In 2013, Don Bosco Kep began welcoming students with disabilities. One such student, Ang, who is enrolled in the art communications program, was afflicted by polio at a young age and lost his ability to walk. While he does have access to a motorized wheelchair and a motorbike with three wheels that allows him to get to and from the campus buildings and up the ramp to his classrooms, he still requires assistance. The art school is located on the second floor of the youth center building and the male residence is on the third. It is only with assistance from his classmates that he is able to access those areas of the building, which often leaves Ang feeling like a burden to those around him.

With the USAID funding, Don Bosco Kep has been making modifications including the installation of elevators in the main buildings, the construction of ramps to access areas for community gatherings and the creation of a students’ and teachers’ residence with all of the modifications that will allow those with physical disabilities to live and attend school independently. The funding is also supporting creating handicap accessible bathrooms and the purchase of equipment to aid the learning environment for youth with disabilities.

For children with disabilities living in Cambodia, access to education is limited and the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty is almost nonexistent. UNICEF notes in its State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities report that globally, close to 61 percent of boys finish school but for boys with disabilities that number drops to 51 percent. For girls, 53 percent finish school but among those living with a disability, only 42 percent finish their education.

The UNICEF report also notes that studies across countries show a strong link between poverty and disability, which in turn is linked to gender, health and employment issues. The report further suggests that inclusion in mainstream schools and educational settings is usually most appropriate for children with disabilities and when teachers and personnel are trained to consider disability-related issues, they look upon inclusion of children with disabilities more positively.

“Children living in poverty with a disability are even less likely to attend school when compared to their peers,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth with disabilities have the same ability to achieve as their peers, if given the opportunity. Don Bosco Kep is working to make sure that all students have access to the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to the social, cultural and economic vitality of their communities.”

Don Bosco Kep provides basic, secondary and technical education to poor youth living in the Cambodian provinces of Kep, Kampot, Takeo, Ratanakiri and Mondolkiri. The school’s educational and social development programs help students break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities. Don Bosco Kep provides special attention to children and young people from ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, orphans and at-risk youth in danger of becoming victims of human trafficking, labor exploitation or other abuses.

Jaime Correa-Montalvo, program director at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, visited the campus of Don Bosco Kep to oversee the implementation of the new grant.

“We appreciate the funding from USAID that will allow Salesian missionaries to transform the Don Bosco Kep campus to welcome and giver greater access to students with physical disabilities,” says Correa-Montalvo. “The new construction modifications open up the campus allowing students to have better access from building to building and have a greater degree of self-sufficiency.”

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Sources:

Don Bosco Kep Cambodia

Don Bosco Kep Video USAID Project

Salesian Missions – Work in Cambodia

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

UNICEF – Cambodia 

The post CAMBODIA: Don Bosco Technical School is Providing Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Don Bosco Kep was one of 34 programs funded by USAID grants that support construction projects and the purchase of equipment for overseas institutions. For children with disabilities living in Cambodia, access to education is limited and the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty is almost nonexistent. UNICEF notes in its State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities report that globally, close to 61 percent of boys finish school but for boys with disabilities that number drops to 51 percent. For girls, 53 percent finish school but among those living with a disability, only 42 percent finish their education.

The UNICEF report also notes that studies across countries show a strong link between poverty and disability, which in turn is linked to gender, health and employment issues. The report further suggests that inclusion in mainstream schools and educational settings is usually most appropriate for children with disabilities and when teachers and personnel are trained to consider disability-related issues, they look upon inclusion of children with disabilities more positively.

Don Bosco Kep provides basic, secondary and technical education to poor youth living in the Cambodian provinces of Kep, Kampot, Takeo, Ratanakiri and Mondolkiri. The school’s educational and social development programs help students  break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities. Don Bosco Kep provides special attention to children and young people from ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, orphans and at-risk youth in danger of becoming victims of human trafficking, labor exploitation or other abuses.

“Youth living in poverty are among the least likely to have access to educational programs that provide the skills necessary to lead stable productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Children living in poverty with a disability are even less likely to attend school when compared to their peers. Salesian missionaries in Cambodia are working to ensure that every child, no matter their situation, has access to education.”

In order to best meet the needs of the youth it serves, Don Bosco Kep is constantly expanding its services. In October 2011, technical education began at the school in social communication and journalism as well as front office management, housekeeping and tailoring. In October 2012, the electrical department opened and the information technology and language classes began. A year later, the school expanded again to include coursework in culinary arts, agriculture, food and beverage, art communication and office administration.

In 2013, Don Bosco Kep began welcoming students with disabilities. One such student, Ang, who is enrolled in the art communications program, was afflicted by polio at a young age and lost his ability to walk. While he does have access to a motorized wheelchair and a motorbike with three wheels that allows him to get to and from the campus buildings and up the ramp to his classrooms, he still requires assistance. The art school is located on the second floor of the youth center building and the male residence is on the third. It is only with assistance from his classmates that he is able to access those areas of the building, which often leaves Ang feeling like a burden to those around him.

With the newly acquired USAID funding, Don Bosco Kep plans to make specific modifications including the installation of elevators in the main buildings, the construction of ramps to access areas for community gatherings and the creation of a students’ and teachers’ residence with all of the modifications that will allow those with physical disabilities to live and attend school independently.

Jaime Correa-Montalvo, program director at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, recently visited the campus of Don Bosco Kep to oversee the implementation of the new grant.

“We appreciate the funding from USAID that will allow Salesian missionaries to transform the Don Bosco Kep campus to welcome and giver greater access to students with physical disabilities,” says Correa-Montalvo. “The new construction modifications will open up the campus allowing students to have better access from building to building and have a greater degree of self-sufficiency.”

Cambodia’s long history of violence and conflict has led to almost a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty, according to UNICEF. Since the end of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia’s economy has been strengthening with particular growth in construction, tourism and agriculture. However, Cambodians are still struggling, particularly those living in rural areas where close to 75 percent of the population face seasonal food shortages.

With almost a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 illiterate with very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesians in the country operate 45 schools and seven vocational training centers in poor, rural villages through a partnership with Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education.

Sources

Don Bosco Kep

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

UNICEF – Cambodia

USAID – USAID Announces Awards to Support Schools and Hospitals Abroad

The post CAMBODIA: Don Bosco Kep Awarded USAID Grant to Provide Greater Access for Students with Physical Disabilities first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Recently, staff from the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs visited Ms. Crisafulli and her third grade students at the Academy of St. Francis of Assisi to talk about the shoe drive and share more information about the City of Hope and the students who will benefit from the shoe donation. Salesian Missions will coordinate the shipment and distribution of the shoes later this Spring.

“It was really wonderful to see so many students, especially the very young, focused and happy to be giving to others in need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive Director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries in Zambia are working with poor children and their families by providing education and social programs. Having appropriate shoes to wear is important for students’ overall well-being and health.”

The Salesian-run City of Hope, an organization and school, was created to meet the needs of those living in the most severe poverty in Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka. The vast majority of children attending City of Hope programs are children who have been abused or live on the streets and those who are victims of child trafficking.

Currently, there are more than 800 students who attend the City of Hope’s Open Community School which serves those suffering from malnutrition, lack of education and family deprivation. Basic education is offered to youth between the ages of 9 and 17. Primary school classes make up the first four years after which students take the government’s grade seven examinations. Most City of Hope students do not have the opportunity to attend other schools because of a lack of financial means.

The City of Hope also offers a shelter that is home to at-risk girls referred through the social welfare system, the police and other institutions and organizations. Many have been orphaned and have nowhere else to go. There are currently 36 girls who live at the shelter ranging in age from 7 to 22 years. The shelter is not an orphanage but rather a safe place for girls to stay while they gain an education and make the transition either to living with other family or to a more independent life. To date, more than 150 girls have received services through the City of Hope’s shelter.

“The City of Hope is helping youth in Zambia lay the foundation for a better future,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Donations such as shoes help our students to remain healthy while avoiding risk for injury, infections and diseases caused by walking barefoot. Healthy students are more prepared in the classroom, better able to focus on their educational pursuits and go on to create better lives for themselves while improving their communities.”

Poverty is widespread in Zambia with 64 percent of the total population living below the poverty line. For those living in rural areas, the poverty rate rises to 80 percent, according to UNICEF. Over the past three decades, incomes in Zambia have fallen steadily and people do not have enough money to meet basic needs such as shelter, nutritious food and medical care.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has taken its toll on Zambia’s children. More than 20,000 households in the country are headed by children whose parents have died because of HIV/AIDS. Many of these young children are desperate for adult support.

Sources

Academy of St. Francis of Assisi

Salesian Sisters City of Hope

UNICEF – Zambia

The post UNITED STATES: Third Grade Students at the Academy of St. Francis of Assisi Host Shoe Drive to Benefit Salesian-run City of Hope in Zambia first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In May 2012, TOMS began distributing shoes to youth in communities served by the Talita Kumi Foundation. Talita Kumi is present in more than 1000 indigenous communities in Northern Guatemala and serves more than 88,000 school-aged children. TOMS shoes are provided to families that participate in Talita Kumi’s education, health and economic development programs.

Youth living in rural Guatemalan communities are constantly on the move but lack options for transportation and normally do not have enough money to buy shoes. To get to school, students must walk close to 30 minutes on rocky, wet trails through the mountains. While at school, students participate in classroom learning while also engaging in outdoor sports and recreation activities. After returning home, students are often expected to help their parents perform tasks such as farming, milking cows, caring for animals and gathering wood for fires. Without shoes, these young people are at-risk for injury and diseases such as parasites, skin fungus and respiratory diseases, among others.

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

As a result of TOMS shoes, youth enrollment and participation in school has increased and students are more prepared for school activities. Shoes also provide students with a sense of dignity. Angel, an 11 year old recipient of TOMS shoes, previously endured a painful walk to school barefoot in mud, rain and over rocks. As a result of the shoes, the trip to school is safer and easier.

“I was so excited, I really like them because they are very comfortable, soft, and weigh nothing. I would like to have them for a long time to go to school with. I no longer have diseases on my feet and I use them to play with my friends at school,” says Angel describing the new shoes.

The Talita Kumi Foundation’s health programs currently serve more than 80,400 school-age children. Salesian missionaries at the Foundation work to combat malnutrition among its program participants and decrease the rates of maternal, infant and general mortality through primary health-care and training of families and community organizations. When youth are suffering from diseases contracted by walking around barefoot, it is more difficult to combat malnutrition. By improving the health of the children, Talita Kumi can alleviate the physical and economic strain of repeated medical visits and improve the food security and nutrition of the population, especially among women and children.

“One of the methods that Salesian missionaries teach on the topic of health and welfare is the use of footwear for children,” adds O’Connor. “However, many families cannot afford to buy shoes for their children. By distributing shoes to the children in Salesian programs, we can improve the health of individual children while also stressing the importance of wearing shoes among the community in general.”

Rural poverty hasn’t changed much in Guatemala during the last 20 years, according to the World Bank. Close to 75 percent of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line and almost 58 percent live below the extreme poverty line which the World Bank defines as struggling to afford even a basic basket of food. For the country’s indigenous population the poverty rates jump even higher with almost 90 percent facing crippling poverty and few resources.

Salesian missionaries working and living in the country have been providing for poor youth’s basic needs while helping them to break the cycle of poverty. Through Salesian youth centers, orphanages, parishes, primary and secondary schools as well as technical schools, vocational training workshops and two universities, Salesian missionaries work extensively with poor youth and their families. In addition, there are many Salesian programs throughout the country, some of which help provide for youth living on the streets while others offer social and educational opportunities to those living in poor indigenous communities.

ABOUT TOMS:

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

Five years later, TOMS realized this movement could serve other basic needs and launched TOMS Eyewear. With every pair of eyewear purchased, TOMS will help give sight to a person in need. One for One®. As more everyday choices have the power to impact the lives of those around the world, the TOMS movement will continue to grow and evolve.

In 2013, Blake Mycoskie announced that through its Giving Partners, TOMS has hand-placed over 10 million pairs of new shoes on children in need and has helped give sight to over 150,000 people around the world. The success of TOMS’ One for One® business model has led to a continued evolution of its giving efforts, with the company making major investments in its shoe manufacturing, economic empowerment and commissioned field research while developing product partnerships that have raised millions of dollars for non-profit organizations.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS:

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

The post GUATEMALA: Salesian Students Receive TOMS Shoes, are Healthier and Better Prepared for School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

At the Don Bosco Center in Istanbul, Salesian Father Andres Calleja Ruiz leads special programs for refugee children and youth from Syria as well as for a growing number of families fleeing ISIS persecution in Iraq. Because most refugees do not speak the local language it is difficult for children to attend school and adults to find work.

At the Center, Salesian missionaries provide a school for more than 350 refugee children where they learn English language skills as well as other traditional school subjects such as mathematics, geography and music. Students have access to sports and dance programs intended to help them connect with their peers and find enjoyment and comfort in their new surroundings. In addition, the program provides counseling both for youth and their families to help them overcome the challenges and traumas they have faced.

“Salesian missionary work in Istanbul serves a critical purpose providing refugees links to service providers and comprehensive assistance as they transition, for an unknown period of time, into local society,” says Neill Holland, program officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Without a doubt, the biggest Salesian success is the safe space created for youth who have experienced trauma in their home countries. At the Don Bosco School and community center, refugee youth take part in recreation activities with Turkish youth which allows them to move beyond their hardships while giving them a chance to forget their worries and be children once again.”

Technical skills training is a critical component of Salesian work in Istanbul. Many refugees leave the country’s border towns and refugee camps and make their way to Istanbul hoping to find employment and a more stable life. If they fail to find work, refugees are often left in dire circumstances. The Don Bosco Center’s technical skills training program is a critical safety net for those in need.

The skills training program trains refugee families in local trades and technical skills and assists them in finding stable employment in their new host country. As a result of evacuation and host country labor laws as well as a lack of established social and professional networks, many refugees urgently rely on the training program to locate long-term employment. In addition to skills training, Salesian missionaries provide needy refugees with emergency relief in the form of shelter, safety and medical assistance.

“Refugees, like those fleeing Syria and other areas, are particularly vulnerable to economic insecurity, subject to long-term unemployment and high costs for basic necessities like shelter and food,” adds Holland. “Refugees seeking local employment out of the need to support dependent family members are significantly at risk of exploitation and compromising situations.”

More than 200,000 people have been killed and millions more have fled their homes in search of safety since the outbreak of civil war in Syria in March 2011, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The conflict has taken its toll on young Syrians with U.N records indicating 2,165 recorded deaths of children under nine years old and 6,638 deaths of children aged 10 to 18 years. With often poor reporting, the numbers are suspected to be much higher.

Close to 6.5 million people are internally displaced within Syria. More than 2.5 million have fled to the neighboring countries of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq and just under 100,000 have declared asylum in Europe. Others have taken refuge in Northern Africa. Refugee camps in these bordering countries are overflowing with families in need of basic supplies, adequate shelter and safety as well as technical skills training so they can begin to earn a living in their new host countries.

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Sources:

PBS – Syrian Refugees in Turkey

UNHCR – Syria Refugees

Wall Street Journal – U.N. Says Syria Deaths Near 200,000

The post TURKEY: Salesian Missionaries Aid Close to 400 Syrian Refugees in Turkey first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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 to 140,000 Sri Lankan refugees in 65 countries, with almost 70,000 in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu.

Refugees face many challenges as they begin to make a new life in their host countries. Sri Lankan Tamils are unique in that their host population in Tamil Nadu is also ethnically Tamil. While Sri Lankan refugees share a common language and customs with their host community, they still struggle to gain marketable skills and find livable wage employment.

Since 2010, Salesian Missions has been providing its New Beginnings program for young male and female Sri Lankan refugees who have been living in refugee camps in 15 target districts in India. This year, Salesians are serving 550 individuals by providing vocational training through a network of nine Salesian-run Don Bosco schools spread across Southeast India. In addition, 550 women are benefiting from refugee camp-based small business incubator programs.

The New Beginnings program provides market-conscious vocational and technical skills training that results in livable wage employment, allowing trainees to better support themselves and their families. Many refugees enter the program with few, if any, job prospects or with a history of low paid part-time work experience which is typically unskilled and often dangerous and exploitative.

The training provides New Beginnings’ graduates with at least one market-demand technical skill as well as workplace readiness training to enhance positive attitudes, hygiene, personal presentation and teamwork. Results-oriented job placement assistance helps graduates transition from the classroom to employment in the local labor market. In addition, all trainees receive counseling to help them overcome traumas related to their displacement and hardship as well as recreation opportunities that promote non-violent conflict resolution and a healthy inclusive community.

“Young men, who once worked as painters or unskilled construction hands for just a dollar each day, have gone on to technical positions in established local and regional businesses,” says Neill Holland, program officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Some have leveraged their training to travel beyond local areas toward the Indian state’s technology companies and auto manufacturers in the Chennai industrial hub.”

Serving no less than 40 percent women and young girls, the New Beginnings program promotes gender equality and generates 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 engaging in meaningful employment.

Often women with young children are unable to leave the camps to attend school. In response, Salesian Missions created a program to bring training inside the refugee camps. Women can receive training in skills such as jewelry-making and sewing and are also provided entrepreneurial workshops. The program also helps women create a business cooperative while a micro-credit program helps them buy new equipment such as sewing machines. As a group, the women are able to provide their services and merchandise to local businesses, taking advantage of their new skills while continuing to care for their families.

“For female participants, the New Beginnings program has given young women pursuing financial independence, as well as stay-at-home mothers and willing seniors, a chance to access Tamil Nadu’s burgeoning clothing manufacturing market,” adds Holland. “Numerous female graduates have gone on to assist employers with tailoring work while others have utilized new computer skills to support the local business sector.”

The New Beginnings program has been so effective in part due to the mutual trust that exists between the Salesians and the communities they serve. After having made multiple connections with employers to understand the most valuable and in-demand marketable skills, Salesians in Tamil Nadu are very knowledgeable about local needs and create training programs that are structured to best meet these needs.

Also effective is the New Beginnings program’s integration of counselors, trainers and job placement specialists under one roof as well as its robust engagement with the Indian Government, US Department of State advisors and peer agencies that make up the larger community of practice for regional refugee assistance.

Through the New Beginnings program, Salesian Missions was able to partner with Fordham University’s International Political Economy and Development program for the assessment of training activities and program impact. This partnership created a platform for information sharing between Fordham researchers and Salesian administrators, leading to improved self-assessment and program planning.

Salesian missionaries are also providing the New Beginnings program for refugees in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp and refugees living in Colombia.

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PHOTO: Neill Holland with New Beginnings program beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu, India.

Sources:

UNHCR – Sri Lanka

Salesian Missions Office for International Programs

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration

The post INDIA: 2,500 Sri Lankan Refugees Access New Beginnings Training Program first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. According to the World Bank, over half of the country’s population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day. The majority of Haitians lack adequate access to education, healthcare and nutritious food.

In 2012, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured.

For Salesians in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing poor youth a foundation for lifelong learning through education and training in skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

The donated meals from Stop Hunger Now are helping to enhance the educational environment for poor youth at three Salesian centers in Haiti. Students in elementary, technical and vocational schools in Lakay, Lakou and Cap-Haïtien were among the recipients as well as many others from surrounding communities.

“The shipment of packaged meals helps us to improve the nutrition of orphans and other vulnerable children,” explains Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Operating feeding programs for youth in Salesian schools whose families cannot afford to feed them is very important and integral to the success of our students and their ability to gain an education.”

The meals are provided to students during the school day as well as to their families at a monthly meeting. This food aid serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school and as a result of the donation, students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffer fewer illnesses and are more focused on their studies. Teachers are seeing better student performance in class as well as less conflict among students.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand its scope of services to youth in need,” adds O’Connor. “Stop Hunger Now is one of our favorite partners to work with because they are very flexible. They actively seek out opportunities to enhance shipments with additional donated items that the beneficiaries need, and they go the extra mile to help Salesian Missions meet any additional emergency requests for food that it receives.”

With programs in more than 130 countries around the globe and extensive knowledge and experience with aid shipments, Salesian Missions has one of the largest networks currently working with Stop Hunger Now. Salesian Missions’ programs make up an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and the organization plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment, break the cycle of poverty in their lives and enable them to give back to their communities.”

Sources

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Bank – Haiti 

The post HAITI: Fortified Rice Meals Help Improve Nutrition for Youth in Salesian Schools first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Those living in rural areas make up for close to 75 percent of the country’s poor and the World Bank classifies Liberia as a low-income, food-deficit country, reporting that half of the population is food-insecure or highly vulnerable to food insecurity. Orphans, street children and adolescent ex-combatants often find themselves on their own facing adult responsibilities with little support and no education.

Salesians have been working in Liberia since starting a vocational institute there in 1979. Since then, Salesians in the country have been developing programs with a focus on providing youth with the education and skills necessary to transform their lives and their country.

Recently, four Salesian programs in the capital city of Monrovia received donations from individuals, Salesian volunteer programs and Catholic schools that have helped more than 2,300 students and their families. The donations ranged from carpentry tools, clothing, textbooks and school supplies, including school desks and chairs.

“Salesian Missions accepts donations from individuals, businesses and other organizations and our donors work hard to provide donations that best fit the needs of youth in Salesian programs around the globe,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “These particular donations came from many sources but we were able to coordinate all the items and send one large container to the Salesian programs in Liberia to help enhance the learning environment for students there.”

One recipient of a donation of student textbooks was the Salesian-run Mother Patern College of Health Sciences at Stella Maris Polytechnic. The college provides degrees in several disciplines in the health and science fields and graduates go on to be lab technicians, nurses, physician’s assistants, social workers and nursing educators. More than 400 students received the donated textbooks to assist them in their studies.

Another recipient was the St. Theresa Convent School where 1,100 students benefited from donated school desks, chairs and textbooks. A sander, table saw, wood planters and other carpentry materials were donated to a third recipient, the Don Bosco Technical High School, where more than 500 students benefited. These two Salesian-run educational facilities provide poor youth with secondary education and training, enabling them to join the workforce or go on to college.

A Salesian-run HIV/AIDS program was the recipient of a fourth donation. The program is designed to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS and the its risks through training and outreach actives. People living with HIV/AIDS can access the program for treatment that includes home based care and support groups for emotional and social support. The donation provided clothing to 300 people living with the disease and their families.

“Our partnerships with donors are very important to us,” says O’Connor. “The carpentry materials, textbooks and schools supplies help to enrich the educational experience for youth in Salesian schools who are there to learn skills that will enable them to gain the education they need to find and retain stable employment.”

Whether working to provide rehabilitation to former child soldiers or assisting young women overcome barriers to education, Salesian programs in Liberia are providing youth the opportunity to live up to their potential through both academic and social programs.

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Sources:

Stella Maris Polytechnic/ Mother Patern College of Health Sciences

Salesian Missions – Liberia

World Bank – Poverty in Liberia

The post LIBERIA: Donations Help Support Education and Health for More Than 2,300 Students and Families first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The second largest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in the Western Hemisphere with 60 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rough geographic terrain in the country has limited the development of transportation, keeping much of the rural population isolated. Poverty and food scarcity are severe in rural areas and one out of every four Hondurans struggle with chronic malnutrition. In addition, one out of every five Hondurans lack access to adequate healthcare.

Salesians have been working in Honduras for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers and medical clinics to help support and educate poor youth and their families. Thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Stop Hunger Now (an international relief organization that provides food and life‐saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable) thousands of people in need, from infants to seniors, are receiving lifesaving medical aid and nutritious food through Salesian programs in Honduras.

In 2013, Stop Hunger Now provided three shipments of rice-meals and medical aid to Salesian programs in Honduras. Another shipment was sent this past March. The rice-meals were provided to day care centers, schools, youth centers, senior programs and medical clinics as well as distributed through social programs run by local church parishes.

Staff at Salesian programs reported a marked improvement in their students as a result of the nutritious meals provided. Nutritional benefits of the rice-meals prevent early loss of teeth and well-fed students find it easier to focus in school. With the nutritious meals, fewer students were held back a grade and were able to advance in their studies.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment, break the cycle of poverty in their lives and enable them to give back to their communities.”

After providing seniors with rice-meals, dramatic results included recuperation from illnesses more quickly, the development of stronger bones and more defined muscles and diminished rates of anemia.

“Salesian programs are a good match for our mission to end hunger in our lifetime by providing food and life-saving aid while creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources,” says Chessney Barrick, director of communications and cause marketing at Stop Hunger Now.

Salesians in Honduras also run a small medical clinic in an impoverished community where people have little access to healthcare. Medical staff there treat acute respiratory infections, chronic non-communicable diseases, pneumonia, bronchitis and malnutrition. Last year, medical donations to the clinic benefited more than 450 patients each month. The donated medical supplies, including lifesaving medicines, are helping to treat these illnesses while allowing the clinic to focus on preventative health, including prenatal care.

Salesians in Honduras seek to improve the quality of life of their patients and the nutritional state of malnourished children and adults. The clinic offers healthcare to every person who needs it, especially those who are not able to access medical care at other health clinics and hospitals due to economic reasons or because of the long distances they must travel to access them.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand its scope of services to youth in need,” adds O’Connor. “Operating feeding programs and medical clinics for those in need is an important and integral part of promoting healthy communities and the success of our students’ ability to gain an education.”

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Sources:

World Bank – Honduras

The post HONDURAS: Improving Health and Nutrition in Salesian Programs Thanks to Partnership with Stop Hunger Now first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Entrenched gender inequalities, chronic and debilitating poverty and stubborn persistence of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination significantly contribute to the continuing spread of the infection and hinder those who test positive from seeking treatment. Even young children with HIV/AIDS have been rejected by their families and local communities.

In response to the overwhelming need for HIV/AIDS care in the country, Salesians in southern India opened Don Bosco Care Home in the village of Nilavarapatti located in the district of Salem in Tamil Nadu in August 2011. The home serves as a pilot program that provides treatment and a safe space for young boys that have HIV/AIDS who have been abandoned by their families.

At Don Bosco Care Home approximately 50 young boys receive counseling, recreation opportunities, medical observation and critical antiretroviral therapy treatments (ART). Some of the boys live at the home and have access to services and educational programs there while others, including those who attend the local polytechnic college, have access to the program’s ART treatments and then return to their own homes.

Don Bosco Care Home was started as an extension of Don Bosco Anbu Illam, which provides shelter, counseling, education and support services to poor youth in the region. Having been established in the local community for many years, the Salesians in Salem are able to assess the critical needs of poor youth and create specialized programs to meet those needs.

“Salesians are excited about the success of this pilot program and eager to engage in the continued care of these special kids,” says Neill Holland, program officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “We’ve learned through this program that Salesian strengths in youth development, psychosocial counseling and coalition building between local communities, the private sector and state-run agencies translates well into improving the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS.”

Reaching people with HIV/AIDS is half the battle in India. There is such a stigma surrounding HIV that most people do not wish to discuss it and are hesitant to seek out information, counseling and testing. Don Bosco Care Home also promotes public awareness campaigns in the community to help educate and sensitize people about HIV/AIDS and issues surrounding the diagnosis.

The program has been particularly effective because the youth are able to study and build peer relationships in a safe and supportive environment free from the stigma and rejection they previously encountered. Recently, Salesian Father Daniel Sebastian, director of Don Bosco Care Home, was granted an award by the district of Salem for the best service in the field of HIV/AIDS for the year 2013.

“This program has a unique impact on the community by influencing attitudes and cultural stereotypes away from the maltreatment of individuals affected and toward a more informed and supportive stance. When it comes to children’s care, this couldn’t be any more important,” adds Holland.

Sources

Don Bosco India – Salesian awarded for best service in the field of HIV/AIDS care

UNICEF – India – HIV/AIDS

The post INDIA: New Pilot Program Provides Treatment and Hope for Youth with HIV first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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.

“The Salesians are on the ground in Haiti working with children in need, so we were able to provide a pathway to bring the soap from the donors directly to the beneficiaries,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Working together, we decided that Haiti would be a good recipient country for this first shipment because of the cholera cholera epidemic and the hygiene education provided by Salesian schools there.”

As a result of this partnership, more than 750 boxes of soap were sent to Salesian-run centers in Haiti, which will be used for personal hygiene and laundry. Like in so many places around the globe, the Salesians are a vital part of the infrastructure in Haiti, which allows for organizations like Global Soap Project to reach people in need efficiently even if they do not have a presence in a given country.

“We’re very excited about our partnership with Salesian Missions,” says Sam Stevens, executive director of Global Soap Project. “Our goal is to get soap and hygiene education to vulnerable children and disaster victims who don’t have access to it, and this partnership is a perfect example of making that happen.”

Salesian Missions, headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, coordinated the overseas shipment and in-country distribution. Global Soap Project was able to cover the cost of the shipment, which was extremely generous and helpful, according to O’Connor.

“Working with Global Soap Project was a win-win benefiting those in need,” says O’Connor. “Salesian Missions looks forward to partnering more in the future.”

The World Health Organization estimates that close to two million people, mostly children under the age of five, die each year from hygiene and sanitation related illnesses. Most are from populations in developing countries who live in extreme poverty. Having access to clean water and soap is one of the best preventive measures.

“We know that soap can reduce childhood morbidity from diarrhea and pneumonia by up to 47 percent,” adds Stephens. “We’re grateful for the work of the team at Salesian Missions, we’re proud to partner with them on this project and look forward to partnering with them even more in the months and years to come.”

The donated soap is providing life-saving hygiene to 11 different Salesian-run sites in Haiti. Elementary schools in Pétion Ville, Cap Haiten and Fonds Parisien and students in elementary, technical, agricultural, administration and nursing schools in Fort Liberté were recipients as well as many other Salesian-run sites.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS WORK IN HAITI

Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, which has been serving Haiti for the last 75 years. Salesian Missions was instrumental in emergency response and relief efforts in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. They were among the first responders—providing shelter and medical aid; means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies and clean drinking water; and, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti. Their rebuilding as well as education and training work continues in Haiti.

The Salesians run elementary schools, secondary schools, vocational training institutes and colleges across Haiti. In addition, the Salesians provide shelter for homeless youth and programs for street children. Haiti is one of more than 130 countries around the globe where Salesians operate such programs. For more information, go to ProgressInHaiti.org.

ABOUT GLOBAL SOAP PROJECT

Global Soap Project works to prevent hygiene related-deaths and improve global health by recycling used hotel soap and turning it into new bars that are distributed to vulnerable populations around the world. The Global Soap Project partners with existing organizations to ensure the soap is distributed to those in need, and to ensure that proper hygiene education is provided in addition to the soap.

Global Soap Project has a unique partnership with hoteliers. According to the organization, with 4.6 million hotel/motel rooms in the United States, an estimated 2.6 million soap bars are discarded every day. By participating in the project, hoteliers are diverting tons of waste from landfills and bolstering environmental sustainability programs. Hotel managers, housekeepers and guests become more environmentally conscious and more sensitive to the needs of vulnerable populations through this initiative.

Soap is collected from hotels and shipped to the Global Soap Project’s warehouse in Georgia. From there, it is sorted into containers by soap type. The soap is ground up, remixed, and then filtered through an extremely fine-mesh screen to remove dirt and other particulates. It is then processed into finished bars, cut into 4oz bars, cured, inspected and packaged. Third-party laboratory tests screen for traces of pathogens on a sample from each batch of soap produced before it ships.  As of mid-2012, soap has been distributed to partners in 23 countries, with roughly one-third of total production to-date going to Haiti.

Working with distribution and NGO partners like Salesian Missions, the soap is distributed and education on the best health and sanitation practices is provided to recipients. In addition to their rebuilding and educational initiatives, Salesian Missions continues to build partnerships and find ways to provide hope and health for families in Haiti.

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Related MissionNewswire article: Education Key to Preventing Spread of Cholera Epidemic

PHOTO: UN Photo/UNICEF/Marco Dormino

For more information:

www.SalesianMissions.org | www.ProgressInHaiti.org

www.GlobalSoap.org

Sources:

World Health Organization – Water supply, sanitation and hygiene development

The post HAITI: Global Soap Project, Salesian Missions Partner to Deliver Soap to Fight Cholera Epidemic first appeared on MissionNewswire.

While in Haiti, Pineda met with local Salesian missionaries, USAID representatives and officials from the Haitian government’s National Center for Food Security. He also toured the Plumpy’Nut (Medika Mamba) manufacturing plant of the nonprofit Meds and Food for Kids (a potential project partner dedicated to the treatment and prevention of childhood malnutrition in Haiti). The Salesians’ proposed project focuses on: enhancing food security by improving agricultural production and productivity in agriculture schools in Cap Hatien, Fort Liberte and Gressier; cholera prevention through education and water and sanitation techniques; and addressing malnutrition in the poorest slum areas of Port-au-Prince such as Cité Soleil through a direct feeding program.

Salesian Missions, headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The Salesians Missions Office for International Programs was assigned the task of coordinating international Salesian relief efforts immediately after the January 2010 earthquake. The Salesians have served Haiti for nearly 75 years, operating schools, feeding programs, orphanages, youth programs and building educational infrastructure. For more information, go to SalesianMissions.org.

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During her week-long goodwill tour through South Africa, the first lady’s focus was on the country’s youth and their vital role in its future.

During her June 22 speech addressing the Young African Women Leaders Forum in a Soweto township in Johannesburg, Mrs. Obama touched on the fact that in Africa, “people under 25 make up 60 percent of the population. And here in South Africa, nearly two-thirds of citizens are under the age of 30. So over the next 20 years, the next 50 years, our future will be shaped by your leadership.”

She then paused and asked the audience to think about the meaning of the word “leadership.”

“Because I know that so often, when we think about what that word means, what it means to be a leader, we think of presidents and prime ministers,” Mrs. Obama said in her speech. “And most young people don’t fit that image.”

She went on to talk about her belief that youth can be true leaders, and that the time is now.

“I am here because I know that true leadership—leadership that lifts families, leadership that sustains communities and transforms nations—that kind of leadership rarely starts in palaces or parliaments. That kind of leadership is not limited only to those of a certain age or status. And that kind of leadership is not just about dramatic events that change the course of history in an instant.”

Throughout South Africa, there are programs dedicated to the empowerment of youth—providing education and teaching leadership skills that will reshape the country and the world.

“It is only through the youth, that change truly happens,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, which operates such programs. “Through education and opportunities, we can fight poverty and open doors to a better life for the people of South Africa, and the world.”

The Salesians are providing hope to South African young people, he adds, many of which struggle to find their way in a country hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis and plagued with high crime, and gender-based violence against women and girls.

“There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus,” says Fr. Hyde, noting that the Salesians have been helping the children of South Africa since 1951.

Most recently, the Salesians have been working on HIV/AIDS prevention through a U.S. government-funded project that is part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Working in schools from grades 4 through 12, the “Life Choices” program aims to decrease HIV/AIDS prevalence, teen pregnancy, substance abuse and violence among youth.

“An important component is HIV voluntary counseling and testing as an effective method of preventing new infections,” says Nolawi Eshetu of the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs headquartered in New Rochelle, NY.

“The program also offers one-on-one counseling, career and guidance counseling, parental skills workshops and teacher sensitivity,” Eshetu adds, speaking from his home country of Ethiopia, where he is working on a program similar to the one in South Africa.

In a country devastated by HIV/AIDS and where 10 million people die every year from hunger-related diseases—according to the United Nations—breaking the cycle of poverty is a challenge that requires a comprehensive approach.

“But fighting disease and feeding them alone will not create brighter futures,” says Fr. Hyde. “We work each and every day in South Africa—and around the globe—to teach youth to care for themselves and for others. We work to create educated leaders from youth that otherwise would see little in their futures.”

At the Salesian Missions “Learn to Live” educational program in Cape Town, homeless street children arrive each day eager to learn and escape their lives on the street. Children ages 16 and younger learn math, literacy and life skills. Older students receive technical and vocational training.

“All youth become empowered to permanently leave the streets, continue schooling, obtain jobs and be reintegrated with their families and society,” says Fr. Hyde. “They receive the tools and guidance to do this. But most importantly, they have someone who believes in them.”

Photo: CHARLES DHARAPAK/AFP/Getty Images (2011)

The post SOUTH AFRICA: First Lady’s Visit Highlights Importance of Youth Leadership for Country’s Future first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesians are widely regarded as the largest single provider of technical vocational training in the world. Don Bosco – the founder of the Roman Catholic Religious order – opened the first Salesian vocational training school in Turin, Italy in 1845. Since then, the congregation’s network of vocational training schools has expanded to provide assistance to underserved populations in more than 100 countries on six continents. Salesian Missions in New Rochelle, NY, is the U.S.-based arm of the Salesians, which works to raise funds and develop international programs.

Working with Fordham’s International Political Economy and Development graduate program, the study examines the design and delivery of training programs compared to practices employed at non-Salesian vocational schools—with particular emphasis on student selection, skills taught, job-placement, and post-training support.

“Our partnership with Fordham University allows us to build on the Salesians’ decades of experience providing training services in these countries,” says Jaime Correa-Montalvo of the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs headquartered in New Rochelle, NY.

With support from professors, Fordham students review previous literature and academic research on vocational training and workforce development practices before traveling on summer assignments to the developing world to visit Salesian vocational schools. There, they conduct field-level surveys with school administrators, teachers, and current and former students.

In 2010, students traveled to countries throughout Asia and Africa. Similar fieldwork is planned for 2011 and beyond, with the eventual goal of publication in an academic journal and a “best practices” manual that will be shared with Salesian vocational schools throughout the world.

“By studying, documenting and building awareness of  best practices we hope to assist Salesians in providing assistance to those most in need,” Correa-Montalvo adds.

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PHOTO: Salesian vocational school in the Dominican Republic. Credit: MARTIN DIGGS/SALESIAN MISSIONS

The post GLOBAL: Salesian Missions, Fordham University Study to Identify Best Practices for Vocational Schools first appeared on MissionNewswire.