Each year, June 20 marks World Refugee Day, a day that honors the plight of millions of refugees and internally displaced people around the globe. The UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, noted that at the end of 2013, 51.2 million people had been forced from their homes worldwide, the highest figure of displacement since the World War II era. Almost 80 percent of those displaced are women and children.

The day, first established in 2001, is held annually and is coordinated by the UNHRC. The focus of World Refugee Day is to honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.

Each year, World Refugee Day reflects on specific struggles faced by refugees. UNHCR noted that 2013 was an unprecedented year with conflicts in Syria, the Central African Republic and South Sudan, amongst others, that have pushed their organization and their partners to their limits. To honor those families torn apart by conflict, UNHCR is continuing their 2013 campaign theme, “1 family torn apart by war is too many.”

“We are seeing here the immense costs of not ending wars, of failing to resolve or prevent conflict,” said High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres in a recent statement about World Refugee Day. “Peace is today dangerously in deficit. Humanitarians can help as a palliative, but political solutions are vitally needed. Without this, the alarming levels of conflict and the mass suffering that is reflected in these figures will continue.”

Globally, Salesian missionaries are assisting close to the 400,000 refugees and internally displaced persons who lives have been affected by war, persecution, famine and natural disasters such as floods, droughts and earthquakes. Below are highlights of programs for refugees developed by Salesian Missions and funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. Salesian Missions, headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, is the U.S. Development Arm of the international Salesians of Don Bosco.

AFGHAN REFUGEE SCHOOL CHILDREN IN PAKISTAN:

In Pakistan, a Salesian Missions program served Afghan refugee school children and their families in Quetta, the capital of the Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. The program, which began in 2012, centered on reinforcing primary education systems at six schools in highly volatile Quetta, Pakistan. The focus of the program included everything from teacher training and resource improvements for child learning, to infrastructure improvement and web-ready computer labs.

The goal of the Quetta program was to mainstream struggling Afghan refugee schools so they could become a part of the Pakistani education community and benefit from its shared institutional resources. Close to 2,200 students ages 4 to 13 benefited from Salesian Missions’ comprehensive approach to strengthening their education.

COLOMBIAN REFUGEES:

In recent years, more than 450,000 people have fled the violence of Colombia* to neighboring Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama and Costa Rica. Salesian Missions’ New Beginnings initiative, which started in 2011, worked with more than 1,000 Colombian refugees in these four countries and provided vocational and human development training as well as job placement services.

Many of the Colombian refugees that came to the program had no marketable skills. They couldn’t find jobs and the lack of training made it difficult to start their own business or join with others to form cooperatives. Without jobs, it was hard for them to find stability for their families and build new lives. The New Beginnings program allowed these victims of violence and chaos to start over and build a stable, hopeful future for themselves and their families.

Through the program, each refugee student received 260 hours of technical training as well as 40 hours of human development workshops. These training programs coupled with the job placement services worked to assist Colombian refugees to start over and build successful lives in their new communities.

DR CONGO REFUGEES

The Democratic Republic of the Congo* has been plagued by intense civil war and internal conflict since the outbreak of fighting in 1998. Close to 1.5 million people have been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring countries after having fled the country to escape the continued violence. Salesian missionaries have been working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than 100 years, ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. At the Don Bosco Ngangi Center in Goma, located in the eastern part of the country on the Rwanda border, the missionaries run programs for more than 3,500 children and 1,500 refugees.

In addition to offering educational programs, the Don Bosco Ngangi Center has a medical clinic that consists of outpatient services and separate medical wards for general medical cases, pediatric care and cholera treatment. With two doctors and four nurses on staff, the clinic is able to treat a complex array of life threatening illnesses and injuries, although often with limited medical supplies and equipment.

The medical clinic also has a nutritional center for severe cases of pediatric starvation. Currently, this center provides intensive nutritional support to 150 severely malnourished infants, toddlers and children in the Goma area.

REFUGEES IN KENYA

As of the end of May, Kakuma refugee camp, located in northern Kenya near the Uganda and South Sudan borders, is caring for 155,477 refugees from 20 different countries, according to UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency. The majority of refugees at the camp, more than 44 percent, are from South Sudan and arrived after escaping conflict and violence.

Salesian missionaries at Kakuma refugee camp operate the Holy Cross Parish and the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center where 1,044 young men and women are receiving critical employment and life skills. There are many courses available and those studying welding, carpentry and bricklaying often utilize their new skills helping to build infrastructure within the camp.

Salesian missionaries at the camp also operate the Helping Children to be Children program, which gathers refugee children and leads them in games, songs and classes held outdoors on the camp grounds. Children are also offered the opportunity to draw and learn to speak English. Close to 3,000 children benefit from this Salesian program, which currently has no steady funding and is run primarily by refugee volunteers.

SRI LANKAN REFUGEES IN INDIA

Since 1983, ethnic violence in Sri Lanka has forced tens of thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils from their homeland in search of safety and a new life in Tamil Nadu, India. According to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, there are close 140,000 Sri Lankan refugees in 65 countries, with almost 70,000 in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu. Since 2010, Salesian Missions has been providing their New Beginnings program for young male and female Sri Lankan refugees who have been living in refugee camps in 15 target districts in India. The program, created by Salesian Missions and funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, has served more than 2,500 Sri Lankan refugees.

The New Beginnings program provides market-conscious vocational and technical skills training that results in livable wage employment with the goal that trainees are better able to support themselves and their families. After training, New Beginnings graduates have at least one market-demand technical skill, as well as have received workplace readiness training to enhance positive attitudes, hygiene and personal presentation as well as the importance of team work. Results-oriented job placement assistance helps graduates transition from the classroom to work in the local labor market.

Training provided through the New Beginnings program also serves no fewer than 40 percent women and young girls in order to promote gender equality and generate opportunities for women whether they prefer to seek work at a local company or join a women’s company collective that allows them to remain home with young children while still engaged in meaningful employment.

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Sources:

UNHCR – 2013 Global Trends Report

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in these countries 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 WORLD REFUGEE DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights Educational Programs Assisting Refugees around the Globe first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The children – 69 boys and 13 girls between the ages of 8 and 17 – had reportedly been recruited during the past six months by elements of Mayi Mayi Bakata Katanga, according to a news release issued by the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO).

They were identified and separated through concerted efforts by child protection agencies working together in Kibwela, Moba Territory, and Kayumba, Manono Territory – all in Katanga province. About half of the children were immediately reunited with their families, while the others are receiving interim care pending reunification.

“We are extremely concerned by continued reports of active recruitment by Mayi Mayi Bakata Katanga and other armed groups in eastern DRC,” said Martin Kobler, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of MONUSCO.

“Children face unacceptable risks when they are recruited for military purposes,” he noted. “The recruitment of children, particularly those under 15 years of age, could constitute a war crime and those responsible must be held to account.”

The mission stated that, since the beginning of the year, 163 children have been separated from Mayi Mayi Bakata Katanga by MONUSCO and child protection partners.

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Photo: MONUSCO/Myriam Asmani

Original news release >

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The program—which initially received funding for 12 months in February 2012—centers on reinforcing primary education systems at six schools in highly volatile Quetta, Pakistan. A Salesian primary school and five Salesian-supported schools have been receiving support specific to the needs and challenges of educating the Afghan refugee population. UNHCR’s Head of Office in Quetta, Charles Lynch-Staunton, commended Salesian Missions for this work in an official letter of support, stating “Salesian Missions for Don Bosco is a UNHCR Operating Partner and active member of our Afghan Refugee Education Coordinating Network in Baluchistan.”

The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has extended funding for an additional six months. This extension ensures that the progress made through the program will continue, working toward the goal of having schools become self-sufficient, no longer reliant on international assistance.

In Pakistan, 2,200 boys and girls ages 4 to 13 are benefitting from Salesian Missions’ comprehensive approach to strengthening their education. The program includes everything from teacher training and resource improvements for child learning, to infrastructure improvement and web-ready computer labs.

“The students are among the most passionate of any I have seen in the world,” said Neill Holland, Deputy Director of the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs and the agency’s Country Representative for Pakistan. “They are more bright-eyed, energetic, and outgoing than you would ever imagine considering what these kids have witnessed, fleeing across the border with their families, and for many, a life-long war in their homeland.”

The PRM-funded program administered by Salesian Missions and local partners in Afghanistan has resulted in fully equipped and updated, kid-friendly schools.

“Locally, we have gone from schools without sanitation, and from classroom walls that were in danger of falling over; to schools that are structurally safe, have new bathrooms and hygiene education, books, uniforms and even computers—and a connection to the outside word—for the first time ever,” added Holland, who recently returned from a program monitoring trip where he saw the impact first-hand.

Positive impact includes more than 70 teachers, professionally trained for their work with the refugee youth population and motivated to make a difference in their improved schools. As a result, an estimated 85 percent of students who are age-eligible to graduate are forecasted to pass their examinations. Furthermore, the program administration has ensured through advocacy and policy dialogue with Government and NGO Partners that the education students receive in Pakistan will be recognized by the Government of Afghanistan, should their families return home.

“We are working to reinforce primary education in a way that will continue to assist the Afghan children regardless of whether their parents choose to stay in the host country or to return to Afghanistan.” explained Holland.

The goal of the Quetta program is to mainstream struggling Afghan refugee schools so they may become a part of the Pakistani education community, and benefit from its shared institutional resources, even while they serve Afghani youth. Part of this results-driven strategy involves creating useful partnerships with local organizations and the government that can be leveraged to sustain these refugee schools during the years ahead. In fact, the Salesians had already been working in these communities for some time, and their focus on fostering strong community relationships has made them a pivotal U.S. Government partner. Proven results include reaching established program goals and surpassing all expectations.

“This success was realized expressly through the contribution of Salesian Missions’ local team of dedicated lay staff in Quetta, male and female, who give 100 percent every day despite security concerns for themselves and their families.” says Holland. “Their inspiration comes from an enduring sense of brotherhood – and sisterhood – with the vulnerable Afghan refugee community they serve. To work alongside our team of local staff in Pakistan is to experience the heartbeat of humanity, the bond shared between people regardless of their race, creed, color or gender. ”

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PHOTOS: Neill Holland/Salesian Missions

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the international Salesians of Don Bosco—specializing in programs and services for at-risk youth in more than 130 countries. The Salesians are widely considered the world’s largest private provider of vocational and technical education. The Office for International Programs is the global development arm of Salesian Missions which supports programs globally through partnerships with the U.S. government and private-sector organizations, state-of-the-art concepts, and in-kind financial support. Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. For more information, go to www.SalesianMissions.org or www.MissionNewswire.org.

ABOUT THE DOS BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES AND MIGRATION

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration provides aid and sustainable solutions for refugees, victims of conflict and stateless people around the world, through repatriation, local integration, and resettlement in the United States. PRM also promotes the United States’ population and migration policies. For more information, go to www.state.gov/j/prm/.

The post PAKISTAN: U.S. State Department Extends Funding for Salesian Missions Program for Afghan Refugee School Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“We aim to open new presences in Gao and other cities in the north as soon as security conditions allow,” said UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards, while noting that the presence of Islamist rebel troops and the resulting insecurity has hampered humanitarian access to the north.

From interviews with internally displaced people (IDP) over the past few days in the Mali capital, Bamako, it appears that many civilians are hoping to return to their home in areas formerly or still under rebel control, including Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal soon.

The process of spontaneous returns has already started in some places. In the central Mali town of Konna, for example, a UN security evaluation mission has confirmed that people are coming back. Up to half the town’s population of 10,000 was earlier reported as having fled into the surrounding countryside when Konna was overrun on January 10, prompting the French military to intervene.

While the mood among IDPs may be shifting towards returns, conditions in the north of the country are difficult. People recently displaced from the north have reported serious shortages of food, clean water and fuel. Electricity, transport, communications, access to health and education is said to have been severely disrupted.

In Kidal and Tessalit, close to Algeria, the supply of food and other essential items has been seriously affected by the conflict and the closure of the border, across which many goods used to be imported.

Hundreds of people are reported to have fled Kidal in recent days to villages further north, even closer to the Algerian border. Others have crossed the border into Algeria, despite it being officially closed.

“Hundreds of people have reportedly settled in villages, such as Inhalid, located less than 20 kilometres from Algeria,” said Zeinab, a representative in Bamako of displaced people from the Kidal and Tessalit regions. “Others have crossed into Algeria . . . Most are women and children and go to places such as Timayawen or Tinzawaten, where they rent homes,” she added.

Zeinab is from Tessalit, fleeing the town in April 2012 when the Islamist rebels arrived. She has since returned a few times and explained that “when I return to Tessalit, I have to wear the veil.” She said she kept in touch with friends and family there by cell phone. “People tell me that they are afraid of aerial bombing as well as possible reprisals from the Malian army and from the Islamists.”

The conflict has affected the flow of goods from Algeria to Kidal and Tessalit, resulting in much higher prices for meat, milk and other goods. Zeinab also said she had heard that the rebels were recruiting child soldiers. “I saw children as young as 12 with them and even one eight-year-old,” she claimed, adding that these children were usually stationed at checkpoints.

Zeinab also said education had been affected in Tessalit, where most teachers had fled. In Kidal, she said, some schools were reportedly functioning and providing Koran classes. “My friends who stayed in Tessalit report that many more early marriages have been taking place since the rebels took over,” she said, adding: “My cousin’s daughter got married to a 27-year-old Islamist rebel – she is nine.”

Meanwhile, rising tension between ethnic communities has been reported in various parts of the country. In particular, members of the Tuareg and Arab communities are reportedly being blamed by other groups for supporting the separatist rebellion which led to the present conflict.

“UNHCR appeals to community leaders and to the Malian authorities to give urgent priority to initiatives to promote peace and reconciliation between various ethnic groups,” said the refugee agency spokesman, Edwards.

UNHCR is urgently bringing into Mali relief items for 9,000 families (some 54,000 people), including sleeping mats, blankets, plastic tarpaulins, jerrycans, mosquito nets and cooking utensils. On Tuesday, a distribution of relief items is scheduled to start in the town of Mopti, which is home to an estimated 40,000 IDPs.

In total, an estimated 380,000 people have fled northern Mali since the start of the conflict a year ago, including 230,000 IDPs and more than 150,000 refugees in Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Algeria.

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By Hélène Caux and William Spindler in Bamako, Mali / UNHCR

Photo:
© UNHCR/H.Caux

See this news release at its original location >

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By the end of July the population of the camp established in northern Kenya in 1992 had reached 100,009 following a steady influx of new arrivals over the past two years.

“The threat of conflict in neighboring countries, particularly Sudan and South Sudan, is expected to continue to drive asylum seekers toward Kenya for the remainder of the year and into 2013,” said Guy Avognon, UNHCR’s Head of Sub-Office in Kakuma.

Through the first seven months of this year 12,123 individuals were registered in the camp, the majority having fled violence and conflict in South Sudan’s Jonglei State and Sudan’s South Kordofan. Significant numbers from Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have also sought asylum in Kakuma this year.

Avognon expressed concern about possible tension between camp residents and members of the local community due to the limited water and other resources in the area. The provision of life-saving assistance and important services is becoming increasingly difficult due to limited funding to cater for the growing population, particularly in the shelter, sanitation, education, and healthcare sectors.

“The sustained rate of new arrivals to the camp has already depleted all available land in the new settlement areas, and despite serious overcrowding in many parts of the camp, UNHCR and its partners are working to identify available space to settle new arrivals within existing settlements,” the head of the UNHCR sub-office said.

The increasing population is creating serious concerns for the operation as the boundaries of the camp cannot be extended further unless new sources of water are identified. Since the beginning of the year efforts to supply sufficient quantities of clean, safe drinking water have become a critical challenge, with refugees now receiving less than the standard 20 liters of water per person per day.

UNHCR’s discussions with the Kenyan government to establish a second camp have been ongoing for the past year, but as yet no agreement has been reached, though a potential site has been identified some 35 kilometers from Kakuma. UNHCR is optimistic the discussions will be successful and additional land will be made available before the end of the year.

However, an estimated US$16.7 million would be required to set up a second camp and UNHCR’s current financial constraints mean this would likely also pose significant challenges.

(By Emmanuel Nyabera, reporting from inside the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Photo: UNHCR/R.Gangale)

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Related MissionNewswire article: Refugee Youth at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya Find “New Beginnings” with Job Training

See this article at its original location at UNHCR >

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A recent news article in The Hindu estimated that as many as 278 relief camps had been opened to shelter people from these districts. Salesian-run programs in the area have been aiding the refugees as well.

Father V.M. Thomas, founder and director of the Salesian-run Don Bosco Institute in Guwahati, is spearheading the effort. The Salesian relief services are being organized through Guwahati-based Bosco Reachout, Don Bosco Institute and programs of the organization at Bengtol, Kokrajhar and Dotma.

Fr. Thomas is no stranger to organizing and directing relief services. In 1996, he set up the CARE program for thousands of children whose families were affected by the riots of that year. Currently, he is prioritizing program initiatives to respond to the refugees in need.

News reports in The Hindu indicate that refugees may begin to return to their homes as early as Aug. 15, 2012. But those living and remaining in the refugees camps need food, clothing, baby food and shelter. Relief materials consisting mainly of clothes continue to be distributed by the Salesians who plan to continue their work for as long as needed and are also working locally with civil authorities.

“Our services may be just a drop in the ocean,” says Fr. Thomas. “However, as we distribute these relief materials, we pray and hope that we will be able to spread the message of peace and harmony among the various communities living in these districts.”

“When there is violence, no one wins,” adds Fr. Thomas. “The children and women suffer most. We plan to supplement the relief services of the Government, particularly with an eye to help the children, women and the elderly. We mourn the death of those who lost their lives and pray and work for the healing of those wounded and stand by those who have been displaced.”

The relief services are further supported by Don Bosco Institute’s sister organizations; the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians and the Sisters of Mary Immaculate.

Fr. Thomas has appealed to the general public and particularly the former students of Don Bosco Institute to work together in this humanitarian initiative by mobilizing human and material resources.

To learn more and support programs like this, visit www.SalesianMissions.org.

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PHOTO: REUTERS/Utpal Baruah

Sources:

The Hindu – Sporadic violence in Kokrajhar

The Hindu – Refugees to return home by Aug 15: Gogoi

The Assam Tribune – Don Bosco chips in with aid in BTAD districts

Salesian Missions – Don Bosco Institute

Don Bosco Institute Website – Don Bosco Institute

Reuters/AlertNet: Refugees flee ethnic violence in India’s troubled Assam

The post INDIA: Salesians Aid Refugees of Ethnic Violence first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Families are suffering greatly and many, mostly women and children, are at risk. Of the more than 330,000 people that have fled their homes in Mali, a fifth of them are children. A July 2012 press release by UNICEF noted that while the vast majority of malnourished children live in the southern parts of Mali the recent conditions in the north have reduced access to food, water and basic health care. Due to the prolonged drought, about 560,000 young children in Mali are at risk of acute malnutrition this year and between 175,000 and 220,000 of those will require life-saving treatment.

In addition to facing severe malnutrition, this same UNICEF release noted that violence against children in Bamako, Mali is rising. There is evidence that children are being killed and injured by explosive devices as well as recruited into armed groups and trained as guerrilla fighters. UNICEF noted that at least 175 boys ages 12-18 have so far been recruited into these armed groups. UNICEF also noted that eight girls have been raped or sexually abused in the region.

Access to education has also been affected, the press release said. The vast majority of schools have been closed in the region and close to 300,000 are without basic education. Children out of school are at a higher risk of recruitment, violence and exploitation.

“These numbers are reason for alarm especially because they represent only a partial picture of the child protection context in the north – an area where access for humanitarian workers is limited,” said Theophane Nikyema, UNICEF’s Representative in Mali, in the release. “Children in the North are witnessing or becoming victims of violence and they must be protected.”

Salesian Missions is among several organizations responding to the crisis in Mali. The Salesians have opened up one of their centers in order to take in refugee families. In addition, Salesian missionaries in Mali are organizing food distribution to remote areas where many victims are on the brink of starvation.

The Salesians have a long history of helping refugee and displaced populations. Salesian-run programs offer assistance in refugee camps throughout the world, often in the form of technical vocational training and job placement services, which empower refugees and internally displaced persons with marketable skills. Such training and assistance is provided in safe and supportive environments, enabling youth and their families to slowly rebuild their lives.

“As the crisis in Mali continues to unfold, youth remain at risk in Mali and in many other unstable regions around the world,” said Fr. Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions – the U.S. fundraising arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We need your support to help ensure that the Salesians are able and prepared to accept and care for refugees victimized by war and violence and to assist us in caring for children and families in need.”

Donations are urgently needed to help feed and shelter displaced youth and their families. To make a donation please visit SalesianMissions.org.

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Photo: Reuters/Adama Diarra

Sources:

UNICEF: Violence against children is mounting in Mali

Salesian Missions: Crisis in Mali: Salesian Center Takes in Refugees

The post MALI: Salesians Assist Displaced Children & Families as Political Instability Continues first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has a long and checkered past, torn apart by years of civil war and continued internal security threats. According to the UNHRC, the Democratic Republic of Congo has more than 1.7 million people internally displaced and suffers from poverty and lawlessness. Young people are often recruited by warlords and serious infractions of violence against one another are committed by armed groups as well as civilians. The country ranks last for human development and has the lowest Gross National Product in the world.

The Salesians, with a long standing commitment of working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — having celebrated their 100th year in the county last year — are making sure that many of the country’s most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Close to seven million children do not have access to education because their families cannot afford to pay the required tuition for school. At the Don Bosco Ngangi Center though any child is welcome free of charge. The Center serves as a haven for the poor and suffering and many of the children have nowhere else to turn.

Built from the original school and sports field, the Center has grown to provide vocational training, refugee housing, a rehabilitation facility for child soldiers, nutritional center and medical center. In addition, Don Bosco Ngangi Center provides aid and services to the many surrounding refugees camps. Orphans, abandoned children, victims of disaster and refugees are among the 2,338 students who rely on the Don Bosco Ngangi Center as their only hope for a better future. For most of them, it’s also the only place where they can get a nutritious meal each day.

“Despite overwhelming obstacles confronting these children — not to mention the challenges of teaching and feeding them with limited resources — the results are encouraging and inspiring,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions — the U.S. arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students at Don Bosco Ngangi Center consistently boast the highest scored on the national exam for secondary school admission, a hopeful sign that children who need the most can be empowered to succeed.”

Donations are urgently needed to help feed the youth at this organization. Learn how to help at SalesianMissions.org.

*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 CONGO: Food Aid Relief Needed for Salesian School in the Democratic Republic of the Congo first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Timana visited several Salesian-run sites in anticipation of the Department of State official visit, and had the opportunity to tour Domingo Savio Salesian School in Guayaquil, Ecuador and Kennedy Salesian School located in Quito, Ecuador.  In Panama City, Panama, Timana visited Tecnico Don Bosco.

Timana went to tour the Salesian-run programs ahead of the site visits to ensure all program requirements were being met.  These program requirements include flexible class schedules where classes are offered at night and on the weekends to accommodate the working schedule of Colombian refugees. Further, Timana was able to verify that the equipment and maintenance repairs being done in the programs fit within the framework and guidelines of the funding. During the site visit, Population, Refugee, and Migration officials were happy to note that some of the maintenance funds were utilized fix more than two dozen sewing machines that students utilize for classes.

Touring the schools, Timana was also able to take in the schools’ infrastructure, classes and students in the programs. These programs provide valuable education and training opportunities to Colombian refugees and other vulnerable populations. Timana’s most memorable part of the trip was meeting the Colombian refugees and listening to their stories of how much the technical training they receive is benefiting their lives. Timana found that many of them have plans to start their own businesses and have made lasting connections with teachers and faculty.

“In Guayaquil, Ecuador, I met a mother of three children who was attending Salesian training sessions and she explained that while her children play in the Salesian school field, she attends class in the same school,” explained Timana. “These programs are really providing an opportunity for people to improve their lives.”

During this same trip, Timana also visited Panama for a meeting held with other Salesian representatives from Panama, Costa Rica and the Salesian Central American Province.

“The work the Salesians are doing around the globe is crucial for the economic development of many developing countries,” added Timana. “The Salesian order focuses on providing education to youth at risk and vulnerable populations which saves many of these students from poverty.”

Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the international Salesians of Don Bosco—specializing in programs and services for at-risk youth in more than 130 countries. The Salesians are widely considered the world’s largest private provider of vocational and technical education.

For more information, go to www.SalesianMissions.org.

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(MissionNewswire) The international community celebrated World Refugee Day on June 20 – which is recognized annually as the day to focus on the plight of millions of families around the globe that have lost their homes to violence and war and to advocate on their behalf. World Refugee Day 2012 was coordinated by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHRC.

Coordinating with Africa Refugee Day, which had been celebrated for many years on June 20, the UN General Assembly celebrated the first World Refugee day in 2001. This day also marked the 50^th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. World Refugee Day was established to honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. Almost 80 percent of all refugees are women and children.

Each year, World Refugee Day reflects on specific struggles faced by refugees. This year’s theme is “Refugees have no choice. You do.”

UNHCR marked World Refugee Day by rolling out a new campaign, “Dilemmas.”  This campaign depicts the tough choices refugees face. The goal is to help the public empathize with and understand the dilemmas faced by refugee populations. According to the United Nations, there were 42.5 million people forcibly displaced at the end of 2011.

“We must work together to mobilize the political will and leadership to prevent and end the conflicts that trigger refugee flows. […] Despite budget constraints everywhere, we must not turn away from those in need. Refugees leave because they have no choice. We must choose to help,” said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Salesian Missions is one such group tackling some of the challenges faced by refugees. When forced to leave their home countries to save themselves from violence and war, refugees often arrive in other locations with no job skills making resettlement in their new country nearly impossible.

The Salesian Missions “New Beginnings” program gives families the chance to achieve stability and the opportunity to send their children to school. It provides training and technical skills that enable refugees to find gainful employment. It also offers educational courses as well as job placement support.

In addition, the Salesians help guide refugees through the proper registration process in their new homeland, which allows them to work legally there. The Salesians coordinate with Departments of Labor in each country to ensure that the training given to refugees matches the needs of employers, which further improves the chances of securing a better life.

The New Beginnings program is aiding refugees in several countries around the globe. In April, 450 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees graduated from this unique vocational training program that was designed especially for them. In Kenya, Salesian Missions helps youth enhance their livelihoods and achieve self-sustainability through a New Beginnings project in the country.

In 2011, Salesian Missions began a new “New Beginnings” initiative working with Colombian refugees in four countries in Central and South America. Through this program Salesian Missions is providing more than 5,000 Colombian refugees vocational and human development training as well as job placement services.

“Many of the Colombian refugees have no marketable skills. They can’t find jobs and the lack of training makes it difficult to start their own business or join with others to form cooperatives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Without jobs, it is hard to find stability for their families and build new lives. The New Beginnings program allows these victims of violence and chaos to start over and build a stable, hopeful future for themselves and their families.”

In addition to the estimated 5,100 students who will receive job training, Salesian Missions expects the program to indirectly benefit 26,520 family members. The program is reaching refugees in 18 different regions throughout Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, and Costa Rica.

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Sources:

The United Nations – World Refugee Day 2012

The UN Refugee Agency – UNHRC:  World Refugee Day 2012

SalesianMissions.org:  “New Beginnings” for Colombian Refugees

The post WORLD REFUGEE DAY: Salesians Give Refugees “New Beginnings” first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“We came because two paramilitary factions and one guerrilla group were wreaking havoc in the area where we lived. They are killing a lot of the local people,” Padilla told UNHCR. Growing numbers of people have been arriving in northern Ecuador‘s Esmeraldas province this year and asking for asylum. Like Padilla, they cite increased violence across the border.

Significant numbers of people have been crossing into the province to seek shelter for years, with government figures putting the number at 1,200 to 1,500 people a month, said Oscar Sánchez Piñeiro, head of UNHCR ‘s field office in Esmeraldas.

But he added that the number had risen due to “the deteriorating conditions” in and around Tumaco, the main Pacific port in south-west Colombia‘s Nariño department. In one week earlier this year, UNHCR estimates that there were 600 arrivals.

Sánchez Piñeiro said that a further 1,000 people are believed to have arrived in Esmeraldas province during the same time, but had not been able to file asylum claims because it was difficult getting from border areas to the provincial capital, Esmeraldas, where the government registers new arrivals.

“The new arrivals say the situation in Colombia remains volatile,” the UNHCR official said. “Among the arriving population there are many women and children who had to flee because of threats, assassinations of relatives or the occupation of their land by irregular armed groups. Many live in precarious conditions, especially due to their proximity to the conflict zone and increasing violence in the border.”

UNHCR visitors met Padilla and his family at a shelter in San Lorenzo, where they were receiving assistance until they could find somewhere more permanent to live and look for a livelihood. They decided to leave Tumaco after one of the armed groups killed three people in their neighborhood, Padilla said, adding: “It was rumored that three more people were missing.”

But Padilla did not have enough money for transport to the border and he and his wife made the tough decision to leave their two oldest children – a 10-year-old girl and a boy aged 13 – with relatives in the hope that they could later reunite in Ecuador. His wife worries about the two children. “It hurt me a lot when I had to leave as I had never been far away from them, never.”

Many of the families arriving in this area stay with local communities on San Lorenzo’s stretch of coast, while others – like Padilla’s family – are provided with temporary accommodation. “We have several locations where we provide shelter for the new arrivals, especially for the vulnerable ones in San Lorenzo,” said Piñeiro, adding that needs surpassed UNHCR’s capacity.

UNHCR offers weekly briefings for the new arrivals in San Lorenzo, which is the first point of entry for many. The sessions include orientation on how to access the asylum process and also arranged information meetings through the provincial Refugee Directorate, which is the state entity in charge of providing registration and conducting the asylum process.

One priority for UNHCR is to work with the protection networks established in the border region to help trace the separated family members and to enhance protection activities along the northern border with Colombia.

Debbie Elizondo, UNHCR’s representative in Quito, noted that Ecuador is the largest refugee-hosting country in Latin America, with more than 55,000 recognized Colombian refugees. But she also expressed concern about the dangers asylum seekers face in the border areas inside Ecuador .

“Many people may think that perhaps there is no more conflict in Colombia , but the reality is that we continue to see thousands fleeing the increasingly volatile areas and fragmented fighting,” she said, adding that the border area was dangerous.

“Just last year, 15 refugees or asylum-seekers were assassinated in the province of Esmeraldas. There is also an increased presence of illegal armed groups along the border and they operate in the region and foster systemic human rights violations,” Elizondo added.

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By Babar Baloch in San Lorenzo, Ecuador (UNHCR) | PHOTO: B. Balach/UNHCR

See this news article in its original location.

See related article: “New Beginnings” Program Expands to Assist Colombian Refugees in Four Countries

The post UNHCR: Violence in Colombia Displacing More People into Ecuador first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The three-year program will focus on Colombian refugees living Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Panama due to ongoing internal conflict in Colombia, which has resulted in the displacement of more than four million Colombians in the last two decades.

According to 2011 data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) more than 90% of the 454,088 known Colombian refugees and asylum seekers now live in the neighboring countries of Ecuador (167,189), Venezuela (215,685), Panama (17,714), and Costa Rica (19,703).

“Many of the Colombian refugees have no marketable skills. They can’t find jobs and the lack of training makes it difficult to start their own business or join with others to form cooperatives. Without jobs, it is hard to find stability for their families and build new lives. For example, younger children may not attend school and the cycle of poverty continues,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Through the “New Beginnings” program, Colombian refugees will receive training and technical skills that will enable them to find gainful employment. In addition, the recipients will receive human development workshops developed through a grant with the WK Kellogg Foundation, as well as job placement services.

According to Fr. Hyde, job placement specialists in each target country will consult with local employers and existing ministry of labor contacts to ensure the job training programs meet the needs of the marketplace.

In addition to the estimated 5,100 students who will receive job training, Salesian Missions expects the program to indirectly benefit 26,520 family members. The program will reach refugees in 18 different regions throughout Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, and Costa Rica.

“Many of these refugees live in rural villages where access to technical training is often difficult to attain,” explains Edson Timana, a program officer with the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. Timana is currently traveling to all program sites throughout the four countries to prepare them to implement the programs prior to the arrival of the refugees.

The program will also ensure that the Colombian refugees are formalizing their status as registered refugees. It is estimated that only around 22% of Colombian refugees are registered and accounted for.

“If a refugee is not counted – or is considered ‘vanished’ – it makes it that much more difficult to provide long-term solutions for them,” says Fr. Hyde. “For example, in the four countries we’ve targeted, only registered refugees can legally work, making the registration component critically important. Our goal is to have one hundred percent of students enrolled in the program formalizing their status as registered refugees and then they can begin to build a new life in their new country.”

Fr. Hyde adds that cultural understanding is another aspect of ensuring refugees long-term achievement in their new country.

“We’ve seen that Colombian refugees face high levels of discrimination because of harmful stereotypes. Discrimination affects the refugees’ ability to find jobs, housing and even basic services. The stereotypes also affect the refugees’ sense of self. That’s why we’re including spaces for positive exchanges, as well as conflict mitigation, between Colombian refugees and members of the local host community in the program,” says Fr. Hyde. This includes integrating refugee students with host country students in courses and workshops, vocational training fairs and sports and cultural activities to promote social interaction.

The “New Beginnings” program is designed to meet the goals of the UNHCR/International Organization for Migration/Ministers Foreign Affairs; Colombia, Ecuador Assistance Plan for Colombian Refugees (December 2010), which seeks to support priorities and pilot programs which will advance the sustainable reintegration of Colombians who decide to return home while improving the living conditions of those Colombians who continue to stay abroad by, “promoting their socio-economic inclusion in society with proper access to employment, basic health services, education and housing.”

The most recent Salesian Missions’ “New Beginnings” commenced at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. The first program was launched in 2005 in Colombia, with a focus on providing vocational training, job placement, and healthcare assistance to persons displaced by the country’s ongoing civil conflict. Last year an additional New Beginnings project commenced in Tamil Nadu, India, providing vocational skills, human development, and job placement assistance to Sri Lankan refugees. In both India and Colombia, students received and continue to receive training in skill areas ranging from video production to carpentry to wind turbine repair and maintenance.

The Salesians are widely considered the world’s largest provider of technical and vocational training. Salesians around the world operate an extensive network of schools: more than 1,316 elementary; 1,400 intermediary and secondary; 32 colleges and universities; 300 industrial skills trade/vocational; 90 agricultural; 860 nurseries; 220 clinics and hospitals; and 1,670 social assistance centers and programs for orphans and street children.

The post CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA: “New Beginnings” Program Expands to Assist Colombian Refugees in Four Countries first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The reality of the situation in the Horn of Africa is unimaginable, and those working in the crisis zone struggle to provide critical information to the outside world, while also trying to save lives.

The international community’s reaction to the signs of massive famine in the Horn of Africa came too late, say the Salesians of Don Bosco in Ethiopia.  Refugee camps throughout the region are filled with tens of thousands of people in desperate need. The camp locations are extremely remote, with workers reporting they feel isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. Warnings of a famine disaster began in December 2010 but “nobody was listening,” said Mattia Grandi, a local project coordinator for the Salesian relief efforts told EWTN News.

Getting up-to-date information is a challenge even for humanitarian organizations who were already established in the famine zones, says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our missionaries working in the thick of the crisis are trying their best to send reports. But as expected, they must first attend to the immediate needs of the children and adults dying of malnutrition. Every second counts.”

Photographs that have made their way out of the isolated region tell stories that words simply cannot. The images are surreal, given the severe nature of the famine and the large numbers of people in desperate need of assistance. The realities of the situation are hard for anyone to process, even those who devote their lives to helping the poor and providing emergency aid.

“Long lines stretch from our refugee camps,” says Fr. Hyde, describing scenes from such photographs from the five Salesian refugee camps in the region, where an estimated 150,000 people are living in in desperate need of food and water.

“People of all ages waiting patiently for help. There is no visible sign of panic on their faces as malnutrition has sapped their energy and their spirits. Many of the victims are so frail, it is only a matter of days or even hours before they succumb to the starvation.”

Humanitarian organizations like Salesian Missions are urging people to help even though the situation may be overwhelming or seemingly hopeless. Although, the death toll is expected to be large, donations can and do make a difference, says Fr. Hyde. “Many lives can still be saved, we must not be discouraged.”

During recent weeks, the Salesians participated in the delivery of 49 tons of food to North Horr in Kenya, consisting of 25 tons of corn, 10 tons of beans, 10 tons of fortified flour, 3 tons of rice and 1 ton of cooking fat. An additional 25 tons of food were sent to Lodwa-Turkana – including corn, beans, cooking oil, peas, flour, biscuits and powdered milk.

Currently, Salesian Missions is providing 2,000 food rations each day and 10,000 liters of water twice a day. An international campaign launched by the Salesians is aimed at helping almost 4 million people living in the region. Donations can be made by going to www.SalesianMissions.org.

The post HORN OF AFRICA: Saving Lives Amid Unimaginable Conditions, “We Must Not Be Discouraged” first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“The crisis in the Horn of Africa is a human disaster becoming a human catastrophe,” reports Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, the U.N.’s children’s agency.

According to Lake, 1.4 million children are affected in Somalia alone, with an estimated 390,000 suffering from malnutrition. His agency estimates that nearly 140,000 children in south-central Somalia are currently suffering from “severe acute malnutrition” and are near death.

On July 20, the U.N. declared a famine in two regions of southern Somalia, marking the first time since the early 90s that the U.N. has declared famine in Somalia. Across the region, nearly 11 million people are at risk according to UNICEF.

Malnutrition rates in Somalia are currently the highest in the world, with peaks of 50 percent in southern areas, according to Mark Bowden, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia.

Aid agencies have struggled to reach the most desperate parts of Somalia, where Al-Shabab extremists maintain control and refuse access to essential humanitarian organizations, including the U.N. World Food Program. As a result, tens of thousands are fleeing to refugee camps in neighboring countries Ethiopia and Kenya.

The children and people of the Horn of Africa face not only a threat of death from starvation, but from diseases that spread easily in overcrowded refugee camps. Men, women and children travel hundreds of miles on foot to make it to refugee camps where, sadly, they face another deadly threat.

Water-borne diseases are also a “lethal threat to children in southern Somalia,” according to an Aug. 18 report from UNICEF, which urges that a rapid response is needed as cholera cases increase. The report cites that 75 percent of all cases of highly infectious acute watery diarrhea are among children under five.

According to UNICEF, many of the Horn of Africa’s rural and urban areas rely on shallow wells, which – unless they are protected or treated with chlorine – can become a perfect breeding ground for water-borne diseases.

Therefore, aid must not only focus on providing food, it must also include plans for access to ongoing clean water, says Brother Cesare Bullo, executive director of the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

His office has put together plans to “rehabilitate” shallow wells to make them safe as well as dig new wells.

“We have located four water points that need to be rehabilitated and strengthened through the purchase of new pumps and additional excavations to find more water,” says Br. Bullo. “The new wells will be built in four areas for local communities very much in need of water at the moment. The wells need to be capable of providing a sufficient quantity of water during the droughts.”

In order to complete these projects, and provide life-saving food aid and water distribution, the Salesians have coordinated an international fundraising initiative. Salesian Missions of New Rochelle, NY, has put out an urgent appeal to U.S. donors to help raise the project goal of $850,000 that this initial response will require. To make a donation, go to www.SalesianMissions.org.

UN Photo/Stuart Price

Sources:

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39086&Cr=Somali&Cr1=

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_59585.html

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_59241.html

The post HORN OF AFRICA: More than 300,000 Children at “Risk of Dying” from Malnutrition, Disease first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“Entire communities have nothing to eat and people, many of them children, are dying,” explained Salesian missionaries serving in the Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya. More than 20,000 Somali refugees sought refuge at the camp after fleeing the political instability, hunger and overcrowding of other camps. This brings the total refugees at Kakuma to more than 50,000 with an estimated 1,000 additional Somali refugees arriving daily.

In refugee camps served by Salesians in the area, more than 80,000 people are in need of assistance, according to Brother Cesare Bullo, executive director of the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Authorities fear that this crisis could become worse than the famine of 1984-85 when more than one million people died. In response, the Salesians have organized an international fundraising initiative aimed to raise at least $850,000 to provide necessary aid for 6 months.

Projects to address the urgent needs of the drought and famine victims include the repair and maintenance of existing wells, drilling of new wells, water distribution and emergency food aid.

The repair and maintenance of four wells will provide a long-term water supply for 8,000 people. In additional, four new wells will be constructed. In total, it is estimated that at least 14,000 people will benefit from these new water sources.

“We have located four water points that need to be rehabilitated and strengthened through the purchase of new pumps and additional excavations to find more water,” says Br. Bullo. “The new wells will be built in four areas for local communities very much in need of water at the moment. The wells need to be capable of providing a sufficient quantity of water during the droughts.”

The Salesians also have a plan in the works to provide a water tracking service for water distribution in the area around Jijiga, to aid the pastoralist communities. The goal is to distribute 10-12,000 liters of water twice daily.

With 1,000 new refugees arriving daily in Ethiopia from Somalia, Br. Bullo says it takes three to four days for them to register with UNHCR and enter the camp to receive aid.

“They arrive after having walked more than 600 kilometers,” says Br. Bullo, emphasizing the urgent nature of the refugees’ needs.

“We are working to distribute food outside the refugee camps while they are waiting to be registered,” he says, referring to the area of Dolo Ado in the Southern part of Somalia. “We estimate we can provide 2,000 daily rations which means 1,000 people will benefit from the daily distribution for at least three or four days before entering the camps.”

Br. Bullo estimates they will help at least 10,000 people outside the camps in the first month.

Salesian Missions calls on the public to make donations, as they are urgently needed to fulfill these essential life-saving projects.

“So far, we have raised about a third of the needed funds and are hopeful that the remaining amount will follow as caring friends and donors learn of the crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions in New Rochelle, NY.

To make a donation, go to www.SalesianMissions.org, click on Donate Now and select “African Famine Fund.”

The Salesians specialize in assessing specific needs and identifying best possible emergency interventions to aid as many people as possible. Since they are already established in the communities working to help those in need, they are in a unique position to assess situations and respond.

For example, in Ethiopia the Salesians operate in 14 towns, providing schools, feeding programs, housing for orphans, and HIV/AIDS intervention programs. In Kenya, the Salesians bring classrooms to refugee camps, protect youth from disease, teach agriculture skills, feed hungry children and families, and much more.

PHOTO: ROBERTO SCHMIDT (AFP/Getty)

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An innovative vocational education program targets refugee youth for job skills training to enhance their livelihoods and achieve self-sustainability. The Salesian Missions program, “New Beginnings,” is financed by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

“Refugee youth are some of the world’s most vulnerable youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “They often have survived incredible violence, struggled to find food and shelter in the refugee camps, and then find that there is little opportunity for education.  We are working to change that.”

This month, the “New Beginnings” program begins in Kenya, focusing on youth at the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Kenya is home to 340,000 refugees, and hosts the largest refugee population in eastern Africa. Kakuma Refugee Camp currently houses approximately 70,000 refugees from Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and several other countries in East Africa. Refugees continue to arrive without a sustainable income. The program will target 900 youth ages 15-30 with an emphasis on those who are the primary wage earners for their families. A particular goal is to recruit women, and empower them with the skills and confidence to enter the workforce.

“It is critical that students receive training where there is a demand for workers,” explains Fr. Hyde. He adds that training will include three month and 12-month certificate programs which will be offered in market-driven courses such as carpentry, computers, dress-making, electrical installation, auto mechanics and agriculture. English will be taught, as well as classes in gender-based violence awareness and prevention.

The program will assist students interested in starting small businesses or cooperatives after completing their courses. It will include support for business management questions, additional training if needed to keep up with the market, and assistance in the job placement process.

“We’ll provide micro-grants, or capital such as tools or equipment, to students who develop effective business plans,” says Fr. Hyde. “We believe that once a student, always a student.”

Salesian Missions’ first U.S. Department of State funded “New Beginnings” program was launched in 2005 in Colombia, with a focus on providing vocational training, job placement, and healthcare assistance to persons displaced by the country’s ongoing civil conflict. Last year an additional New Beginnings project commenced in Tamil Nadu, India, providing vocational skills, human development, and job placement assistance to Sri Lankan refugees. In both India and Colombia, students received and continue to receive training in skill areas ranging from video production to carpentry to wind turbine repair and maintenance.

Salesians around the world operate an extensive network of schools: more than 1,316 elementary; 1,400 intermediary and secondary; 32 colleges and universities; 300 industrial skills trade/vocational; 90 agricultural; 860 nurseries; 220 clinics and hospitals; and 1,670 social assistance centers and programs for orphans and street children.

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Photo: Matija Kovac/Wikimedia Commons

Sources: International Labour Organization , UN International Year of the Youth

The post KENYA: Refugee Youth Find “New Beginnings” with Job Training first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions – headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, spoke about the work of Salesian Missions saying, “The situation is extremely critical. Salesian missionaries throughout Sri Lanka are desperately trying to assist thousands of displaced people who have escaped civil war violence. Salesian Missions is calling on the generosity of Americans to help rebuild lives in Sri Lanka.”

Women and children are believed to make up more than 80 percent of displaced populations in Sri Lanka. The majority of women widowed in the Eastern Province during nearly three decades of war are under the age of 30. The widows in the east are in urgent need of employment and livelihood opportunities. Changing conditions due to displacement have opened up new possibilities for women and led to their becoming more active in paid employment than prior to displacement. Salesian Missions is providing shelter at long term temporary camps for these families and job skills training to offer better opportunities. In addition to job skills training, these camps are also providing food, clothing, medicine at mobile clinic facilities and ambulance service as immediate support.

Salesian Missions has a particular focus on displaced children in the region.

Many youth were forced into becoming soldiers during the conflict. Hundreds were killed, maimed and wounded in the areas of conflict in Vanni. Casualties since January 2009 are believed to include hundreds of youth killed and more than 1,000 injured. The conflict has additionally disrupted the education of at least 60,000 students in the north.

“The Sri Lankan government has asked us to take in nearly 500 rescued child soldiers who have no where else to go,” says Fr. Hyde. “These youth have been ripped from their homes and families and have never attended school. If we are to rebuild these young lives, we must teach them job skills and give them the chance for a better life.” Technical training and education that help youth learn to help themselves and increase the capacity of their families and their communities will be a primary focus of the Salesian work in Sri Lanka.

Salesian Missions programs are found well beyond the borders of Sri Lanka. They are in more than 130 countries around the globe, and have reached more than 3 million youth over the past six decades. Even more impressive, the international programs have been made possible by the generosity of more than 5 million Americans.

Fr. Mark adds that all families and youth in Sri Lanka deserve to live safe and productive lives. In order to help the more than 14,000 displaced residents at the Murunkan IDP (internally displaced persons) Center, Salesian Missions needs the continued help of generous American donors.

The post SRI LANKA: Responding to Needs of Thousands Displaced by Sri Lankan Civil War first appeared on MissionNewswire.