(MissionNewswire) February 24 marked one year since Russia invaded Ukraine* in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Since that time, 2,700 schools have been bombed and more than 5.5 million schoolchildren have seen their education disrupted by the war. More than 8 million people have fled the country as refugees, according to UNHCR – the United Nations Refugee Agency. Nearly 18 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian aid.

“When the shelling started, water, electricity and gas were also cut off. We could not wash and it was difficult to get food,” recalled Boris, who fled Mariupol. “My city no longer exists because it is burned and destroyed.”

Since the beginning, Salesian missionaries have been supporting people who remained in the country and those who fled to neighboring countries for protection. Salesians in Poland and Slovakia, among those in other countries, have welcomed refugees and provided shelter, food, medical support and education. Convoys of medical aid have also left Poland to help Salesians who are sheltering people in Ukraine.

Thanks to the aid received, some Salesian schools in Ukraine have been able to remain open and provide education in emergency situations by building shelters and providing support for water, electricity and gas supplies. There is also some psychological support for students, teachers, and families, while some school costs are being covered.

Sixty-six Salesian organizations from five continents have supported more than 100 projects. Projects include the construction of emergency shelters, support to refugees abroad and internally displaced persons, and educational programs and activities for children and youth. There is also a special emergency plan to cope with winter, as well as aid to affected communities with essential medicines, vehicles, field kitchens, food, clothes, tents, blankets and other specific forms of aid requested.

“We want to bring aid as close as possible to the border, where most of the villages have been destroyed, houses have been burned and people are living assembled in shelters. They need help,” said Father Józef Nuckowski, who led a convoy of aid collected through the generosity of the Salesian family from around the world. “It is thanks to our donors that we can get this aid this far.”

Fr. Nuckowski stressed the importance of the aid delivered as he arrived in Luch, not far from Kherson in southern Ukraine. “Really, everything has been destroyed. Every building has been hit, no one has been left untouched.”

People have been generous in their support and it has been life-saving for those who have been impacted. One of the 55 people remaining in Luch said, “We have experienced the full harshness of the war since its beginning. We just hope that all this will end well, that we can rebuild our village and live in peace.”

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has sent food and medical aid to help support people in need. A recent shipment reached more than 1,000 people. In addition to these efforts, soon after the war started, Salesian Missions launched a Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund that is helping to provide shelter, nutrition and supplies to refugees in need. This fund is among other fundraising efforts that Salesians in more than 130 countries are doing in support of Salesians on the front lines of this crisis.

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Photo courtesy of SDB Emergency Response coordinator

ANS – Ukraine – Salesian solidarity will outlast war

Salesian Missions

UNHCR – Ukraine Refugees

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

The post UKRAINE: Salesians support more than 100 projects for people impacted by war first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries continue to ship aid to those impacted by the war who have remained in cities in Ukraine*. The aid, mostly consisting of food, is part of the Salesian plan to help people make it through the cold winter. After being brought to a warehouse in Lviv, the aid was delivered to people in Kherson.

Because it was previously occupied by the Russian army, the city of Kherson has been experiencing great instability. People are suffering from a lack of water and electricity, and daily life is difficult. Many people are unable to work and have lost their homes due to the bombing.

Thanks to the generosity of Salesian donors, those most in need have been able to receive sugar, flour, rice, pasta and oil. The close cooperation among various Salesians groups has made this and other similar donations possible.

“We are coming up on a year since the war started and today more than 16 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance,” explained Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians are still working inside of Ukraine helping at parishes and providing for those displaced. In addition, Salesian programs in neighboring countries are working to provide shelter, food and support for refugee families, mostly women, the elderly and children. Although funds are limited, we will continue to provide as best we can for those in need.”

Salesian missionaries around the globe are working to provide financial and material donations to help people still in Ukraine and refugees in bordering countries. Even Salesians in the poorest countries have stepped up in some way to support the efforts.

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

ANS – Ukraine – Considerable humanitarian aid arrives for people of Kherson

Salesian Missions

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

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have sent two trucks with humanitarian aid to Lviv, Ukraine*, as part of winterization efforts. The aid included 7,716 pounds of hygiene products and detergents and nearly 55,000 pounds of food. From Lviv, the items will be sent to Salesian communities to distribute to people in need in different parts of Ukraine.

Cities have been bombarded by numerous kamikaze drones. Non-combatant civilians have to survive without electricity and water for days. Others have lost their homes entirely and need a warm place to stay in the cold. Many have lost employment, and with it, any ability to provide for their basic needs. People are in need of electric generators, warm clothes and portable stoves.

“Ukrainian civilians need humanitarian aid of all kinds, including social assistance. We should do everything we can including prayer and material support,” said Daniel Kotvytskyi, with the Salesian Coordination for Emergency Management.

This aid is among many efforts to help people make it through the winter. In November 2022, the Salesian-run International Volunteer Service (VIS) launched a comprehensive six-month project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. The project is helping people in Lviv, Zhytomyr and Ivankiv in the Kyiv region. These areas are home to more than 6.28 million internally-displaced persons.

The project sent mobile units to 12 villages to provide psycho-social support and distribute kits for emergency repairs to houses, particularly in Ivankiv province where 2,360 homes have been damaged. The mobile unit also distributed blankets, winter clothes, stoves and fuel. There were 1,000 hot meals cooked and delivered per day. The meals have been made possible thanks in part to the Department of Civil Defense, which has provided four field kitchens.

This project is part of the broader initiative carried out by the coordination of Salesian organizations in Germany, Italy and Poland. Salesians in Poland have been on the front lines of housing refugees and bringing supplies into Ukraine. The Polish government and city officials in Lviv have set up a modular citadel that has been housing 350 people for six months. Salesians are involved in the care of the people housed in the camp, including educational and recreational activities for children, psycho-social assistance, and distribution of hot meals.

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Photo courtesy of SDB Emergency Response coordinator

Salesian Missions

UKRAINE: Salesians bring humanitarian aid to children

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

The post UKRAINE: Aid to help people survive winter first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) In the 10 months since the beginning of the bombings in Ukraine*, the war has left thousands dead and wounded, millions displaced, and nearly 16 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Salesians continue to send aid to alleviate the devastating effects of the war on the people of Ukraine.

The massive wave of airstrikes that began on Oct. 10 has damaged essential gas, electricity, and water infrastructure and further challenged an already desperate situation due to low temperatures and heavy snowfall.

Daryna, who left Dnipro at the end of February 2022, returned this past summer with her three young children. Her father and husband are still fighting away from home, and she has no resources to face the winter. She said, “The house is damaged and the windows have been broken by shrapnel. We spend whole days without heating and hot water, and there is nothing left in the supermarkets. It is too cold for the children and we want the war to end now.”

To help those remaining in the country and returning refugees, Salesian missionaries are continuing the Ukraine Emergency campaign to raise financial and material support. The goal the last few months has been to distribute insulated and warm clothing and to help to fix homes, collective spaces, and schools that have been damaged.

While the war in Ukraine continues, economic crises and war still rage in other countries. There is fighting in Syria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Venezuela, and Nigeria. In these and other countries, millions of children are living on the street and are at risk of trafficking, violence and malnourishment, and remain out of school, denied an education.

A representative from the Salesian Missions office in Madrid said, “We will continue to bring help and hope to the most disadvantaged and suffering. We want to fill the places where we work with good news and sow peace in every painful situation we face.”

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

ANS – Ukraine – Celebrating Christmas with sub-zero temperatures, no water, electricity, and heating

Salesian Missions

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

The post UKRAINE: Salesians help people fight freezing cold first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) After a recent trip to assess the situation in Ukraine*, Salesian missionaries with the Salesian Coordination for Emergency Management are reporting a growing dire situation as winter approaches. As the war rages on, many are left wondering if relief will ever come.

Ukrainian cities have recently been bombarded by numerous kamikaze drones. Non-combatant civilians have to survive without electricity and water for days. Others have lost their homes entirely and need a warm place to stay in the cold. Many have lost employment, and with it, any ability to provide for their basic needs. People are in need of electric generators, warm clothes and portable stoves.

Children are also suffering without access to their schools, which have been destroyed or seriously damaged. Most students have had to switch to online learning, which is challenging as many towers for internet and cellphones were destroyed. Children are unable to interact with their teachers and their peers.

On the most recent trip, Salesians brought relief supplies including food, children’s winter boots, diapers and hygiene products. The Salesian Warsaw Emergency Coordination Team took them to a home for children and the Children’s Hospital in Lviv.

“Ukrainian civilians need humanitarian aid of all kinds, including social assistance. We should do everything we can including prayer and material support,” said Daniel Kotvytskyi, with the Salesian Coordination for Emergency Management. “This most recent emergency aid was made possible thanks to our generous benefactors from South Korea, Canada and Australia. Since the beginning of the war, thanks to the support of the Salesian Family around the world, we are able to help where it is most needed.”

Salesian missionaries around the globe are working to provide financial and material donations to help people still in Ukraine and refugees in bordering countries. Even Salesians in the poorest countries have stepped up in some way to support the efforts.

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

ANS – Ukraine – Hunger and cold, with winter just around the corner: Ukrainian people need help

Salesian Missions

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

The post UKRAINE: Salesians bring humanitarian aid to children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Youth and families in Ukraine* have nutritional support thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The food shipment impacted 360 people in Zhytomyr.

The food was initially shipped to Salesians in Poland and then transported to Ukraine. It was distributed at the Teterivka Orphanage and Boarding House, the Vsesvit Salesian School and Korostyshiv Catholic Church. Over a two-week period, Salesians were able to distribute approximately 48 boxes of rice to the people connected to these organizations.

Salesians have been working with the Korostyshiv Catholic Church since 1994 and have worked at Vsesvit Salesian school for the last five years. While Salesians are not working directly with the Teterivka Orphanage and Boarding House, the children there have disabilities and need specialized care. Their only source of funding is from the government, which has decreased since the outbreak of war.

One Salesian missionary said, “With the support of Feed My Starving Children, we have been able to step in and distribute food packages to the children who have been greatly impacted and humbled with the support.”

Along with the food shipment, Salesian Missions also sent medical supplies provided by Matter, an organization that provides valuable corporate surplus to the places and people who need these life-saving resources the most. The medical supplies were provided to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the Eastern Rite in Ukraine and then dispersed to the Salesian community in Zhytomyr, among other sites. The supplies are being used in local hospitals and for people in need.

Soon after the war started, Salesian Missions launched a Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund that is helping to provide shelter, nutrition and supplies to refugees in need. This fund is among other fundraising efforts that Salesians in more than 130 countries are doing in support of Salesians on the front lines of this crisis.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Feed My Starving Children

Matter

Salesian Missions

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

The post UKRAINE: Rice-meal shipment feeds 360 at parish, orphanage and school first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries, in collaboration with international partners, are helping people in Ukraine* prepare for the arrival of the winter season, along with other support projects. A recent report by the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted the urgency of preparing the population for the coming harsh Ukrainian winter.

In response, the Salesian-run International Volunteer Service (VIS) has launched a comprehensive six-month project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. The project will take place in Lviv, Zhytomyr, and Ivankiv in the Kyiv region. These areas are home to more than 6.28 million internally displaced persons.

The project will send a mobile unit to 12 villages to provide psycho-social support and distribute kits for emergency repairs to houses, particularly in Ivankiv province where 2,360 homes have been damaged. The mobile unit will also distribute blankets, winter clothes, stoves, and fuel, as well as cook and deliver 1,000 hot meals per day. The meals have been made possible thanks in part to the Department of Civil Defense, which has provided four field kitchens.

Recreational and psycho-social activities are planned for youth, including using free time productively in cases where children cannot return to class. Many buildings have been damaged, including more than 2,000 school facilities, of which 285 have been completely destroyed. Other schools are without suitable air-raid shelters and have not reopened.

This project is part of the broader initiative carried out by the coordination of Salesian organizations in Germany, Italy and Poland. Salesians in Poland have been on the front lines of housing refugees and bringing supplies into Ukraine. The Polish government and city officials in Lviv have set up a modular citadel that has been housing 350 people for six months. Salesians are involved in the care of the people housed in the camp, including educational and recreational activities for children, psycho-social assistance, and distribution of hot meals.

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

ANS – Ukraine – Italian cooperation, Salesians, and Kyiv diocese together to rebuild what the war has destroyed

Salesian Missions

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

The post UKRAINE: Efforts focus on winter preparation, school support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Ukraine have medical supplies and rice-meals to aid people thanks to donations secured and shipped by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Salesians living and working in Ukraine* have remained in their centers and churches where they are helping families with shelter, support, and nutrition. The donations impacted more than 1,000 people.

The medical supply donation was provided by Matter, an organization that provides valuable corporate surplus to the places and people who need these life-saving resources the most. The medical supplies were provided to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the Eastern Rite in Ukraine and then dispersed to the Salesian community in Zhytomyr, among other sites. The supplies are being used in local hospitals and for people in need.

Katie Johnson, director of global health initiatives at Matter, said, “The team at Salesian Missions is doing wonderful work and Matter is honored to partner with such a special organization. We are grateful for organizations like Salesian Missions that allow us to be a small part of bringing these life-saving devices to those who need them most.”

“We appreciate this new partnership with Matter, which has enabled us to get critical medical supplies to places in need in Ukraine,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian organizations around the globe have come together to help support Salesians in Ukraine who are working with people displaced inside the country. This support is essential, especially now, when the warehouses of food and medicines in Ukraine are empty. The needs of people are increasing.”

Along with the medical supply shipment, Salesian Missions also sent a container of rice-meals from Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The food is destined for poor residents of towns and villages in eastern Ukraine, where food is needed most.

In addition to these efforts, soon after the war started, Salesian Missions launched a Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund that is helping to provide shelter, nutrition and supplies to refugees in need. This fund is among other fundraising efforts that Salesians in more than 130 countries are doing in support of Salesians on the front lines of this crisis.

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Feed My Starving Children

Matter

Salesian Missions

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

The post UKRAINE: Salesian Missions sends critical shipment of medical and food aid first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Ukraine are trying their best to provide a sense of safety and normalcy for children faced with war. On Aug. 1, Salesian Youth Summer Camp began in Kyiv. The camp provided games, foot races, outdoor snacks, jokes, small art workshops, times for reflection, moments of sharing and opportunities for growth through service. Salesians launched the summer camp with a video, circulated on social networks, to inform children and their parents that the camp was available.

“We go to the villages in the northwestern part of the Kyiv region, which have been occupied by the Russian army for almost two months, and we offer support to the children who have stayed and have been victims of this war,” said Father Maksym Ryabukha, rector of the Salesian community in Kyiv. In the coming weeks, Salesians are also hoping to provide summer camps in the Chernobyl area and the Poltava region in a village where refugee families are hosted.

Despite the difficulties of carrying out such initiatives in a country still suffering from bombings and aggression, Fr. Ryabukha and his team of are highly motivated because they have an important mission to accomplish. He added, “We try to make young people who have seen death in their faces and who are searching for life with all their strength live at least a few serene moments.”

Salesian missionaries around the globe are working to provide financial and material donations to help people still in Ukraine and refugees in bordering countries. Even Salesians in the poorest countries have stepped up in some way to support the efforts.

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

ANS – Ukraine – Salesian Youth Summer Camp in Kyiv. Desire for normality and peace is stronger than war

Salesian Missions

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

The post UKRAINE: Children experiencing war attend summer camps first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) The Mary Help of Christians Province of Slovakia is hosting several outings and activities for young Ukrainian refugees who have been staying in the country since the outbreak of war. These activities are part of Salesian centers and oratories.

On May 20, Salesians organized an outing for 26 Ukrainian boys who had been living at the Salesian Children’s Home in Lviv, Ukraine before they had to flee. The boys, age 11-17, were happy to be together after three months of separation. The boys who came to Slovakia as refugees had been placed in homes in the cities of Bratislava, Galanta, Žilina, Kremnica and Poprad.

The excursion began in Liptov and continued with a visit to the Demänovská Cave of Liberty and the Bešeňová water park. One of the organizers of the event said, “It was a joy to observe the enthusiastic expressions of the children, who had a great time on the various slides and thoroughly enjoyed the water attractions.”

Salesians are preparing three to four rounds of summer camps for Ukrainian children. The camps will be organized in cooperation with other organizations, such as Salesian organizations Savio and VIDES, as well as volunteers from the United Kingdom. Volunteers are training to work with children who have faced trauma. They are also learning safety measures and how to work as a team.

Volunteers continue to work directly with Ukrainian refugees housed in state facilities. The volunteers have been gathering the refugees to play games and engage in activities that help them get acquainted in their new environment. After these events, volunteers take time to process with other volunteers and discuss improvements.

The Salesian center in Trnávka, Bratislava is also offering languages classes four afternoons a week so refugees can learn the basics of the Slovak language.

“Refugees need more support than just having a place to stay and their basic needs met,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “To truly be integrated and comfortable in their new home, refugees need to become part of the social fabric. Meeting those in the community and learning to speak the language are a few steps in easing the transition.”

The work of Salesians in Ukraine and Slovakia is being supported through financial and material support by Salesian organizations around the globe. Salesians are present in more than 130 countries and nearly all have stepped up to help in some way.

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

ANS – Slovakia – Gifting a little joy to Ukrainian refugee minors: Salesians preparing for a summer of welcoming solidarity

Salesian Missions

The post SLOVAKIA: Young Ukrainian refugees welcomed first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are housing refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine at the Salesian house in Kazincbarcika, a city in northern Hungary near the Ukraine-Hungary border. Salesians also have a parish, two schools, a dormitory and several other institutions where they care for poor youth and their families, mostly minority Roma people.

As the mass of refugees started to arrive from Ukraine, Father Béla Ábrahám, director of the Kazincbarcika Salesian House, registered the house as a refugee shelter with the authorities. Shortly after, Salesians started to gather supplies to prepare accommodations for the refugees. Thanks to generous donors, the house includes three washing machines, five refrigerators and four microwave ovens. They began welcoming refugees in early April.

“We were excited to offer shelter for those in need because this was something we have not done before, and we knew that it would certainly have its challenges. The Catholic parish undertook the task of providing nourishing warm meals every day, right from the beginning,” said Father Geza Nadudvari, provincial secretary of Hungarian Salesian Province.

Five families initially stayed with the Salesians. The second group of refugees followed two weeks later, mostly women and children. Salesian students moved to the first floor of the dormitory, leaving the second and third floors reserved for refugees.

Many local people and organizations have helped the Salesians by providing provide food, pastries, sweets, clothes and toys. Some offer their time and skills, helping with administration issues or providing medical support.

Most of the refugees welcomed by the Salesians look forward to going back to Ukraine to resume their lives. Some, however, will not be able to go back to their homes as there is nothing left, and they will have to start over in Hungary.

“The Hungarian Salesian Family will continue to offer all the support that it can to help integrate them into our society and provide a welcoming new home,” added Fr. Nadudvari.

Salesian missionaries around the globe are working to provide financial and material donations to help people still in Ukraine and refugees in bordering countries. Even Salesians in the poorest countries have stepped up in some way to support the efforts.

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

ANS – Hungary – Refugees in Kazincbarcika: “Sheltered by the grace of God”

Salesian Missions

The post HUNGARY: Ukrainian refugees receive support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have set up a modular city composed of prefabricated buildings designed to temporarily welcome those displaced by war inside of Ukraine. Salesians are calling the city Mariapolis, the city of Mary. The city was set up by the Municipality of Lviv in collaboration with Salesian missionaries and with the support of the Polish government.

Mariapolis was inaugurated with a ceremony. A prayer and blessing were led by Father Andriy Bodnar, provincial vicar of the Salesian Vice-Province Mary Help of Christians of Greek Catholic Ukraine. Local pastor Father Orest Fredyna also presided.

Fr. Bodnar said, “We wanted to give the city the name Mariapolis, the city of Mary. Mariupol is extremely close to the heart of every Ukrainian and every person on this planet who desires peace. We wish that people’s stay in this modular citadel will be full of hope and that the symbol of this little Mariapolis can become a great prospect for the rebirth of the city Mariupol and all Ukraine.”

The container houses, which came as a gift from Poland, are equipped with bunk beds, tables and closets. Some rooms serve as dining rooms and laundry rooms, or house showers and toilets. A playground for children has also been set up on the grounds. Salesians will provide pastoral care and psychological support. They will also provide food for the 350 people housed there thanks to a mobile kitchen donated by Civil Defense in Emilia-Romagna Region and in collaboration with the Salesian VIS.

Fr. Bodnar added, “Many people who have now settled here until recently lived in our communities in Lviv. We prayed together, had deep, but also painful conversations. Salesian staff organized various activities for these children. And we will continue to support these people in this difficult period of our lives.”

The state authorities thanked the Salesians. At the inauguration ceremony, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said, “Thank you for sharing your warmth and love. We feel that God’s grace is present in this citadel. We pray that the Mother of God will take this Mariapolis under her protection.”

Salesian missionaries around the globe are working to provide financial and material donations to help people still in Ukraine and refugees in bordering countries. Even Salesians in the poorest countries have stepped up in some way to support the efforts.

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

ANS – Ukraine – Mary watches over displaced: “Mariapolis” rises in Lviv, a modular city under Salesian care

Salesian Missions

The post UKRAINE: Displaced families welcomed to modular city in Lviv first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Youth Center, located in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, has been providing services for Ukrainian children who fled when the war erupted. These children and their families are refugees seeking shelter and safety away from their home country. The center employs two Ukrainian women to run programs for Ukrainian children. Masha Shumkova is a teacher and Olena Halushka is a psychologist. Both of them used to work at a children’s center in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

Halushka said, “I came to the Czech Republic in the second week of March. Our friend told us about the Salesian Youth Center. We were surprised when we came here because, in our city in Ukraine, we don’t have anything like this. Czech children must be so happy because they have this program, and they may come here for free, get attention, and stay at a comfortable, safe place. I decided to be a volunteer in this Salesian Youth Center because I like kids. Really, for me it’s so easy to be with kids. They give me energy.”

The Ukrainian children are making connections with the children already in the program. It has been a fairly smooth transition even for Halushka and Shumkova. They seek out activities the children enjoy and bond with them over sports and other activities. It’s not all games though. Many of the activities are educational to ensure children are still learning.

“We divided Ukrainian children into four groups according to their age — from 4 to 16 years — and we make different programs for each group,” explained Shumkova. “We focus on teaching mathematics, logic, literature, or we just have a little fun. The groups are already full. Besides that, we have a group for Czech kids on Monday. We are still learning the Czech language and we also practice English with Czech children.”

The children are happy to engage in the programs. Some are struggling because many only speak Ukrainian. One boy explained that he was the only person in his new school that spoke his language. Even the other two Ukrainian refugees only spoke Russian. He was excited when he found out that Halushka and Shumkova spoke Ukrainian like him.

There are also children who are having a hard time adjusting after the trauma they faced. Halushka said, “I’ve seen a few traumatized children. We will paint an animal. You can create an animal that you have never seen in life, and think of the superpowers it has. Some children painted dragons with superpower for killing and loads of blood around them. They don’t talk about their trauma, but you can see it in their paintings. Also, I remember two kids that came here and were super shy. They came from Donetsk and experienced a lot of bad situations. They were afraid of communicating with other children.”

They are also seeing families who are in need of material supplies like food, diapers for babies and blankets. Others are still looking for a place to live and a new job. Halushka added, “People need to hear that you’re sorry this is happening to them and words of encouragement even if you can’t offer donations or a place to live. They need the support right now in however it can be provided.”

Salesian missionaries around the globe are working to provide financial and material donations to help people still in Ukraine and refugees in bordering countries. Even Salesians in the poorest countries have stepped up in some way to support the efforts.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian emergency response coordinator

Salesian Missions

The post UKRAINE: Ukrainian teacher, psychologist run programs for children fleeing war first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Poland report that the flow of refugees between Ukraine and Poland has slowed down in recent days. Many who were able to escape from heavy conflict areas have done so, while those who remained did so by choice or for lack of alternatives. To date, more than 5.6 million people have fled Ukraine with more than 3 million of them going to Poland, according to the UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency.

Salesian organizations in Poland and across Europe have opened their doors to those seeking shelter and humanitarian aid. Natalia, a nurse, fled with her three children from the Khmelnytskyi region in western Ukraine and is currently hosted at the Salesian house in Czerwińsk, Poland. She said, “Both my children and I are in good condition in Czerwińsk. We feel safe and everyone cares about us. The children are happy. They get an education and spend their free time playing.”

Natalia arrived at an advantage over many of her fellow countrymen because her mothers’ family has Polish roots. She had already been to several cities in Poland and knows the language well. Natalia has been using that to help others in need. “I spend my time helping my compatriots with the various communications, in the compilation of the necessary documents, and working for the gradual integration of the refugee population.”

Natalia, who knows she’s had an easier path than most, added, “Everyone, especially those with children, can leave Ukraine now that there is a war going on. There are many people who will give them shelter and decent accommodation. But I understand that some women may want to stay in Ukraine with their husbands. I think this is also a good decision. Whatever path they take, let it be according to their conscience.”

Despite the experience that the Salesians and volunteers are providing for her family, Natalia’s time in Poland is quite different from the other times she has visited. She explained, “Before I visited the Masuri Lake District and the many beautiful forests, with all the surrounding nature. Today, I always think of my homeland and my husband, a doctor, who has remained in the country to serve the needy. This is important now when so many wounded people need him so much.”

Natalia explained she has one dream today, “To be able to return home to Ukraine as soon as possible. And I hope it will be really soon. Ukraine is fighting for life and our freedom so that those who had to leave can come home and start a new life.”

The work of Salesians in Ukraine and Poland is being supported through financial and material support by Salesian organizations around the globe. Salesians are present in more than 130 countries and nearly all have stepped up to help in some way.

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ANS – Poland – Supporting refugees until they can achieve their dream: “To return home and start a new life”

Salesian Missions

UNHCR – Ukraine Refugees

The post UKRAINE: Ukrainian refugees find safe shelter at Salesian center in Czerwińsk, Poland first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have continued their efforts in Ukraine, delivering food, medicines, clothing and other basic necessities in the hardest-hit areas. They are also caring for people who have been displaced inside the country. Salesian centers in Poland and other European countries are caring for refugees.

Education remains a priority. Many Salesian schools in Ukraine are offering online classes. Inna is a Salesian elementary school teacher. She said, “I live and work in Ukraine, and most of my lessons happen between air raid alerts. To video-transmit the lessons I use my cell phone, which isn’t very convenient. It would help me a lot if I could have a laptop. But I try to do my best for my students, my school, and my country, and even when I’m lecturing with the sound of explosions in the background, I keep on working.”

To help with situations like this, the Salesian St. Thomas of Canterbury Province in Great Britain has launched a fundraising campaign to purchase laptops and computer devices for the benefit of young Ukrainian refugees and teachers left in Ukraine.

The campaign organizer said, “One hundred percent of the funds will be used to support Ukrainian children, teachers and school administration. We’ll start by trying to help students in schools. If we fail to guarantee an education for this generation, then we shall have to acknowledge that war has won.”

Refugee youth who have left Ukraine are trying to acclimate to new schools. Those who are housed in Salesian reception centers receive 24-hour accommodation, food, and all the help they need, such as sports activities and psychological and spiritual assistance to help them overcome the traumas of war. They are slowly being integrated into new schools, but it hasn’t been easy.

Eva, who fled together with her three brothers, Ivan, Vitya, and Petro, crossed the border to Poland on foot. “We escaped taking little with us. I feel the lack of communication very much. I’d like to participate in online classes from our school in Zhytomyr, but it’s impossible. And I can’t believe that I have to stay in another country for a long time. We really miss our past life.”

Salesian organizations around the globe have come the aid of those in need with financial and material support. Salesians are present in more than 130 countries and nearly all have stepped up to help in some way.

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ANS – Ukraine – “If we fail to guarantee education to this generation, then we will have to acknowledge that the war has won”

Salesian Missions

The post UKRAINE: Education continues even during war first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) A hospital in Ukraine has medical supplies thanks to a new partnership between MedShare and Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. MedShare is a humanitarian aid organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people, communities, and the planet by sourcing and directly delivering surplus medical supplies and equipment to communities in need around the world.

The shipment, which left the U.S. in March, is now in the hands of Salesian Sisters. The supplies are being distributed to ambulances and clinics and used to treat those who have been internally displaced within the country and arrive daily seeking medical attention.

“We appreciate MedShare’s donation which has assured Salesians on the ground in Ukraine have access to the medical supplies they need to care for the sick and injured,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian organizations around the globe have come together to help support Salesians in Ukraine who are working with people displaced inside the country and refugees who have fled to bordering countries. The need is overwhelming and we are all doing our part.”

Salesian Missions has already launched a Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund that will help provide shelter, nutrition and supplies to refugees in need. This fund is among other fundraising efforts that Salesians in more than 130 countries are doing in support of Salesians on the front lines of this crisis.

In addition to financial support, Salesians are sending material support similar to the medical supplies from MedShare. Through the support of a U.S.-based foundation, two ambulances were purchased in Serbia, filled with medicines and then driven by two Serbian drivers into Ukraine. Even though the trip was filled with challenges, the two ambulances made it to their destination inside Ukraine.

Salesian missionaries around the globe are answering the call to help support people in distress in Ukraine and refugees fleeing the conflict. Salesians living and working in Ukraine have remained in their centers and churches, and they are helping families with shelter and nutrition.

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MedShare

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

The post UKRAINE: Medical supplies reach internally displaced through partnership first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) The St. John Bosco Oratory in Warsaw, Poland, has been providing support and resources for Ukrainian refugees from the start of the conflict. Youth and their families have connected with programs and found resources from Salesian missionaries during this difficult time.

Coming from Lutsk, Ukraine, Andre and Roma’s families knew each other, although the boys attended different schools. At the outbreak of war, Andre and Roma, 15 and 14 years old respectively, left Ukraine in the same car with their families. There were 17 people clinging to hope of finding safety in a seven-seat car. It was under this difficult circumstance that the boys found friendship and a bond for life.

Andre recalled, “My mother woke me up to tell me that the war had started. We gathered everything and went to a nearby village. However, we were all nervous, so in the evening my parents, together with other relatives and friends, decided that we would leave the country.”

Roma added, “First, I accompanied my mother to a cash machine to withdraw as much money as possible, but they were no longer working. Then, between relatives and friends, we were 17 people in a seven-seater car, plus everyone’s little luggage.”

The trip to Poland’s border took nearly 20 hours because the traffic was so heavy. There they were told that the men could not leave. They then switched to a car going back, and another family joined the trip to Poland with Andre’s mother driving.

In Warsaw they live in a flat that a relative arranged for them. Roma said, “Our mothers are looking for work and we have been going to school for a week. The language is a bit difficult for us, but the other students are very nice to us.”

Every day they go to the St. John Bosco Oratory. Andre explained how they connected with the Salesians. “We didn’t know the Salesians before, but my mother saw a Ukrainian flag on the door and thought it was an information point. When we got home, she told us that she had found a wonderful place that was a big family.”

At the oratory there are leisure activities and snacks. Andre and Roma have met other young refugees like themselves, and they share concerns, games and dreams. They are hoping that the war will be over soon and they will be able to return home. They say, however, that they have felt so welcomed in Poland that one day they’d like to come back and attend the University of Warsaw.

Salesians in Poland have also been sending humanitarian aid directly to sites in Ukraine. Father Andrej Politch, a Salesian from the Krakow Province in Ukraine, said, “All the humanitarian aid is coordinated by the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, led by Salesian Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi. He asked us for help and all the trucks arrive fully loaded. At the base of the truck, we put the boxes with food, which occupies more or less 60 percent of the load. On top, there are boxes with sheets, sleeping bags and medicines.”

Roman, a volunteer truck driver, appreciates the work of Salesians. He said, “I want to thank the Salesians. It’s really nice that there are people who take care of us. Thank you for your warm welcome, and for all the help and support. God bless you.”

The work is being supported through financial and material support by Salesian organizations around the globe. Salesians are present in more than 130 countries and nearly all have stepped up to help in some way.

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ANS – Ukraine – Roman, Tatiana, Andre and Roma… Ukrainian voices of gratitude to sons of Don Bosco

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The post UKRAINE: Ukrainian youth find support in Poland first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Ukraine and bordering countries are supporting youth in their schools, centers and oratories. About 2,000 Ukrainian youth have received support from the Salesians in Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia. This does not account for youth who have fled to other countries in Europe. During this emergency, Salesians are focused on trying to help youth live as normal a life as possible through education, socialization and ongoing support.

“First, our schools serve children during their normal hours of work,” explained Father George Menamparampil, head of the Salesian General Coordination for Emergency Response. “Furthermore, our oratories are open for children every day and for daytime activities. The minors who currently reside in Salesian homes receive lodging, food, and all the help they need 24 hours a day, including education, recreation, and the care that every child or young person needs.”

Salesian centers in Ukraine have all remained open. In an interview for Avvenire, the Catholic daily newspaper, Father Daniel Antúnez, president of Don Bosco Mission in Turin, Italy, who visited Salesian centers in Ukraine and Poland, said, “We asked ourselves what we could do and decided to make ourselves available to the people, those who were living there and those who have been displaced.”

Even while cities in Ukraine have been devastated by bombings and attacks, 680 youth — equal to 80 percent of students prior to the invasion — continue to attend classes at Salesian educational centers through distance learning. Oratories are providing support to 208 youth, and 70 children and older youth are taking shelter in Salesian centers and houses.

In Poland, 398 Ukrainian youth are in Salesian schools, 309 are in oratories, and 210 are in Salesian homes. In Slovakia, there are 60 Ukrainian children in oratories and 50 have been welcomed into Salesian homes.

While there is no official account of youth in Salesian programs in Moldova, it has been reported that the Salesian house in Chișinău is currently hosting close to 40 refugees, and since the beginning of the war, the Salesian center has offered care to more than 1,000 people.

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ANS – Ukraine – Salesian houses: oases always open to help and accompany young people

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The post UKRAINE: Salesian missionaries in Ukraine and bordering countries support 2,000 youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Even though war is raging in Ukraine, Salesian missionaries have remained in the country in their parishes and schools, providing for people who have stayed. Many are displaced and are seeking shelter and safety in Salesian houses, schools and centers. Salesians are also working to continue education for young students who are both in the country and those who have left for bordering countries.

The Salesian high school in Lviv is providing remote education for 400 students while the vocational school is teaching 150 students. With all lessons online, close to 80 percent of the student body are taking part, some of whom are in the countryside and some abroad. Since mid-March in Zhytomyr, Salesians have been holding regular online classes with 90 percent of students, close to 200 youth, taking part.

In Odessa, 100 students are taking online courses. Salesians there had wanted to start a kindergarten before the invasions but without the staff to do so have tabled those efforts for now. Instead, they have converted space to store some of the humanitarian aid that Salesians around the globe have been providing.

“We are helping many people who have been displaced inside the country,” said Father Chaban Mykahylo, superior of the Mary Help of Christians Vice-Province of Ukraine of the Greek Catholic Rite. “We are bringing food and medicine to the most affected areas such as Kharkiv, Dnipro, the Lugansk region and Donetsk. We have planned with the Salesians in Slovakia to get a truckload of food every week. We also have a depot where we can store up to five trucks of material.”

Fr. Mykahylo added, “We are discovering more and more new places that need food. Right now, we are also sending bread to Kharkiv every week with the support of Don Bosco Bonn, and we will certainly increase the quantity as soon as we start our new bakery.”

Don Bosco Mission in Turin, Italy, has also sent generators to Salesians in Ukraine. Salesians are also in the process of building a shelter, which had been planned before the Russian invasion. The goal is to finish that project in April.

“We’re also providing sports programming for youth,” Fr. Mykahylo noted. “The goal is to help youth handle the stress of war with some physical activity. We already have seven new boys in our community home. They are coming from our region and from the war zone. We have another group of mothers with children as refugees in Italy, 43 people in all. I want to thank Salesians around the globe for all the work they have been doing in helping us with this crisis.”

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The post UKRAINE: Salesians support displaced youth and families who seek shelter, education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Poland are on the front lines of the refugee crisis as more than 4 million people have fled to the country to escape the horrors in Ukraine. Salesians in Poland are working to shelter more than 600 refugees and have the space to take another 500.

Lydia, a Ukrainian refugee in Poland, said of the Salesians, “They asked us what we needed as soon as we arrived. They offered us everything, they gave us everything, they helped us with everything. We will never forget them.”

Lydia arrived in Warsaw from Dnipro after four intense days of travel with her children, while her husband remained in Ukraine. She said, “We are worried but we have hope in a peaceful future, which will come soon. There are more good people around than you might think and, in these situations, you can see why they do everything with their heart.”

Yarina, age 16, and her mother are also in Warsaw, having left Lviv the day the war started. “The best thing we can do to keep our minds off the war is to keep busy,” said Yarina’s mother. “I have started looking for a job in Warsaw, and my daughter has online classes and connects daily with her school in Ukraine to try to keep everything as normal as possible.”

Yarina says that she likes biology, although she is still not sure what she will study when the war is over. She has seven hours of class a day and then it’s time to check her phone to see her 30 classmates. She said, “Some are in Italy, others in France and Spain, but most of us are in Poland. We know that the war will end one day, and we hope it will be very soon. We all want to go back to Ukraine and be in our united families again. At the moment we are beating Russia in this aspect too because they can’t destroy our culture and our desire to learn, even if they bomb our schools.”

Salesians in European countries are also helping refugees. The Santa Maria de La Salette Oratory in Catania, Italy, has taken in single-parent families with mothers and children. It has welcomed four families so far. Salesian programs in the Czech Republic have taken 200 refugees, and 100 of them are children.

This work is being supported through financial and material support by Salesian organizations around the globe. Salesians are present in more than 130 countries and nearly all have stepped up to help in some way. Poor countries that struggle to provide financial support are dedicating Lenten prayers for the people of Ukraine.

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ANS – Poland – “There are more good people than you might think,” testifies Lydia, a young refugee

Salesian Missions

UNHCR – Ukraine Refugees

The post UKRAINE: Refugees in Poland grateful for Salesian shelter and support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries living and working in Ukraine have remained to help provide for citizens who have stayed in the country during the conflict. Some Ukrainians stayed only long enough until they could find a safe place to go. Others are elderly and are unable to travel. To date, more than 4 million people have fled the country in search of safety. Those who remain are in need of humanitarian aid, and Salesians are on the front lines helping these families.

Natalka, along with her two children ages 2 and 5, sheltered in a cellar without lighting and heating for days. With all the shops closed, she was only able to buy bread when it was distributed in the street. Natalka said, “All I could think about was what I was leaving behind—my husband, but most of all what I was gaining—saving their lives.”

They traveled for several days by foot, bus and train until they reached Medyka, the border crossing with Poland. Natalka added, “The worst was the cold and the snow, carrying a baby in my arms, a big backpack, and holding the other by the hand. It is very unjust what we are suffering.”

Now that she is safe with Salesians in Poland, she is helping her children to overcome the fear they are still feeling every time planes fly overhead. Natalka worries for her husband still in Ukraine, but he is consoled by knowing that she is receiving support and shelter.

Natalka’s family is not the only family to be welcomed by the Polish Salesians. Across four Polish Salesian Provinces, there are 1,117 places for refugees in Salesian centers. Right now, 500 refugees have received shelter. Salesian missionaries are providing what they can to meet basic needs but they will need more support to be able to continue. Salesian oratories are also providing support for Ukrainian children and their mothers. There is access to free legal and psychological support.

Despite the danger, Salesians in Poland also managed to send dozens of humanitarian convoys to Ukraine. They are bringing medical supplies, food, blankets, generators and personal hygiene items. Thanks to the Salesian Mission Office in Bonn, Germany, Salesians managed to purchase 300 camp beds, pillows and duvets and 600 sets of bed linen and towels.

After Father Michał Wocial, a Salesian in Ukraine, asked for help when an old school bus broke down on one of the various trips to help refugees flee to Poland, Salesian missionaries in Turin, Italy were quick to respond with the donation of an eight-seater minivan.

“It was a priority operation for us,” said Father Jacek Zdzieborski, director of the Salesian Mission Office in Warsaw. “We were able to quickly find a seller of an eight-seater minivan with a large trunk, as was needed. A week later, the vehicle had already been purchased, imported, registered and insured.” Before arriving at its destination, the van left full of supplies, including a power generator, food, medical supplies and blankets.

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ANS – Ukraine – A van, camp beds, food, medicine… And stories and faces of hospitality in massive Salesian relief operation

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The post UKRAINE: Salesians in Poland provide shelter and aid for refugees first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian organizations around the globe have continued their support for the people of Ukraine, particularly refugees who have fled to neighboring countries. The UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, has indicated that more than 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine, mostly women and children. Hungary has taken in more than 324,000.

In Hungary, the Salesian Province of Saint Stephen the King (UNG) in Budapest is working to help Ukrainian refugees. The Hungarian government has established a National Council for Humanitarian Coordination, which is working to make cooperation among state, civil and church organizations as effective as possible.

Salesian communities, oratories, institutes and parishes have provided shelter for 140 people—including Nigerian students from Kyiv. Salesian schools and oratories are providing education to Ukrainian minors and welcoming them into activities. The province and Salesian cooperators in Budapest-Óbuda have raised funds to help support these efforts.

Each Salesian institute is collaborating with the Diocesan Caritas in collecting food, children’s clothes, blankets and other basic necessities, which are then provided to those in need by Caritas volunteers. The Vietnamese community in Budapest has also filled a minibus with supplies.

Salesians in Kazincbarcika, in collaboration with students, the rector of the Salesian community, and the local Caritas, also collected goods and transported the aid to the border with Ukraine.

“Don Bosco, our founder, said if brotherly love is like it should be, then the good of one is the good of everyone, the trouble of one is the trouble of everyone. We help wherever we can with prayer and deeds,” said Father János Andrasfalvy, UNG provincial.

In Poland, which has taken in more than 2.1 million refugees, Salesian missionaries are also sending direct aid to Ukraine. Salesians in Warsaw have provided a vehicle to Salesians in Zhytomyr which they are using to transport supplies and bring women and children to Poland.

Previously, Father Michał Wocial, a Salesian in Zhytomyr, had noted, “Unfortunately, our old Renault Master school bus broke down today during the evacuation of people. Maybe someone would like to borrow or donate a minibus for the evacuation of women and children.” Salesians in Poland answered the call with an eight-seat minibus with a large trunk. It left Poland for Ukraine full of supplies, including a power generator, food, medical supplies and blankets.

Salesians across Italy are also responding to the needs of refugees. Salesian houses in Sicily are able to take in 56 refugees while 36 host families have opened their homes in the region. In Catania, the Salesian Provincial Office in Cefalù is working in collaboration with the Italian Refugee Council (CIR) to offer an assistance desk open to all Ukrainian citizens to offer information on international protection, temporary protection, family reunification, reception and service orientation. There are also 15 places available for unaccompanied minors in San Gregorio Magno.

Seeing the work of Salesian missionaries in Ukraine and across Europe, the Real Madrid Foundation has included Salesian Missions in Madrid, Spain as one of the recipients in its pledge to donate 1 million euro to organizations supporting Ukrainians. The Red Cross, UNHCR and Cesal were also included in this donation. Some of the funding will be used to support refugees in Spain. Real Madrid Foundation has also donated 13,000 items of clothing and sporting equipment to Red Cross and Cesal center in Madrid.

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ANS – Hungary – Fr Andrasfalvy, Provincial: “We help wherever we can: with prayer and deeds”

Real Madrid Foundation

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UNHCR – Ukraine Refugees

The post UKRAINE: Salesian programs provide aid and support for Ukrainian refugees first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries around the globe are responding with aid and other support in Ukraine and the surrounding countries that are taking in refugees. More than 3 million people, mostly women and children, have already fled Ukraine, according to UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency. Poland, which borders Ukraine to the west, has already taken in more than 1.8 million refugees with the number expected to climb. Salesians in Ukraine and in Poland are working on the front lines helping those in need.

On the border between Ukraine and Poland, long lines of refugees form as people wait their turn to cross the border. Father Andrzej Król, delegate of youth ministry of the Poland-Krakow Province and directly involved in the field providing aid, said, “It’s cold, and it’s hard here, for the mothers and children, who are the majority. Most of them don’t know where to go. They go toward the unknown and they only know that once they have crossed the Polish border there are schools where they can spend their first night. We try to entertain the children, make them smile and offer them small things. I think it’s important at this time.”

Fr. Król added, “Fortunately, I see small gestures of loving kindness—people who bring hot soup, sandwiches, coffee or tea and distribute them to people, who are very grateful, and you see the joy in their eyes, despite the tragic situation.”

Father Krzysztof Grzendziński, economer of the Province of Poland-Warsaw, is in charge of supervising the implementation of activities, services and programs in the field in the Salesian provinces in Ukraine strongly affected by the mass exodus of civilians, as well as in Slovakia and four Salesian provinces in Poland.

In addition to providing aid to refugees who are crossing the border, Salesian programs in many countries are accepting refugees into their centers, houses and programs. They are also working with local host families to accept refugees. In the Special Circumscription of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta in Italy, Salesians have sent funding to Ukraine and identified 118 host families who are willing to take in refugees.

The Don Bosco 2000 Association in Sicily, Italy, which works with the Salesians of Sicily, organized a bus trip to bring 48 women and children from Przemyśl, Poland, to Alcamo, Sicily. Some of the refugees will be housed in an association house while others will reside with 12 host families.

In the Czech Republic, Salesians have taken in 200 refugees, offering meals and services. Salesians are providing economic aid, making cars available for transporting materials and people, and encouraging the inclusion of children in youth centers and schools. Salesians are also offering psychological and spiritual support.

At St. Joseph’s in Szczecin, Poland, 42 people are being housed in the boarding school. There are also 155 people staying in Salesian houses in the Krakow Province and 60 at the Krakow Seminary. Other Salesian centers in Poland are working to prepare for additional refugees. The Krakow Province is also sending aid directly to Ukraine. Eight buses with humanitarian aid carrying approximately 3 tons each, including 12 power generators, food, medicines and dressings, sleeping mats and sleeping bags, and hygiene products, were sent to Ukraine the week of March 7.

Father Roman Sikon, with the Salesian Missionary Volunteer Service, is one of the transport drivers delivering aid to Ukraine. “We hope our journey will be safe and we will come back soon for our next transport because our warehouses are slowly filling up.” Missionaries and their volunteers are providing generators, food, medicines and medical supplies to those remaining in Ukraine. People have been sheltering in Salesian churches and schools throughout the country.

Father Andrzej Policht, a missionary in Ukraine, said, “Our voluntary service works with various organizations and raises funds. We bring people, mainly mothers and children, from Kyiv and Zhytomyr to the border and then they are picked up at the border and are relocated to safety. We have to act and I encourage everyone to do something.”

To financially support humanitarian aid and meet the needs of refugees, Salesian centers around the globe are setting up fundraising appeals and sending money to where it’s needed most. Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities in which they work, they are able to quickly identify needs and directly provide aid. Salesian missionaries still working in Ukraine as well as Salesians in surrounding countries will continue working to provide for those in need.

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ANS – RMG – Alongside Ukrainian refugees: on the country’s borders, and from all over the world

ANS – RMG – “I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” (Mt 25, 35). The Salesian Family at work to welcome Ukrainian refugees

Salesian Missions

UNHCR – Ukraine Refugees

Video – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AatNdIskssNKxOjcEuIRn4G4pStTWM8k/view

The post UKRAINE: Salesians continue humanitarian aid and support for refugees in Poland and surrounding countries first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Poland and countries bordering Ukraine are accepting refugees fleeing the violence from the Russian invasion. Refugees are staying in Salesian centers and receiving humanitarian aid provided by Salesian organizations around the globe. UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, has said that more than 2 million people have fled the country. Salesians are working to provide shelter, food, medicines and other basic needs.

The University of Warsaw in Szczecin has already accepted 42 refugees in its dorms including children as young as 6 months old and three pregnant women. People are fleeing without any luggage and are in need of basic clothing and hygiene items as well as strollers, cots, and other supplies. Salesians have been helping the university with supplies, along with sorting and distributing these items.

After supplying people with basic needs, Salesians helped with buses to help transport refugees to other places where they would be safe. In agreement with Caritas of the Archdiocese of Szczecin and Kamień, Salesians donated materials including 70 tons of gifts, which were delivered by 40 transport trucks and buses. Salesian organizations have also been raising funds for relief materials. Salesians in Malta sent 500 kgs (1,100 pounds) of in-kind donations.

Salesian organizations have also been providing translators and assistance with official matters, organizing education for children and adults to learn Polish and for preschoolers to learn English, providing psychological care, and other support.

Education remains important during this challenging time. According to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, there are 14,873 schools in the country with 4.2 million children and 441,000 teachers. The day after Russia attacked Ukraine, the ministry recommended that all educational institutions, including schools and universities, go on a two-week break, leaving children without access to education.

Schools have become centers for providing shelter and humanitarian aid. The ministry has launched an “Educators Help” initiative intended to mobilize school staff to help the Ukrainian Armed Forces and civilians. The organization Smart Education has been organizing meetings for children on Zoom.

On March 4, The U.N. Child Rights Committee said in its statement, “Children in Ukraine are currently subject to extreme suffering and trauma. They are being killed and injured. They are separated from their families. Homes are being destroyed. Their education is interrupted. There are reports of schools, orphanages and hospitals being attacked. Their daily lives and routines have been utterly shattered. As a consequence of the military attack on Ukraine, children are exposed to extreme violence and experience unbearable levels of fear and anxiety.”

According to the adviser to the president of Ukraine on children’s rights and children’s rehabilitation, there have been 28 child deaths and 62 children who have been injured due to the conflicts. Attacks against schools and hospitals are classified by the U.N. as one of the six grave violations committed against children.

According to the U.N., at least six educational facilities have faced shelling in recent days. Two teachers were killed when a missile struck a school in Gorlovka in eastern Ukraine. A school in Zhytomyr was hit by a Russian missile and at least three schools in Kharkiv were hit by Russian military strikes. The Russian army has also been indiscriminately shelling kindergartens in Ukraine, and a week before the start of a large-scale invasion a Russian-backed separatist group shelled a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska.

Salesian missionaries still working in Ukraine as well as Salesians in surrounding countries will continue working on the front lines to provide for those in need.

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ANS – Ukraine – Schools and kindergartens affected by war

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The post UKRAINE: Salesian missionaries provide shelter, education and aid to refugees first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries around the globe are answering the call to help support people in distress in Ukraine and refugees fleeing the conflict. Salesians living and working in Ukraine have remained in their centers and churches, and they are helping families with shelter and nutrition. Globally, Salesian organizations are working to raise critical funding to help these efforts and the needs of refugees in surrounding countries.

More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the conflict with Russia on Feb. 24, according to the UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency. The majority of refugees have fled to Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia. Others continue to flee across Europe in search of shelter and safety.

Salesians for Social APS in Rome, a civil service organization, in agreement with government agencies, has begun coordination of the reception of Ukrainian refugees in Italy. Some will be housed at Salesian programs.

The fast exodus of Ukrainians is unprecedented in this century. By the count of the UNHCR, more than 2 percent of the population, 44 million citizens, have been on the move in less than a week. UNHCR estimates that up to 4 million people could leave Ukraine.

Pope Francis publicly praised Polish authorities and the country’s people. He said in an address, “You are the first ones who have supported Ukraine opening your borders, your hearts, the doors of your homes to the Ukrainians who are escaping the war. You are generously offering everything that is necessary so that they can live in a dignified way despite the dramatic moment. I am profoundly grateful, and I bless you from my heart!”

Currently, Syria has more than 5.6 million people who fled the country after the outbreak of civil war in 2011. It took at least three months for refugees to reach 1 million, according to UNHCR data. Shabia Mantoo, spokeswoman for the UNHCR, said that if the migration from Ukraine maintains this pace, it could become the “biggest refugee crisis of this century.”

To help support refugees Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has already launched a Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund that will provide support to provide shelter, nutrition and supplies to refugees in need.

Salesian Missions is joined by other Salesians organization in fundraising efforts including Don Bosco Mondo in Germany, Salesians of Slovenia, Missão Don Bosco in Portugal, and the Salesian Province of Great Britain, among others. The Salesian Sicilian Province is already identifying the availability of beds to accommodate possible refugees.

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

ANS – RMG – VIS and “Don Bosco Mission Bonn” also working for needs of Ukrainian population

ANS – Ukraine – A great chain of solidarity for the Ukrainian population

ANS – Italy – “Salesians for Social APS” starts coordination for reception of Ukrainian refugees

Salesians for Social

Salesian Missions

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

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has launched an emergency appeal to aid Ukrainian refugees. The Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund will provide support to provide shelter, nutrition and supplies to refugees in need. Salesian missionaries living and working in Ukraine and surrounding countries who are sheltering refugees are doing everything possible to help those in need during this difficult time.

UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, has said that more than 660,000 refugees have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries, the majority of whom are women, children and the elderly. Families have been torn apart as fathers, husbands and brothers have remained in Ukraine to fight. The U.N. has estimated the conflict could produce as many as 4 million refugees.

Working within their local communities, Salesians are providing shelter in their houses and schools while also calling on the international community for aid. Several Salesian provinces around the globe have already pledged support, including Salesian Missions.

“Salesian missionaries are doing everything possible to help those in need including providing emergency transport and shelter,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “There are Salesian missionaries still working in Ukraine and in the neighboring countries risking their lives while helping families in need. To do that most effectively, we need donor support.”

In addition to Salesian centers welcoming refugees, Salesians in Ukraine are sheltering minors and their families who have remained in the country. Father Chaban Mykahylo, superior of the Mary Help of Christians Vice-Province of Ukraine of the Greek Catholic Rite, said, “This situation continues to be tragic. We do not know how long this war will continue, and we must be ready for a long period. There are many victims among the soldiers, but also among civilians. Throughout Ukraine, there is a danger of bombing. Our capital, Kyiv, is suffering a lot, as well as the areas bordering Russia. People are fleeing their homes and are in need of our help.”

To help support refugees, donate to the Salesian Missions Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund.

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

ANS – Ukraine – Salesians in the current difficult situation

ANS – Ukraine – Ukrainian people moving in search of safety

ANS – RMG – The Salesian world moves to support Ukraine

Salesian Missions

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

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been working in Ukraine providing education and social development services in cities across the country including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Lviv. On the eastern front in Dnipro, Salesian Father Oleh Ladnyuk has been military chaplain to Ukrainian troops since 2014, when the Donbas conflict broke out. He also normally travels between villages in the area to offer Salesian youth ministry courses in Greek Catholic parishes. The invasion has changed Fr. Ladnyuk’s work. He is now working on evacuations and providing safety and support to children and families.

A small baby named Tymofij wore a blue hat and was wrapped in a warm tracksuit with his mother by his side when he escaped from Lysychansk to the Luhansk region. He was taken away to safety by Fr. Ladnyuk. Upon arriving, Fr. Ladnyuk said, “Now the first thing to do is to eat, then sleep. Tomorrow we will think about the rest.”

After more than 12 hours of travel, Fr. Ladnyuk still wanted to tell their story even though he felt exhausted. He had just returned from driving a small convoy of two mini-buses and a car with families. The journey began in the morning from the Salesian house in Dnipro,  124 miles (200 kilometers) from Donbas.

In the hours immediately following the invasion, Fr. Ladnyuk saw people stunned in the streets, lines of cars in search of fuel and people at ATMs to withdraw as much cash as possible. He heard of the first bombings and saw the first deaths. Then he left once again for Lysychansk, accompanied by Father Igor Opafsky. Everything had already been organized.

Fr. Ladnyuk said, “We’re going to the parish priest, Father Sergio Palamarchuk. He is gathering civilians who want to leave and we are taking them away. We hope to get there. We have to go a long way and we don’t know if the military will let us through. We are going with what we have.”

The road from Dnipro goes through Kostyantynivka and eastward. It is not an easy road in wartime. Fr. Ladnyuk explained, “In the opposite direction, we encountered rows of cars loaded with people and things: you could see that they were running away. And the closer you get to the front, the more the presence of the military is felt. You understand that I can’t say much, but there were many troops. When they passed close by, the danger could be felt in the air, so we tried to speed up.”

Lysychansk looks like an emptied city now. There is no one along the wide avenues, the houses already seem abandoned. Fr. Ladnyuk has rescued 12 people including women and Tymofij, just two weeks old. “These are not whole families, but pieces of families that split up. Fathers and mothers ensure their children are safe, then decide to stay behind—at home, under the bombs.”

After the trip, Fr. Ladnyuk returned to Dnipro. There are many people in need there that Salesians can still help. Salesians in Ukraine will continue to provide support to children and families while Salesians around the globe work to provide humanitarian relief to those in need.

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Sources:

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

ANS – Ukraine – On the run, in Fr Oleh’s mini-bus. “Away from the war, women and children to safety”

Salesian Missions

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(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been operating the Vsesvit School in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, for the past two years. The school was established thanks to several Italian benefactors in response to the local community need to open a Christian school. Zhytomyr has close to 300,000 residents and is 68 miles west of Kiev. Salesians now want to open an oratory to operate along with the school to help youth with after-school activities and educational support.

The goal is to first open the oratory to the more than 200 students who attend the school and then open activities to youth who live in the local community. Youth who attend the oratory will be able to access educational support, entertainment, and ways to connect with their peers through sports and games.

To launch the new oratory, Salesians are in need of the materials and supplies to make it successful. One Salesian explained, “There is a need for a little bit of everything. Work in the chapel, balls, sports uniforms, tents for summer camps, dishes, games and more.”

Salesian missionaries first arrived in Ukraine in 1936, and remained there for 10 years, until they were forced to leave the country for political reasons. They returned in the 1990s after the fall of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe, and today they have eight centers. The main focus is on education, but Salesians also augment this work through oratories and vocational and technical training for older youth who graduate from primary and secondary school.

According to the Child Poverty Report launched by UNICEF and Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies, together with the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, children in the country are more likely to live in poverty than adults. The poverty rate among families with children is higher than in families without children—47 percent versus 34 percent. Poverty rates are also highest in large families with three or more children, and children in the youngest age groups are most impacted.

Because of these difficult economic conditions, youth often struggle to afford to continue their education. Those who do often find it challenging to find work without the appropriate skills and necessary connections. The area has a great need for reliable technical education and employees who possess technical knowledge and skills. Realizing this, Salesian missionaries work to make education equally available to all students, especially those in need such as orphans and youth from families with many children, broken families and rural areas.

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

ANS – Ukraine – Building an oratory in the style of Don Bosco

Salesian Missions

UNICEF – Child Poverty and Disparities in Ukraine

The post UKRAINE: Oratory to provide educational support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

With the help of many donors, Salesian missionaries were able to build and set up a workshop that is the only one of its kind in the region. The first group of students is already in the process of learning a trade on modern equipment that is available for them to practice what they have learned.

The inauguration event was presided over by Lviv’s Metropolitan Archbishop Igor Voznyak. He expressed his encouragement at the event and praised the students starting their studies while thanking Salesian missionaries who “are so brave and unique not to be afraid to take risks where education and a contribution to the future are concerned.”

Salesian Father Andriy Bodnar, director of the center, noted, “Our commitment to the vocational school in Lviv began in 2001. In all these years we have noticed an increase in interest in vocational training by young people. For this reason, the Salesians have always tried to propose current courses in order to help children in their human, Christian and professional formation.”

The Don Bosco Vocational Center also offers vocational training programs in carpentry, tailoring, gastronomy, waiter and wellness operator. There are not many Catholic educational institutions in Ukraine. It was only in 1991, with the fall of the USSR and the country’s proclamation of independence, that the Catholic church was able to start its pastoral activities on a regular basis. Today, the government of Ukraine does not support Catholic educational institutions that are private institutions and must be maintained by their founders or owners.

According to the Borgen Project, Ukraine is ranked as the second-poorest country in Europe with nearly a quarter of Ukrainians living below the poverty line. Poverty in Ukraine significantly worsened due to ongoing conflict since the country declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The Maidan Revolution broke out in 2013 against Viktor Yanukovych, the corrupt president who won the presidency in 2010.

Yanukovych fled in 2014 which led to Russia annexing Crimea. The result of the crisis has been thousands of people dead and displaced as well as the country’s near economic collapse. Ukraine experienced a deep recession and high inflation rate in 2015 and is still in the process of recovery.

Because of these difficult economic conditions, youth often struggle to afford to continue their education. Those that do often find it challenging to find work without the appropriate skills and necessary connections. The area has a great need for reliable technical education and employees that possess technical knowledge and skills. Realizing this, Salesian missionaries work to make technical education equally available to all students, especially those in need such as orphans and youth from families with many children, broken families and rural areas.

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

ANS – Ukraine – “AutoBosco”, a new specialization to train young people

Borgen Project – Poverty in Ukraine

Salesian Missions

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Odessa, the third largest city in Ukraine and a major seaport and transportation hub located on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea, has been welcoming IDPs from Eastern Ukraine since the start of the conflict. A Salesian Center in the city is caring for many who have been displaced through a program that provides shelter, food aid and clothing. Often, those arriving at the center have come with nothing more than what they could carry, having left all behind when fleeing the fighting. The program, run by Salesian missionaries, works to meet the basic needs of the displaced and then assist in finding them long-term housing and employment to ease the transition to their new lives.

Since the beginning of the program, more than 300 people have found work and Salesian missionaries are in the process of helping another 200 prepare for and find stable employment. Those displaced have received assistance with training, resume creation and interviewing skills while being given access to Salesian resources and partnerships that connect them to employers who are hiring.

“Those displaced have fled their homes, their jobs and their support systems in search of safety and shelter,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The services at the Salesian center in Odessa helps those displaced make the transition to their new community as easy as possible. Salesian missionaries working at the center help them regain stability, employment and hope for the future.”

Salesian missionaries have also opened a children’s center where youth are able to play and connect with their peers. Designed specifically for young people, the space is suitable for games, activities and educational workshops. It also offers individual psychological support to close to 20 children who have been traumatized by war and the abrupt changes in their lives.

Christian families already living in Odessa have been supportive of both Salesian programs and those displaced. Many have taken in displaced families and have helped them acclimate to their new surroundings and communities. Their assistance has decreased the number of displaced families forced to live on the streets.

“Having residents of Odessa assist those who are new to the city has significant results,” adds Fr. Hyde. “They know the landscape and are able to create a support system that includes a network of new neighbors, job prospects and assistance for the future.”

In addition, many military personnel, especially young soldiers, have been in need of medical care and rehabilitation since the fighting began. To help aid these soldiers, Salesian missionaries have started a project to help them access the services they need. Partnering with the local Odessa hospital, the Salesian project is providing funding for medical care and for the purchase of medical equipment like hearing aids for soldiers in need.

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ANS – Ukraine – Refugees are the priority for the Salesians in Odessa

UNHCR – Ukraine internal displacement nears 1 million as fighting escalates in Donetsk region

PHOTO: 01-26-14 © palinchakjr

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“There is no let-up in the number of humanitarian crises that need our attention, or indeed in their severity,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos told a news conference in Geneva.

“Most recently, of course, we have Iraq and the large numbers of displaced people in the last few days and the situation in Ukraine is also worsening.”

Ms. Amos, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the crisis in Syria continues to dominate international response efforts with 9.3 million people in need and 2.8 million people who have become refugees in neighboring countries.

“Violations of humanitarian and human rights law continue unabated by all parties to the conflict in Syria. And 241,000 people remain under siege in areas where almost no aid can go in, and there are few ways for people to get out.”

Resolution 2139, adopted by the Security Council earlier this year with the intention of boosting humanitarian access into Syria, “has had little impact and access remains extremely difficult.”

She also highlighted the crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), where over half of the population – or 2.5 million women, children and men – urgently need protection and relief to meet their most basic needs.

While the strategic response plan in CAR targets 1.9 million people for humanitarian aid, Ms. Amos said violence and insecurity is cutting off entire communities and aid workers themselves have been attacked.

In South Sudan, some 1.5 million people have been uprooted by violence in the past six months alone and the situation continues to deteriorate. “Despite the ceasefire, we are seeing ongoing violence and conflict. With the onset of the rains, cholera has broken out and malaria is taking its toll on children and on adults alike,” Ms. Amos reported.

Aid agencies have just released a new plan to help 3.8 million people in South Sudan by December with emergency healthcare, food, clean water, sanitation and shelter. “There is no time to waste if we are to avoid a famine later in the year,” said the UN humanitarian chief.

Meanwhile, there are continuing challenges in countries like Yemen, where nearly 15 million are in need of aid; Somalia where one million remain internally displaced and in a state of extreme vulnerability; and Sudan, where UN agencies and non-governmental organizations are targeting five million people as needs grow, especially in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

“This year, we asked for a record $16.9 billion, the highest amount ever requested in a single year. As of today, we have received 30 per cent of that funding, or $5.2 billion. We still have to raise $11.7 billion,” Ms. Amos stated.

“Humanitarian organizations will continue to try to scale up efforts – our capacity is stretched to the limit. We need the continued support of the international community, we need not just the funding, but we also need the access if we are going to do our jobs effectively.”

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See this United Nations article at its original location >

Photo: Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos arrives for a news conference in Geneva. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

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According to the World Bank, Slovakia’s primarily manufacturing-centered economy, focused on exports, has allowed the country to weather the post-2008 global economic crisis better than most in the European Union. The World Bank also notes that while most families living in the country are generally prosperous, close to 11 percent are living below the poverty line and for many of those, living conditions worsened significantly in the years following the global economic crisis. The country has an unemployment rate of  just over 13 percent and one third of all those unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 24.

Salesians in Slovakia are working to educate youth while providing support for their families at Center Mamateyoya in the city of Bratislava in the western part of the country. Here, Salesians aim to develop students’ problem solving and team working skills while offering educational supports such as after-school tutoring.

The Center is run by more than 70 volunteers from local high schools and the local university in addition to the Salesian staff. Programs are designed for three age groups, children under the age of 16, youth 16 to 27 years old and families. Recreational activities are also available through the Center such as football, basketball, hockey, art, music, theater, photography and other activities that help youth foster both team building and individual skills.

“Students learn in a variety of ways,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through team sports and other social activities, students can use their free-time productively while learning to rely on others, make friends and safely explore interests outside of school.”

Weekly peer groups are offered and serve as a place where youth can come to discuss their problems, ask questions about troubling issues, receive advice and support from others and discuss current topics of interest. The aim of the group is to provide social support while encouraging personal growth for the young people involved. Tutoring is also offered each week, staffed by both volunteers and professional teachers who provide the skills and resources necessary to improve student’s grades.

A parent center is available three days a week and provides programs that encourage parents in their own educational pursuits as well as supporting them in developing their parenting skills. Topics of discussion have ranged from effective parenting skills, rewards vs. punishments and coping with a child’s anger. Also available to parents of preschool aged children is a playground where the young children can engage in crafts, dancing, singing and puppet theatre, daily.

“Parent support is very important for the families we serve,” adds Fr. Hyde. “It helps parents to focus on their own individual needs which could be advancing their own education to help them better support their families in the future or receiving support and advice from other parents to help tackle parenting issues almost all parents face.”

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Sources

Salesian Center Mamateyova

World Bank – Slovakia

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