the Petén department in northern Guatemala with the intent to go through the Mayan forest and enter the Mexican state of Tabasco.

The Salesian mission in San Benito Petén was started at the end of 2011 to provide education and social development programs for at-risk youth. Salesian missionaries operate a youth program that offers classes in Spanish and English, mathematics, computers, arts and crafts, music, and dance, as well as provides organized games for participants. Youth in the program are able to get away from difficult home situations or playing on the streets to engage in productive activities in a family atmosphere that fosters peace and stability.

INDIA

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Salesian missionaries help migrant citizens who are looking to return to their home states within India.

The situation in India remains a challenge as the country continues to respond to COVID-19. Many migrant citizens are still looking to return to their home states within the country. Numerous special convoys have been organized, but social distancing measures and the large number of people involved make everything slow, complicated and painful. Father Barnabe D’Souza, director of the Salesian Center Nerul, and his team are helping those seeking to get out of Mumbai.

There is a long wait for those looking to leave Mumbai on the trains and buses made available by the authorities. People checked in three to four weeks ago for their trip but must wait until their names are called from the computer-generated list. When they are called, they must go to the local police station to verify their identity four to five hours in advance. They are then taken on a municipal bus to the railway station. There, their temperature is checked and they stand in line waiting for their seat to be assigned. The whole process takes about six to eight hours. If all goes well, their train leaves the station. But sometimes the train is up to six hours late or canceled. It is a nightmare for them because they are not used to living on the street at night.

The Salesian Center is providing migrants with a package of nutritious food for the trip and a bottle of water. Many of them call to thank the Salesians after arriving at their destination. One of them noted, “There was no canteen on the train, no stalls opened for even a cup of tea in the stations where we stopped. Your food packet was what kept us going.” Another migrant wrote, “Thank you Father, your food packet was the only food we received for our entire three day trip. God will surely bless you and all those that helped us.”

PERU

The Salesian Institute in Peru, acting as temporary migrant assistance offices, is expected to receive an average of 1,000 migrants and refugees from Venezuela per day.

Salesian missionaries in Lima, Peru, are working to accommodate migrants and refugees from Venezuela. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked Salesian missionaries to sign an agreement to set up temporary migrant assistance offices at the Salesian Institute, which is located in the Breña neighborhood of Lima. The Salesian Institute is expected to receive an average of 1,000 people per day.

Salesian Father José Valdivia, provincial economer of Peru, explained that the cooperation agreement was made through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). UNHCR has noted, “People continue to leave Venezuela to escape violence, insecurity and threats as well as lack of food, medicine and essential services. With over 4 million Venezuelans now living abroad, the vast majority in countries within Latin America and the Caribbean, this is the largest exodus in the region’s recent history.”

Prior to the launch of the migrant assistance offices, Salesian missionaries in Magdalena del Mar, Lima, opened the Don Bosco House for youth who arrive in Peru. Here they are offered food and accommodation.

SPAIN

BoscoSocial in Spain has programs tailored specifically for migrants, which include training, social support and connection with the local labor market.

BoscoSocial brings together the work of three organizations impacting communities in Spain. These organizations are the Boscos Foundation, which has projects in Basque Country, Navarra, La Rioja and Cantabria; the JuanSoñador Foundation’s projects in Galicia, Asturias, and Castile and León; and the Pinardi Federation, which has projects in Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha.

BoscoSocial projects focus on training and support and have impacted more than 14,000 children, adolescents, and youth at risk of social exclusion. Nearly 1,400 families have been assisted thanks to the work of more than 400 educators and contract workers and more than 230 volunteers. Among the various programs supported by BoscoSocial are programs tailored specifically for migrants. These initiatives include training, social support and connection with the local labor market.

In Galicia, the JuanSoñador Foundation facilitates the Malaikas project, which is for women between 19-75 years of age who are at risk of social exclusion and in situations of vulnerability. In 2019, more than 650 women of 45 nationalities participated. The Malaikas project aims to break the isolation of migrant women, provides meeting spaces, and creates circles, networks and alliances, which encourage the empowerment of women to face their life plans within the migration process.

###

Sources:

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

GUATEMALA: Salesian missionaries in San Benito Petén providing support for migrants from Honduras

INDIA: Salesian Center Nerul provides food and water to migrants trying to leave Mumbai

International Organization for Migration

PERU: Salesian missionaries sign agreement to set up temporary migrant assistance offices in support of Venezuela migrants and refugees

Salesian Missions

SPAIN: BoscoSocial projects help migrants access training and social support in their new communities

The post GLOBAL: Celebrating International Migrants Day first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to the International Migrant Stock 2019, a dataset released by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the number of international migrants reached 272 million in 2019, continuing an upward trend in all regions of the world. This is an increase of 51 million migrants since 2010. The UN reports that international migrants comprise 3.5 percent of the global population, compared to 2.8 percent in the year 2000.

The UN further reports that in 2019, Europe hosted the largest number of international migrants (82 million), followed by North America (59 million) and northern Africa and western Asia (49 million).

Youth often leave their homelands in search of employment, education and a better way of life. Many youth choose or are forced to migrate to escape poverty, violence or conflict, or are displaced due to the effects of war or climate change. The UN notes that youth are heavily represented in migration for humanitarian reasons including as refugees, asylum-seekers and unaccompanied minors.

Salesian missionaries care for and provide educational services to youth migrants in countries around the globe. Unaccompanied migrant youth often face rejection, homelessness, exploitation and delinquency as they make their journey to find a new way of life. They are also at risk of human trafficking and exploitation.

“Salesian programs help young migrants adapt to their new environment through language training, human development, and skills training and workforce development services, as well as increasing access to jobs whether through self-employment or for hire,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “A lack of employment is one of the root causes of migration in countries that see high rates of youth migrating to seek a better life elsewhere. In addition to helping young migrants, Salesian missionaries are working to create new educational and employment opportunities in countries youth leave as an incentive for them to remain at home.”

To mark International Migrants Day 2019, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs around the globe that provide life-changing education and social support to young migrants.

GHANA

Salesian missionaries recently awarded diplomas to students who completed organic farming courses at the Salesian Agricultural School in Sunyani, Ghana. The first Salesian agriculture course in Ghana took place in 2016. Two other courses have been held annually. To date, 93 students have been trained. Many of these students are returning migrants who have decided to stay in the country, learn a skill and trade, and contribute back to their community.

Students taking the courses have learned to grow organically and to use greenhouses. These solutions increase the harvest since crops can be cultivated even during the dry season, and the annual distribution of produce can be better managed. Greenhouse crops are also an excellent deterrent against deforestation and climate change, as they do not need much space and do not require forests to be cut down to cultivate the land.

The organic farming courses are only the first step in empowering vulnerable youth and returning migrants. Four of the best students who recently graduated from the course benefit from the development fund that was set up just after the conclusion of the last course. Part of this development fund, known as the Fund for Agriculture and Tourism Development, is completely dedicated to microcredit, enabling startup funds for Ghanaian farmers.

The courses are part of the efforts to stop the flow of migrants and prevent human trafficking. The goal is to keep more youth in the country where they can earn a living safely. Salesian missionaries, in collaboration with the Salesian-run International Volunteer Service for Development (VIS) volunteers, created a Stop Human Trafficking campaign that highlights the risks of migrating and human trafficking and works to provide local education and workforce development to help youth remain in their own communities. Migrating to foreign lands in search of work and better opportunities is when youth are most at risk of trafficking.

INDIA

The Don Bosco Nest Center, located in the city of Thiruppur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, organized a Youth Festival for young migrants. The event was attended by more than 250 boys and girls. The festival featured various games and cultural activities including innovative presentations, dances, music and rituals.

Don Bosco Nest offers residential care for street children and aims to combat child labor through education and prevention. Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Nest provide child rights education and vocational training courses in subjects that include computer applications, sewing machine operation, garment making and tailoring. In addition, the center offers internship opportunities, job placement, counseling and sports.

Salesian programs across India have been working with migrants of all ages in educational and residential settings and by setting up special programs to meet their needs. In 2017, Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Veedu Society in Trivandrum launched a new initiative called “Shramik Kalyan Kendr” (SKK), which serves as a help desk for young migrant workers living in Trivandrum. The initiative was begun in response to the many migrant workers arriving at East Fort Junction as early as 5:30 a.m. to wait for potential employers to offer them work and to bargain for their day’s pay. The new SKK initiative reaches out to this large migrant population and provides services to them directly.

Before the program was launched, Salesian missionaries spoke to migrants and assessed what services they needed and then modeled the program to meet those needs. Through the SKK program, the Don Bosco Veedu Society now provides access to medical care, secure employment, language classes and assistance addressing grievances.

MEXICO

Salesian missionaries are providing assistance to thousands of migrants and people at risk through the Tijuana Salesian Project and the Salesian Refectory Padre Chava located at the Salesian Center in Tijuana, Mexico. 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. In preparation, they are engaging 200 volunteers and additional supplies.

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.

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 and plays a very important role in caring for the Haitian migrants who 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 in response to recent earthquakes in the country.

SPAIN

The Pinardi Federation of Salesian Social Platforms launched programs in Spain to help vulnerable unaccompanied minors. Many countries around the globe have been grappling with an influx of children and adolescents who have fled their home countries in search of safety, employment and a better way of life. However, many youth find that life in a new country, where they are at greater risk of social isolation, poverty and violence, is not any easier than the life they left behind.

An apartment in Madrid, donated by the Carmelite nuns at Parla, was set up to accommodate five children with a goal of expanding the program over time to reach more youth. The program is in response to a recent appeal by the Community of Madrid, through the Family and Minors General Management, to meet the needs of these children and adolescents.

The apartment provided is part of the Casa Garelli project, a Pinardi Federation initiative that provides apartments for youth between the ages of 18 and 21 who are at risk of social exclusion. This initiative was launched in February 2018 as a follow up to a similar program run by the Pinardi Federation for vulnerable young refugees.

In Madrid, the Pinardi Federation manages two apartments donated by the Daughters of Charity that accommodate 10 young refugees. In Seville, a Don Bosco Foundation apartment has welcomed four young refugees. The successful program includes lessons in Spanish local customs and language, financial and administrative support, and work orientation to help the young refugees find and retain stable employment.

Salesian centers across Spain employ 60 professionals and 200 volunteers to serve more than 25,000 migrants and refugees through 40 projects. Salesian missionaries and their network of programs across Europe are assisting European countries with the ongoing refugee crisis. Salesian programs provide humanitarian and educational assistance to refugees by helping them become fully-integrated and independent in their new countries and homes.

###

Sources:

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

GHANA: New organic farming courses have trained 93 vulnerable youth and returning migrants since 2016

INDIA: Don Bosco Nest Center holds youth festival for 250 young migrants

International Organization for Migration

MEXICO: Salesian Center in Tijuana provides meals, shelter and other critical resources to migrants and those at-risk

Salesian Missions

SPAIN: Salesian missionaries launch new program to assist young unaccompanied migrants

UN – The number of international migrants reaches 272 million, continuing an upward trend in all world regions, says UN

The post INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY: Salesian Missions highlights social and educational programs assisting young migrants first appeared on MissionNewswire.