SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been providing education, emotional support and skills development training for at-risk youth in Cape Town, South Africa since 1910. Over its history, the institute has been instrumental in changing the lives of hundreds of youth who would otherwise not have been able to access the job market. These youth had been homeless, unemployed and impoverished, but they had access to the education that helped them gain employment.

One Salesian said, “More than 60 percent of South Africa’s total population is under the age of 34 years, and many are struggling to gain access to quality education. Inexperienced individuals, especially those who are desperate for employment, are at risk of falling into the vicious cycle of unemployment and a bleak future.”

Committed to making a difference for those who need it the most, the institute’s skills development model focuses on providing opportunities for youth who may not have completed their mainstream schooling or access to skills training.

There are four main educational tracks youth. The “Learn to Live School of Skills” program caters to youth ages 14 to 18, who are no longer part of mainstream schooling. The four-year program provides basic education and vocational skills training. The “Waves of Change Maritime Program” is for youth or adults up to age 35 who want to work at sea in the fishing and maritime industry. The “Porsche Mechatronics Program” enables youth to work in the automotive sector, and the “NEETs Youth Employability Program” offers a national certificate in small venture creation for youth interested in entrepreneurship. Life skills training is also an integral part of the all the training programs.

Yumnah Baradien, a graduate of Salesian Institute Youth Projects, said, “I learned everything here. Not only entrepreneurship but self-esteem, how to start your own business, where to go, who to talk to and how to ask for help when you need it. I learned many things that I thought I would have to go elsewhere for.”

All of the programs are designed to provide a positive alternative to drugs, alcohol, and violence, and they allow youth to learn the skills necessary for employment. After graduating many youth work as entrepreneurs and strive to employ others from their neighborhoods while others join industries and move forward in changing the dynamics of the workforce.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Institute Youth Projects’ Waves of Change program, located in Cape Town, South Africa, provides education to at least 200 youth each year. Sea fishing is a large industry in South Africa, especially along the Western Cape coastline. The Cape Town harbor is close by the Salesian Institute providing the opportunity to train youth interested in fishing along with a steady labor force for the industry.

Requiring minimal levels of education, jobs in the fishing industry can provide a significant income and a stable career path. The program is currently training young adults between the ages of 18 and 35.

All 200 participants complete a 10-day life skills program. They then go on to complete safety and familiarization courses, obtain their medical certificates, and meet other requirements to become seafarers. Once all training and document requirements have been completed, youth can be legally employed by a reputable fishing company.

Salesian missionaries who oversee the project have been able to establish partnerships with training providers such as STC Table Bay, the Academy of Maritime Medicine and Pulse College, all of which offer free training and assistance to Salesian students. In addition, missionaries have continued to nurture long-standing partnerships with Sea Harvest, Premier Fishing, the Oceana Group and others that hire graduates of the project.

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth. Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services in an effort to meet the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects provides five main programs that help youth in the region. Programs include an outreach program, a hostel for homeless youth, a learn-to-live education program and two workforce development programs. The programs are managed by a diverse group of individuals, and some live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

“Salesian Institute Youth Projects offers poor and at-risk youth the opportunity to gain an education in fields they might not otherwise have access to,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The courses offer high-quality employees to industries that are hiring while providing students meaningful employment.”

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Youth Institute Waves of Change

Salesian Youth Institute Waves of Change

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with the Salesian Institute Youth Projects in Cape Town, South Africa, welcomed a visit by Lindiwe Zulu, minister of social development of South Africa. Zulu visited community organizations in Cape Town that provide education, vocational training and job placement for youth who are affected by the high levels of unemployment in the country.

While at the Salesian Institute Youth Projects, Zulu visited the Learn to Live Skill School, Porsche Mechatronics, Waves of Change Maritime Training, and Youth Work Preparation Program.

Zulu said she was struck by the enthusiasm of the Salesian alternatives offered to unemployed youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. She highlighted that her brothers attended Salesian schools in Eswatini (Swaziland) and noted that she also attended Catholic school.

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth. Through various programs, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services in an effort to meet the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects provides five main programs that help youth in the region. Programs are an outreach program, a hostel for homeless youth, a learn-to-live education program and two workforce development programs. The programs are managed by a diverse group of individuals, and some live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

“Salesian Institute Youth Projects offers poor and at-risk youth the opportunity to gain an education in fields they might not otherwise have access to,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The courses offer high-quality employees to industries that are hiring while providing students meaningful employment.”

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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ANS – South Africa – Minister of Social Development of South Africa visits “Salesian Institute Youth Projects”

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Since 1910, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects in Cape Town, the second most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa, has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth. Through the Institute’s Youth Projects program, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services in an effort to meet the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects’ Waves of Change has been assisting unemployed youth and young adults in finding work in the fishing industry. Requiring minimal levels of education, jobs in the fishing industry can provide a significant income, a stable career path and extensive travel opportunities. The project is currently training 200 at-risk youth and young adults between the ages of 18 and 35.

“The fishing industry offers poor and at-risk youth the opportunity to gain an education in a field they might not otherwise have access to,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The Waves of Change project is able to offer high-quality employees to the fishing industry while providing its students meaningful employment.”

The Waves of Change project also offers a compulsory five-day life skills course. Students who successfully complete the course are awarded financial assistance toward obtaining the required certification for work in the fishing industry through the South African Maritime Safety Authority.

Salesian missionaries who oversee the project have been able to establish partnerships with training providers such as STC Table Bay, the Academy of Maritime Medicine and Pulse College, all of which offer free training and assistance to Salesian students. In addition, missionaries have continued to nurture long-standing partnerships with Sea Harvest, Premier Fishing, the Oceana Group and others that hire graduates of the project.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects provides five main projects that help youth in the region. There is an outreach program, a hostel for homeless youth, a learn-to-live education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse group of individuals, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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

ANS – South Africa – “Waves of Change”: Salesians for redemption of young people in difficult situations

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, provided funding for food relief to Salesian missionaries, with the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Johannesburg, South Africa. Salesian missionaries were able to provide food support to Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa as part of COVID-19 relief efforts in these countries.

In order to reach people who most desperately needed help, Salesian missionaries worked with Don Bosco Educational Projects in Johannesburg, Salesian Institute of Youth Projects and Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Cape Town, Manzini Youth Center in Eswatini, and St Luke’s Oratory in Lesotho. These local Salesian organizations identified the most vulnerable in their communities and distributed the food aid to them.

In total,1,030 households, impacting 6,592 people, received the aid over three months. Each household received one food package per month to assist in sustaining the family. The contents of food packages varied with each Salesian location and were determined by community needs.

In Cape Town, Linda has two adults and five children in her household. Prior to the national lockdown her husband worked part-time as a gardener. Even at that time, food was scarce. Linda often found herself going from soup kitchen to soup kitchen gathering enough food to feed her family. More often than she wishes to remember, her family survived on dry bread and black tea.

When she received the food aid, Linda said, “The food parcel made a big impact in our daily lives. I could offer my family a cooked meal and save my few cents to buy bread for them. Thank you for your kindness and remembering us, the poor.”

In Eswatini, Tengetile lives in a rural community and is currently in her 11th year in high school. She lives with her grandparents because her father passed away and her mother left to get married and start a new family. Her grandparents are unable to work and survive on a token government pension. Their main food for all meals is pap (a semolina-type porridge made from refined corn) and sometimes they’re able to find edible green leaves in the fields.

Tengetile said, “The food package is a great gift from God and it reminds me of God’s love and care. I am thankful for the food as it relieves stress from my grandparents and will also help me to improve in my studies at school.”

This food aid was not initially intended an ongoing project, but due to lockdown measures, Salesian missionaries were able to secure funding to continue the aid until early 2021, when it is hoped that there will be less severe disruptions in the job market and people might be back to work.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run Learn to Live School of Skills project, operated by the Salesian Institute Youth Projects in Cape Town, South Africa, was chosen to present at the “T4 World Education Week” as part of an online event. The showcase gathered 100 schools to share expertise and best practices during World Education Week, which ran from Oct. 5-9.

The schools, chosen from every continent, presented on the theme of “Learning Today” to a worldwide audience of more than 100,000 people. Each school hosted a virtual event to demonstrate how to create change based on their own innovations and successes. World Education Week aims to accelerate progress to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, a commitment designed to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.

Before the event, Father Patrick Naughton, CEO of the Salesian Institute Youth Projects, said, “The management of the Salesian Institute Youth Projects and the pupils and teachers of the Learn to Live School of Skills project are delighted to be included in this incredible global showcase of 100 schools. World Education Week will allow us to learn and innovate together with 100 schools from across the world, all committed to transforming education. With our focus on vocational skills training and project-based learning for youth from marginalized backgrounds, we are proud to be a special school of skills and are looking forward to sharing our practice in October.”

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth in Cape Town, the second most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa. Salesians provide shelter, education and workforce development services, meeting the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects has five main projects—an outreach program, the Center of Hope for homeless youth, the Learn to Live School of Skills education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse team, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

The Learn to Live School of Skills education program is a school designed specifically for vulnerable and at-risk children and youth. Recognized as an independent school by the Western Cape Education Department, the program provides basic education and skills training for youth at risk who, for a variety of socio-economic reasons, are not able to succeed in mainstream schools. The school offers various levels of education for 13- to 19-year-old students. All students participate in academic classes and skills workshops and receive a cooked meal each day. Demand for the program is high, and 100 youth from the local communities and shelters in and around Cape Town access the program each day.

As part of the Learn to Live School of Skills program, close to 40 youth over the age of 16 attend technical skills training workshops each day where they are taught basic skills in welding, wood and leather craft as well as panel beating. The items they create are sold at local craft markets.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls, and it has been the hardest hit in the world by the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

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ANS – South Africa – “Learn To Live School of Skills” took part in “T4 World Education Week”

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Cape Town, South Africa, have been responding to COVID-19 with relief supplies, psychological support and prevention campaigns. In the early months of the pandemic, the Salesian Life Choices program, part of the Salesian Institute Youth Projects, phoned 900 people, sent 800 messages and reached over 50,000 users on Facebook with prevention messages to combat coronavirus.

The Life Choices program also provided remote psychological counseling sessions for adults and youth, professional orientation sessions for teens, and job search advice for their parents. Staff members have also provided 220 vouchers to families for the purchase of food.

As educational lessons have started again, Salesian missionaries are focusing their attention on ensuring students and teachers have the information and resources they need to help prevent the spread of the virus. Salesians have donated sanitizing equipment and approximately 1,000 liters of disinfectants to 30 different schools. They also operate a medical emergency hotline and provided 563 meal tickets.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects in Cape Town restarted programming on June 1 when the Minister of Fundamental Education announced that students could return to school. As a new school year starts, Salesians want to ensure that their programs are adhering to legal requirements and public health measures to keep everyone safe.

“Safety is the priority of everyone working, living and accessing programs in Salesian educational centers and institutes,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “As students resume their education, Salesian missionaries and teachers have more to address than just basic subjects like math and science. Students are in need of support, nutrition and awareness information to ensure they remain vigilant in their hygiene and prevention efforts.”

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth in Cape Town, the second-most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa. Through the organization’s programs, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services, meeting the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects consists of five main programs—an outreach program, the Center of Hope for homeless youth, the Learn-to-Live education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse team, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls, and it has been the hardest hit in the world by the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

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

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries, with the Salesian Planning and Development Office in Johannesburg, South Africa, were able to provide food support to Salesian sites in Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The project is part of COVID-19 relief efforts in these countries.

All Salesian sites that have received the donation have distributed the first food packages to youth and families in need and are now preparing for the second distribution in the coming weeks. The feedback Salesians are receiving from people receiving the donation is very positive.

Further funding from Don Bosco Mondo in Germany will also allow Salesian missionaries to continue with this project for the most vulnerable for an extended period of time. This funding also has provided the opportunity to begin production of masks, which will be added to some of the food packages.

“Salesian missionaries have been providing education and social development programs to poor youth and their families long before the pandemic,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “With these relief efforts, Salesian missionaries are ensuring families have their most basic needs met. Many people are out of work and unable to care for their families at this time. Salesians know the local landscape and help those most in need.”

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering youth (particularly girls and young women) to building schools and teaching trade skills, Salesian missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country. Salesian Sisters of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians facilitates an assistance program for families with children who have recently settled in the new settlements on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The children who participate in the program come from extremely poor families and attend educational lessons up to the third grade. They also receive a daily meal while at school.

Also in Johannesburg, Salesian missionaries and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians joined forces to create the Don Bosco Center at Ennerdale, on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The center was 12 years in the making and combined separate programs run by the two organizations, one a skills training program and the other a school. The goal was to create one center offering both services to greater benefit the local youth.

Don Bosco Center offers courses in hydraulics, carpentry, bricklaying, plastering, computers and electronics. Today, there are 200 children attending the school and 60 young people enrolled in the various professional courses. Another 60 youth are attending classes to complete their secondary schooling.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Nhlanhla Lucky Mdlalose, a member of the Salesian Youth Ministry team at Bosco Youth Center, located in Walkerville, Johannesburg, South Africa, coordinates relief efforts to help those who are most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people living in poverty are suffering in Johannesburg. Some children don’t even have a blanket to warm them during the winter months. The elderly are sleeping on the floor in unstable shacks that have holes in the roof. Mdlalose asked, “Where do they find the strength that they need to overcome all of this?”

Because of the suffering and overwhelming need, youth of Dobsonville and Snake Park have taken it upon themselves to be the change and give these families blankets, warm clothing and warm food.

Two months after the lockdown and at a time when people were becoming increasingly desperate, Mdlalose and the other youth began to prepare warm meals every Sunday, including vegetable soup, pap, bread and other hot items. The 15 youth gather in the early morning hours and begin preparing nutritious meals. Mostly they use their own funds to get the soup ingredients, but some generous people in the area occasionally donate something. To date, their soup kitchen has fed more than 3,000 people in Snake Park Township in Soweto.

Mdlalose recognizes that feeding the hungry only addresses part of the families’ needs. The group is also providing warm blankets, which will go a long way in alleviating the bitter winter cold. They are also appealing for winter clothes for children, women and men, including tracksuits, jerseys, long-sleeved vests, jackets, warm shoes, pajamas and trousers. The group is also calling for help to provide hygiene items for families in need.

Salesian Brother Clarence Watts, delegate for social communication of the Southern Africa Vice-Province, said, “Nhlanhla is a truly inspiring young man, together with his team of youth. There is no Salesian presence in Soweto, but Nhlanhla has brought the Salesian spirit of generosity and kindness to the most vulnerable youth in Soweto. Don Bosco would be very proud of him.”

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

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Sources:

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

ANS – South Africa – Struggle of winter and COVID-19 in Snake Park Township near Dobsonville, Soweto

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The post SOUTH AFRICA: Salesian Youth Ministry team member coordinates relief efforts in face of coronavirus pandemic first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Cape Town, South Africa, have been responding to COVID-19 with relief supplies, psychological support and prevention campaigns. The Salesian Life Choices program phoned 900 people, sent 800 messages and reached over 50,000 users on Facebook with prevention messages to combat coronavirus.

The Life Choices program also provided remote psychological counseling sessions for adults and youth, professional orientation sessions for teens, and job search advice for their parents. Staff members have also provided 220 vouchers for the purchase of food to families.

Leaders of the Salesian Youth Institute Projects were able to provide 171 beneficiaries, identified in 27 different communities around the city, with weekly packs of food thanks to the support of partner organizations. The Salesian Institute has 16 volunteers who made sure that the food parcels reached the right families.

The Salesian Institute is also preparing to restart some of its programs. The Minister of Fundamental Education announced that students could return to school on June 1. To meet the requirements of the law and public health measures, the Salesian Institute is cleaning and sanitizing buildings and classrooms.

In Ennerdale, a suburb of Johannesburg, Brother Clarence Watts noted that families were grateful for the food support they received from the Salesians. He said, “The families were contacted to inform them to come to the school with their children who attend Laura Vicuna to collect a parcel of food. They had arrived early in the morning and were anxious to receive help. When they arrived at the classroom and saw what they were going to receive, they were amazed. There were tears of joy in their eyes and their faces sparkled with relief. They could not thank us enough for the food supplies. They even danced with joy.”

Bro. Watts added, “They have sent messages to say how much they appreciate this tremendous help and that they could now feed their families for a while. We have also promised more help for food parcels that will be distributed at a later stage.”

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

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Sources:

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

ANS – South Africa – “Thank you, on behalf of the poorest of the poor!” Salesian generosity changes people’s lives

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) The prolonged lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic is throwing people in South Africa into despair due to poverty and hunger. Salesian missionaries, staff and volunteers have been working to provide the basic necessities to those most in need.

Volunteers have been making masks and delivering food to more than 400 poor families in the Gong Gong area of the North Cape. Salesian missionaries and sisters in the Ennerdale communities have obtained the necessary permits to distribute food and are waiting to receive food supplies. In addition, they have received a donation of materials to produce hundreds of masks.

“Our surrounding communities are in a struggle just getting by day by day,” said Jessica Poley, a Salesian volunteer in Ennerdale. “What’s very worrying is the young people walking from house to house begging for food. They are aware of all the rules of COVID-19 but have no choice but to go out and beg. Bear in mind, they don’t wear masks while in the streets. We are very concerned about this and have started making masks for the homeless and needy.”

Salesian missionaries have been providing education and social development programs to poor youth and their families long before the pandemic. Salesian programs are ensuring that youth have a firm educational foundation and hope for the future.

For example, since 1910, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth in Cape Town, the second-most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa. Through the organization’s programs, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services, meeting the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects consists of five main programs—an outreach program, the Center of Hope for homeless youth, a Learn-to-Live education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse team, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

The Center of Hope provides a home for abandoned youth as well as technical and vocational classes. It is the only recognized school for street children in the country. Every day before the pandemic, 40 to 90 children and teens attended classes. To meet the lockdown orders, Salesian educational programs are taught online. Salesians have had to adapt to changing circumstance—something they are good at doing because they live in the community they work and know the local need better than most.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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

ANS – South Africa – Salesian Family provides aid to desperate population

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SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) On Nov. 28, 50 students graduated from a technical skills training program that is part of the Salesian Institute Youth Projects. The students completed their courses specializing in hotel and catering, hairdressing and electrical work. Some of the students have already secured employment after graduation.

Since 1910, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been helping homeless, unemployed and impoverished youth in Cape Town, the second-most populous city and legislative capital of South Africa. Through the organization’s programs, Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and workforce development services, meeting the basic needs of the youth they serve while helping them break the cycle of poverty.

The Salesian Institute Youth Projects consists of five main programs—an outreach program, the Center of Hope for homeless youth, a Learn-to-Live education program and two workforce development programs. The projects are managed by a diverse team, some of whom live on the premises to support youth in the hostel and outreach programs.

The Center of Hope provides a home for abandoned youth as well as technical and vocational classes. It is the only recognized school for street children in the country. Every day, 40 to 90 children and teens attend classes.

“Teaching these kids is extremely difficult,” says Salesian Father Patrick Naughton, who has been serving youth as a missionary in South Africa for more than 30 years and is currently the economer of the Salesian Institute. “They can’t stay focused for more than a quarter of an hour. The classes are composed of a maximum of 10 pupils and the level is not comparable to that of other schools. Nevertheless, here everyone has the opportunity to learn and change.”

The Salesian Institute’s Learn-to-Live education program is a school designed specifically for vulnerable and at-risk children and youth. Recognized as an independent school by the Western Cape Education Department, the program provides basic education and skills training for youth at risk who, for a variety of socio-economic reasons, are not able to succeed in mainstream schools. The school offers various levels of education for 13- to 19-year-old students. All students participate in academic classes and skills workshops and receive a cooked meal each day. Demand for the program is high, and 100 youth from the local communities and shelters in and around Cape Town access the program each day.

As part of the Learn-to-Live program, close to 40 youth over the age of 16 attend technical skills training workshops each day where they are taught basic skills in welding, wood and leather craft, as well as panel beating. The items they create are sold at local craft markets. Over the past three years, the program has secured partnerships with construction and engineering firms that employ youth from the program.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63 percent of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls and has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

Salesian missionaries have been working to restore hope in South Africa, particularly among poor youth. From empowering girls and young women to building schools and teaching trade skills, missionaries have a long history of affecting change in the country.

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Sources:

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

ANS – South Africa – 50 students receive diploma

Salesian Missions – South Africa

UNICEF – South Africa

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