A native of Niterói, Neves was 37 when he realized his dream of representing Brazil in the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Due to a lack of oxygen at birth, he suffered paralysis in the brain in addition to atrophy of his right arm, neither of which hampered his desire to become an athlete. In 1998, he began training with the Niteroi Association of the Handicapped and in 2015, became the Pan American Paralympic Long Jump Champion after setting a new national record.

Neves spoke to his young audience at the youth center about the importance of trying hard and believing in themselves in order to succeed in life and achieve their dreams. He shared stories of overcoming challenges on his long road to success and stressed above all the importance of setting personal goals and living up to one’s own expectations instead of conforming to others’ expectations.

Elaine Holanda, director of the Salesian Center, appreciated the message Pedro Neves delivered. “Despite all the titles he has won, he has not forgotten his roots,” says Holanda. “He still lives in the community and does not intend to abandon it. His example serves as an incentive for many of our young people, not only from a sporting perspective, but also in drawing up goals for life.”

The Salesian Youth Center has made sports an important part of its educational curriculum. In 2013, the center opened the Social and Sports School, a collaboration between Salesian Missions of Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation. Together, they facilitate the “They play, we educate” program in which participants receive nutritional, family and psychological support, regular health checkups and the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts, reading and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse are also provided. Outside of normal school hours, participants in the program receive sports training by coaches qualified by the Real Madrid Foundation.

The collaboration between Salesian programs and the Real Madrid Foundation has been very successful, granting more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children the opportunity to participate in similar programs around the globe. This socio-sports program in Brazil is operating alongside 13 other socio-sporting schools in nine countries including Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Senegal and the Dominican Republic.

Brazil has one of the strongest economies in Latin America and is an important agricultural and industrial power in the region. Just over 15 percent of Brazilians live in poverty, with the majority living in the rural northeast of the country, according to the World Bank. While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between the poor and the rich and issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain at the root of those in poverty.

Inequalities also exist in access to education and educational efficiency. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education. Salesians working with poor youth and their families in Brazil have developed programs that provide youth opportunities for furthering their education and skills.

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Sources:

ANS – Brazil – Overcoming limitations: a testimony to the boys of Niterói

UNICEF – Brazil Statistics

Real Madrid Foundation

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post BRAZIL: Salesian Youth Center Holds Inspirational Talk by Paralympic Champion Pedro Neves first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian programs in Senegal have a focus on sports education. Socio-sports schools in the cities of Dakar and Thies started their programs in 2012 and one in the city of Tambacounda has been in operation since 2010. The overall objective of the schools is to provide students between the ages of 5 and 17 with organized sports that promote positive values and teamwork. The sports programs are provided in addition to traditional vocational education programs and social development services.

During the Real Madrid Foundation’s training course at the Don Bosco Kër Center, Salesian educators learned sports techniques and advanced educational lessons. As part of the foundation’s “They play, we educate” program already operating in Salesian schools across the globe, participants receive nutritional, family and psychological support, regular health checkups and the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts and reading and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse are also provided.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

The Don Bosco Kër Center is one of the newest Salesian centers in Senegal and provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women living in the Yoff district on the outskirts of the city of Dakar.

The center is part of an ongoing Salesian educational building project facilitated by Solidaridad Don Bosco, a non-governmental organization that is part of the broader Don Bosco Network in Spain. Salesian missionaries opened the new center in Senegal to address the high rate of unemployment and limited skilled labor among poor youth in the Yoff district. In addition to serving local youth, the center will focus on training Senegalese women who are often underrepresented in the workforce and lack educational and advancement opportunities.

Located on the west coast of Africa, Senegal has close to half its population living in poverty. Crop failures due to extreme weather have impacted the economy and, combined with a recent ban on street beggars, has taken away the only source of income from many families. A recent report by the Chronic Poverty Research Center found that not only are 60 percent of households labeled “poor or vulnerable” but there is a possibility that the poverty will be passed on to the next generation. A sign of hope in the country is the steadily increasing percentage of children enrolled in primary school. According to the World Bank, that number has reached 86 percent.

“Salesians in Senegal have been providing vocational and technical training programs to local youth and women for many years,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The constant expansion of our programs is important to us and provides access to education to all youth who want to improve their quality of life.”

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – The Real Madrid Foundation in the Salesian centre: “they play, we educate.”

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

World Bank- Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Salesian Educators and Coaches Attend Real Madrid Foundation Socio-Sports Training Course first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Sports for Peace program, the third of its kind in Brazil, is made possible through a collaboration between the Salesian Missions office in Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation and benefits close to 200 youth from the most disadvantaged areas around Rio de Janeiro. Many of the boys participating in the program live in the slums and once had very little hope for the future.

The program’s motto is, “They play, we educate” and participants receive nutritional, family and psychological support, regular health checkups and the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops, gymnastics, crafts, reading and citizenship activities. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse are also provided. Outside of normal school hours, participants in the program receive sports training by coaches qualified by the Real Madrid Foundation.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

The trip to Spain included many cultural and recreational activities including a trip to the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid to watch a live soccer match between Real Madrid and Levante. For 13 year old Guilherme Ferreira who lives in Niterói’s Santa Rosa slum with his parents and two small brothers, the trip was an opportunity to see one of his favorite players and show his younger brothers that hard work and education can lead to many rewards.

“This is one of the biggest dreams of my life. I’m going crazy at the idea of seeing Cristiano Ronaldo playing. I identify a lot with him, in his determination and hard work to achieve all that he sets out to do,” said Ferreira. “I have to be an example for my brothers and I am filled with pride at being chosen by the Salesian Youth Center to join the team because of my behavior and my efforts.”

According to Elaine Holanda, a psychologist and director of the Salesian Youth Center in Niterói who was a chaperone on the trip, many of the boys were filled with emotion when they entered the stadium. Having only watched soccer matches on television, they never dreamed they would have the opportunity to experience a live game on the field.

“These boys are very talented, but also very unlucky,” said Holanda. “We try to give them, through education, the opportunity to realize their dreams.”

The collaboration between Salesian programs and the Real Madrid Foundation has been very successful, granting more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children the opportunity to participate in similar programs around the globe. This socio-sports program in Brazil is operating alongside 13 other socio-sporting schools in nine countries including Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Senegal and the Dominican Republic.

Brazil has one of the strongest economies in Latin America and is an important agricultural and industrial power in the region. Just over 15 percent of Brazilians live in poverty, with the majority living in the rural northeast of the country, according to the World Bank. While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between the poor and the rich and issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain at the root of those in poverty.

Inequalities also exist in access to education and educational efficiency. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education. Salesians working with poor youth and their families in Brazil develop programs and provide youth opportunities for furthering their education and skills.

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Sources:

ANS – Brazil – The school social club “Sport for Peace”. A dream fulfilled

UNICEF – Brazil Statistics

Real Madrid Foundation

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post BRAZIL: Students Participating in Salesian-run Sports for Peace Program Awarded Trip to Madrid, Spain first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries in the country offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities. The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and break the cycle of poverty as well as deter young people from life on the streets and the lure of gangs.

“Sports programs teach valuable skills to youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership and teamwork. Students also learn important social skills and are given opportunities to grow and mature.”

Through a partnership with the Salesians of Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation in collaboration with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Salesian Province of the Antilles, Salesian students in Santo Domingo have access to a socio-sporting school. Dominic Savio School House in Santo Domingo uses soccer as a tool for social integration, improving the quality of life for boys and girls who are at risk of social exclusion. Alongside the sports, the school provides various support services to children and their families such as tutoring, classroom space for homework, vocational training, healthcare, nutrition education and cultural and recreational activities.

The collaboration between Salesian missionaries and the Real Madrid Foundation has been very successful granting more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children the opportunity to participate in similar programs around the globe. This partnership has led to the development of 14 socio-sports programs in nine countries including Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Senegal and Brazil.

Nearly half of youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in the Dominican Republic, according to UNICEF. Even though the country’s economy has been steadily improving since 1996, the country’s poor still struggle to get enough food to eat and access safe drinking water and adequate housing. Only 30 percent of youth finish primary school and only 18 percent finish secondary school on time. Schools are in poor shape with nearly half having no access to safe drinking water and more than 60 percent lacking adequate bathroom facilities.

Many students do not have the supplies necessary to complete their studies and teachers lack access to ongoing teacher education. As result, many youth lack the education and training to compete in the job market. To meet this need, Salesian programs in the Dominican Republic focus on education and vocational training to help youth learn the skills and trades necessary to find stable employment.

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Sources:

Dominican Republic – 3,000 athletes at Salesian Sports Festival

UNICEF – Dominican Republic

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: More than 3,000 Athletes Participated in the 2015 Don Bosco Sports Festival first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“For eight months we have been experiencing terror and death in the city of Bangui and throughout the Central African Republic,” says Pierre Pytonie Kozongo, sports coach at the Don Bosco Center Sports Academy in Damala, in an article published on the website of the Salesian-run Spaces of Peace project. “While others have fled, seeking refuge or revenge, the Don Bosco Center has been using sports as a way of bringing people together and overcoming their fears.”

The Salesian Center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

The Spaces of Peace project operates out of both centers and offers youth safe places to learn, work and play. It also offers one meal a day to more than 1500 students during their school day, helps 700 students with school supplies and scholarships and assists 120 older youth gain the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

In addition, Salesian missionaries offer sports, musical training and summer camps, among other activities, where youth of all ages, cultures and religions learn to live and work together peacefully. Through the Spaces of Peace sports programs, youth are taught team work and social skills while gaining opportunities to grow and mature.

“For a group of sixty young people, sporting activities provided the reason for them to meet, play, relax with others and take care of their health,” explains Kozongo. “We, the coaches, were like parents. We followed the development of our young people, and in particular, we were with those experiencing family misfortunes, or those who had been traumatized by the circumstances. The young people encouraged one another to find reasons for confidence in the midst of violence and fear.”

Thanks to an ongoing partnership between the Real Madrid Foundation and Salesian missionaries, footballs, shirts and other items have been donated to help the sports program succeed. The young athletes have shared with each other their experiences of war and have developed friendships through their participation in the program.

Despite more than two years of ongoing violence, Salesian missionaries continue to work diligently for the young and poor in the Central African Republic. Since violence broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups, thousands have died, more than 650,000 have been internally displaced (with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone) and 300,000 have fled across the borders as refugees. Due to the conflict, close to 2.2 million people have needed humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations (UN).

During the height of the conflict, the Salesian center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 displaced people and the one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Many arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention. While the situation has improved and many have left the shelter of Salesian centers, the situation remains precarious. Those still internally displaced are homeless and have no other source of shelter and food other than what’s provided at the centers. Resuming educational and social development programs helps youth regain a sense of normalcy and allows them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.

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Sources:

ANS – Central African Republic – “We use sport as a way of bringing people together and overcoming their fears”

United Nations – Central African Republic: Ban welcomes official deployment of UN mission

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Salesian Spaces of Peace Project Helps More Than 1,500 Youth with Nutritious Meals, Sports and Educational Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, a new socio-sports program was introduced at the Salesian Youth Center in the town of Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro. The program, the third of its kind in Brazil, is made possible through a collaboration between the Salesian Missions office in Madrid and the Real Madrid Foundation and will benefit close to 200 youth from the most disadvantaged areas of the city.

The program’s motto is, “They play, we educate” and participants receive nutritional, family and psychological support, regular health check ups and the opportunity to participate in social and educational workshops in activities such as gymnastics, crafts, reading and citizenship. Training sessions on topics such as health, hygiene, values and the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse will also be provided.

Outside of normal school hours, participants in the program will receive sports training by coaches specifically qualified by the Real Madrid Foundation.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

At the program’s inauguration, the biggest surprise for the 200 youth in attendance was the participation of Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior, a player from Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, who recently won the Confederations Cup.

The collaboration between the Salesians and the Real Madrid Foundation has been very successful, granting more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children the opportunity to participate in similar programs around the globe. This new socio-sports program in Brazil is operating alongside 13 other socio-sporting schools in nine countries including Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Senegal and the Dominican Republic.

Sports programs are a few among many programs helping disadvantaged youth in Brazil.

At the Don Bosco Youth Center in Cabana, youth from the slums take part in socio-educational opportunities to help close educational gaps. At the Salesian-run Community Center in Porto Alegre, street children receive three nutritious meals a day, clean clothing, medical care, schooling and a safe place to get much needed rest. And at a new Salesian-run Center in Abaetetuba, abandoned and at-risk youth take part in a wide variety of healthy and educational activities. The Center includes a recreation facility where children are able to participate on sports teams, make friends and gain a sense of accomplishment. All of the programs work with youth to help them lead productive lives and break the cycle of poverty.

Brazil is one of more than 130 countries around the globe where Salesians work to give hope and provide opportunity to vulnerable youth through education and skills training. Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, working to raise funds and develop programs to aid youth and families in some of the poorest places on earth. Learn more about where the Salesians work and the programs they provide at www.salesianmissions.org.

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Sources:

ANS – Brazil – Niterói socio-sports school inaugurated, with soccer star Marcelo

UNICEF – Brazil Statistics

Real Madrid Foundation – Website

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post BRAZIL: New Socio-Sports Program is Teaching Youth Teamwork and Social Skills first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The two new schools—the Don Bosco Educational Plaza in Hainamosa and the Dominic Savio School House in Santo Domingo—use football as a tool for social integration, improving the quality of life for boys and girls who are at risk of social exclusion. Alongside the sports, schools provide various support services to children and their families, such as tutoring, classroom space for homework, vocational training, healthcare, nutrition education and cultural and recreational activities.

“We want young people to be integrated and develop healthy activities. They play, we educate,” said Emilio Butragueño, explaining the importance of the initiative.

The partnership between Salesian Missions and the Real Madrid Foundation is well underway and allows more than 2,000 youth and vulnerable children to participate in similar programs today. There are currently 13 operational socio-sporting schools in nine countries: Togo, Benin, Congo*, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Brazil, Portugal, Senegal and now the Dominican Republic.

“In the Dominican Republic, sports help youth to grow and develop into healthy, caring members of society,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “And they pass on their knowledge for generations to come,” he adds.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

Salesian Missions is paving the path toward a better future for young people, where half of youth ages 13 to 18 suffer in poverty and lack needed skills to compete in the job market. The Salesians are using innovative approaches to prevent children from life on the streets and the lure of gangs. And they are instilling knowledge and values that will carry forward in the generations to come.

After finishing his studies, Edward stayed involved in the program – working with youth in the same situation he had been.  He later graduated from the university with a degree in public relations and now is in charge of the graphic design department at the Salesian Technical Institute, where he also teaches.

“There are only three of my childhood friends that are alive since most of them got into gangs.  This project saved my life from the personal perspective to the professional development.  I don’t know what would have happened to me if it wasn’t for this project,” said Edward.  “I still play basketball with the boys & girls in the project.  This is the best way to discover their personalities and different ways I can help them.”

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*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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