The new college campus was built thanks to an alliance between the Antofagasta Industrial Association and the Salesian Province and was financed by the CODELCO and El Abra companies in Chile. The college started with 490 students and offers technical and vocational education for the industrial mining sector providing specific courses in mining, industrial mechanics and industrial electricity. Education is free for its students and classes are offered in both English and Spanish.

“The college is a sign of social co-responsibility in the field of education which is the first and main task of a society that attaches importance to culture, ethics and values,” says Father Alberto Lorenzelli, Provincial of the Salesian missionaries in Chile. “Salesian schools provide an educational environment of high academic excellence and generate opportunities for the most disadvantaged while promoting coexistence and living together in a family atmosphere.”

Salesian schools, social development services and workforce development programs throughout Chile are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many hope for a more positive and productive future. According to the World Bank, although the economy in Chile is one of the more stable and prosperous in Latin America, a little more than 5 percent of the population live on just $2 a day. The country suffers from high economic inequality which is particularly evident in access to educational opportunities.

“Although the education system in the country is far-reaching, many poor and disadvantaged youth fall through the cracks,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Throughout the country, young people from poor families lack the educational opportunities available to the middle and upper classes.”

Salesian technical schools in Chile cater to students who have dropped out of school and are seeking a second chance. In many programs, students complete their education while engaging in internships with local employers increasing their hands-on work experience and chance of gaining livable wage employment after their studies are completed.

“Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social programs to poor and at-risk youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.”

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Sources:

ANS – Chile – Opening of Don Bosco Colegio Técnico Industrial in Calama: a dream that is still being realized

World Bank – Chile

The post CHILE: New Salesian Industrial College Provides Education in the Mining Field for 490 Students first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

Inequalities between men and women exist in the country with many women unable to access education or equal opportunities in the labor market. Women only represent 13 percent of all those employed. Contributing to the high rate of unemployment is a high rate of illiteracy among youth in rural areas, especially women and girls.

To address these challenges, Salesian missionaries opened Center Kër Don Bosco in January 2015 as part of an ongoing Salesian educational building project facilitated by Solidaridad Don Bosco, a non-governmental organization that is part of the broader Don Bosco Network in Spain. The new center provides education, vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youth and women.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

Boasting a large multipurpose room, computer room, three laboratories, two classrooms for literacy education, a meeting room and some offices, Center Kër Don Bosco  sits right in the middle of the neighborhood and is open to those seeking educational services. There is an information office which provides notices about upcoming training and work opportunities as well as counseling and career guidance. The facilities at the center are also available to community associations for organized meetings and activities as well as for sports, leisure and recreation activities for children and youth.

“Salesian missionaries opened the new center in Senegal to address the high rate of unemployment and limited skilled labor among poor youth in the Yoff district,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “In addition to serving local youth, the center is focusing on training women who are often underrepresented in the workforce and lack educational and advancement opportunities.”

Prior to the opening of Center Kër Don Bosco, there were few places for disadvantaged youth to access the skills and qualifications necessary to develop a trade and gain stable employment. To address this need, Salesian missionaries are offering vocational training in tailoring, cooking, plumbing, construction and yarn dying. In addition to classroom training in these subjects, students will have the opportunity to apprentice in local businesses where they will have access to hands-on training by professionals in their fields. In this way, students will be able to apply the lessons and skills learned in the classroom in a real working environment while also accessing social skills training to prepare for stable long-term employment.

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Sources:

ANS – Senegal – Project on behalf of disadvantaged women comes to an end

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

Don Bosco Network

World Bank- Senegal

The post SENEGAL: Center Kër Don Bosco Trains 220 in Professional Trades and Literacy Education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

One the most urgent needs in Morobo is access to clean, safe water. The nearest water source is in Juba which requires residents to make a long daily trek to carry water back to their homes. From November to May each year, South Sudan experiences a dry season and most sources of surface water dry up. According to The Water Project, an organization that provides access to clean, safe and reliable water across sub-Saharan Africa, this lack of surface water forces millions of South Sudanese to leave their homes in search of water. Some have to abandon their homes and move all together while others are forced to trek miles every day to collect water from ponds, marshes, ditches or hand-dug wells.

Women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households and globally, spend 140 million hours a day collecting water. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells. Often the water they find is contaminated with disease-causing parasites and bacteria and if drunk, results in pain, sickness and even death, especially for infants and children.

The new water well project in Morobo provides the local people drinking water as well as water for sanitation and daily chores. Missionaries constructed the water well by drilling a borehole and installing a hand pump. Its construction will improve the health of residents, increase agricultural production and lead to a better quality of life for families, especially for girls and women.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

Don Bosco Gumbo includes a Salesian parish, secondary school and youth center and offers educational and social development services to youth and their families living in Morobo. For some, the education offered at Don Bosco Gumbo’s secondary school is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Only 27 percent of the population aged 15 years and older is literate, with significant gender disparities. The literacy rate for males is 40 percent compared to 16 percent for females. Less than one percent of girls complete primary education.

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Sources:

The Water Project

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Dig New Well Providing Close to 4,000 People Clean, Safe Water first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Don Bosco Mariapuram offers social development services and a middle and high school as well as vocational training programs. It also offers credit programs and assistance to poor women to help them start their own businesses. Many youth enrolled in the schools at Don Bosco Mariapuram come from a shelter at the Warangal railway station. Once these street children enter the school programs, they are provided housing, nutrition, clothing, school supplies and an education.

“This construction project will greatly impact Salesian students and provide them better access to safe sanitation and a place to wash their clothes,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We expect this project will reduce the number of children who become sick due to a lack of proper hygiene and safe water and encourage those who have dropped out to return to Don Bosco Mariapuram.”

With more than 1.2 billion people, India’s growing population is putting a severe strain on the country’s natural resources. According to Water.org, close to 104 million people do not have access to safe, clean water and 808 million have no sanitation services. Most water sources throughout the country are contaminated by sewage and agricultural runoff.

While India has made some progress in the supply of safe water, there remain gross disparities in safe water access across the country. The World Bank estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water with diarrhea alone causing more than 1,600 deaths daily. Access to proper sanitation is extremely poor, particularly in rural areas where only 14 percent of the population have access to a latrine. In addition, hand washing is not commonplace and leads to an increase in the spread of disease.

Salesian missionaries across India are dedicated to ensuring that access to safe water is a priority in Salesian-run programs and schools and in the communities in which they operate.

“Water is vital for life,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – India

Water.org – India

The post INDIA: New Water Project Gives Salesian Students Access to Clean Water and Sanitation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

New desks, chairs, tables, bookcases and filing cabinets were among the furniture received in Monrovia. Desks and chairs help to provide a more dignified and organized educational environment for students to complete their studies. As a result, students are often more focused on classroom work and more prepared for their lessons.

“This donation is especially important for the children in our schools,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The furniture has contributed greatly to their discipline and learning environment while bringing smiles to their faces. This has been a great contribution to the high school.”

The Institution Recycling Network was started in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every educational, commercial and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

“There is a clear match between Salesian Missions’ need for furniture and equipment for their worldwide projects and the supplies of surplus to which IRN has access,” says Mark Lennon, principal of the Institution Recycling Network. “Salesian Missions has been an excellent partner.”

IRN partners with nonprofits who are known to be reputable and effective providers of relief and development assistance, and who are able to use the types of surplus that IRN can provide. The organization has a “wish list” from each of its nonprofit partners of the types and quantities of surplus they can use.

When a project comes to IRN, it makes a match against these wish lists and offers the surplus to the most appropriate nonprofits. At this point, surplus is offered on a first-come-first-served basis; the first nonprofit(s) to express interest in the surplus, receives it. In many cases, a single nonprofit will claim the entire project but in some cases, the surplus will be split among two or more organizations.

“There is almost infinite demand in the U.S. and worldwide for good quality surplus so IRN’s surplus program will continue to grow,” says Lennon. “The school or company that supplies the surplus pays IRN for the service of matching their surplus with our nonprofit network. In almost all cases they pay IRN much less than they would pay to bring in dumpsters and throw the surplus away.”

In addition to the recent shipment to Liberia, additional furniture from the same source has been donated to Salesian programs in the Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Vietnam and East Timor.

“IRN donations have furnished Salesian schools and development offices in Central America, South America, Africa and Asia,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We plan to continue working with IRN because they are a reliable partner who is eager to assist in our mission and provide quality donations to our programs.”

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with 64 percent of its population of 3.5 million people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. The 2014 Human Development Index ranks Liberia 175 out of 187 countries. Still recovering from the effects of a 14 year civil war that ended in 2003 and the most recent Ebola outbreak, Liberians struggle with social and economic hardships.

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

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

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Sources:

Institution Recycling Network

2014 Human Development Index

The post LIBERIA: More Than 500 Students Benefit from New School Furniture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The emergency food relief was made possible thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit Christian organization committed to, “feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.” The partnership has resulted in the donation of 10,000 kgs of rice meals to help provide food security for 40,000 displaced flood victims residing in settlements along the Paraguay River. Any remaining rice meals will be distributed to Salesian programs in the region.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries in Paraguay are responding to the ongoing needs of flood victims and working across the country providing education and skills training to help youth excel in the workforce.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Paraguay since establishing a church in Asunción in 1896. Through the years, missionaries have operated educational programs to help advance the skills and knowledge of the indigenous population in the area while promoting strong cooperation with leaders of the indigenous culture. Local Salesian programming supports laws in favor of the indigenous populations, the recovery of original lands, sustainable development, the appreciation of cultural values in each ethnic group and the fostering of internal leadership.

“Through educational programs, Salesian missionaries are focusing on increasing the capacity of indigenous communities,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Youth who lack educational resources remain in poverty. Our programs teach necessary trade skills to advance employment opportunities and give youth the chance of a better life.”

Paraguay is among the poorest countries in South America. According to UNICEF, almost 23 percent of its population of 6.5 million people live in poverty earning less than $1 per day. The gap between the small upper class and the large lower class is extreme and offers virtually no social mobility. Conditions of poverty drive youth into early labor and a lack of literacy in addition to a weak educational foundation compounds the problem. Those in poverty face overcrowding, low quality housing and a lack of access to basic household services. Paraguayans who only graduate from primary school are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who have access to and complete secondary school.

According to the World Bank, those in Paraguay that are monolingual Guarani speakers have almost a 50 percent greater chance of being poor than monolingual Spanish speakers and migrant populations have a 60 percent higher probability of being poor than non-migrants.

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Sources:

UNICEF – Paraguay Statistics

World Bank- Paraguay

The post PARAGUAY: Donation Provides Emergency Food Relief to 40,000 Displaced by Flooding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

For students at the Don Bosco Primary School located on the Don Bosco Gumbo campus, Salesian missionaries are providing new pens, pencils and school stationary for the new school year. The primary school serves 1,000 children, many of whom are from families who have been internally displaced.

According to the World Bank, almost 83 percent of South Sudanese resided in rural areas before the outbreak of the recent conflict which has displaced more than 2 million people. Only 27 percent of the population aged 15 years and older is literate, with significant gender disparities. The literacy rate for males is 40 percent compared to 16 percent for females with less than 1 percent of girls completing primary education. The Don Bosco Primary School’s mission is to educate all students with a focus on ensuring that girls have equal access to education. Close to 45 percent of the school’s students are girls.

“Girls education is important to us, and we work to ensure that girls are welcome in our school,” says Father David Tulimelli, parish priest at the Salesian St. Vincent de Paul parish which operates Don Bosco Gumbo, “We are grateful to our donors who made it possible that we could provide our students the school supplies they need to be prepared for their lessons and complete their studies.”

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its third year of independence in 2015 but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

According to a recent New York Times articles, international aid agencies have developed a report that indicates more than 2.2 million people in South Sudan have fled their homes over the past two years, including some 600,000 who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Last year, according to the report, a new pattern of violence emerged in which government forces adopted scorched-earth tactics burning entire villages, killing their inhabitants, destroying crops and looting livestock. The civil war, which started in northern and eastern states has now spread to the south.

During the first year of the war, fighting was initially between Nuer and Dinka ethnic communities aligned with the rival leaders but of late a wider array of armed groups and communities have been drawn into the increasingly lethal violence. The international aid agencies’ report also detailed the severity of human rights violations and abuses that have increased with the continuation of hostilities in the country and noted that attacks that have singled out and killed children as well as subjected them to sexual violence. Further, the United Nations estimates that as a result of the conflict, 2.8 million people are currently facing “acute” food and nutrition insecurity in South Sudan’s Greater Upper Nile states.

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Sources:

NY Times – U.N Finds South Sudan Increasingly in Turmoil

World Bank – South Sudan 

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo are Providing School Supplies and Food Aid to Those Internally Displaced first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The partnership has resulted in a donation of rice-meals that has benefitted more than 20,000 people in Estelí, including students in Salesian schools and those living within poor communities. The majority of beneficiaries have few resources and live in extreme poverty. The donated rice-meals provided to Salesian schools are given to students during the school day as part of a free lunch program begun by Salesian missionaries to meet the needs of the many area families with limited resources to feed their children. The meals ensure students receive proper nutrition and a balanced diet, helping them to focus on their studies and extracurricular activities.

Salesian missionaries and volunteers also distributed donated rice-meals to families in need through community outreach efforts and at local churches. The food aid helped elderly residents receive proper nutrition and aided in improving their strength, health and mental wellbeing. Food aid was also delivered directly to families at home to ensure that children receive more than just the one meal offered at school.

“Many of those participating in Salesian programs in Nicaragua are malnourished,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “For students, this donated food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds. Fr Hyde. “Youth who access Salesian programs in Nicaragua are given an educational foundation, technical skills training and life and social skills to help them excel in the workforce. They are then able to break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities.”

Nicaragua is one of the least developed and poorest countries in Latin America, second only to Haiti, with more than 42 percent of its residents living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty, although declining steadily in recent years, remains high. More than 80 percent of Nicaragua’s poor live in remote rural communities where access to basic services is a daily challenge.

After decades of political instability and vulnerability to natural hazards, the country has achieved a remarkable economic turnaround and is now focusing on innovative ways of reducing poverty. However, years of widespread poverty have taken their toll and many residents suffer from poor health conditions including HIV/AIDS. In addition, crime, violence against women, gang violence and high unemployment result in challenging economic and social conditions, particularly for young people and women.

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Sources:

Feed My Starving Children

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Nicaragua

The post NICARAGUA: More Than 20,000 People Living in Poverty Have Access to Better Nutrition Thanks to Food Aid Donation from Feed My Staring Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Chile are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian schools equip students with a foundational education and the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses in carpentry, farming, electrical and mechanical engineering, computers and more. Salesian schools also build partnerships with local businesses to help youth gain employment after graduation. This further helps the local economy by providing a well-trained labor force.

According to the World Bank, although the economy in Chile is one of the more stable and prosperous in Latin America, a little more than 5 percent of the population live on just $2 a day. The country suffers from high economic inequality which is particularly evident in access to educational opportunities.

“Although the education system in the country is far-reaching, many poor and disadvantaged youth fall through the cracks,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Throughout the country, young people from poor families lack the educational opportunities available to the middle and upper classes.”

Many of the Salesian technical schools in Chile cater to students who have dropped out of school and are seeking a second chance. And for youth who lack the resources to attend Chile’s universities, Salesian schools provide the opportunity to receive job skills training. In many programs, students complete their education while engaging in internships with local employers increasing their hands-on work experience and chance of gaining livable wage employment after their studies are completed.

“Salesian missionaries working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor, at-risk youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty. As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.”

Operating for more than 15 years in Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city, the Don Bosco Foundation has successfully educated and provided social services to more than 15,000 children and adults. Responding to a rise in the homeless population in the city, Salesian missionaries at the foundation created programs in partnership with other local social welfare programs to meet the basic needs of both adults and children living on the street while providing opportunities for education. Participants are provided shelter, nutritious food, clothing, medical care and an education. Educational programming includes vocational and technical training to help those in need find and retain stable employment. Counseling and recovery services are also offered.

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Sources:

ANS – Chile – The Atacama desert, fertile land for Don Bosco

World Bank – Chile

The post CHILE: Salesian Missionaries Open New School and Technical Training Courses for Disadvantaged Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources:

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

UNICEF – Brazil Statistics

Real Madrid Foundation

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

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

Students from four Salesian schools in the Cambodian provinces of Kep, Kampot and Takeo were selected to receive the bicycles after Salesian volunteers had visited the schools to determine which children were most in need of transportation. Many children live in remote areas of the country and must travel great distances to gain an education. The donated bicycles will provide the transportation necessary to help students reach their schools faster and more efficiently.

“In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children Fund since its inception in 1992,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This donation is a great example of a Salesian student from the United States who has benefitted from an education, paying it forward by helping students on the other side of the world access education.”

The donation also included spare bicycle parts and tire pumps as well as eight bags of gently used blankets for the students. Through the Don Bosco Children Fund’s programs, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that youth make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework.

“Many parents in Cambodia did not have the same opportunities for education as their children do today so they do not see staying in school as a priority, particularly when many children have been forced to work to bring in extra money for the family,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Youth need the extra support to stay in school and get an education. Salesian missionaries provide that much needed support and stability to help youth achieve.”

Cambodia has a long history of violence that has resulted in a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty and surviving on less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. About 80 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas and has limited access to education, healthcare and other public services.

Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesian missionaries in the country operate 45 schools in poor, rural villages through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education. Salesian missionaries also operate seven vocational training centers that impart much needed job skills.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Children Fund

World Bank – Cambodia 

The post CAMBODIA: Salesian High School Student Pays it Forward Sending 39 Bicycles to Students Supported by Don Bosco Children Fund first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Father Giampiero De Nardi, a Salesian missionary in San Benito, noted remarkable progress made by a girl from a home for children during her participation in the summer program. Having previously lived with a violent father, she hadn’t wanted to have anything to do with the program. Eventually, she became interested and engaged in the program and found her situation improving. This year, Fr. De Nardi noticed she was actively engaging with the other children and enjoying all the activities.

“Today I took her picture and showed it to her letting her know how good it turned out. Her eyes lit up and she hugged me – something she had never done before. She had never hugged anybody. She had not learned the meaning of a hug,” says Fr. De Nardi.

In addition to the summer youth program, Salesian missionaries in the region offer educational programs and social development services. They have also started several new projects including the construction of a new youth center and distribution of ecological filters for water purification.

Due to complications securing land, construction of the new youth center in San Benito faced many delays. Now that the land has been secured, construction is underway and once completed, the youth center will provide poor and at-risk youth additional educational and social supports and a meeting space to build relationships with peers and engage in safe after-school activities. Tutoring and life skills training as well as recreational activities and sports will also be available.

Additional Salesian-run programs in the El Petén region continue efforts to prevent HIV/ AIDS and provide treatment for those who have the disease. The area has the third worst incidence rate for contraction of HIV in Guatemala. Despite the fact that the project that financed this work has ended, Salesian missionaries continue to do prevention work and offer medical care and other social services for those infected with the virus. Missionaries continue to seek additional funding and are working with the Office for the Prevention of AIDS of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala which is operating many of the existing prevention programs for women in the country.

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

Salesian missionaries working and living in the country have been providing for the basic needs of Guatemala’s youth while helping to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. They work extensively with poor youth and their families at youth centers, orphanages, parishes and primary and secondary schools as well as technical schools, vocational training workshops and two universities. Additional social and educational programs help provide for youth living on the streets and those living in poor indigenous communities.

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Sources:

ANS – Guatemala – “Peten was really waiting for waiting Don Bosco”

World Bank – Guatemala

The post GUATEMALA: Children Find Hope at Salesian-run Summer Youth Program in San Benito first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Started by Father Francisco Oreglia, a Salesian priest, the Don Bosco School was the first institution of its kind in Latin America and has since become a leader in agro-industrial development both regionally and nationally. Salesian missionaries teaching at the school have witnessed tremendous growth in the winemaking industry throughout the years and today the main Argentinean wineries and agro-industrial establishments rely on the school for its production facilities. Declared “A Provincial Heritage of Tourist Interest”, the Don Bosco School is recognized as the birthplace of winemaking in Argentina.

Originally, the Don Bosco School was developed out of necessity to meet the needs of the local winemakers and fruit growers of the time who required fuller and more mature fruits and winemaking expertise. Farming and winemaking was the backbone of the economy of the Cuyo region and the increasing expansion both in terms of volume and quality required trained technical staff who could receive continuing education to enhance their expertise. Students at the school were often poor local youth who might not otherwise have access to education.

“Salesian missionaries have been working in Argentina to provide educational opportunities to poor youth for many years,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian technical and agricultural programs and other services educate youth and help them learn skills to gain stable employment.”

“Investing in agriculture education in developing countries is also vital to a community’s livelihood and essential not only to overcoming hunger and poverty, but also to ensuring overall economic growth for surrounding villages and cities,” adds Fr. Hyde.

Salesian missionaries operate more than 90 agricultural schools world-wide and 10 agricultural programs in Argentina alone. In addition to agricultural programs in the country, missionaries run primary and secondary schools as well as technical and vocational programs.

“Salesian missionaries are working hard to educate youth in Argentina and provide them a path out of poverty,” says Fr. Hyde. “The academic and technical programs offered show how education and training not only benefit the individual student, but also entire communities as graduates return home and share the skills they have acquired or start up local businesses.”

Although viewed as a relatively wealthy country, Argentina has a poverty rate of just over 26 percent, according to the World Bank. Close to 4.4 million people live below the poverty line and the country’s high school dropout rate is close to 20 percent. Youth account for one in three of those unemployed.

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Sources:

ANS – Argentina – 50 years of wine-making

World Bank – Argentina

The post ARGENTINA: Don Bosco School Celebrates 50 Years of Excellence in Winemaking and Viticulture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Given the struggles in the community, many families turn to Salesian programs for safety, education and social programs. Students taking part in educational programs at the San Juan Bosco Children’s Home concluded their 2015 studies with a presentation of their accomplishments to Salesian staff and administrators. During the presentation, students played the guitar, sang and danced as well as showed off their new computer skills and academic achievements.

The Children’s Home facilitates the Children of Lead project which is supported by the Don Bosco in the World Foundation and serves more than 80 youth from the area who have high levels of lead in their blood.

Puerto Nuevo’s population is contaminated by lead as a result of the environmental damage generated by the storage and transportation of lead ore to the community’s port. Most of the children participating in the Children of Lead project have levels of lead close to 19.9 micrograms per deciliter in their blood. This level is considered highly dangerous and can cause children to suffer cognitive delays.

Salesian missionaries who operate the Children of Lead project provide education and skills training opportunities to the participating children and adolescents while addressing their behavioral and cognitive difficulties. Often because of their cognitive and emotional difficulties, these students struggle in traditional classrooms and are less likely to achieve the higher levels of education necessary to break the cycle of poverty. The project provides specially trained staff to work with the students and also provides the expertise of a psychologist on staff.

The Children of Lead project aims to improve students’ educational outcomes through tutoring in reading, math and other academic subjects while simultaneously offering workshops in interpersonal communication, logic and educational psychology. Activities that include music and dance are also offered through the project and are designed to boost participants’ physical, mental and emotional development. In addition, participants have access to computer classes using online programs and games that help them develop reason and literacy as well as useful technological skills.

“In an economically depressed area where jobs are scarce and future opportunity bleak, adults in Puerto Nuevo face an almost unimaginable choice,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They can refuse paid work and risk the effects of long-term poverty or they can reluctantly support the presence of mines and refineries at the risk of their children’s health. The immediate need to feed, clothe and shelter their families trumps any consideration of long-term well-being so Salesian missionaries work to help in whatever way they can.”

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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ANS – Peru – Puerto Nuevo: over the violence there is a proposal Salesian

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Provide Education and Safety in Violent Community first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The First Professional Experience program provided internships and hands-on work experience to its participants who were placed into a business where they worked for up to four months. Each participant was accompanied by a professional tutor who motivated them and guided their professional development and specialized training within the company. Many of the most well-known companies in the hospitality and tourism industries participated in the program including Meliá Hotels International, Hilton Madrid Airport, Grupo Vips, Parques Reunidos, KFC and the Accenture Foundation.

Javier Llorente, president of the Pinardi Foundation, noted that the program has proved to be an effective way of ending youth unemployment. He also explained that the foundation began by focusing its efforts on students and their individual goals and educational needs and then matched them with the most suitable company.

Pedro Boada, managing director of JP Morgan in Spain, spoke at the presentation of the program about how the successful results demonstrate that collaboration between companies and social organizations ensures youth have access to a better future. He also noted that the program will help to provide better growth prospects for Spain.

Hard hit by the current economic troubles in Europe, Spain now has the greatest inequality of the 27 countries of the European Union. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of Spanish workers are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. One in five citizens are living below the poverty line and poor youth with too few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment.

“With so many young people out of work and facing conditions of poverty in Spain, it is vital for Salesian workforce development programs to respond to market demand,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students in these programs have a real opportunity to enter the workforce prepared both in terms of the skills they have learned and in their social development, ensuring a lifelong ability to retain livable wage employment and escape poverty.”

Since its inception in 2001, the Pinardi Federation has been developing programs to help poor youth between the ages of 12 and 16 and is currently operating close to 40 projects aiding more than 2,000 youth. Projects focus on promoting the quality of children’s lives, helping youth retain employment and supporting migrants through family mediation. Other community projects work to raise awareness of volunteerism.

For its youth employment projects, the Pinardi Federation develops training programs that collaborate directly with the business sector so that students learn marketable skills and make an easier transition from coursework into employment. It encourages the business community to take an active role in program development as well as meeting with students to help shape standards and students’ academic and social development, ensuring greater opportunities for employment after graduation.

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – First Job, more than just an opportunity

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian-run Pinardi Federation’s First Professional Experience Program Placed Close to 75 Percent of its Participants into Employment first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources:

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

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

World Bank- Senegal

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

Led by young adults from the St. Vincent de Paul parish, pre-novices from the Salesian community and volunteers, the camp program encouraged a holistic, balanced lifestyle designed to help campers develop a strong foundation of mind, body and spirit. It also provided local youth the opportunity to spend their vacation time in a positive, healthy environment.

The camp opened by registering campers and assigning them to one of four teams. During the course of the 10 days, the teams competed in recreational activities and sports with an emphasis on developing a healthy sense of competition and camaraderie. Each day began with a morning assembly that included positive messages of hope, joy, peace and love followed by morning classes in English and Arabic. After a mid-morning breakfast, campers engaged in sports and recreational activities including games and art, speech, singing and dance competitions.

“Youth living in poverty in South Sudanese communities have difficulty excelling and remaining in school,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian youth programs, like summer camps, provide positive role models, structured activities, a safe place to get off the streets and a nonviolent, supportive environment in which to engage with peers.”

Don Bosco Gumbo includes a church parish, secondary school and youth center and provides education and social development services for poor youth and their families. For some students, the secondary school at Don Bosco Gumbo is their only option for continued studies.

Don Bosco Gumbo is one of the host sites for the Salesian Lay Missionaries program which provides lay volunteers to work alongside Salesian priests and sisters on various projects throughout the world. Since the program started in 1981, more than 350 lay missioners have served in 20 countries on projects that range from youth ministry to agriculture to nursing.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its third year of independence last July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

The civil war has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In the capital of Juba, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything behind.

Salesian missionaries assist those internally displaced through programs across South Sudan and in neighboring Kenya at the Kakuma refugee camp. More than 44 percent of refugees at the camp are from South Sudan and arrived after escaping conflict and violence.

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ANS – South Sudan – Don Bosco Gumbo Summer Camp 2015

World Bank – South Sudan 

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Summer Camp Provides Activities for 270 Marginalized Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Although the area is difficult to access, coffee, cocoa and coca are cultivated in the Yanatile valley and the nearby basin of the river Lacco. The Salesian mission in Quebrada Honda is made up of the parish of Mary Help of Christians and the Experimental School for Agriculture and Livestock which educates more than 160 students, nearly half of whom board at the school.

The goal of the school is to provide young farmers with a basic education as well as advanced studies in the latest agricultural practices and modern technologies while moving towards efficiency in farming by exploring and testing new techniques in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and animal husbandry. The school provides both classroom education and hands-on agriculture and livestock training on a working farm on the school campus.

Salesian missionaries at the school hope the agriculture degree program will entice more local youth to choose agriculture as their long-term livelihood. With a long history of providing agricultural education, missionaries currently operate more than 90 agriculture schools around the world.

“Our students are the children of poor farmers,” says Father Martin Quijano, director of the Experimental School for Agriculture and Livestock. “We want them to love the work and learn as much as they can to make a better life for themselves and their families. After graduation many of our students become agronomists, scientists, animal breeders and biologists. I am extremely proud of what they do to help their community.”

Peru has high levels of income inequality and more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima, the capital city of Peru. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of employable skills, specifically among young people and women entering the workforce. In addition, Peruvians lack access to adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people and injured hundreds more in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Yanatile: mission territory

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Agriculture School Provides Education and Advanced Farming Techniques first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The recent shipments included new desks, chairs, tables, bookcases and filing cabinets donated by IRN to five Salesian institutions in Vietnam including the Ky Anh Vocational Training School, the Dong Thuan Vocational Training Center, the Tan Tien Intermediate Skills Training School, the Phuoc Loc Vocational Training Center and the Theological Institute and Provincial House.

“On behalf of all the students in the Dong Thuan Center, we are very grateful for the new school furniture,” says Pham Van Giau, a student at the Dong Thuan Vocational Training Center. “The new desks and chairs we received will replace the older furniture we had been using and will enable us to be better prepared for class and study more effectively.”

The Institution Recycling Network was started in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every educational, commercial and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

IRN partners with nonprofits who are known to be reputable and effective providers of relief and development assistance, and who are able to use the types of surplus that IRN can provide. The organization has a “wish list” from each of its nonprofit partners of the types and quantities of surplus they can use.

When a project comes to IRN, it makes a match against these wish lists and offers the surplus to the most appropriate nonprofits. At this point, surplus is offered on a first-come-first-served basis; the first nonprofit(s) to express interest in the surplus, receives it. In many cases, a single nonprofit will claim the entire project but in some cases, the surplus will be split among two or more organizations.

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Vietnam are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many young people hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian vocational and technical schools equip students with the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses that lead to employment in construction, hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science and other fields. Many Salesian students are school dropouts seeking a second chance.

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively. Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities, such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country.

While nearly 30 million Vietnamese have been lifted out of poverty in the past 20 years, challenges remain. According to the World Bank, although Vietnam’s 53 ethnic minority groups make up less than 15 percent of the population, they accounted for nearly 50 percent of the poor in 2010. Most minorities continue to reside in more isolated and less productive regions of Vietnam. Rapid economic transformation and growth have contributed to rising inequality in income and opportunities. Some of the poor, especially those living in rural areas or small cities, have limited access to high quality education and health services and limited long-term well-paying jobs.

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Institution Recycling Center

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: More Than 1,500 Salesian Students and Teachers Have New School and Office Furniture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Every Monday, more than 80 low-income, mostly elderly people between 80 and 95 years of age, visit a Salesian church in Managua and are provided food and other assistance from the church community. Salesian missionaries in the community have noticed that since the rice-meal donation, the recipients’ strength and health as well as their mood has improved. Salesian Sisters who operate a boarding school for girls just outside the city also received part of the donation and provided the meals to their boarders who take classes in baking, sewing and embroidery in addition to academic courses toward a high school diploma. The added nourishment has had a significant impact on the girls’ ability to concentrate on their studies.

The primary recipients of the rice-meal donation were two Salesian schools in Managua, a kindergarten for young students 3-5 years old and a Salesian high school. Between the two schools, more than 200 students received better nutrition as a result of the donation. The rice-meals were provided to students during the school day as part of a free lunch program to ensure they receive proper nutrition and a balanced diet, helping them to focus on their studies and extracurricular activities. Salesian missionaries began the school feeding program to meet the needs of the many area families with limited resources to feed their children.

“Many of those participating in Salesian programs in Nicaragua are malnourished,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds. Fr Hyde. “Youth who access Salesian programs in Nicaragua are given an educational foundation, technical skill training and life and social skills to help them excel in the workforce. They are then able to break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities.”

Nicaragua is one of the least developed and poorest countries in Latin America, second only to Haiti, with more than 42 percent of its residents living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty, although declining steadily in recent years, remains high. More than 80 percent of Nicaragua’s poor live in remote rural communities where access to basic services is a daily challenge.

After decades of political instability and vulnerability to natural hazards, the country has achieved a remarkable economic turnaround and is now focusing on innovative ways of reducing poverty. However, years of widespread poverty have taken their toll and many residents suffer from poor health conditions including HIV/AIDS. In addition, crime, violence against women, gang violence and high unemployment result in challenging economic and social conditions, particularly for young people and women.

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World Bank – Nicaragua

The post NICARAGUA: Youth and Elderly Have Access to Better Nutrition Thanks to Recent Rice-meal Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

ASAP accepts tool donations at its Peachtree City, Georgia location and then utilizes volunteers to help refurbish and package the tools, both new and used. From there, the tool kits are sent to Salesian vocational training programs in Haiti to help graduates prepare for future work.

Tools are expensive and students graduating from carpentry, electrical, plumbing, auto repair and other similar training programs need tools in order to retain stable employment. The tool kits provided by ASAP are vital for those students who can’t afford to buy the tools they need for work.

“The partnership with ASAP has helped Haitian graduates gain employment and break the cycle of poverty,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many Salesian students do not have the financial resources to purchase the tools of their trade and find it challenging after graduation to be fully ready for the workforce. This donation will prepare students for that next step and make them more employable.”

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after a January 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. In 2012, more than 3 million children were able to return to school with more than 200,000 students educated in Salesian-run institutions.

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

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

Salesian-run technical and vocational training centers are operated throughout Haiti. Those in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding villages offer courses in a variety of professional fields such as catering, woodworking, agriculture and hotel management. Additional centers in Fort Liberté and Cap-Haitien specialize in the fields of health, agriculture, information technology, electricity and hotel management. All of these centers, as well as other Salesian-run programs in the country, focus on providing youth with the educational opportunities and social support they need to succeed.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve education and workforce development for youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We accomplish this by improving the skill and capacity of professionals in existing programs and helping graduates overcome obstacles to entering the workforce.”

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A Self-Help Assistance Program

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: More than 230 Salesian Graduates Receive Workforce Readiness Tool Kits first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Youth currently comprise more than 23 percent of the country’s total population and those between the ages of 20 and 24 years face an unemployment rate close to 40 percent, according to  a 2014 United Nations Human Development report. A Sri Lanka Labor Force Survey conducted during the first quarter of 2015 found there were 422,446 unemployed persons between the ages of 18 and 24 years.

Since 1983, ethnic violence in the north and east of the country has forced more than 800,000 people from their homes and sources of livelihood. Thousands of children lost one or both parents in the conflict and the number of households headed by women increased, negatively impacting the poverty rate in the country.

Nine out of 10 poor people in Sri Lanka live in rural areas, according to the World Bank. More than 40 percent of the country’s rural poor are small-scale farmers with farm production often hampered by neglect and low investment levels resulting from poor financial services and limited technology. Sri Lankans are affected by a significant lack of infrastructure including roads, electricity, irrigation systems and communication channels. In several areas of the country, seven out of 10 people have no access to electricity and almost half of the population does not have access to safe drinking water. Malnutrition among children is also common.

“Youth unemployment stems from the ongoing war and deeply entrenched social factors of class, ethnicity and caste,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries working in the country focus their efforts on meeting basic needs as well as education and social development services for poor youth and their families.”

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Sri Lanka are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many hope for a more positive and productive future. The Don Bosco Vocational Training Center equips its students with the skills they need to compete in the labor market by offering courses in hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computers and more. The center is also serving local employers by providing them a well-trained labor force.

“I am in a good position to help my family financially and hope to have a better future,” said 19-year-old W. Tiron Lakmal who stopped studying due to financial problems and undertook a welding course at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center, according to a recent UCA News article about the school.

Lakmal said he is grateful for the vocational training or else he would have been just another unemployed young person with no future and no confidence to find work.

Many of the technical school’s students are school dropouts seeking a second chance. The school is accessible to poor youth regardless of their religious affiliation who are looking to dedicate themselves to overcoming the challenging labor conditions in the country. The Salesians of Don Bosco have been operating in Sri Lanka since 1956. In 1963, missionaries set up their first technical institute and since then, have established 17 more in locations across the country.

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The Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Nochchiyagama, Sri Lanka

UCA News – Sri Lankan Salesians help youth in difficult job market

World Bank – Sri Lanka

The post SRI LANKA: Salesian Missionaries Provide Technical Training to Poor Youth to Help Them Gain Employment in Difficult Labor Market first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The organization serves child laborers, victims of child abuse and youth who are orphaned, abandoned or live on the streets at nine BOSCO rehabilitation centers and six outreach hubs spread throughout the city. In its 35 year history, BOSCO has helped improve the lives of more than 125,000 children and rescues and rehabilitates close to 7,000 children each year. In 2014, BOSCO volunteers rescued 6,451 runaway youth and were able to reunite 4,681 of them back with their families. Those remaining are under the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee. Of the youth rescued, there were 5,561 boys and 900 girls, the majority of whom were between the ages of 6 and 16 with 75 of the children under age five.

Many children living on the streets are runaways who have left home in search of work or to escape violence or other family difficulties. According to UNICEF, more than 40,000 children are reported missing every year in India. Of these, close to 11,000 remain untraced. As many cases go unreported, it is suspected that the actual number of missing children is much higher. Many runaways come to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru in search of work and a better life with the majority of them living on the streets and on the country’s railway platforms where they beg, steal or perform menial jobs to survive. All too often, they fall victim to child traffickers.

In 2010, India passed a landmark law mandating that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 be in school, but according to UNICEF, millions of children remain in the workforce. Full implementation of the law went into effect in 2013, but child workers can still be found in almost every industry in India. The problem has been enforcing the law, particularly in high poverty regions of the country.

Once youth are identified by BOSCO and convinced to come in off the street, their basic needs are provided for such as housing, food and clothing. In addition, they receive counseling and, if appropriate, are reunited back with their families. Education is also a primary component of BOSCO and is provided to those in the rehabilitation program while those who are returned to their families have access to Salesian schools throughout India. Youth who continue their education are more likely to find and retain stable employment later in life and break the cycle of poverty.

“Salesian missionaries in India are working hard to rehabilitate street children and restore their childhoods,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many take for granted having a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat and access to medical care. Salesian missionaries recognize how critical it is to meet these basic needs before expecting youth to be able to focus on education.”

BOSCO is also involved in child rights education in schools, colleges, and for the general public and has made significant contributions towards the development of government policies for the protection of children. In addition, BOSCO has been running the Childline Youth Hotline since 2002. This hotline is a safety net for youth on the streets and connects them to safe shelter and other services. Salesian missionaries collaborate extensively with the Indian government and child protection system by providing training, advocacy and outreach program development to help reduce the number of street children while sharing resources for finding, identifying and rehabilitating those currently living on the streets.

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota

Don Bosco India – Government of India names BOSCO, Bangalore the best NGO for Child Welfare

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2012

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: Indian Government Awards Salesian-run BOSCO Bangalore the 2014 National Award for Child Welfare first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Rural life in Guatemala is often associated with extreme poverty. However, rural Q’eqchi are among those in the community looking to improve their lives. Through Salesian programs, Q’eqchi are learning new skills that can lead to additional income for their families while increasing the capacities of their communities.

The Don Bosco Center is the male counterpart to a local educational project for girls known as Talita Kumi which was started by a Salesian missionary from India, Father Jorge Puthenpura, and is now run by the Salesian Sisters of the Resurrection. This program works to raise the status of women and empower them to become household and community decision-makers.

“Both of these educational efforts are part of the much broader mission developed by the Salesian community in Guatemala,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian educational programs have been very successful with the number of schools in the region doubling, allowing for more children than ever before to have the opportunity for a brighter future.”

Under the leadership of Salesian missionary, Father Anthony De Groot, the Don Bosco Center has also developed an extensive teacher training program. Father De Groot came to the Carchá mission in the Alta Verapz region of Guatemala in 1975 and has been helping youth break the cycle of poverty and improve their lives through education ever since.

Upon his arrival in Guatemala, Fr. De Groot was immediately struck by the extreme poverty and deprivation in the mountain communities. What started for him as an effort to provide support to remote villages neglected during a civil war, turned into an educational revolution resulting in the training of hundreds of teachers while offering poor youth a second chance.

“Determined to make a difference, Fr. De Groot began visiting the villages to build hope and offer support,” adds. Fr Hyde. “After a while, he realized much more needed to be done especially for the sake of the children. He started to build schools and initiated a teacher training program.”

Today, more than 850 local students are enrolled in a series of teacher training courses. Upon receiving their teaching certificates, these students will go on to teach in some of the 600 villages throughout Guatemala that participate in the program.

Rural poverty hasn’t changed much in Guatemala during the last 20 years, according to the World Bank. Close to 75 percent of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line and almost 58 percent live below the extreme poverty line which the World Bank defines as struggling to afford even a basic basket of food.

For the country’s indigenous population, the poverty rates jump even higher with almost 90 percent facing crippling poverty and few resources. Salesian missionaries have been working in Guatemala for many years, particularly with indigenous populations, to help break the cycle of poverty and provide access to basic needs and education.

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Sources:

World Bank – Guatemala

The post GUATEMALA: More Than 800 Indigenous Q’eqchi (Mayans) Receive Technical Training at Don Bosco Center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sources:

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

UNICEF – Brazil Statistics

Real Madrid Foundation

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

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

As a result of the violence and struggle to gain independence, much of South Sudan had been reduced to rubble. Infrastructure including hospitals, churches, schools and social program buildings were almost totally destroyed. Given the inability of the government to solve the problem, Fr. Donati and Bro. Comino decided that the best way to help the fledgling nation was through education. At the time of independence, more than 70 percent of the country’s children did not attend school.

The missionaries, with support from the Salesian Missions South Korea office, build small schools with assistance from the local community which also provides the school furnishings. Local experts help the missionaries decide where a new school should be built and then local labor is used in the construction with materials including iron, wood and concrete provided by neighboring Uganda. Each school takes up to four months to build. Fr. Donati and Bro. Comino carry out inspections of the construction and the schools’ operations.

“There were many difficulties at the beginning of the project,” says Bro. Comino. “Many people were skeptical, but the then Rector Major, Father Pascual Chávez, gave us the green light to start construction. In the summer of 2015, we had the pleasure of informing him personally that 60 schools had been opened.”

On average, each school accommodates 300 to 350 students in first through eighth grade. All classes are operated in partnership with seven area Catholic dioceses which also provide many of the teachers. In order to further encourage the development of dedicated, qualified teachers, especially among young women who can most directly benefit from the economic opportunity afforded by the profession, the project also established a teachers’ training institute in the village of Yambio. Here, theoretical concepts augment the practical experience that teachers gain in the classroom.

The next project Fr. Donati and Bro. Comino are undertaking is the development of an agricultural school to help teach local communities how to cultivate their own land. One of the biggest needs in South Sudan is more and better agriculture production. Nearly 80 percent of vegetables, fruit and cereals are imported from Uganda where the same type of land is available as in South Sudan.

The goal is to train youth in agricultural production to decrease the amount of imports needed in the country while engaging them in stable employment. The government of South Sudan has given the missionaries ​​2,500 hectares of land to start the agricultural school. The hope is for the school to become a model that demonstrates the land’s richness and ability to provide food. A recent warning from the United Nations noted that South Sudan has close to 4 million people at-risk of hunger.

“It is a question of creating a mindset to entice people to cultivate the land,” adds Bro. Comino. “It could also be a great response to those who are driven by hunger to emigrate, by making them independent and aware that they can cultivate the land and meet their food needs without having to look elsewhere. The food is there, under their feet.”

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its third year of independence last July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

The civil war has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In the capital of Juba, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything behind.

Salesian missionaries assist those internally displaced through programs across South Sudan and in neighboring Kenya at the Kakuma refugee camp. More than 44 percent of refugees at the camp are from South Sudan and arrived after escaping conflict and violence.

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Sources:

ANS – RMG – South Sudan: education and culture

World Bank- South Sudan

Salesian Missions – Emergency in Sudan

The post South Sudan: Salesian Missionaries Have Built 60 Primary Schools Educating 13,500 Students first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Established in 2005, the Don Bosco St. Joseph School for Children was brought under Salesian oversight in 2013. Since then, the school has been undergoing major renovations to accommodate its growing student population. Situated on the periphery of a large village, the school was created to serve poor students whose parents could not afford traditional school fees. It offers a full range of academic classes as well as recreational programs. Each year, the student population grows as more and more area families require access to affordable education.

Due to its growing population, sanitation has been a major concern at the school and will be addressed by the recent construction project which will provide separate bathroom facilities for male and female students. To date, a well has been dug and the purchasing of materials and digging of pits are underway. Once enough funds are raised to complete the project, construction of the bathroom buildings will begin.

“This project will greatly impact Salesian students and provide them better access to safe drinking water and water for washing their hands,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We expect this project will reduce the number of children who become sick due to lack of proper hygiene and safe water.”

Salesian missionaries involved in the project hope to help families save on medical expenses for treating children who develop water related diseases and illness due to contaminated water. Once construction is complete on the new facilities, children will no longer have to wait in long lines to use the bathroom and can turn their attention to their studies.

With more than 1.2 billion people, India’s growing population is putting a severe strain on the country’s natural resources. According to Water.org, close to 104 million people do not have access to safe, clean water and 808 million have no sanitation services. Most water sources throughout the country are contaminated by sewage and agricultural runoff.

While India has made some progress in the supply of safe water, there remain gross disparities in safe water access across the country. The World Bank estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water with diarrhea alone causing more than 1,600 deaths daily. Access to proper sanitation is extremely poor, particularly in rural areas where only 14 percent of the population have access to a latrine. In addition, hand washing is not commonplace and leads to an increase in the spread of disease.

Salesian missionaries across India are dedicated to ensuring that access to safe water is a priority in Salesian-run programs and schools and in the communities in which they operate.

“Water is vital for life,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – India

Water.org – India

The post INDIA: Salesian Missionaries Begin Construction Project for New Bathroom Facilities at St. Joseph School for Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The most common health issues treated at the clinic include malaria, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, hypertension, malnutrition (especially in children), skin diseases, asthma and urinary and lung disorders. Financial support from the Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund helps to support staff salaries, medications and the cost of vehicle and clinic maintenance. Necessary medical equipment and items such as bandages, gloves, gauze and other medical supplies have been donated to the clinic.

The Maria Auxiliadora Medical Clinic is one of more than 200 medical clinics and hospitals, mostly in rural areas, that handle a wide range of medical care needs and are operated by Salesian missionaries. Leprosy, otherwise known as Hensen’s disease, has been a focus of Salesian-run medical clinics for more than 100 years. Salesian leper hospitals and leprosy control programs can be found in Brazil, Colombia, India, Thailand, Macau and a number of nations in Africa. HIV/AIDS prevention programs are also a vital component of Salesian healthcare initiatives in Africa. In many countries with Salesian programs, additional dental and other necessary health services are offered.

“The health of the young people we serve is very important to us,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The work we do in East Timor and in programs around the globe goes beyond education. We serve the whole person by making sure the basic needs of health and nutrition are met in addition to other social service needs.”

East Timor has endured a decades-long civil war and is home to 1.1 million people. According to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index, in 2007, East Timor ranked 162 out of 182 countries for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has just over 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages.

Access to nutrition, education and health services is essential to creating a sustainable society and optimistic future. Salesian missionaries in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of a devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Since the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“The Salesians are engaged in a wide range of programs to improve the lives of the people of East Timor,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

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Sources:

Salesian Missions Australia Province Newsletter – Year in Review 2015

World Bank – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Salesian-run Medical Clinic Provided Care for More Than 7,300 People in Poverty first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian Education and Work Foundation serves more than 700 at-risk youth in primary and secondary school and at the Don Bosco Institute of Technical Training and Management, a technical training institute for older youth. The donated rice-meals are provided to students in school to ensure they receive proper nutrition and a balanced diet in order for them to focus on their studies as well as extracurricular activities such as art, sports and the Salesian Education and Work Foundation’s internationally known orchestra program. Salesian missionaries began the school feeding program to meet the needs of the many area families with limited resources to feed their children.

“Many of those participating in Salesian programs in El Salvador are malnourished,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds. Fr Hyde. “Youth who access Salesian programs in El Salvador are given an educational foundation, technical skill training and life and social skills to help them excel in the workforce. They are then able to break the cycle of poverty and become contributing members of their communities.”

Close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty, but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in the country is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014 when compared to the same time the year prior. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of family and belonging that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

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Sources:

Salesian Education and Work Foundation

World Bank – El Salvador 

The post EL SALVADOR: Rice-Meal Donation Helps to Provide Better Nutrition for Students and the Elderly first appeared on MissionNewswire.

This is the sixth donation of rice-meals from Feed My Starving Children the Salesian organization received this year, most of which was utilized during the recent Ebola crisis in the country which continues to affect the many families living in Matadi who lost family members including primary wage-earners. Contained in the shipment were more than 1,200 boxes of rice-meals that have been provided to students in Salesian programs.

More than 70 percent of the population of Matadi live in conditions of poverty. The rice-meal donation has been essential in the battle against malnutrition and disease in the area. In addition to feeding students in Salesian youth programs and schools, Salesian missionaries are providing rice-meals to those most in need in Matadi including single mothers, elderly residents and children affected by Ebola.

“Feeding programs like the one in Liberia are helping to meet the needs of the massive number of children around the globe who are hungry today,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Meals children receive at Salesian schools may be their only meals. This food not only encourages them to attend school, it allows them to focus on getting the education they need without worrying about where their next meal will come from. Children cannot learn on an empty stomach.”

The Sean Devereux Don Bosco Youth Center in Matadi was one of the recipients of the rice-meal donation. The organization offers vocational training, recreational activities, academic assistance, counseling and youth retreats. Activities at the center are geared toward helping youth appreciate one another through daily interaction thereby cultivating genuine acts of tolerance, love and concern for one another. Moreover, the activities assist youth in acquiring marketable skills in tailoring and typing.

The ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children has resulted in 40-foot containers of fortified rice-meals being shipped to Salesian sites around the globe. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the cost and logistics of shipping each container from Feed My Starving Children warehouses to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where the greatest needs are at any given time. The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions for programs in Sri Lanka. Through the years, as Salesian Missions has determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My Starving Children food, almost 100 containers of more than 27 million meals have been donated, shipped and received by those in need in more than 25 countries.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” adds. Fr Hyde.

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with 64 percent of its population of 3.5 million people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. The 2008 Human Development Index ranks Liberia in the bottom five of countries in the world. Still recovering from the effects of a 14 year civil war that ended in 2003, Liberians struggle with social and economic hardships.

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

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

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Sources:

Feed My Starving Children

World Bank – Liberia

The post LIBERIA: More than 1,200 Boxes of Rice-Meals Provided to Salesian Programs Thanks to Partnership with Feed My Starving Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Last year, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 20,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. For Salesian missionaries in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing a foundation of lifelong learning for poor youth and teaching them valuable skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild the country after the earthquake, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. Over half of its population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank.

“Even before the earthquake, Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the world and was desperately in need of schools and qualified teachers,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The earthquake diminished the few educational opportunities available for a generation of girls and boys already facing a future with little hope. Education is one of the most crucial factors in determining whether or not a child can escape a lifetime of poverty so it is imperative we do all we can to rebuild.”

Once Mr. Oderda saw and understood the educational challenges in Haiti resulting from the earthquake, he was moved to act. To date, he has provided the financial underwriting for the construction of four of the nine classrooms with more on the way. When the project is completed, the new school will be comprised of the nine classrooms as well as a laboratory, library, infirmary, bathroom facilities and a teachers’ lounge, all fully  furnished. The new school will be able to serve 360 students aged 6 to 15 who will have the opportunity to gain the basic education needed to enter the Salesian-run technical school at the same location.

“My aim is to help a devastated country by building a school where young people can learn the skills for a real job, one that will allow them to become independent and free from the chains of poverty,” explains Mr. Oderda in a recent video he created about the project.

Salesians missionaries in Haiti are focused on providing education and technical training to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the Haitian people. Mr. Oderda chose to partner with Salesian Missions because of the organization’s nearly 80 years providing educational and workforce development programs and opportunities in Haiti. Salesian programs are made possible through the ongoing support of donors who help provide funding for this important work.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – A Meaningful Legacy for Haiti’s Children

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Loyal Salesian Missions Supporter Builds Classrooms for New School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Children of Lead project serves youth who have high levels of lead in their blood due to environmental pollution. Youth participating in the “Sowing Oxygen” campaign have taken to the streets to promote awareness among community members and have planted seedlings in areas that have no green spaces. The purpose of the initiative is to sensitize citizens to the environment and help reduce pollution in the area.

Puerto Nuevo’s population is contaminated by lead as a result of the environmental damage generated by the storage and transportation of lead ore to the community’s port. Most of the children participating in the Children of Lead project have levels of lead close to 19.9 micrograms per deciliter in their blood. This level is considered highly dangerous and can cause children to suffer cognitive delays.

Salesian missionaries at the Children of Lead project provide education and skills training opportunities to the participating children and adolescents while addressing their behavioral and cognitive difficulties. Often because of their cognitive and emotional difficulties, students struggle in traditional classrooms and are less likely to achieve the higher levels of education necessary to break the cycle of poverty.

The Children of Lead project aims to improve students’ educational outcomes through tutoring in reading, math and other academic subjects while simultaneously offering workshops in interpersonal communication, logic and educational psychology. Activities that include music and dance are also offered through the project and are designed to boost participants’ physical, mental and emotional development. In addition, participants have access to computer classes using online programs and games that help them develop reason and literacy as well as useful technological skills.

“In an economically depressed area where jobs are scarce and future opportunity bleak, adults in Puerto Nuevo face an almost unimaginable choice,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “They can refuse paid work and risk the effects of long-term poverty or they can reluctantly support the presence of mines and refineries at the risk of their children’s health. The immediate need to feed, clothe and shelter their families trumps any consideration of long-term well-being so Salesian missionaries work to help in whatever way they can.”

The outcomes for many of the participants of the Children of Lead project are good despite challenges along the way. By gaining an education and developing skills and talents through the project, many are able to gain stable employment and give back to their communities.

Peru faces high levels of income inequality and has more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of job skills among women entering the workforce as well as a lack of adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

“Those living in poverty in Peru are in great need,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Many need proper nutrition, shelter, healthcare and education in order to survive and thrive. Salesian programs are working to ensure those in poverty have the resources they need to lead safe, healthy and productive lives.”

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Sources:

Peru – “Sowing Oxygen”, the new campaign of the “Children of Lead” Project

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Children of Lead Project Launches Environmental Awareness Campaign first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Don Bosco Self-Reliance program works to bridge the gap between graduation from secondary school and employment. At this critical juncture, the program provides access to additional skills training and social development services while offering opportunities to study and gain professional qualifications. In this way, the program aids young people with the transition to adulthood and meaningful employment as well as helps to break the cycle of poverty in their lives.

Given the high rate of youth unemployment in India, this program is especially relevant. According to the International Labor Organization’s Global Employment Trends 2015 Report, India experienced a sharp slowdown in its economy during 2012 and 2013 when growth dropped below 5 percent. The economy grew slightly faster in 2014 reaching 5.4 percent, reflecting an improvement in the growth rate of the services sector and a better monsoon season than originally anticipated. However, the unemployment rate for youth is remaining flat after having risen 3.6 percent in 2012 and having again climbed to 3.7 percent in 2013.

“All youth deserve a chance at a better life and access to the skills necessary to find and retain employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “To help close the employment gap, Don Bosco Ashalayam helps youth gain a foothold in the competitive job market by providing employment and soft skills training in an environment of learning and mentoring that is responsive to the individual’s emotional and developmental needs.”

Salesian missionaries working at Don Bosco Ashalayam utilize their vast network of technical and vocational training programs within India to help their students gain viable employment skills. For student, Anarjeet, the Self-Reliance Program has helped him gain the experience and skills necessary to complete his four year degree in hotel management while also accessing an internship. Before discovering Don Bosco Ashalayam, Anarjeet was an orphan who lost his parents at the age of two. He was sent to live with an aunt and uncle who were physically abusive to him. After a few years living and struggling to survive on the streets of New Delhi, Anarjeet was found by a street outreach worker who led him to Don Bosco Ashalayam.

“I look at my life with gratitude to the Don Bosco organization, because I grew up in Ashalayam and received everything possible that my family was unable to provide,” says Anarjeet. “I was brought to Ashalayam, a new world of experience, a place of safety and security, which has transformed my life. I was given all the care and protection with every possibility and opportunity to grow properly.”

Another student, Kapil, spent 16 years at Don Bosco Ashalayam after being found by Salesian missionaries at one of India’s railway stations, a haven for runaway youth in the country. Kapil ran away from home after his mother died and his father remarried. Subjected to physical abuse at home, he felt he had little choice other than to try to survive on the streets. With the help of the Self-Reliance Program, Kapil is finishing his degree in computer science and has already started an internship at an Indian software company.

“Don Bosco Ashalayam showed me the rays of new life,” says Kapil. “Active participation in various co-curricular activities increased my confidence and I learned many skills such as book binding and candle making. The life was so amazing at Don Bosco that I could enjoy and learn to mend my life. I often wonder how I have achieved all I have in spite of being a boy who ran away from home to take shelter in railway stations. Don Bosco Ashalayam is really a home for the children in need of care and protection.”

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

International Labour Organization – World Employment Social Outlook 2015

UNICEF – India

The post INDIA: Don Bosco Self-Reliance Program Helps Youth Transition into Adulthood first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The program is designed for poor and at-risk youth from Santiago de Cali who wish to train as kitchen assistants, work that is highly desirable given the current employment situation in the area. More than 230 youth have graduated from the program with nearly 80 percent of graduates finding employment directly after graduation. The program is 100 percent donor funded and made possible through financial support from the private sector, Colombia’s National Learning Service (SENA), the Governor of Valle del Cauca and the restaurant industry.

Through the Food for All program, students learn a variety of kitchen skills to prepare them for employment while gaining access to life skills training as well as interviewing and resume assistance. An emphasis is placed on building relationships with students from different backgrounds and parts of the region.

“Years ago it was almost impossible to imagine that a young person from a poor rural area could find work in one of the Colombia’s urban centers and now this happens every day,” says Father Germán Londoño, director of the Don Bosco Center. “This program works to develop a sense of trust between students and in turn they begin to trust their communities and their communities trust them. A lot of young people who have gone through this program have set up their own businesses and have reformed their lives. If you learn how to cook well, life is good, and it elevates the spirit.”

In 2008, Rosa Inés Naranjo, then 42 years of age, had lost her job and felt like she had lost everything. After becoming aware of the Food for All program, she decided to explore the idea of turning her love of cooking into a career, something she had dreamed of but never imagined could become a reality.

“The kitchen is a joy,” says Naranjo. “In the kitchen we laugh a lot, learn a lot, get to know each other and discover many things. The kitchen gives peace and happiness, and it’s a place where we forget our problems and focus on the food we are offering to people. If someone says that what you have prepared is delicious, it gives us great satisfaction.”

Many youth enrolled in the Food for All program lacked the education and skills to find viable employment and had nowhere else to turn. Some had previously turned to life on the streets, violence or criminal activity. Through this program and others operated by the Don Bosco Center, participants are given a second chance.

“Youth in Colombia struggle to gain an education and lead productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because of conditions of poverty, youth are vulnerable to exploitation and criminal activity. Education provides a path out of poverty and helps youth gain the jobs skills necessary to find meaningfully livable wage employment.”

Close to 33 percent of Colombians live in poverty, according to the World Bank. One in five children in the country have no access to education and 800,000 children reside in refugee camps. The number of street children has reached epidemic proportions and thousands of at-risk youth have been recruited as child soldiers.

In addition, many orphaned youth in Colombia live in poverty and have lost their parents to natural disasters, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other diseases, war or domestic issues. Some children remain living with a single parent, struggling to survive and are often pulled out of school to earn income for the remaining family. Other youth live in shelters or on the streets.

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Sources:

ANS – Colombia – “Did you know that there is ’Food for All’ in Cali?”

World Bank – Colombia

The post COLOMBIA: Food for All Program Trains Disadvantaged Youth for Work as Kitchen Assistants first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Many children living on the streets are runaways who have left home in search of work or to escape violence or other family difficulties. According to UNICEF, more than 40,000 children are reported missing every year in India. Of these, close to 11,000 remain untraced. As many cases go unreported, it is suspected that the actual number of missing children is much higher. Many runaways come to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru in search of work and a better life with the majority of them living on the streets and on the country’s railway platforms where they beg, steal or perform menial jobs to survive. All too often, they fall victim to child traffickers.

In 2010, India passed a landmark law mandating that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 be in school, but according to UNICEF, millions of children remain in the workforce. Full implementation of the law went into effect in 2013, but child workers can still be found in almost every industry in India. The problem has been enforcing the law, particularly in high poverty regions of the country.

In 2014, BOSCO volunteers rescued 6,451 runaway youth and were able to reunite 4,681 of them back with their families. Those remaining are under the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee. Of the youth rescued, there were 5,561 boys and 900 girls, the majority of whom were between the ages of 6 and 16 with 75 of the children under age five.

Once youth are identified by BOSCO and convinced to come in off the street, their basic needs are provided for such as housing, food and clothing. In addition, they receive counseling and, if appropriate, are reunited back with their families. Education is also a primary component of BOSCO and is provided to those in the rehabilitation program while those who are returned to their families have access to Salesian schools throughout India. Youth who continue their education are more likely to find and retain stable employment later in life and break the cycle of poverty.

“Salesian missionaries in India are working hard to rehabilitate street children and restore their childhoods,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many take for granted having a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat and access to medical care. Salesian missionaries recognize how critical it is to meet these basic needs before expecting youth to be able to focus on education.”

Salesian missionaries collaborate with the Indian government and child protection system by providing training, advocacy and outreach program development to help reduce the number of street children while sharing resources for finding, identifying and rehabilitating those currently living on the streets.

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

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Sources:

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota

Video – BOSCO Street Children in India

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2012

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: BOSCO Bangalore Outreach Programs Help Rescue and Rehabilitate Homeless Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

A branch of the Don Bosco Children Fund is operated out of Don Bosco Kep and assists poor youth between the ages of 6 and 15 who are either unable to go to school or have had to drop out due to poverty. Called the Don Bosco Kep Children Fund, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also to receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that youth make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework.

In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children Fund since its inception in 1992. The new kindergarten is an extension of the Don Bosco Kep Children Fund and works to educate children who might not otherwise have access to schooling.

The new Don Bosco Kep kindergarten is located in a child friendly environment on the technical school campus and is surrounded by a colorful playground and many trees. The stimulating learning environment helps prepare children to go on to primary school. With a school day from 8 a.m to 4 p.m., the program consists of English language, basic numbers and counting lessons and includes games, arts and crafts. The kindergarten strives to be a safe, comfortable environment where the children can develop their social, academic and physical skills.

“Many parents in Cambodia did not have the same opportunities for education as their children do today so they do not see staying in school as a priority, particularly when many children have been forced to work to bring in extra money for the family,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need the extra support to stay in school and get an education. Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Kep provide that much needed support and stability to help youth achieve.”

The Don Bosco Kep Kindergarten is still in its early phases of development. Many activities take place in the outdoor kindergarten area while the indoor classroom is used solely for academic lessons. The children nap in a community building not originally designed to be a classroom. Plans are underway to create new classrooms to allow for smaller class sizes that encourage better concentration, provide fewer distractions and enable teachers to provide more personal attention.

Once new classrooms are built, the larger space will protect children from the heat and create additional exhibition space for educational posters and student artwork while allowing for storage of teaching materials. In addition, the program is planning to build a new bathroom with showers the children can use if necessary. The goal of the new construction is to establish an efficient and comfortable kindergarten environment for children to learn, grow, thrive and reach their full potential.

Cambodia has a long history of violence that has resulted in a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty and surviving on less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. About 80 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas and has limited access to education, healthcare and other public services.

Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesians in the country operate 45 schools in poor, rural villages through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education. In addition, Salesians operate seven vocational training centers that impart much needed job skills.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Cambodia

World Bank – Cambodia

The post CAMBODIA: Don Bosco Kep Develops New Kindergarten Program first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Due to complications securing land, construction of a new youth center in San Benito was a long time in the making and faced many delays. Now that the land has been secured, construction is underway and once completed, the youth center will provide poor and at-risk youth additional educational and social supports and a meeting space to build relationships with peers and engage in safe after-school activities. Tutoring and life skills training as well as recreational activities and sports will also be available.

“After so many battles with the municipality to get the ground to build our youth center, we are finally starting work,” says Father Giampiero De Nardi, a Salesian missionary in San Benito. “We have cleared the land, made measurements and started to level the ground. Next we will build the fence and wait for the architect to prepare the final plans and make our dream something more concrete. We are hoping that people will help us financially to be able to complete this program for the good of the young people at risk in Petén.”

In addition to the development of a new youth center, Salesian missionaries in San Benito are distributing ecological filters for purifying water. Since the local water is unsafe and often sickens those who drink it with dysentery and disease, the filters are vital for the many poor families in the area who cannot afford to buy bottled water. The new filters last for five years and produce enough drinking water for five or six families. Close to 50 filters have already been distributed through the project which was generously funded by donors from Italy.

“Water is essential for life and clean water projects have been a focus for Salesian missionaries around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Water is at the core of sustainable development and relates directly to the viability of poverty reduction, economic growth and environmental sustainability. For those who have no access to clean water, water related disease is common with more than 840,000 people dying each year globally from water related disease.”

Additional Salesian-run programs in the El Petén region continue efforts to prevent HIV/ AIDS and provide treatment for those who have the disease. The area has the third worst incidence rate for contraction of HIV in Guatemala. Despite the fact that the project that financed this work has ended, Salesian missionaries continue to do prevention work and offer medical care and other social services for those infected with the virus. Missionaries continue to seek additional funding and are working with the Office for the Prevention of AIDS of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala which is operating many of the existing prevention programs for women in the country.

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

Salesian missionaries working and living in the country have been providing for the basic needs of Guatemala’s youth while helping to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. They work extensively with poor youth and their families at youth centers, orphanages, parishes and primary and secondary schools as well as technical schools, vocational training workshops and two universities. Additional social and educational programs help provide for youth living on the streets and those living in poor indigenous communities.

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Sources:

ANS – Guatemala – A New Centre for the Young People of Petén

World Bank – Guatemala

The post GUATEMALA: Salesian Missionaries Have Undertaken New Projects Helping Poor Youth and their Families in San Benito first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The donated furniture from Asset 360 is being shared by Salesian programs across Haiti. Salesian-run educational institutions in Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital city, bring homeless children in off the streets and provide them with food, clothing, shelter and education. These schools then work to reintegrate youth back into society through a variety of small economic initiatives.

In addition to schools, there are Salesian-run technical and vocational training centers throughout the country. Those in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding villages offer courses in a variety of professional fields such as catering, woodworking, agriculture and hotel management. Additional centers in the cities of Fort Liberté and Cap-Haitien specialize in the fields of health, agriculture, information technology, electricity and hotel management. All of these centers, as well as other Salesian-run programs in the country, focus on providing youth with the educational opportunities and social support they need to succeed.

“Salesians in Haiti are focused on providing education and technical training to help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to the Haitian people,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Partnerships like those with Asset 360 help us to provide much needed supplies for our programs. Students find it easier to concentrate on their studies in a structured environment and the donated desks and chairs make that possible.”

Bedroom furniture such as beds and dressers were donated to Salesian students. The new furniture has given many a sense of dignity, especially those who have never had their own bed or dresser before.

“This is like a dream for me because where I was on the street before I never thought that one day I would have a bed for myself like rich people,” says a young student at the Salesian-run Lakay shelter and educational program in Port-au-Prince.

The shipment of furniture was the first of several donations provided by Asset 360 and coordinated by Salesian Missions. Salesian programs in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador will also receive shipments of donated furniture.

“This was a unique project at Bowling Green State University, in that multiple facilities were involved in the removal project on campus and multiple destinations were targeted for the shipments through Salesian Missions,” says Mark Berry, president of Asset 360. “Coordinating all of these moving parts was the challenge that we faced, and the campus community at BGSU could not have been more satisfied with the outcome.”

Despite ongoing reconstruction and infrastructure improvements that are helping to rebuild Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest in the world. Over half of its population of 10 million lives on less than $1 per day, and approximately 80 percent live on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank. Haiti continues to have significant needs in education, healthcare and nutrition.

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

For Salesian missionaries in the country, schools in Haiti fulfill an important socio-economic mission by providing a foundation of lifelong education for poor youth and teaching them valuable skills and trades to help them escape poverty and establish a sustainable livelihood.

ABOUT ASSET 360

ASSET 360 is an environmental services company specializing in the responsible repurposing of no longer needed surplus materials from a wide variety of clients. Any private organization or public institution generating surplus furniture, fixtures, equipment and supplies is paired with Asset 360’s extensive network of humanitarian relief organizations whose mission it is to provide relief supplies to needy communities here in the U.S. and in the developing world.

Asset 360 staff have shipped more than 3,000 shipping containers to over 40 countries, accounting for more than 45 million pounds of materials diverted away from already over-burdened landfills. Asset 360 clients realize significant financial, social and environmental benefits through the use of this surplus reuse program.

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS

Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in some of the poorest places on the planet. The nearly 30,000 Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters—all dedicated to caring for poor children around the globe in more than 130 countries. The Salesians are widely considered the world’s largest private provider of vocational and technical training. Additionally, more than 1 million children attend Salesian primary schools, many of which are UNICEF-supported. Millions of vulnerable youth have received services specifically funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion.

The post HAITI: More than 700 Students Have Access to School and Bedroom Furniture Thanks to Salesian Missions Partnership with Asset 360 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Through the programs, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians provide for the basic needs of young East Timorese including housing, nutrition, clothing and education. Educational programs aim to impart life skills such as responsibility, self-discipline and organization in addition to offering traditional schooling that enables students to advance to technical and skills training programs to prepare for the workforce.

East Timor has endured a decades-long civil war and is home to 1.1 million people. According to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index, in 2014, East Timor ranked 128 out of 187 countries for life expectancy, access to education and standard of living. The World Bank estimates that East Timor has just over 49 percent of its population living in poverty with over one-third of the population regularly experiencing food shortages.

Salesian missionaries in the country have been providing programs to help residents recover and rebuild in the wake of the devastating civil war that claimed countless lives, decimated entire communities and resulted in living conditions that are among the worst in the world. Since the violence has subsided, efforts are being focused on helping the needy, restoring hope and providing new opportunities for the future.

“Salesian missionaries offer a wide range of programs that work to improve the lives of the people of East Timor,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Poor youth and their families receive support at community health centers, orphanages, parishes and youth centers. In addition, classes are conducted in primary, secondary, technical and agricultural schools – many of which provide room and board to their students.”

Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education. Prepared students are more likely to learn valuable skills that will help them gain employment, break the cycle of poverty in their lives and give back to their communities.

“Feeding hungry children is often the first step to providing an education,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Once children have their most basic needs met, they are then able to concentrate on their studies and further their education.”

Stop Hunger Now partners with Salesian Missions (in New Rochelle, N.Y.) which works to identify needs and coordinate delivery of 40-foot shipping containers full of meals, supplemented with additional supplies when available. The partnership was developed in 2011 and since that time, more than 60 shipping containers, including more than 16 million rice-meals, have been successfully delivered to 19 countries around the globe. The meals and life-saving aid has helped to nourish poor youth at Salesian schools and programs and care for those in need of emergency aid during times of war, natural disasters and health crises.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand the scope of services to youth in need,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Operating feeding programs for youth in Salesian schools whose families cannot afford to feed them is very important and integral to the success of our students and their ability to gain an education.”

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Sources:

World Bank – East Timor

The post EAST TIMOR: Donation of Nutritious Rice-Meals by Stop Hunger Now Benefits More than 1,100 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Fighting between armed Dinka pastoralists and local youth started in Maridi on Sunday evening, June 7th. Nine people were killed and several others injured during clashes that forced people to flee from their homes in search of safety. The violence also caused local markets and schools to close temporarily.

“On Sunday night at 9:47 p.m. there was a loud explosion followed by gunshots,” reported local Salesian missionaries living and working in the town. “On Monday morning we had school as usual and every so often we could hear some sporadic gunfire coming from the city. At 10:30 that morning we had to suspend classes and ask the pupils to go home. By 11:00, Maridi was under attack. Everybody fled to Rastigi, Civicon and other villages. A good number have fled into the woods.”

Missionaries also reported that one of the two warring factions in South Sudan arrived at the scene well-armed while the locals who came out to defend themselves were armed only with bows and arrows. The Visitation Sisters of Don Bosco, an order of Salesian nuns who operate an educational program in Maridi, sent their students home as soon as the conflict started. Many of the sisters are caring for the sick and wounded who have come from the local Maridi Hospital while also harboring locals seeking safety and shelter at the sisters’ medical clinic.

On Monday night, gunfire could still be heard near the Salesian compound in Maridi. By Tuesday morning, the situation seemed calm and the streets in and around Maridi were deserted.

Salesian Lay Missioner Ariel Zarate from Oak Lawn, Illinois is in her second year of service at the Maridi mission and shared her observations of the conflict in an email to the Salesian Missions lay missioners director.

“The media definitely exaggerates, however things are tense. When I first read some recent news about an uptick of violence in South Sudan there was nothing to report but that seems to have changed a bit,” explains Zarate. “Two nights ago some cattle were killed which sparked some violence in the town about 5 km away. Things are tense and some indiscriminate killing has been happening but mostly there in town. We are still assessing the situation. I’m being cautious and taking no risks, just waiting for things to settle down.”

Salesian missionaries are continuing to provide what services they can as they continue to assess the situation. Classes and other programs will resume once the area is deemed safe for both students and staff.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country will celebrate its fourth year of independence in July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In Juba, the largest city and capital of the country, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything they had behind.

Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs and health clinics for poor youth and their families in South Sudan. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

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Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – Tension and Gunfire in Maridi

Sudan Tribune – South Sudan parliament forms investigation team over Maridi fighting

*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 SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Classes Canceled in Wake of New Tensions in South Sudan first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In the initial aftermath of the devastating earthquake, Salesian missionaries in Haiti were instrumental in emergency response and relief efforts. They were among the first responders, providing shelter, clean drinking water, medical aid and a means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies as well as, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti. Having served Haiti for nearly 75 years, Salesian missionaries were not outsiders rushing in to help, they were trusted members of the communities they served.

First opened in 2002, the youth center in Fort Liberté offered a broad range of formal and informal educational programs for local youth. It housed an elementary school, technical school, vocational training center, teacher-training program and one of the country’s only nursing schools.

“The destruction and devastation after the earthquake was difficult to witness,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “A school campus once filled with students and full of life and activity was reduced to rubble and desolation.”

To support the ongoing reconstruction efforts, Fr. Hyde has traveled to Haiti dozens of times since the disaster. His most recent trip included a visit to Fort Liberté where he participated in a dedication ceremony for the newly rebuilt and re-opened youth center. The reconstruction after the earthquake offered an opportunity to enhance the center’s programs and services beyond their original scope. In addition to simply rebuilding the schools, youth facilities, dorms and missionary housing, a new water purification plant now provides clean, fresh water at affordable prices to residents of surrounding communities.

“Without the new purification plant, local water isn’t suitable for drinking,” says Fr. Hyde. “The new plant already has a steady stream of daily customers. Providing access to clean safe water is a priority for our missionaries so we are very happy with this new addition.”

There are also plans to construct a health clinic on or near the campus which will provide more than 160 nursing students with the practical training they need without having to travel great distances. Additionally, the rebuilding of a Salesian Provincial House on the property now includes several large rooms that may be used for and rented out as conference space, providing much-needed income for Salesian programs. All of the newly constructed buildings meet the standards for being earthquake-proof which ensures that funding for the projects has been utilized in a responsible, sustainable way.

During his most recent trip, Fr. Hyde also visited Salesian programs in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Gressier and Cap Haitien. At Cité Soleil, another new water purification plant will soon provide water to local, impoverished residents for free. In addition, in order to support demand, training opportunities in the field of clean water and sustainable systems design will be added to the curriculum offered by the Salesian technical school there.

In Gressier, the Salesian-run National School of Arts and Trades (ENAM) is up and running after having been completely destroyed and in elementary and technical training classrooms around the country, curricula focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to rebuild Haiti.

“We could not have made such remarkable progress without the ongoing and exceptional generosity of our many donors and on behalf of our Salesian missionaries on the ground in Haiti, we are very grateful for their support,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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

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

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Sources:

Haiti – Fort Liberté: a new building for the training of the young

Haiti – The re-construction of the Salesian centres

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Salesian Missions Fulfills Five-Year Promise to Reconstruct Youth Center in Fort Liberté first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Started in 2013 through a $1 million grant from the Social Fund for the Development of Japan and administered by the World Bank, the orchestra was begun as a way to address the rising rates of youth violence in San Salvador, El Salvador and has since become a vital resource for youth living in the area. Close to 1,000 young people who live in violent, gang-infested, crime-ridden areas of San Salvador have turned to the Don Bosco Youth Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus as an alternative to becoming involved in local conflict and violence.

Salesian Father José Moratalla, known as Father Pepe, runs the orchestra program and is president of the Salesian Education and Work Foundation. Originally from Spain, Father Pepe has worked in El Salvador for the past 30 years. Bryan Cea, the 25 year old orchestra director, has had a similar experience to most of his students having grown up in the local area surrounded by poverty and violence. For many of the students, joining the Don Bosco Youth Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus was their first opportunity to pick up a musical instrument or have music lessons.

There are 470 students from various public schools in San Salvador taking part in the music program (220 in the symphony orchestra and 250 in the chorus), ranging in age from 8 to 20 years. Existing school rivalries and conflicts are left behind when they enter the program which is operated out of the Don Bosco Industrial Polygon complex in San Salvador. Unity and a sense of cooperation prevail as geographic and other differences are put aside and the young musicians live and work together peacefully.

“These kids come from 60 public schools in high-risk areas that are sometimes separated by rivalries and competition and by the sad reality of our gangs, but in this endeavor we are one,” said Fr. Moratalla in the NBC news story. “When we put a musical instrument in human hands, and one can see how you can express feelings through it, a child changes both inside and out. They find the hidden treasure they didn’t know they had, they have a sense of security, their self-confidence grows, their personality matures and they all have big smiles. All because of a musical instrument.”

Because of the cost of travel and U.S. visas, only 130 students out of the 470 member ensemble were able to participate in the concert tour. The group spent time fundraising prior to the trip and stayed with local families to save money during their stay. They will continue to fundraise afterwards to pay for any additional costs.

“Our mission at the World Bank is to eliminate poverty, and we look at the obstacles to eliminating poverty including crime and violence, which go hand in hand,” said Humberto López, director for Central American programs at the World Bank in the NBC news article. “With high rates of crime and violence, obviously there won’t be economic growth, and without economic growth you don’t have the kinds of jobs that give these kids an opportunity for a good future. This is a program to counteract the temptations of the streets that lead to crime and violence. And their musical talent is unparalleled.”

The orchestra has a standing invitation to tour and perform in California next year and plans are underway for a European tour as well. The hope is to be able to bring all members of the ensemble on future tours.

Close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in El Salvador are confronted not only with poverty, but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education in El Salvador is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014 when compared to the same time period the year before. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and a sense of family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

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Sources:

ANS – United States of America – Don Bosco Youth Symphonic Orchestra from San Salvador wins over Washington

NBC News – Music Frees El Salvador’s Children From the Country’s Violence

The post EL SALVADOR: The Don Bosco Youth Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus Performs in Washington, D.C. on Its First North American Tour first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in Africa, ranking 183 out of 186 countries on the Human Development Index 2013. According to the World Bank, more than 46 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty on less than USD 1.25 per day. Burkina Faso has suffered from several serious droughts that have driven up food prices affecting the country’s food supply and causing malnutrition among the poorest residents and children. Up until the 1980s the country also dealt with devastating military coups.

One of the first projects initiated by the Costa De Beauregard students was a fundraising initiative to raise awareness of the food shortages in Burkina Faso and address the nutritional needs of its people. The students collaborated with Salesian Sisters at the Little Sisters of Holy Childhood based in Bobo Dioulasso, the second largest city in Burkina Faso.

“Projects like these between Salesian students in France and the community in Burkina Faso, provide opportunities for our students to pay it forward and apply the skills they are learning,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our students have so much to offer the world. Creating these initiatives is a win-win for both the students and the recipients.”

In 2007 and 2008, the French students took two trips to Burkina Faso and met with Sister Therese of the Little Sisters of Holy Childhood to learn more about the country, its people and the needs of its poor. At that time, the Salesian Sisters were buying seven acres of land and, with the help of Costa de Beauregard students who had participated in a horticultural program, agricultural operations began on the new acreage, providing a sustainable source of nutrition for the local community.

The Salesian students’ collaboration with the Little Sisters of Holy Childhood in Burkina Faso has since been formalized to create the Bocage Foundation. In 2010, three of the students representing the foundation decided to start a training college in the city of Bobo Dioulasso to help increase the skills and employ-ability of local Burkina Faso youth. Despite a difficult geopolitical situation in the country, the foundation is also working to create a water distribution network in collaboration with Plumbers without Borders to aid the development of a reception center for young people at risk in Bobo Dioulassoa. For this project, the Bocage Foundation has recently committed to drill a 140 foot well and construct a water well enclosure.

Access to water is essential in Burkina Faso as women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells.

“The activities of this foundation, along with the work of Salesian missionaries around the globe, is helping to ensure communities have access to clean water for drinking and agriculture. Salesian missionaries are always looking to expand their services to meet the needs of the poor youth and families they serve,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

ANS – France – A partnership of 10 years, to the benefit of all

World Bank – Burkina Faso Poverty

The post BURKINA FASO/FRANCE: Salesian Students Facilitate Projects Helping Poor Youth in Burkina Faso first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in the country are confronted not only with poverty, but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

Don Bosco University provides opportunities for advanced education and employment for disadvantaged youth in El Salvador. Approximately 6,000 students are enrolled at the University which maintains a strong link to the local employment sector through research, technology transfer programs, continuing education courses and consultancy services. Degree programs include engineering, social sciences, humanities, economics, technology and aeronautics.

The donation by IRN provides seating for two new auditoriums, one seating 175 people and the other 100. Once completed, the auditoriums will have new floors, new glass doors and windows, new ceilings, a fresh coat of paint on the walls and air conditioners. The space will be utilized for classes and events. The University has received donated items from IRN in the past, including a shipment of new school and office furniture last year that improved working and learning environments for students and faculty.

In addition to these donations, Salesian programs around the globe have received school and office furniture as well as workstations thanks to the partnership between Salesian Missions and IRN. Since the partnership began in 2012, shipments have been sent to Salesian sites in Haiti, the Philippines, Liberia, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Togo, Burundi, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone.

“IRN donations have furnished Salesian schools and development offices in Central America, South America, Africa and Asia,” explains Jessica O’Connor, international development programs officer for Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We plan to continue working with IRN because they are a reliable partner who is eager to assist in our mission and provide quality donations to our programs.”

The Institution Recycling Network was founded in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every educational, commercial and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

Salesian missionaries are known for their education programs for youth around the globe. With countless elementary, secondary and university level educational centers as well as training and certification programs, Salesian programs are helping to provide a direct path out of poverty for many youth and their families. Programs rely on donations such as those provided by IRN to keep facilities functional for students and staff.

“There is a clear match between Salesian Missions’ need for furniture and equipment for their worldwide projects and the supplies of surplus to which IRN has access,” says Mark Lennon, principal of the Institution Recycling Network.

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Sources:

Don Bosco University El Salvador

World Bank – El Salvador

Institution Recycling Network

The post EL SALVADOR: Don Bosco University is Creating New Auditorium Space Thanks to Donation from Institution Recycling Network first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Don Bosco Gumbo is one of the host sites for the Salesian Lay Missionaries program which provides lay volunteers to work alongside Salesian priests and sisters on various projects throughout the world. Since the program started in 1981, more than 350 lay missioners have served in 20 countries on projects that range from youth ministry to agriculture to nursing.

In August 2013, Salesian lay missioners Michael Gotta and Patrick Sabol began work at the Salesian secondary school, parish and youth center in Gumbo. The two men had a range of responsibilities while in Gumbo including administrative duties at the school and interviewing prospective students.

“The most rewarding part of my work at the Salesian center was learning about the people,” says Gotta. “They came from many different places and brought a great cultural diversity which we got to experience. We also shared some of our own culture with them.”

During their time in South Sudan, Gotta and Sabol taught in the secondary school which serves youth and young adults between the ages of 14 and 30. Classes are offered to students beyond typical secondary school age because of the unavailability of schooling in much of South Sudan and the years of interruption by war. Students who were forced to leave school due to war are able to return and continue their education even into adulthood.

When Gotta and Sabol started teaching at the school there were 65 students. After fighting broke out in the country in December 2013, those internally displaced by war flowed into the city increasing school enrollment to 180 students. When fighting escalated, Salesian lay missionaries, including Gotta and Sabol, were moved to Kenya temporarily for their safety.

“Seeing the suffering, particularly when the fighting began, was one of the most challenging things we faced while we were there,” explains Sabol. “We had many of those who were internally displaced at the Salesian compound. When we arrived in August, the South Sudanese were still experiencing the joy of their newly won independence and then in December it all began to fall apart.”

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its third year of independence last July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

The civil war has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In the capital of Juba, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything behind.

Salesian missionaries assist those internally displaced through programs across South Sudan and in neighboring Kenya at the Kakuma refugee camp. More than 44 percent of refugees at the camp are from South Sudan and arrived after escaping conflict and violence.

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Sources:

ANS – United States – Returned SLMs Reflect on their experience in South Sudan

Salesian Lay Missioners

World Bank – South Sudan 

*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 SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Lay Missionaries Assist Students at Don Bosco Gumbo first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Known as the “coffee belt” of Colombia, the region has more than half its population under 25 years of age. Unemployment, especially for youth, is commonplace because of a lack of industry in the region. The city of Armenia, largely supported by tourism, has a high rate of prostitution, drugs and other crime and young people are particularly vulnerable because of a lack of educational opportunities.

The Don Bosco Training Center is already making a difference in the lives of its graduates. Carol Tatiana Cuervo, age 22, entered the cosmetology program at the Center after overcoming some personal challenges. She received her certification to work as a hairdresser and has already found employment.

“Youth in Colombia struggle to gain an education and lead productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because of conditions of poverty in the city of Armenia, youth are vulnerable to exploitation and criminal activity. Education provides a path out of poverty and helps youth gain the jobs skills necessary to find meaningfully livable wage employment.”

The Center was made possible through the financial support of the Leopold Bachmann Foundation and the Salesian NGO, Jugendhilfe Weltweit in Switzerland. The Municipality of Armenia provided the land where the Center resides.

The first phase of the Center’s construction was completed in November and includes classrooms, a library, a sports field and administrative space for staff. Technical courses are currently being offered in the areas of tourism, culinary arts, accounting, information technology, cosmetology, mechanics and welding.

Planning and fundraising is already underway for a second phase of construction. Once construction is completed, additional programs will be offered in electrical work, tailoring, graphic design, cabinet making and handcrafting in Guadua – a special type of bamboo which is plentiful in the area and has high market demand. Training programs have received certification and are recognized by the National Apprenticeship Service, the state body that certifies the skills acquired in the various fields of vocational training in Colombia.

“There are six new laboratories planned to offer additional training opportunities and work for young people,” says Father Jairo Gallo, director of the Don Bosco Training Center. “We always take into account the labor market and direct our training towards the needs of the business community and those industries where our students are likely to find work.”

Close to 33 percent of Colombians live in poverty, according to the World Bank. One in five children in the country have no access to education and 800,000 children reside in refugee camps. The number of street children has reached epidemic proportions and thousands of at-risk youth have been recruited as child soldiers.

Many orphaned youth in Colombia live in poverty and have lost their parents to natural disasters, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other diseases, war or domestic issues. Some children remain living with a single parent, struggling to survive and are often pulled out of school to earn income for the remaining family. Other youth live in shelters or on the streets.

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Sources:

ANS – Colombia – “Opportunities to get a decent job, for young people and their families”

World Bank – Colombia

Salesian Missions – Colombia

The post COLOMBIA: More than 250 Students Graduate from New Don Bosco Training Center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, there were more than 75,000 people living with HIV in Cambodia in 2013. Children under the age of 14 made up 5,200 of the HIV cases in the country. Through Project HIV/AIDS, the Don Bosco Children’s Fund aims to provide holistic and proactive programs on primary healthcare and education, improve children’s health and welfare with anti-retroviral therapy and encourage public awareness and community involvement.

“Access to healthcare and education as well as supportive services to help youth affected by HIV/AIDS is critical to improve quality of life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “It is important for young people to acquire the coping skills that enable them to continue on with their lives, attend school and integrate with their peers.”

Youth attending the program have access to a Salesian-run health clinic as well as counseling services. In addition, those who have no family support live in an orphanage run by Salesian missionaries which provides for all their basic needs as well as grants access to education, recreational activities and life skills training to help prepare them for the future.

Started in 1992, the Don Bosco Children’s Fund provides a variety of services and supports to assist poor youth between the ages of six and 15 who are either unable to go to school or have had to drop out due to poverty. Through the fund’s programs, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that youth make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework.

In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children’s Fund since its inception.

The Fund also operates both a primary and secondary school in Battambang with a focus on making sure young girls have access to education. With even a basic education, girls are better equipped to face the often daily dangers of human trafficking, child prostitution and substance abuse. Today, more than 2,000 girls who live in poverty have access to basic education and continued vocational and technical training through the Don Bosco Children’s Fund bringing the possibilities of jobs and independence within reach. In addition, hundreds of students at four specialized schools for young women are opening new doors for themselves by developing secretarial, printing, electronics and sewing skills.

“Many parents in Cambodia did not have the same opportunities for education as their children do today so they do not see staying in school as a priority, particularly when many children have been forced to work to bring in extra money for the family,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Youth need the extra support to stay in school and get an education. The Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Children’s Fund provide that much needed support and stability to help youth achieve.”

Cambodia has a long history of violence that has resulted in a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty and surviving on less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. About 80 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas and has limited access to education, healthcare and other public services.

Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesian missionaries in the country operate 45 schools in poor, rural villages through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education. In addition, Salesian missionaries operate seven vocational training centers that impart much needed job skills.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Children’s Fund

UNAIDS – Cambodia

World Bank – Cambodia 

The post CAMBODIA: Don Bosco Children’s Fund Supports More than 840 Youth Affected by HIV/AIDS first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Started in 2007 by Father Albeiro Rodas Samnang, rector of the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia, the Audiovisual Center trains youth from rural and disadvantaged communities in media communications with the goal of teaching them a viable trade that will lead to stable employment after graduation. In addition to courses in media communications, the center offers workshops facilitated by Cambodian journalists.

Students studying at the Audiovisual Center are able to apply the skills learned in the classroom by providing media production services to the public. These services include voice and music recording, audio and video editing and production and audio and video presentation in Khmer and English.

“The Audiovisual Center provides Cambodians the ability to use media and make a contribution to the country’s development, reducing poverty and empowering a culture of participation and democracy,” says Fr. Samnang. “Many of the graduates of the center have gained employment in Cambodian media through several television, radio, newspaper and digital media companies. In addition, the center has been supported by professional volunteers and Cambodian journalists sharing their experience with the students.”

The Don Bosco Technical Center in Sihanoukville is one of six technical schools supported by the Don Bosco Foundation in Cambodia. The Foundation provides technical skills training for youth between 16 and 22 who have completed at least the 8th grade. The technical schools are located in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Kep, Battambang and Poipet and provide courses in automotive, industrial mechanics, electricity and electronics, social communication, secretarial and office administration, tailoring, hospitality, welding, agriculture, information technology and language and arts communication.

“The Don Bosco technical schools are important for poor students in Cambodia and also for developing a skilled workforce for the local economy,” adds. Fr. Samnang. “Not only is education about learning to read and write, it provides a foundation for a career and a secure livelihood. Salesian educational programs bring new hope for Cambodian students and for their families.”

Cambodia has a long history of violence and conflict that has driven up poverty rates in the country. Having moved past the troubles of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia’s economy has been strengthening and the construction, tourism and agriculture industries have seen much growth. However, according to the World Bank, almost a quarter of Cambodians still live in poverty, many residing in the country’s most rural areas, and close to 75 percent of the population continues to face seasonal food shortages.

Rural Cambodians make up about 80 percent of the country’s population and have the most limited access to education, healthcare and other public services. Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty and find hope for the future.

Sources

Don Bosco Tech Audio Visual Center

World Bank – Cambodia 

The post CAMBODIA: Don Bosco Audiovisual Center Educates Students in Media Communications first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“A new book in the hands of a student opens him or her up to the opportunities that are available through education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “While this is true whether it takes place down the street or across the globe, it is especially powerful in places like Cambodia.”

Salesian missionaries from the Don Bosco Foundation are eager to support the literacy center since schools in the Ratanakiri province are experiencing many challenges including limited access to qualified teachers, books and necessary school supplies. Often qualified teachers abandon their classrooms once they find a more stable job with a better salary.

The Don Bosco Foundation is currently seeking additional donations for the literacy center including chairs, tables and boards that will help meet their goal of a new computer room for students. Started in 1991, the Don Bosco Foundation provides educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth and orphans. Educational opportunities include basic and secondary schooling and advanced learning through technical skills training.

Currently, the Foundation supports six technical schools for youth between 16 and 22 who have completed at least the 8th grade. The technical schools are located in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Kep, Battambang and Poipet and provide courses in automotive, industrial mechanics, electricity and electronics, social communication, secretarial and office administration, tailoring, hospitality, welding, agriculture, information technology and language and arts communication.

The Foundation supports the Don Bosco Children’s fund, which gives younger students the ability to continue their studies by assisting with costs for school and school supplies. Support services including tutoring for students and workshops for parents, to help them understand the importance of educating their children, are also provided.

“Many parents in Cambodia did not have the same opportunities for education as their children do today so they do not see staying in school as a priority, particularly when many children have been forced to work to bring in extra money for the family,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Youth need the extra support to stay in school and get an education. Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Children’s Fund provide that much needed support and stability to help youth achieve.”

Cambodia has a long history of violence that has resulted in a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty and surviving on less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. About 80 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas and has limited access to education, healthcare and other public services.

Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesian missionaries in the country operate 45 schools in poor, rural villages through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education in addition to seven vocational training centers that impart much needed job skills.

Sources

Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia

World Bank – Cambodia

The post CAMBODIA: Don Bosco Foundation Donates Books Ensuring More Students Have Access to Education first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries living and working in the region are leading a relief campaign through the Don Bosco Foundation in Peru. Volunteers at the campaign are collecting food, clothing, mattresses and other items and then delivering them directly to families in need.

“While Don Bosco Church in Chosica was heavily damaged, we are much more concerned about our parishioners there—all of whom have literally lost everything,” says Father Alejandro Arango Ramos, Rector Major of the Salesian presence in Peru.

To help support the Don Bosco Church in Chosica and provide aid to its parishioners, Salesian Youth Movement groups in Rimac and Brena, both districts within Lima providence, have organized a fundraising campaign and plan to donate the money raised directly to the church.

“Because Salesian missionaries live within the communities they serve, they are perfectly positioned to respond in times of crisis,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “Our missionaries know the local landscape and are providing direct relief to those who need it most and they will remain throughout the long recovery process that accompanies disasters like this.”

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the August 2007 earthquake. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Peru has high levels of income inequality and more than a quarter of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty levels are significantly higher in rural areas but urban areas struggle most with inequality, most notably metropolitan Lima. Poverty in the country is made worse by a shortage of productive farmland and a lack of employable skills, specifically among young people and women entering the workforce. In addition, Peruvians lack access to adequate housing, nutrition and education.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after the 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people and injured hundreds more in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

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Sources:

ANS – Peru – Salesians organize a solidarity campaign for the population of Chosica

BBC News – Peru mudslide emergency declared in Chosica near Lima

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Missionaries Provide Aid after Avalanche Levels Homes and Destroys Infrastructure first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries living and working in the region are responding to the situation with aid for the flood victims, many who have lost everything. The missionaries operate the Salesian Cristo Redentor Industrial School located in Copiapó, the capital city of the Atacama Region, the area most affected by the flooding. Most of the access roads in the city are impassable due to mud resulting from the torrential rains. Because communications are unstable and intermittent, the Salesian community has not been able to fully assess the flood damage or how many have been affected.

At this time, it is known that 27 Salesian students and their families have lost everything, including their homes, 18 have suffered partial loss due to water and mud damage and 10 faculty and staff members have lost their homes or suffered intense damage.

“Anyone who knew Copiapó would find no trace today of anything recognizable,” says Father Néstor Muñoz, rector of the Salesian Industrial School. “The streets have completely disappeared. The main arteries of the city no longer exist and there are rivers of mud that is already starting to rot due to the stagnation and heat.”

Fr Muñoz also noted that according to local reports, the towns further inland such as Paipote, Tierra Amarilla, Los Loros, San Antonio, Diego de Almagro and Chañaral have suffered the most. In the towns of Diego de Almagro and Chañaral it is estimated that 70 percent of the infrastructure has been destroyed.

One of the greatest concerns for Salesian missionaries is the lack of clean, safe water. The mud in the streets is contaminated by water from the sewers and has become a serious health risk for communicable diseases. As a result, it is believed that very soon the city center will have to be evacuated.

Salesian missionaries are providing shelter at the Salesian school for families in need as well as clothing and food aid. Students from the pastoral group at the school are doing what they can to assist those in need with close to 100 students helping the relief operations by collecting and distributing aid to members of the affected communities. Salesian teachers are also working to help staff members who have suffered loss.

“Although neither the Salesians nor the school have suffered damage, there is concern and at times, a sense of being overwhelmed by the enormous gravity of the situation,” adds Fr Muñoz. “The generosity of students and parents who escaped the full force of the flood and who support and help from a distance serves to lift the spirits and is a source of hope.”

According to the World Bank, although the economy in Chile is one of the more stable and prosperous in Latin America, a little more than five percent of the population live on just two dollars a day. The country suffers from high economic inequality which is particularly evident in access to educational opportunities.

Salesians working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor, at-risk youth. At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty. As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.

Sources

ANS – Chile – “What we are experiencing is a tragedy of great proportions”

The Guardian – Chile floods leave 17 dead, 20 missing and communities pleading for help

Salesianos de Don Bosco en Chile

The post CHILE: Salesian Missionaries Aid Flood Victims from Recent Torrential Rains first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The Salesian Don Bosco Technical Institute for Boys in Lahore has been closed for security reasons since the incident. The two Salesian students were wounded as they passed in front of St. John’s Catholic Church, one of the two churches targeted in the attacks. Upon hearing the news, Salesian teachers went to the site and were able to accompany the injured students to the hospital where they are recovering. Akash Bashir, a security guard who was killed in the attack, was a former student of the Don Bosco Technical Institute for Boys. His heroic actions saved many lives by preventing the suicide bomber from entering St. John’s Church.

“Salesian missionaries provide education and social programs in more than 130 countries around the globe and often do so in challenging circumstances,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “While this recent bombing serves as a reminder to our Salesian family in the region to be vigilant about security, the importance of education and reaching poor and marginalized youth in these communities remains in the forefront.”

The Don Bosco Technical Institute for Boys provides trade education to mainly Christian students with some Muslim students attending as well. The institute started in 2000 with just 10 students and has grown to serve over a hundred boys aged 15 to 22 years. More than 80 percent of the students live in hostels on the school’s campus and are provided room and board and educational materials. Many students had previously dropped out of traditional schools before accessing services at the institute.

During 15 years of operation the institute has expanded educational courses to provide two-year automotive, electrical, metalwork and air conditioning and refrigeration programs. The institute graduates fully trained men to respond to Pakistan’s annual need for 1 million skilled workers in local industries and is registered with the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA). TEVTA is Pakistan’s biggest network of polytechnic and vocational-training institutions.

“Education and skills training is very important for youth to have an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and go on to lead productive lives,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Students who are able to gain employable skills and find livable wage employment become self-sufficient and are more willing to contribute back to their families and communities.”

According to the World Bank, more than 60 percent of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line. The United Nations Development Program’s 2013 Human Development Index ranked Pakistan 146 out of 187 participating nations. The index is a comparative measure of literacy, life expectancy, standards of living and education for countries around the world. Poverty in Pakistan differs from one province to another with the greatest levels of poverty in rural areas, especially isolated and scattered communities found in mountainous regions throughout the country. More than 30 percent of Pakistani children under the age of five are underweight and suffer from malnutrition and the literacy rate for youth age 15 to 24 is 71 percent.

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Sources:

ANS – Pakistan – Salesian students injured in attacks in Lahore

New York Times – Suicide Attacks on Pakistan Churches Kills 15

Vatican Radio – Don Bosco past pupil sacrifices life to save others in Pakistan church attack

Salesian Province of Chennai – Akash Bashir, Don Bosco Past Pupil, Hero who stopped suicide bombers

World Bank – Pakistan

The post PAKISTAN: Former Salesian Student Killed and Two Students Wounded in Recent Church Bombing first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

Prior to the opening of Center Kër Don Bosco, there were few places for disadvantaged youth to access the skills and qualifications necessary to develop a trade and gain stable employment. To address this need, Salesian missionaries at the center plan to offer vocational training in food production, construction and yarn dying. In addition to classroom training in these subjects, students will have the opportunity to apprentice in local businesses where they will have access to hands-on training by professionals in their fields. In this way, students will be able to apply the lessons and skills learned in the classroom in a real working environment while also accessing social skills training to prepare for stable long-term employment.

Focused specifically on helping women gain opportunities in the workforce, the center is offering two literacy classes as well as a safe space for studying. Women in Senegal are often heads of households but lack the training and confidence to try to enter the workforce or advance into higher paying jobs. The center’s goal is to help women connect with their peers and provide access to employment training to boost confidence and improve employment prospects.

“Access to education provides opportunities many have never imagined possible,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian programs are able to meet the diverse needs of students, allowing them to focus on their studies while gaining life skills that help them make better decisions and find future employment.”

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

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

Sources

ANS – Senegal – Opening of the “Center Kër Don Bosco” in Dakar

Chronic Poverty Research Center – Chronic Poverty in Senegal

Don Bosco Network

World Bank- Senegal

The post SENEGAL: New Don Bosco Center Offers Vocational and Literacy Programs for Poor Youth and Women first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Started in October 2014 and continuing to September 2015, the project is financially supported by the Spanish Institute for Women through the European Economic Area under a memorandum of understanding signed by representatives from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Spain. Salesian missionaries working across six Salesian institutions (Salesians of Saint Jordi, the Pinardi Federation of Social Platforms, the Valsé Foundation, the Valponasca Association, Collectiu Popular and the Mornese Foundation) are participating in this project.

For close to 15 years, the State Coordination of the Salesian Social Platforms, through its member institutions, has been developing women empowerment and workforce development programs aimed specifically at women in vulnerable situations. In many instances, the women who participate in the programs are immigrants with little means of finding and retaining employment in their new country. Salesian missionaries are currently operating 19 programs in 10 Spanish provinces aimed at helping women break the cycle of poverty. These programs, supported by more than 130 professionals and volunteers, have helped 1,168 women gain new skills and find employment.

“Salesian missionaries care about the growth and development of women in the communities they serve,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Women are the backbone of the family structure and by providing women necessary education, training skills and support, families are made stronger. Social outreach programs, child care support and job training allow women to work at every level of production and management jobs while supporting and keeping their families intact.”

Women engaged in the Empodera-T project are assessed for their current skill level and interest. They participate in both classroom and hands-on training. In addition, they receive assistance with resume writing, interviewing skills and finding and retaining employment. Wrap-around services that provide child care, nutritional assistance and counseling are also provided.

Spain, which has been hit hard by the current economic troubles in Europe, now has the greatest inequality of the 27 countries of the European Union. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of Spanish workers are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. One in five citizens are living below the poverty line. Poor youth with too few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment.

Salesian missionaries in Spain have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth and women through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

“We want women to succeed in the workforce,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian programs have always grown and adapted their programs to best fit the needs of the communities in which they serve whether through education, technical training or social development programs that help women gain the confidence, strength and perseverance to set goals in life and achieve them.”

Sources

ANS – Spain – “Empodera-T”

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: More Than 1,100 Women Gain Job Skills and Employment Opportunities through Salesian Initiatives first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT TOMS:

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

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

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

ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS:

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

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

Salesian Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, Archbishop of Santiago, and Father Alberto Lorenzelli, Salesian Provincial in Chile, joined in the reopening celebration along with representatives of the more than 600 current beneficiaries of the Foundation’s programs. Teachers, administrators and families were also in attendance.

“Renewing the infrastructure means giving dignity to our work with children, young people and vulnerable adults,” said Carmen Gloria Soto, coordinator of development, during the opening events at the Don Bosco Foundation. “It is a very delicate task because our programs help young people with addictions and those living on the streets as well as their families. For us, the reopening is very important because we are carrying out a mission to serve marginalized youth and the appropriate infrastructure to carry out those programs is critical to our success.”

The Don Bosco Foundation began offering programs for the homeless in Santiago more than 15 years ago. Responding to a rise in the homeless population in the city, Salesian missionaries created programs to meet the basic needs of the homeless while providing opportunities for education. Partnering with other local social welfare programs, the Foundation’s programs serve both adults and children living on the streets. Educational programming includes vocational and technical training to help those in need find and retain stable employment.

Once homeless participants connect with the Foundation, they are provided shelter, nutritious food, clothing, medical care and an education. Counseling and recovery services are also offered. To date, more than 15,000 children and adults have accessed services at the Foundation.

In addition, the Foundation distributes close to 2,000 meals every month for those in need. Specifically targeting street children, the Foundation has the biggest and most comprehensive program in the country providing shelter to close to 120 homeless youth each month.

According to the World Bank, although the economy in Chile is one of the more stable and prosperous in Latin America, a little more than five percent of the population live on just two dollars a day. The country suffers from high economic inequality which is particularly evident in access to educational opportunities.

Salesians working in Chile focus their efforts on providing education and social services to poor, at-risk youth. At Salesian schools, universities and youth centers throughout the country, youth can access an education as well as the skills and resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty. As a result of the vocational and technical education provided by Salesian programs, Chilean youth are more likely to find stable employment and improve their standard of living.

“Although the education system in the country is far-reaching, many poor and disadvantaged youth fall through the cracks,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions – the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Throughout the country, young people from poor families lack the educational opportunities available to the middle and upper classes.”

Sources

ANS – Chile – Cardinal Ezzati reopens the headquarters of the Don Bosco Foundation

CNN – More than 2 million affected by earthquake, Chile’s president says

World Bank – Chile

The post CHILE: Don Bosco Foundation Reopens Building Damaged by 2010 Earthquake first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2014, BOSCO volunteers rescued 6,451 runaway youth and were able to reunite 4,681 of them back with their families. Those remaining are under the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee. Of the youth rescued, there were 5,561 boys and 900 girls, the majority of whom were between the ages of 6 and 16 with 75 of the children under age five.

“BOSCO is one of the single largest organizations in the country that has rescued such a large number of children from the streets,” says Father P.S. George, executive director of BOSCO in a recent Matters India article. “Their favorite destination is Bengaluru since the majority of youth revealed during the counseling session that they had come to the city to find a job, and others who said that they had come as they were attracted to the charm of the city.”

Salesian missionaries in the country focus their work on education and social development programs for poor youth and their families. Programs include Child Rights Clubs and others that educate youth about their rights and the services and protections available to them as well as those that focus attention on the plight of runaway and homeless youth.

Once youth are identified by BOSCO and convinced to come in off the street, they are provided with basic needs such as housing, food and clothing. In addition, they receive counseling and, if appropriate, are reunited back with their families. Education is also a primary component of BOSCO and is provided to those in the rehabilitation program while those who are returned to their families have access to Salesian schools throughout India. Youth who continue their education are more likely to find and retain stable employment later in life and break the cycle of poverty.

India is home to 25 percent of the world’s poor and more than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. With the largest number of child laborers in the world, India has made significant progress the past eight years reducing the number of out-of-school children from 25 million to 8 million. However, an estimated 11 million children live on the streets facing the daily horrors of rampant exploitation, forced labor, widespread substance abuse and physical violence. Many poor youth see little opportunity or hope for a better life.

Many children living on the streets are runaways who have left home in search of work or to escape violence or other family difficulties. According to Unicef, more than 40,000 children are reported missing every year in India. Of these, close to 11,000 remain untraced. As many cases go unreported, it is suspected that the actual number of missing children is much higher. Many runaways come to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) in search of work and a better life with the majority of them living on the streets and on the country’s railway platforms where they beg, steal or perform menial jobs to survive. All too often, they fall victim to child traffickers.

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Sources

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2012

Matters India – Salesian NGO rescued thousands of runaway children in 2014

World Bank – India

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota

The post INDIA: Salesian Volunteer Program Rescued 6,400 Runaway Youth in 2014 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In 2012, more than 3 million Haitian children returned to school with 200,000 of them educated in Salesian-run institutions. The country’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after the earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured.

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

Recently, Salesian missionaries secured financial support from Mercedes-Benz for their “Food for Haiti” project which is designed to meet the nutritional needs of children affected by the earthquake. Currently, the project is improving the nutrition of 135 children aged 3 to 9 who live in La Saline and Cite Soleil, the two largest slums in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince.

The “Food for Haiti” recipients attend the Little Schools of Father Bohnen —“Oeuvre des Petites Ecoles de Père Bohnen” — or OPEPB in French. They are a network of 50 small Salesian-run schools that were founded in 1954 to educate Haiti’s most vulnerable children. Most of the student’s families were already poor and lost everything in the earthquake, including the ability to feed their children and send them to school. With parents out of work with little means to provide adequate nutrition, or even a daily meal in some cases, many children suffer from acute malnutrition. As a result, additional health complications such as stunted growth, poor immune systems, tuberculosis, skin diseases, bronchitis and other ailments are prevalent among children.

The project focuses on providing a daily breakfast and hot lunch for school students with the goal of helping them flourish in school. For most, school is the only place a daily meal is offered. The food serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school, since parents often do not understand the importance of education for their children’s future.

Proper nutrition increases the cognitive abilities of children and increase their chances of staying longer in the education system. It also allows children to socialize and develop relationships with their peers, a process important for their rehabilitation and normalization after the psychological trauma of an earthquake.

“Access to nutritious meals allows youth to be better prepared to take part in school activities and focus on their education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Prepared students are more likely to stay engaged with their peers and school activities helping them to remain in school and gain an education.”

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Sources:

ANS – Haiti – Mercedes-Benz supports children affected by the earthquake

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Bank – Haiti 

The post HAITI: Mercedes-Benz Contributes to Salesian Project Helping to Feed Poor School Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Haiti’s educational system is continuing to rebuild after a January 2010 earthquake destroyed 90 percent of schools and 60 percent of hospitals, killed thousands of people and left more than 350,000 injured. In 2012, more than 3 million children were able to return to school with more than 200,000 students educated in Salesian-run institutions.

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

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

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

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

For some students, the meals they receive at Salesian-run centers are the only meals they have each day. The meals are provided to students during the school day as well as to their families at a monthly meeting. This food aid serves as an incentive for families to send their children to school and as a result of the donation, school enrollment has increased and students are thriving. Many have gained weight, suffer fewer illnesses and are more focused on their studies. Teachers are noting better student performance in class as well as less conflict among students.

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

Salesian Missions’ partnership with Stop Hunger Now was developed in 2011 and since that time, 58 40-foot shipping containers including more than 16 million rice meals have been delivered to locations in 19 countries helping to nourish poor youth in Salesian schools and those in need of emergency aid during times of war, natural disasters and health crises.

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

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PHOTO: Hannah Gregory / MissionNewswire

Sources

World Bank – Haiti

The post HAITI: Stop Hunger Now Meals Arrive at Salesian Centers, Helping More than 1,100 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Many orphaned youth in Colombia live in poverty and have lost their parents to natural disasters, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other diseases, war or domestic issues. Some children remain living with a single parent, struggling to survive, and are often pulled out of school to earn income for the remaining family. Other youth live in shelters or on the streets.

Neglect, discrimination and malnutrition affect orphans more often than their non-orphaned peers. Research shows that orphans are more likely to live in conditions of poverty, be forced into child labor, recruited as child soldiers and subjected to exploitation and violence. Orphaned youth are also less likely to be enrolled in school.

At the Don Bosco Center in Ciudad Bolivar, one of the most dangerous areas of Colombia’s capital city, Bogotá, Salesian missionaries provide education, skills training and social development services to poor youth. Many families living in Ciudad Bolivar came to the city to escape the armed conflict between paramilitary groups and revolutionaries operating in Colombia. Many continue to arrive in the city with little education and few chances for employment or a stable future.

More than 15 years ago, Salesian Father Jaime García recognized a need for job skill training for youth in Bogotá and expanded the Don Bosco Center to offer professional and vocational education. In addition, Salesian missionaries made connections within the local labor market to help youth transition from the classroom directly into employment.

Each year since the expansion, more than 800 youth have been accepted into professional and vocational training courses to become electricians, carpenters and mechanics. In 2010, Salesian missionaries became aware of a need for skilled labor for the automobile and transport industries while noting that youth from Ciudad Bolívar were often rejected in the employment selection process. The missionaries identified a gap between the professional needs of these industries and the lack of education in these fields for youth seeking employment.

In 2013, a new program was inaugurated at the Don Bosco Center offering a professional degree course in automotive mechanics. Named, Pacto Motor, the program was made possible thanks to the support of the Salesian organization, Via Don Bosco in Belgium and the French foundation, Saint Paul Apôtre. More than 150 youth, or 98 percent of Pacto Motor’s first graduating class, found employment after successfully completing the program.

“The Pacto Motor program at the Don Bosco Center has been a great success,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The automotive sector has access to well-trained technical staff and youth have access to free high-quality training that leads to stable employment.”

During the 2014-2015 school year, more than 900 students are engaged in professional training courses at the Don Bosco Center. As a result of the Pacto Motor program’s success, the Colombian Ministry of Labor is using the Salesian training model to develop additional pilot projects focused on employment industries in other cities in Colombia.

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Sources:

ANS – Colombia – The Salesians, contract for employment

World Bank – Colombia

The post COLOMBIA: New Pacto Motor Automotive Training Program Placed 98 Percent of Graduates into Automotive Work first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to an Associated Press report, at least nine people were killed and 10 others were missing in mudslides triggered by heavy rains on Dec. 26 in the central hills of Sri Lanka. More than 60,000 people have been evacuated and 3,000 homes destroyed in the flooding and subsequent mudslides. These conditions have affected more than 500,000 people across Sri Lanka.

Salesian missionaries already living and working in the region are assisting flood victims as best they can with limited means. Salesian centers in Northern regions of Sri Lanka have also been affected by the flooding and are providing support as well as food and fresh drinking water to families from local villages.

According to Salesian missionaries, access to many villages is almost totally cut off as flood waters have submerged most houses. Currently, main roads that are at a higher altitude than village roads are the only places that offer safety from the flooding.

“Because Salesian missionaries live and work among the people they serve, they know firsthand the local need and are well positioned to respond during times of crisis and natural disaster,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries will respond to the immediate needs of flood victims and will continue to provide support to families after the flooding subsides.”

Salesian missionaries in Sri Lanka are already preparing to help displaced families and those who have lost their homes and other belonging due to the flood. Once the flood waters subside, missionaries plan to provide dry rations, toiletries, medicines, mattresses and bed linens to families in need of immediate assistance. Salesian Missions has already sent emergency aid to fund this work but is in need of additional funding as the need is so great.

“Salesians missionaries are studying the situation,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Once the water recedes, they will be able to gauge the extent of the damage and continue to provide aid to those affected to help them return to their normal lives in the days and weeks to come.”

Nine out of 10 poor people in Sri Lanka live in rural areas, according to the World Bank. Since 1983, ethnic violence in the north and east of the country has forced more than 800,000 people from their homes and sources of livelihood. Thousands of children lost one or both parents in the conflict and the number of households headed by women increased, negatively impacting the poverty rate in the country.

More than 40 percent of the country’s rural poor are small-scale farmers with farm production often hampered by neglect and low investment levels resulting from poor financial services and limited technology. Sri Lankans are affected by a significant lack of infrastructure including roads, electricity, irrigation systems and communication channels. In several areas of the country, seven out of 10 people have no access to electricity and almost half of the population does not have access to safe drinking water. Malnutrition among children is also common.

Salesian missionaries working in the country focus their efforts on meeting basic needs and education and social development services for poor youth and their families. Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Sri Lanka are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many hope for a more positive and productive future.

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Sources:

New York Times – 9 Killed, 10 Missing in Sri Lanka Mudslides

World Bank – Sri Lanka

The post SRI LANKA: Salesian Missionaries Aid Flood Victims, More Than 500,000 Affected Across Sri Lanka first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people and injured hundreds more in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

At a Salesian complex called the Don Bosco Foundation in Breña, a district of Lima, Salesian missionaries produce award winning wine which has been sold to the public since 2000. Profits from sales go to support local Salesian education and job skill training programs for youth.

Founded in 1930, the Salesian winery at the Don Bosco Foundation originally only produced wine for the Salesian church but later expanded to supply wine to other church congregations in Lima. In 2000, Salesian missionaries expanded the production further and began selling wine to the general public. The missionaries do not have farmland to grow their own grapes so they buy from local farmers instead and in this way, invest back into the community.

The Salesian wine production process has modernized through the years from the use of a manual grinder and old wooden barrels to automated equipment that produces and bottles several different types of wines. In 2014, three Salesian wines were awarded medals in a yearly competition held in Argentina that brings together wine brands from all over the world.

In addition to raising funds to support Salesian programs, the winery acts as a technical skills training program at the Don Bosco Foundation for local youth who are interested in winemaking. The Foundation accepts youth from all over Peru into the winemaking program and provides them with training and a place to live.

“Here we give them an opportunity to study and prepare for life,” says Marcos Calderon fundraising manager at the Don Bosco Foundation. “The processing plant for the Salesian wine is small compared to the large national producers but it is suitable for teaching the art of winemaking.”

Outreach workers from the Don Bosco Foundation help connect youth living on the street to the winemaking program. Interested youth are then able to work and study at the foundation. Depending upon their academic level, students can access secondary and remedial education before they advance to technical or vocational skills training. In addition to winemaking, there are a variety of degree programs to choose from such as computing, baking, auto mechanics, administration and others.

“The Salesian winery at the Don Bosco Foundation has received international attention for its great quality wines and winemaking program,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Most importantly, through this project, Salesian missionaries have been able to fund programs that provide shelter, nutrition and education to youth in need, making a difference in the communities in which they live.”

Sources

Don Bosco Foundation Peru

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Award-Winning Salesian Winery Teaches Art of Winemaking first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in the country are confronted not only with poverty but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

Recently, the University’s biomedical engineering program received recognition and five-year accreditation by the Central American Accreditation Agency for Architecture and Engineering. The program is recognized for its academic standards and was evaluated for its curriculum, process of teaching and learning, research and technological advances and the physical and technological infrastructure that integrates the practical skills of students and specialized teachers.

“Don Bosco University was the first university accredited at a national level that is part of the worldwide Salesian University Network,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “By offering a biomedical engineering program, Don Bosco University brings advanced educational and employment opportunities to vulnerable youth which in turn prepares them for participation in the country’s continued economic development.”

The University is the only institution of higher education in El Salvador that offers a biomedical engineering program which trains professionals in the design, analysis and management of the technologies and systems that contribute, from an engineering perspective, to the improvement of medical applications. To date, 191 students have graduated as biomedical engineers and many have already distinguished themselves in El Salvador and abroad.

Almost all of the graduates of the program either go on to acquire masters degrees or PhDs or are employed directly in the biomedical engineering sectors. Twenty of the University’s graduates are professionals employed in cutting-edge biomedical companies in the United States and Europe. More than 65 percent of graduates are working in the private health sector. Others are serving as consultants for the acquisition of medical technologies or developing business management technologies.

“The program at Don Bosco University has been successful in providing the education and skills necessary to help its graduates either directly enter the workforce or continue on for advanced degrees,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The accreditation and continued recognition helps support the University’s main objective to provide educational programs that increase the professional skills of its students while contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.”

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014 when compared to the same time last year. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

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Sources:

ANS – El Salvador – Biomedical Engineering at UDB receives second international accreditation

World Bank – El Salvador

The post EL SALVADOR: Don Bosco University Biomedical Engineering Program Receives Recognition for Excellence in Academics first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Many orphaned youth in Colombia live in poverty and have lost their parents to natural disasters, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other diseases, war or domestic issues. Some children remain living with a single parent, struggling to survive and are often pulled out of school to earn income for the remaining family. Other youth live in shelters or on the streets.

Neglect, discrimination and malnutrition affect orphans more often than their non-orphaned peers. Research shows that these youth are more likely to live in conditions of poverty, be forced into child labor, recruited as child soldiers and subjected to exploitation and violence. Orphaned youth are also less likely to be enrolled in school.

Salesian missionaries have been working in the city of Armenia, in western Colombia, since 1999. The area, known as the “coffee belt” of Colombia, has more than 50 percent of its population under 25 years old. Unemployment, especially for youth, is commonplace because of the lack of industry in the region. The city, largely supported by tourism, has a high rate of prostitution, drugs and other crime. Youth are particularly vulnerable because they lack educational opportunities to better their lives and break the cycle of poverty.

To address the need for workforce development programs in the city of Armenia, Salesian missionaries are developing the Don Bosco Training Center which has already begun to offer professional and vocational training programs for disadvantaged youth. The Center was made possible through the financial support of the Leopold Bachmann Foundation and the Salesian NGO, Jugendhilfe Weltweit in Switzerland. The Municipality of Armenia provided the land where the Center is being built.

“Youth in Colombia struggle to gain an education and lead productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Because of conditions of poverty in the city of Armenia, youth are vulnerable to exploitation and criminal activity. Education provides a path out of poverty and helps youth gain the jobs skills necessary to find meaningfully livable wage employment.”

The first phase of the Center’s construction was completed in November and includes classrooms, a library, a sports field and administrative space for staff. Technical courses are currently being offered in the areas of tourism, culinary arts, accounting, information technology, cosmetology, mechanics and welding.

Planning and fundraising is underway for the second phase of construction. Once construction is completed, additional programs will be offered for electricians, tailors, graphic artists, cabinetmakers and workers in Guadua – a special type of bamboo which is plentiful in the area and has high market demand. Training programs have received certification and are recognized by the National Apprenticeship Service, the state body that certifies the skills acquired in the different fields of vocational training in Colombia.

“Don Bosco Training Center will be a win-win for the local economy and the students. Students will receive the employment training they need to lead productive lives while employers will gain access to highly skilled employees,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

ANS – Colombia – Completion of the first phase of the Don Bosco Training Centre

World Bank – Colombia

The post COLOMBIA: New Don Bosco Training Center Developed to Offer Professional and Vocational Training first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people and injured hundreds more in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesian missionaries working in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families through the years as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesian programs in the country focus on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Youth at the Don Bosco Young People’s Home in Lima are practicing their baking skills by making breads, sweets and traditional Christmas panettone, a sweet bread loaf. All from disadvantaged backgrounds, the students reside and learn at the Salesian-run home. They are provided shelter and nutritious meals and have access to education, employment and life skills training. The programs offered at the home aim to help youth break the cycle of poverty by providing them the skills to find and retain meaningful employment upon graduation.

Taking the skills learned in the classroom, students utilize a kitchen available at the home to practice their skills and become employment ready. They make the breads and sweets which are provided to staff and students at the home while also selling their baked goods in the community in order to raise funds to support other program activities.

“Education is a path out of poverty for many youth,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development art of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Programs like the one at the Don Bosco Young People’s Home in Lima allow students to take what they learn in the classroom and put those skills into practice with real world experience, which helps them develop both personally and professionally.”

During the Christmas season the panettone is particularly popular. The students make the sweet bread in four different sizes and to the highest quality standard. The bread has been successfully sold in the local market for the last four years and Salesian missionaries operating the program hope that with the continued support of local companies and residents, the success of the baking program will continue.

Sources

ANS – Peru – Residents of Young People’s Home make Don Bosco Panettoni

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Students Put Baking Skills into Practice Making Breads and Sweets first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men and youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

Salesian programs in Samoa are working to provide youth with an education and training as well as the necessary resources to find and keep employment. Don Bosco Technical Center in Alafua, a town just outside the capital city of Apia in the north central part of the country, provides vocational education and trade skills programs to prepare students ages 15 to 23 for employment.

“Salesian missionaries in Samoa work directly with poor and disadvantaged youth to provide hope for a positive future through education and training as well as sporting, recreational and cultural activities,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries have established a presence in local communities allowing them to experience firsthand the issues residents face. This way, they are able to adapt their programs to meet each community’s individual needs.”

The Don Bosco Technical Center provides a second chance for close to 270 young men, many of whom have struggled to successfully complete or continue their education in mainstream schools. Both two-year and four-year training programs are offered with specialties in welding, motor mechanics, woodwork, electronics and plumbing. In addition, students study Samoan, English, mathematics, technical drawing and life skills.

Significant emphasis is placed on workshop and practical experience to help students apply skills learned in the classroom to real life work environments. Because of the quality of education provided and the lack of trained tradespeople in Samoa, more than 85 percent of graduates secure employment in the country. Some graduates have chosen to emigrate to New Zealand or Australia and have had success finding employment in those countries as well.

The center also offers sporting and recreational activities including fautasi (long-boat), games and traditional singing and dancing in addition to promoting personal development. In an effort to expand and meet the needs of students, the school plans to introduce solar electricity and complete a computer laboratory and internet facilities for staff and students.

“Salesian missionaries living and working in Samoa are able to tailor educational programs to ensure the best employment opportunities for students after they graduate,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The addition of life skills training and personal development opportunities help students make good life choices and become better employees.”

Sources

Don Bosco Technical Center Alaufa

World Bank – Samoa

The post SAMOA: Don Bosco Technical School Places 85 Percent of Graduates in Workforce first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Agriculture is a central part of Malawi’s economy but land distribution is unequal and crops are highly vulnerable to the region’s frequent droughts. Few houses have piped water and less than one in 10 Malawians have access to electricity. Water is collected from wells or streams and most cook over an open fire. Malawians deal with hunger and malnutrition on a daily basis. According to USAID, 45 percent of the country’s children under age five are stunted due to a lack of adequate nutrition. Many children also lack educational opportunities and have few options for improving their circumstances.

Adding to an already difficult situation, most people in the country live far from health care services and lack the transportation and money to access adequate care. According to the World Bank, the average life expectancy in Malawi is 55 years old. The country also suffers from an HIV/AIDS epidemic with more than one in 10 adults infected and more than 90,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Many children have been orphaned as a result and are living on their own or with relatives other than their parents.

Salesian missionaries in Milawi have been providing primary and secondary educational and technical skills training for poor youth for many years.

“Youth in Malawi have very few opportunities for education and for creating a better life for themselves and their families,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian elementary and secondary education lays the foundation for early learning while vocational and technical schools teach practical skills so youth can become productive and contributing adults in their communities. Education has proven to be an effective means to break the cycle of poverty while giving the most vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth.”

Recently, Salesian Missions coordinated and shipped a container of donated school desks, chairs, shelves, books, computers, trade tools and other school and household supplies to a Salesian school in Lilongwe, the largest and capital city of Malawi, located in the central region of the country. The donation was prompted by Brother Robert Malusa, a Salesian missionary living and working in Malawi, who wished to start a library for students at the Salesian school.

The donations came from Salesian parishes and programs in the United States. Brother Malusa’s former parish in Long Island, New York organized a book drive and many of his friends purchased additional books on his wish list to include in the shipment. Mary Help of Christians Academy in New Jersey donated school desks and chairs and computers and additional books were donated by Saints John and Paul Parish in Larchmont, New York.

The donation of desks and chairs was shared with Don Bosco Youth Technical Institute in Lilongwe, one of the largest private colleges in Malawi and home to more than 600 students and 30 staff. Courses are offered in a wide variety of subjects including accounting, automobile mechanics, construction, electrical engineering, hospitality management, information and communication technology, and fashion, art and beauty. Prior to the donation, students had to use pre-school desks from the primary school next to the Institute.

“Adequate school supplies, including books and computers, offer students and teachers better educational resources,” says Fr. Hyde. “The addition of proper desks and chairs provides a more structured learning environment in which students can feel more comfortable and ready to learn.”

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Sources

USAID – Malawi

World Bank – Malawi

The post MALAWI: Donated Supplies for New Library Reach Salesian School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Close to 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Youth in the country are confronted not only with poverty, but with instability, high levels of violence and inadequate access to educational opportunities. Despite ranking high for economic indicators, the need for practical education is more important than ever with 12 percent of youth ages 15-24 unemployed and 41 percent underemployed.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014, when compared to the same time last year. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and a sense of family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

Don Bosco University is working to provide opportunities for advanced education and employment for disadvantaged youth in El Salvador. The university offers degrees in engineering, social sciences, humanities, economics, technology and aeronautics, among others. The donated furniture, shipped late last year in preparation for a new faculty building, was installed in October. The furniture will help provide students and faculty a better working and learning environment.

In addition to this donation, Salesian programs around the globe have received school and office furniture as well as workstations thanks to the partnership between Salesian Missions and IRN. In recent months, IRN has sent shipments of furniture and workstations to Salesian sites in Haiti, the Philippines, Liberia and the Dominican Republic. Additional shipments have been sent to Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay and Togo.

“IRN donations have furnished Salesian schools and development offices in Central America, South America, Africa and Asia,” explains Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer for Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We plan to continue working with IRN because they are a reliable partner who is eager to assist in our mission and provide quality donations to our programs.”

Salesians are known for their education programs for youth around the globe. With countless elementary, secondary and university level educational centers as well as training and certification programs, Salesians are helping to provide a direct path out of poverty for many youth and their families. Programs rely on donations such as those provided by IRN to keep facilities functional for students and staff.

The Institution Recycling Network was started in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every educational, commercial and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

“There is a clear match between Salesian Missions’ need for furniture and equipment for their worldwide projects, and the supplies of surplus to which IRN has access,” says Mark Lennon, principal of the Institution Recycling Network. “Salesian Missions has been an excellent partner.”

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Sources:

Don Bosco University El Salvador

World Bank – El Salvador

Institution Recycling Network

The post EL SALVADOR: University Students, Faculty Benefit from Furniture Donated by Institution Recycling Network first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In Medellin, the second largest city in the country, violent drug wars routinely tear families apart. Guerilla groups aggressively recruit and often kidnap young boys and girls, some as young as 8 years old, to fight in the county’s brutal civil war.

Many orphaned youth in the country live in poverty and have lost their parents to natural disasters, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other diseases, war or domestic issues. Some children remain living with a single parent, struggling to survive and are often pulled out of school to earn income for the remaining family. Other youth live in shelters or on the streets.

Neglect, discrimination and malnutrition affect orphans more often than their non-orphaned peers. Research shows that these youth are more likely to live in conditions of poverty, be forced into child labor, recruited as child soldiers and subjected to exploitation and violence. Orphaned youth are also less likely to be enrolled in school.

The Salesian-run Cuidad Don Bosco (Don Bosco City) in Medellin is one of the oldest and largest programs for street children in Latin America. Since its inception in 1965, the program has rescued more than 83,000 boys and girls. Through the program, Salesian missionaries offer a multi-pronged approach designed to address the broad social issues that contribute to the poverty and exploitation these youth face while training them in the skills necessary to break the cycle of violence and poverty.

Salesian missionaries and lay volunteers have a presence on the streets to reach at-risk youth and encourage them to visit Don Bosco City. Once youth visit the program, the rehabilitation process begins by meeting the young person’s most immediate needs such as food, clothing and shelter. If they wish to stay at Don Bosco City instead of returning to the streets, they are provided with housing and a remedial education in addition to being taught life skills and how to live with others. After youth are acclimated into the program and have caught up academically, they can access job skills training or attend local secondary schools.

Recently, the National Association of Institutions for Labor Education and Human Development in Colombia recognized Don Bosco City for its work helping to educate youth and bridge the gap between classroom education and long-term stable employment.

“Don Bosco City’s education programs respond to the local need for technical skills by providing high-quality training courses, which is very much appreciated in the region,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Through coursework and additional social development programs, students leave the school with the technical and professional skills and aptitude necessary to excel in the workforce.”

During the past year, Don Bosco City has issued certificates of technical competency to 704 graduates, 462 men and 242 women between the ages of 17 and 35. Graduates have earned degrees in graphic arts, industrial and residential electricity, machine operation for industrial production, automotive mechanics, industrial mechanics, furniture manufacturing and agriculture.

Over the past 10 years, Don Bosco City has developed key partnerships with more than 350 local companies across various employment sectors that have hired the program’s graduates as trainees and apprentices. Many graduates are then offered full-time work at the same company when their training is completed while others have been hired to work in administration at Don Bosco City and other Salesian programs.

“Education and innovation has always been a cornerstone of Salesian work as we address local needs and help students break the cycle of poverty,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources

ANS – Colombia – Training for Work and Human Development

World Bank – Colombia

Cuidad Don Bosco (Don Bosco City)

The post COLOMBIA: Don Bosco City Receives Recognition for Quality Technical Education, Workforce Development Initiatives first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Nicaragua is one of the least developed and poorest countries in Latin America, second only to Haiti, with more than 42 percent of its residents living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Poverty, although declining steadily in recent years, remains high. More than 80 percent of Nicaragua’s poor live in remote rural communities where access to basic services is a daily challenge.

After decades of political instability and vulnerability to natural hazards, the country has achieved a remarkable economic turnaround and is now focusing on innovative ways of reducing poverty. However, years of widespread poverty have taken their toll and many residents suffer from poor health conditions including HIV/AIDS. In addition, crime, violence against women, gang violence and high unemployment result in challenging economic and social conditions, particularly for young people and women.

The Mary Help of Christians Elementary School provides pre-kindergarten through grade 8 education for poor youth. Close to 500 elementary school students and their teachers benefited from a donation of three 40 foot containers of new furniture. The new furniture will be used in classrooms, administrative offices and at the school’s feeding program.

Education has proven to be an effective means of breaking the cycle of poverty while giving the most vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth. Elementary and secondary education lays the foundation for early learning. The donated desks and chairs help to provide a more dignified and organized educational environment for students to complete their studies. As a result, students are often more focused on their classroom work and more prepared for their lessons.

“The children now have comfortable tables and chairs to use and are very happy with the improvement to their classrooms,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The furniture has contributed greatly to their learning environment and classroom discipline and has brought a smile to the faces of many of the young students. This donation has been a great contribution to the school.”

Salesian Missions’ partnership with GRRO International has provided valuable furniture, including desks, bookshelves, workstations, chairs, whiteboards, filing cabinets, and more to equip Salesian classrooms, offices and administrative buildings. In addition to this most recent donation, the partnership has made furniture donations possible at Salesian programs in Paraguay and El Salvador.

“There was a clear match between the needs of Salesian-run programs and schools and the supplies of surplus furniture to which GRRO International has access. We appreciate their partnership and their help providing for Salesian schools in need,” adds Fr. Hyde.

GRRO International, based in Beverly, Massachusetts, partners with hundreds of U.S. and global recipient organizations, providing sustainable and responsible reuse programs to a wide variety of clients nationwide. The environmentally-sound, socially conscious and fiscally beneficial programs assist in the redistribution of millions of pounds of no longer needed assets.

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Sources

GRRO International

World Bank – Nicaragua 

The post NICARAGUA: Hundreds of Elementary Students Benefit from School Furniture Donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

While India has made some progress in the supply of safe water, there remain gross disparities in safe water access across the country. The World Bank estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water with diarrhea alone causing more than 1,600 deaths daily. Access to proper sanitation is extremely poor, particularly in rural areas where only 14 percent of the population have access to a latrine. In addition, hand washing is not commonplace and leads to an increase in the spread of disease.

Salesian missionaries across India are dedicated to ensuring that access to safe water is a priority in Salesian-run programs and schools and in the communities in which they operate.

To address both the need for clean, safe water and technical skills training for India’s poor youth, Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Center for Learning in Kurla, Mumbai, started the Jal (Water) Academy. The academy offers courses in well construction, irrigation, plumbing and hygienic sanitation systems to develop methods for the utilization and analysis of existing systems for the efficient transportation of water.

Started in 2009, the academy was set up and supported by Grohe, a leading German water systems company. Students are trained in a fully-equipped workshop with all of the necessary equipment for training technicians. Since its inception, the academy has trained more than 800 students, some of whom are already working in the water and sanitation industry but returned to school to upgrade their skills and certification. Upon graduation, students receive joint certification through the government center for vocational training and the academy’s corporate partners. The academy also helps its students with job placement.

Recently, a research component was added to the academy’s program with students from the local Salesian engineering college assisting with projects in water management and environmental sustainability. In February 2015, the academy will host an International Conference on Technologies for Sustainable Development bringing together researchers, sustainability sector industry experts and other water, sanitation and energy professionals. In addition, the academy is in the planning stages of development of an integrated research center on campus that will focus on environmental issues.

“Many in India’s communities, most often women and children, are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The academy is working to meet a serious demand for clean, safe water while also providing skilled labor to ensure that water and sanitation access becomes more readily available and projects remain sustainable.”

Salesian missionaries working in Mumbai are also assisting rural communities in Maharashtra and Gujarat where water is often scarce for household consumption as well as for agriculture. Several projects have been established including village watershed development, construction of community irrigation systems and the digging of community ponds and wells. These projects aim to make water available within the community while also building community interest and ownership over the water sources to ensure sustainability of the projects.

“Water is vital for life,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

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Photo courtesy GROHE

Sources:

Don Bosco International Conference on Technologies for Sustainable Development

Salesian Missions – India

Water.org – India

The post INDIA: Don Bosco Center’s Water Academy Provides Skilled Labor for Water Projects first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in the country focus their efforts on education and vocational skills training for poor youth. Recently, Salesians missionaries in Vila Nova de Poiares, a municipality in the Coimbra district in north central Portugal, have launched a new professional training course aimed at young people who have struggled in school and have failed two or more courses.

The missionaries in Poiares have been providing vocational skills training for the last nine years. The new professional training program serves students in grades 9 through 12 and beyond. Depending upon their experience, students begin with basic or more advanced education courses, culminating in an apprenticeship and on-the-job training. The smaller class sizes and individual assistance offered in the new program are appealing to those who struggle in larger, more traditional classes.

“Education and skills training is necessary for poor youth to help them break the cycle of poverty,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians helps students achieve success in basic education courses in order to be more prepared for Salesian vocational and technical training, which helps youth access long-term stable employment.”

In the Poiares region, work in wine production, catering and the tourism industry is readily available. The new program takes advantage of existing Salesian resources – a three-hectare vineyard, a restaurant, workshops for electricians and a multimedia studio – by focusing coursework on viticulture, catering, electricity, hotel management and media.

The goal is to provide vocational skills training in professions were work is accessible and available. The ability to offer real work experience contributes to the overall success of the Salesian program and educational experience, particularly when students find themselves at an advantage connecting with employment immediately after graduation. Many students are offered jobs at the companies where they completed their apprenticeships while others choose to go on to obtain advanced degrees.

“The new vocational program meets a local need and provides advancement for poor youth in the region – a win-win for both employers and job seekers,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Through coursework and additional social development programs, students leave the vocational school with the professional skills and aptitude necessary to excel in the workforce.”

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Sources

ANS –  Portugal – Vocational Training, a successful response

European Commission – Research findings – Social Situation Monitor – Income inequality in EU countries

Portuguese American Journal – Crisis: The pain and shame of poverty – Portugal

World Bank – Portugal

The post PORTUGAL: New Vocational Program Gives Struggling Students Second Chance first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The rain continued late into the month and water levels in all the rivers of Bangladesh are steadily inching towards dangerously high levels. The Someswari River which is located in the northern part of Bangladesh and originates in the Indian state of Meghalaya and enters the plains of Bangladesh near Durgapur, registered an unprecedented rise in water level. On Sept. 21 alone, the water level in the river rose by more than nine feet, a level more than five feet above what is considered dangerous. On Sept.23, the river broke its bank in three places and inundated several villages, swallowed up houses and deposited sand and mud in farming fields.

“Until a few weeks back people in Durgapur Upazilla, Bangladesh, were praying for rain to save their crops,” says Father Gamaliel, a Salesian working in Utrail, Bangladesh. “But now they are praying for the rain to stop in order to save at least their lives and the livestock from the fury of the raging Someswari River, which has already broken its banks in several places along its course.”

Salesians already working and living in the region are assisting flood victims as best they can with limited means. Salesian centers are providing those who have lost their homes a safe place to stay as well as clothing and food.

“The Salesians are studying the situation,” says Father Francis Alencherry, rector of the Salesian community in Utrail, who visited the flood affected regions. “Once the water recedes we will be able to gauge the damage done by the inundation. Though we are not in a position to immediately answer to this full humanitarian crisis, we are helping the flood affected people to get back to their normal life in the days to come. We continue to work to solve this repeated flooding with a long-term solution in mind.”

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries with a population of 156 million people, close to 30 percent of whom live below the national poverty line of US $2 per day. Despite a growing population, Bangladesh experienced a steady decline in poverty between 2000 and 2010 with a 1.8 percent decline annually between 2000 and 2005 and 1.7 percent decline annually between 2005 and 2010, according to the World Bank.

Bangladesh suffers from poor infrastructure, political instability, corruption and insufficient power supplies. Close to 80 percent of the country’s population lives in rural areas. Many people who live in remote and rural areas lack access to education, health care and adequate roads. An estimated 36 percent of the rural population lives below the poverty line and owns no land or assets, experiences persistent food insecurity and often has very little education.

Malnutrition levels in Bangladesh are among the highest in the world with close to 48 percent of children, adolescents and women facing food insecurity, according to UNICEF. In addition to contributing to maternal and child mortality, malnutrition exacts heavy costs from the health care system through excess morbidity, increased premature delivery and elevated risks of heart disease and diabetes. The economic consequences of Bangladesh’s malnutrition problem are profound, resulting in lost productivity and reduced intellectual and learning capacity.

Salesians working in the country focus their efforts on education and social development services for poor youth and their families. Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Bangladesh are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many hope for a more positive and productive future.

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Sources:

Don Bosco India – Flood in Bangladesh leaves thousands marooned, a Salesian reports from the spot

IRIN – Bangladesh floods test disaster response improvements

World Bank – Bangladesh Poverty Assessment: A Decade of Progress in Reducing Poverty, 2000-2010

World Bank – Bangladesh Poverty

The post BANGLADESH: Salesian Missionaries Providing Assistance in Wake of Extreme Flooding Torrential Rains first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Neglect, discrimination and malnutrition affect orphans more often than their non-orphaned peers. Research shows that these youth are more likely to live in conditions of poverty, be forced into child labor, recruited as child soldiers and subjected to exploitation and violence. Orphaned youth are also less likely to be enrolled in school.

Close to 33 percent of Colombians live in poverty, according to the World Bank. One in five children in the country have no access to education and 800,000 children reside in refugee camps. The crisis of street children is at epidemic proportions and thousands of at-risk youth have been recruited as child soldiers.

In the capital city of Medellin, violent drug wars routinely tear families apart. Guerilla groups aggressively recruit and often kidnap young boys and girls, some as young as 8 years old, to fight in the county’s brutal civil war.

“Without the support of their families, orphaned youth are particularly vulnerable to violence, disease, malnutrition and even death,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many youth find themselves living on the streets with no one to protect them from the dangers of exploitation and violence.”

Salesian missionaries working in Colombia are making a big impact on the lives of orphaned youth and their efforts have been internationally recognized.

The Salesian-run Don Bosco City in Medellin is one of the oldest and largest programs for street children in Latin America. Since its start in 1965, the program has rescued more than 83,000 boys and girls. Through the program, Salesian missionaries offer a multi-pronged approach designed to address the broad social issues that contribute to the poverty and exploitation these youth face while training them in the skills necessary to break the cycle of violence and poverty.

Salesian missionaries and lay volunteers have a presence on the streets to reach at-risk youth and encourage them to visit Don Bosco City. Once youth visit the program, the rehabilitation process begins by meeting the young person’s most immediate needs such as food, clothing and shelter. If they wish to stay at Don Bosco City instead of returning to the streets, they are provided with housing and a remedial education in addition to being taught life skills and how to live with others. After youth are acclimated into the program and have caught up academically, they can access job skills training or attend local secondary schools.

“We know that equal access to education for both boys and girls lays the foundation for a better future for homeless and abandoned youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “In Colombia especially, where almost 20 percent of school-age children do not attend school, it is crucial that we offer this opportunity to as many youth as we can.”

Don Bosco City is just one of many Salesian-run programs serving abandoned youth throughout Colombia. In Bogota, the Children of the Street Program serves approximately 9,000 girls and boys each year and in Santiago de Cali, a special vocational training and youth center works to rehabilitate and educate former child soldiers.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Giving Hope to Children in Crisis

UNICEF – State of the World’s Children 2008 – Child Survival

World Bank – Colombia 

The post COLOMBIA: Don Bosco City Providing Hope to More Than 83,000 Orphaned Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

As reported by the Pew Research Center, the DHS report details, “For example, many Guatemalan children come from rural areas, indicating they are probably seeking economic opportunities in the U.S. Salvadoran and Honduran children, on the other hand, come from extremely violent regions where they probably perceive the risk of traveling alone to the U.S. preferable to remaining at home.”

Poverty is also a primary factor as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are among the poorest nations in Latin America with Honduras having 30 percent, Guatemala, 26 percent and El Salvador, 17 percent of people living in poverty on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank.

To meet the needs of youth who have fled their Central American homes alone to make their way to Mexico, Salesian missionaries already working in border towns in Mexico such as Tijuana, Mexicali, Nogales, Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Acuña and Nuevo Laredo (among others), are responding with emergency shelter, food and other assistance. The journey these young people take from their Central American communities into these Mexican towns is fraught with danger. Many youth have died or have become seriously injured along the trip and others, faced with little food and water along the way, have fallen prey to theft, sex traffickers and other violence.

Once youth reach the border towns, Salesians there provide the essential first step of meeting their basic needs and offering them a safe place to stay. After settling into Salesian shelters, youth can access other Salesian services such as structured recreation and social activities that provide a way for them to bond with their peers and develop additional interests and skills.

“We reach out to them to provide a home, a school, a parish and a place where youth can meet and share as friends,” says Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez, S.D.B., Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. “Our goal is to address their essential needs.”

For decades, Salesian missionaries have been working throughout Central America on behalf of impoverished youth to tackle the root problems that have caused so many of them to flee. Much of this work focuses on improving economic opportunity through education and workforce development, teaching youth the skills necessary to find and retain long-term employment and become contributing members of their communities.

A cross with a kite attached to it marks where a child died tried to make it into the United States by crossing the Rio Grande in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The river is lined with similar heart-breaking memorials to lost children.

In San Salvador, El Salvador, the Don Bosco Worker Technical Institute offers free education and job training to marginalized youth at risk of joining gangs. As an alternative to criminal activity, more than 400 students pursue training in electricity, mechanics, carpentry, welding and tailoring.

“We cannot change the culture of violence and drugs — the same culture that so many youth migrants are fleeing — with an iron fist,” says Father Jose Moratalla, S.D.B., director of the institute. “Instead, we must use education to produce a new generation of entrepreneurs who can respond positively to the challenges and needs of their country.”

In Guatemala, Salesian missionaries are leading a broad and intensive educational effort that is training hundreds of teachers. In rural mountain villages throughout the country, 835 local students are enrolled in a three-year teacher training course. Upon receiving their certification, the new teachers will serve as many as 600 villages.

“Since this program was initiated, the number of schools in the Alta Verapaz region has doubled,” says Father Tony DeGroot, S.D.B., who founded the initiative. “Now, children who were previously destined to be trapped by a lifetime of illiteracy can see the path to a productive future.”

In Honduras, Salesian missionaries have been working for more than 100 years operating schools, youth centers and medical clinics to help support and educate impoverished youth and their families. In a country where one in four residents struggles with chronic malnutrition, food assistance plays a critical role in as many Salesian-run programs as possible.

“While the recent surge of unaccompanied minors traveling to the U.S. has drawn the nation’s attention to the daily horrors these children face — rampant gang-related violence, brutal murders and devastating poverty — the reality is that these conditions have existed in Central America for a very long time,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Any resolution to this complex situation demands a multi-dimensional response, one that upholds our moral obligation to the children who have already arrived, and one that works to effect systemic, sustainable change on behalf of those who remain in their home countries.”

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Sources:

Pew Research Center – DHS: Violence, poverty, is driving children to flee Central America to U.S.

Salesian Missions – Hope for Central American Child Migrant Crisis

The post CENTRAL AMERICA: Salesian Missionaries Assist Youth Fleeing Poverty, Violence by Focusing on Prevention first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Most rural citizens in the country do not have the financial resources or education and training necessary to find and maintain stable employment. Running a profitable business venture or maintaining a small farm with access to the national and international markets is increasingly competitive and remains largely out of reach, especially in households run by women alone. The majority of rural poor are those most often engaged in non-agricultural activities.

In addition to a lack of education and employment opportunities, access to affordable housing is a concern for many poor families in Uruguay. Many do not have the resources to purchase homes or land to build on, and schools are often so far away children cannot attend.

Youth crime is on the rise in the country. More than 35 percent of crime committed by adolescents can be traced back to a lack of educational opportunities and employment inequality, according to a recent study by the Center for the Study of Economic and Social Reality. The report also noted that crime rates among young people in Uruguay have doubled over the past 15 years and the rate of violent assaults has quadrupled.

Salesians have been working with youth in Uruguay for many years, providing educational and social development opportunities to help them break the cycle of poverty and lead productive lives. In addition to educating youth, Salesians in Uruguay focus on crime prevention by working to keep youth off the streets and engaged in productive activities. These activities focus on education and skill development giving youth better coping skills so they can be more connected to their communities and deterred from criminal activity.

More than 1,700 youth are engaged in educational activities in 32 Salesian-run youth centers and programs across Uruguay. Additional Salesian programs like Don Bosco Social Work, Santa Monica and Bosco Center work with more than 2,500 youth providing for their basic needs and working to prevent at-risk youth from falling into criminal activity.

The Salesian-run Miguel Magone Project is focused on working with youth who have already committed crimes and are engaged in Uruguay’s criminal justice system in the capital city of Salto in northwestern Uruguay. The project aims to ensure that youth are not abused by the criminal justice system and that programs are in place to provide them with counseling and an education to give them a better start once released from juvenile detention or prison.

“The young people who commit crimes are just the tip of the iceberg of a complex social reality, they are the ‘fuse blowing up’, and are the vulnerable children of a society that suffers from a heavy loss of those values which humanize and help people grow,” said Father Nestor Castell Henderson, provincial of Uruguay, in a recent statement addressing concern over Uruguay’s referendum and discussion to decrease the legal age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 years.

“I am convinced that it is a mistake to believe that this situation will be resolved with sanctions, moreover, experience that tells us that increasing sanctions will not only not solve the problem, but rather make it worse,” added Fr. Castell Henderson. “The punishment, and fear of punishments, are not what will educate the young and make them part of society: the prison is not the place for their education.”

Salesians in Uruguay believe that by providing education and workforce development services to youth, along with social development activities, they can will help youth choose a better path than a life on the streets or engaged in criminal activity.

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Sources:

ANS – Uruguay – “The Prison is not the place for their education” (Fr. Castell) the Miguel Magone Project

Dialogo – Uruguay: Education as a solution to juvenile delinquency

World Bank – Uruguay

Salesian Missions – Uruguay

The post URUGUAY: Salesians Focus on Crime Prevention and More Educational Opportunities for Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in Spain have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

Recently, the Atresmedia Foundation, an organization dedicated to developing projects to support children and adults with disabilities, and the Salesian-run Pinardi Federation signed an agreement to collaborate on a training program for students of Project Pro, a school for people with visual disabilities. Project Pro was established in 2010 by the Atresmedia Foundation to help provide training and workforce development services for people with visual disabilities so they could more easily transition from the classroom into employment.

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

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

Through the new Atresmedia and Pinardi Foundation collaborative training program, Project Pro students will have access to mentoring services and an internship at the Pinardi Federation. Students will be able to put the skills they have learned into practice. The internships are for a maximum of forty hours per week and last two months.

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

Since its inception in 2001, the Salesian Pinardi Federation has been developing programs to help poor youth between the ages of 12 and 16 and is currently operating close to 40 projects aiding more than 2,000 youth. Projects focus on promoting the quality of children’s lives, helping youth retain employment and supporting migrants through family mediation. Other community projects work to raise awareness of volunteerism.

“Youth with disabilities have the same ability to achieve as their peers, if given the opportunity,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The Pinardi Federation is working to make sure that all students have access to the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to the social, cultural and economic vitality of their communities.”

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Sources

ANS – Spain – Training for the visually disabled; agreement between “Atresmedia” and the Pinardi Federation

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

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian-run Pinardi Federation Provides Mentoring and Internships for Students with Visual Impairments first appeared on MissionNewswire.

India has a growing substance abuse problem, particularly among at-risk youth. While the World Health Organization notes that there is significant difficulty in estimating drug usage and addiction rates in the country due to poor bureaucratic processes and census reporting, there is an overall increase in the rate of illicit drug use. Reported numbers indicate more than 3 million drug addicts in India.

Drug addiction is a major problem for many families and communities in the country. A lack of appropriate available care is a challenge and addicts are often left to be treated by their families at great financial cost. India also has 2.4 million people infected with HIV/AIDS, a disease of particular concern for intravenous drug users, which make up 10 percent of affected groups.

The World Health Organization notes there is an increase in heroin use in India, including among children as young as 13. There are 1 million registered heroin addicts in the country but treatment programs suggest that number may instead be as high as 5 million.

Salesians in India who are providing education and social development services to poor youth and their families are taking preventative measures to address the issue of substance abuse among youth. The Don Bosco Research Center in Mumbai, the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and most populous city in India, held a one-day training program for teachers to help them with the identification and prevention of substance abuse.

“Salesian educators have very important work to do which goes above and beyond classroom teaching,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the international Salesians of Don Bosco. “Substance abuse can affect a child’s behavior in the classroom and their ability to learn. Teachers have an important role to play in helping to identify substance abuse while ensuring that a child and their family have access to the proper care to overcome addition.”

More than 50 teachers participated in the training program, which had workshops facilitated by medical personnel, a clinical psychologist and a counselor. Workshop topics focused on the meaning of addiction, warning signs and long-term effects of addiction on the brain. Teachers also learned about protective factors that could reduce the risk of developing addiction as well as preventative measures at the school level, life skills to be taught to students, monitoring and follow-up care. Referral information for rehabilitative services for drug addiction was also provided.

This one-day workshop was the first in a series of teacher training programs that will be provided by the Don Bosco Research Center in an effort to bring awareness to and address the problem of substance abuse among school-aged youth.

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Sources

Don Bosco India – Training in identification and prevention of substance abuse among school children

World Health Organization – Substance Abuse

The post INDIA: Teachers Receive Substance Abuse Awareness Training to Help Address Problem among Youth Served by Salesian Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in Central America, along with Honduras and Guatemala. The murder rate in El Salvador rose more than 44 percent in the beginning months of 2014, when compared to the same time last year. Gang violence is a leading cause of violence in the country and it’s estimated that some 60,000 young people have gang affiliation. Gang involvement often offers a sense of belonging and a sense of family that counters the lack of education and employment opportunities offered in the country.

To address the rising rates of youth violence, close to 1,000 youth who live in violent, crime-ridden areas of El Salvador have turned to the Don Bosco Youth Symphonic Orchestra as an alternative to becoming involved in the conflict and violence. The orchestra started last year in San Salvador, the country’s capital, and is financed by a $1 million grant from the Social Fund for the Development of Japan, administered by the World Bank.

Salesian Father Jose Maria Moratalla Escudero, known as Father Pepe, runs the orchestra and is president of the Salvadoran Education and Work Foundation. Bryan Cea, the 25 year old orchestra director, has had a similar experience to most of his students, growing up in the local area surrounded by poverty and violence.

Youth in the orchestra range in age from 8 to 20 and are students at various public schools in San Salvador. About 470 youth take part in the music program, with 220 of them in the symphony orchestra and 250 in the choir.

Existing school rivalries and conflicts are left behind when students enter the orchestra program located at Don Bosco Industrial Polygon. Unity and a sense of cooperation prevail as geographic and other differences are put aside and the young people live and work together peacefully.

The orchestra has become very important to San Salvador and its surrounding communities as a peaceful learning alternative for youth who have grown accustomed to violence.

“So this music project is fantastic because it keeps kids occupied all day long. First during school hours and later during their free time, giving them the chance to freely be in an environment where they can get the kind of music classes that most interest them,” said Fr. Pepe in a recent Catholic News Agency article about the program.

According to the same Catholic News Agency article, youth in the program explain that the orchestra has kept them away from violence. Carlos Palma (20), a violinist, notes that projects like this help the country and allow him to grow from a cultural point of view. Madelin Morales (15), a flautist, says that being part of the orchestra has helped her a lot because she has made great strides in her studies and has gained a better perspective on life.

The orchestra program continues to grow. Instructors at a conservatory in Spain are in communication with the program about coming to El Salvador to offer training to new instructors. In November of this year, the symphonic orchestra is scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C. to perform in concerts at the Kennedy Center and other venues. The orchestra is also planning on writing, composing and performing an ambitious musical with close to 3,000 actors.

“Let’s say it’s a gigantic explosion of a vitality that seemed to be dormant in the children, teens and young people of El Salvador and that, thanks to this project, is being awakened,” adds Fr. Pepe in the Catholic News Agency article.

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Sources

ANS – El Salvador – Children and young people fighting violence with music

Catholic News Agency – El Salvador youth saved from violence by music

Reuters – Murders in El Salvador spike to record high for May

World Bank – El Salvador

The post EL SALVADOR: Don Bosco Symphony Orchestra Provides Learning Environment As Alternative to Violence on the Streets first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The three recipients of the book donation, Don Bosco Technical School Kep, Don Bosco Technical School Phnom Penh and Don Bosco Poipet Center, plan to utilize the new books in classrooms as additional resources to their current technical education materials. The book donation will also provide teachers another educational supplement for their lessons.

“A new book in the hands of a student opens him or her up to the opportunities that are available through education,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco headquartered in New Rochelle, NY. “While this is true whether it takes place down the street or across the globe, it is especially powerful in places like Cambodia.”

Cambodia has a long history of violence that has resulted in a quarter of Cambodians living in poverty and surviving on less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. About 80 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas and has limited access to education, healthcare and other public services.

Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesians in the country operate 45 schools in poor, rural villages through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education. In addition, Salesians operate seven vocational training centers that impart much needed job skills.

The book donation was comprised of more than 80 boxes of books covering a variety of subjects including business, science and computer programming. All the books have been made available in the classrooms and school libraries at the three technical institutions.

One of the recipients, Don Bosco Technical School Kep, specializes in technical education for disadvantaged youth from poor communities in the provinces of Kep, Kompot and Takaew (a region particularly disadvantaged when it comes to access to professional education). In order to best meet the needs of the youth it serves, Don Bosco Kep is constantly expanding its services.

In October 2011, technical education began at the school in social communication and journalism as well as front office management, housekeeping and tailoring. In October 2012, the electrical department opened and information technology and language classes began. A year later, the school expanded again to include coursework in culinary arts, agriculture, food and beverage, art communication and office administration.

Another recipient, the Don Bosco Poipet Center, provides education to poor youth from the Banteay Meanchey province and the Western region of Cambodia. The center focuses on services for homeless youth and orphans, child victims of human trafficking, child workers and other at-risk youth. Youth are provided access to residential services, vocational and technical training and a youth center that provides additional services focused on literacy, reintegration for homeless youth and a sports program that helps youth develop positive social interactions with their peers.

“Salesian technical education students have the incredible potential to continue their studies and become leaders in Cambodia and later work to make sure that education can be available and accessible to all,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Not only is education about learning to read and write, it’s the foundation for a career and a secure livelihood.”

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Sources

World Bank – Cambodia

Don Bosco Cambodia

The post CAMBODIA: More Than 2,000 Students Have Better Access to Technical Education Thanks to Recent Book Donation Coordinated by Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Bangladesh suffers from poor infrastructure, political instability, corruption and insufficient power supplies. Close to 80 percent of the country’s population lives in rural areas. Many people who live in remote and rural areas lack access to education, health care and adequate roads. An estimated 36 percent of the rural population lives below the poverty line and owns no land or assets, experiences persistent food insecurity and often has very little education.

Malnutrition levels in Bangladesh are among the highest in the world with close to 48 percent of children, adolescents and women facing food insecurity, according to UNICEF. In addition to contributing to maternal and child mortality, malnutrition exacts heavy costs from the health care system through excess morbidity, increased premature delivery and elevated risks of heart disease and diabetes. The economic consequences of Bangladesh’s malnutrition problem are profound, resulting in lost productivity and reduced intellectual and learning capacity.

Salesians working in the country focus their efforts on education and social development services for youth. In July, a Salesian youth center in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, was expanded with the construction of a new building and the addition of more comprehensive services. The center provides a variety of education and training programs for poor youth.

The youth center already has close to 100 members but many more youth participate in various activities and programs held at the center. On Sundays, the center sponsors special recreational activities that attract more than 300 young participants. With the opening of the new building, Salesians are hoping that the number of youth members and those participating in activities will continue to grow.

“Salesian work in Bangladesh began with youth centers, and then came schools and parishes,” said Father Guillermo Basañes, general councillor for the missions at the opening ceremony of the new building. “It is our hope that the Salesians be fully engaged in the education of young people through structures of this kind.”

Functioning side by side with Salesian schools, youth centers offer young people opportunities for engaging in constructive activities during their leisure time. Through organized projects that often include sports and music, youth are taught team work and social skills while gaining opportunities for growth and maturity. Some youth centers also offer small medical clinics and, where needed, feeding programs to protect children from malnutrition.

“Youth centers provide important services to youth in need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The services offered work in collaboration with the formal education youth receive in Salesian schools. At youth centers, extra tutoring and additional training programs for later employment are provided to youth as well as the chance to socialize with their peers in a safe and supportive environment.”

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Sources

ANS – Bangladesh – Opening of Youth Centre

World Bank – Bangladesh Poverty Assessment: A Decade of Progress in Reducing Poverty, 2000-2010

World Bank – Bangladesh Poverty

The post BANGLADESH: Youth Center Provides Important Social Development Activities for Poor Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007 which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesians in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families as well as helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. Salesians focus the majority of their programs on education and workforce development, helping to ensure that young Peruvians have access to the education and technical skills training that will enable them to find and retain long-term stable employment.

Through the Don Bosco Woodcarvers Cooperative of Chacas, young men have the opportunity to become skilled craftsmen. Each year, the cooperative admits 25 new students from impoverished backgrounds who want to advance their education and learn the woodcarving trade. Some of the students have been orphaned and many others are living in farming communities on family farms with little land, few animals and limited opportunities.

“Every young person deserves a chance to have a better life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This program helps young men who have very limited future prospects for stable employment and provides them the education and skills necessary to escape conditions of poverty. They are then able to help their families and communities.”

The cooperative provides a free five-year residential education program, recognized by the government, which includes high school education and job training. In addition to traditional academic classes, the cooperative education teaches students to paint and work with glass, wood, metal and stone. In the third year of the program, each student chooses a specialty. Upon graduation, a tool chest of saws, hammers, chisels and other equipment is given to each graduate who then may choose to start his own business or become a member of the cooperative.

Currently, 650 woodcarvers in 10 different areas of the Andes belong to the cooperative. Some of the furniture created is donated to poor families in need in the area. Additional work is exported throughout South America, Italy and the United States. According to a recent Catholic News Service article, the young men in the cooperative are paid according to the number of pieces they finish per month. On average, the woodcarvers earn 1,200 soles (US$430) with more experienced and skilled graduates earning 2,000 soles. That amount, according to the article, is on par with what a teacher or a medical technician earns in the region.

The cooperative was started in the Peruvian Andes in 1979 by Italian Salesian Father Ugo De Censi and is part of Operatión Mato Grosso, an organization composed primarily of young Italians who volunteer time to help the very poor in Peru, Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia.

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Sources:

Catholic News Services – High in the Andes, Peruvian artisans create sacred art

Operación Mato Grosso

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Don Bosco Woodcarvers Cooperative Provides Education and Employment Opportunities for Poor Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The civil war has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In Juba, the largest city and capital of the country, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything they had behind.

South Sudan just entered its rainy season, and being a country with few paved roads, the flooded and muddy streets hamper relief efforts. UNICEF and the World Food Program recently issued a warning that South Sudan is falling rapidly into a nutrition crisis that could result in the deaths of more than 50,000 children from malnutrition over the course of this year. Over 7 million people are at risk of food insecurity and 4.9 million of them are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

The current rainy season also presents a looming health crisis in the country. In May, a cholera outbreak was confirmed bringing with it the imminent threat of a health emergency. With only 15 percent of people having access to adequate sanitary latrines and 30 percent without access to safe water, the rainy season increases the risk of diseases, in particular diarrheal diseases.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Tonj, a town in the northwest region of South Sudan, for several years. Their focus has been on providing education and social development services for poor youth through the operation of primary and secondary schools and youth centers. In addition, the missionaries operate several medical clinics, including a leprosy clinic.

Recently, the Salesians of South Sudan, in collaboration with the Tonj Project Onlus, completed the first stages of construction on a new hospital in Tonj. The hospital will care for the poor and the sick in Tonj and its surrounding communities. The Tonj Project Onlus, founded by Salesian Father Omar Delasa of the Lombardy-Emiliana Province in Italy, provided volunteers who helped in the planning and construction of the hospital.

“Medical care is a very important part of Salesian work around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries care for the sick in over 90 clinics and hospitals in the more than 130 countries we serve. Many of the hospitals and clinics are located in rural areas where access to medical care is limited.”

The new hospital in Tonj opened in late July after four years of planning and construction. The current facility consists of maternity and surgical wards and a residence for medical and administrative staff. The hospital will begin operation in the coming weeks, and the fully completed building will open in 2015.

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Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – First stage of construction works for the new hospital in Tonj completed

UNICEF – In South Sudan, response to looming threats of disease and malnutrition is a race against time and the elements

The post SOUTH SUDAN: New Salesian Hospital Will Provide Medical Care for Poor and Sick in Tonj first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Today, close to a quarter of Cambodians over the age of 15 are illiterate. With very little access to education, poor youth find it especially challenging to break the cycle of poverty. To provide youth with greater opportunity, Salesians in the country operate 45 schools in poor, rural villages through a partnership between Salesian Missions and the Ministry of Education. In addition, Salesians operate seven vocational training centers that impart much needed job skills.

In a country where less than half of children finish primary school, more than 50,000 children have received the encouragement and support needed to complete an elementary education through the Don Bosco Children’s Fund since its inception in 1992.

The Don Bosco Children’s Fund assists poor youth between the ages of six and 15 who are either unable to go to school or have had to drop out due to poverty. Through the fund’s program, youth not only receive support to continue their education, they also receive a monthly assistance package consisting of goods and cash. Social workers ensure that youth make progress and remain in school and those with special aptitude are further supported and encouraged to pursue college coursework.

“My family is very poor and we live in very poor conditions. An opportunity came when Don Bosco staff visited our village. I applied and was accepted to study and provided with every means including food, uniforms and school materials,” says Un Panhavon, a 9th grade male student at a Don Bosco School in Battambang. “When I started to study in Don Bosco, I noticed that they aim for quality education and life. The school director and principal always motivate us to be good and honest citizens and to be always cheerful. All the teachers also encourage us to build a better and peaceful Cambodia.”

During the 2013-2014 school year, the Don Bosco Children’s Fund is supporting 4,426 students in Cambodia’s government-run schools and another 637 students in schools managed by Don Bosco Schools Battambang.

The Don Bosco Children’s Fund also operates both a primary and secondary school in Battambang with a focus on making sure young girls have access to education. In Cambodia, education for girls opens doors to opportunities. With even a basic education, girls are better equipped to face the daily dangers of human trafficking, child prostitution and substance abuse. Today, more than 2,000 girls who live in poverty have access to basic education and continued vocational and technical training bringing the possibilities of jobs and independence within reach. Hundreds of students at four specialized schools for young women are opening new doors for themselves by developing secretarial skills and skills in printing, electronics and sewing.

“When I started to study in government schools, I was scared because I came from a poor family with no food to eat, no uniforms to wear and no books like other students. No one welcomed me and I stopped my studies to work for a small income to help my family, but when I transferred to a Don Bosco school I was given equal opportunities to learn like other students,” explains Morn Mary, a 9th grade female student at a Don Bosco School in Battambang.

“Don Bosco provided me food, a uniform and schooling materials. Above all, I found love and care among teachers and students. Now I have many good and honest friends and teachers really take good care of us students. Don Bosco prepares me for a better future,” she adds.

Students supported by Don Bosco Children’s fund have the opportunity to continue their studies and become leaders in Cambodia and later work to make sure that education can be available and accessible to all. Not only is education about learning to read and write, Don Bosco Children’s Fund provides a foundation for a career and a secure livelihood.

“Many parents in Cambodia did not have the same opportunities for education as their children do today so they do not see staying in school as a priority, particularly when many children have been forced to work to bring in extra money for the family,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Youth need the extra support to stay in school and get an education. The Salesians at Don Bosco Children’s Fund provide that much needed support and stability to help youth achieve.”

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Sources:

World Bank – Cambodia

Don Bosco Cambodia

Don Bosco Children Fund

The post CAMBODIA: Life-changing Don Bosco Children’s Fund Helps Poor Students Thrive in School first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Five of the six missionaries are headed to the Cape Verde islands and will be volunteering at the school of arts and crafts in São Vicente as well as at the Salesian-run parishes of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Grace, both in Praia, the country’s capital. According to the World Bank, the Cape Verde Islands have seen steady economic growth and enjoy a per capita income that is higher than many continental African nations. However, close to 25 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty.

The sixth Project Life missionary is heading to Mozambique, which according to the World Bank is one of the poorest countries in the world. Despite impressive growth and development over the last several years that has reduced the once 70 percent poverty rate (in the late 1990s) to 54 percent today, poverty continues to be severe and widespread. More than 70 percent of those living in poverty reside in rural areas and rely on farming and fishing to make a living. The vast majority of the rural population lives on less than $1.25 a day and lacks basic services such as access to safe water, health care and education.

The young volunteer in Mozambique will have the opportunity to assist poor students in educational projects at a vocational-technical school in the capital city of Maputo in addition to giving open-air lessons in the city of Tete, located on the Zambezi River in the northern part of the country.

“Volunteerism is an important part of Salesian programs around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Our volunteers spend their time in schools, youth centers and Salesian programs that provide education, workforce development and other supportive services for poor youth and their families. The time volunteers spend helps to increase the capacity of our programs and brings a lot of joy to the youth they serve.”

Before being sent abroad on their assignments, volunteers are rigorously trained in working with youth in poverty, the employment situation in the country assigned, education techniques, leadership and health topics. Volunteers learn to develop their capacity for collaboration as well as how to begin a dialogue with other cultures, religions, ethnic minorities and those living in extreme poverty. Volunteers benefit by expanding their knowledge and skills set and most often find the experience an opportunity for great personal growth.

The Don Bosco program, Project Life, also offers volunteer assignments to individuals and groups who wish to help poor youth within Portugal and in Portuguese speaking countries. Short term projects that address the immediate needs of the poor as well as long term projects focused on education and social services are available. Additional volunteers have participated in fundraising efforts that result in feeding programs, scholarships and accommodations for students in need.

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Sources

ANS – Portugal – “Don Bosco Programme – Project Life”: Salesian Youth Volunteering

World Bank – Cape Verde

World Bank – Mozambique

The post PORTUGAL: Volunteers Give Back By Helping Poor Youth in Salesian Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in Spain have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

Recently, the Salesian Institute of Atocha in Madrid received scholarship funding valued at more than 35,000 euros from the Gene Haas Foundation. The foundation, directed by its founder Gene Haas, was formed in 1999 to provide scholarship funds to community colleges and vocational schools for students entering technical training programs, especially machinist-based certificate and degree programs. Since its inception, the organization has donated more than 8.5 million dollars to various organizations and charitable causes.

The Salesian Institute of Atocha was one of three schools to receive the scholarship funding. The awarded money will be used to cover educational materials, books, research and tuition fees for students with financial difficulties. The scholarships cover a period of one year and are aimed at students who are about to finish high school and students enrolled in vocational or mechanized production technology courses. The scholarships will also assist young or unemployed workers wishing to pursue studies in mechanical engineering.

“This scholarship funding will help poor youth gain access to vocational and technical training programs that provide them the necessary life and business skills to help them lead productive lives,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This training is particularly relevant at this time given the high unemployment rate in Spain. Youth need to develop the best skills they possibly can to compete in the job market and find a way out of poverty.”

The Salesian Institute of Atocha focuses on vocational and technical training to provide youth with employable skills that match the market needs in Spain. It has certificate programs in audiovisual, graphic arts and printing. The recent addition of a new building called Schneider Electric Hall houses technology programs in energy management, energy efficiency and automation.

A strong focus on workforce development programs at the institute helps students carry their skills from the classroom into the workplace. Students learn how to write a resume and are given opportunities to improve and practice their interview skills. Strong relationships between Salesian Institute staff and the local business community help match graduates to businesses seeking employees with particular skill sets.

In addition to the Salesian Institute in Madrid, there are more than 850 Salesian-run vocational, technical, professional and agricultural schools and programs in more than 130 countries around the globe that focus on education and workforce development. Through these institutions and programs, youth are given the practical skills to prepare for meaningful employment while learning how to lead productive lives and become contributing members of their communities.

“We want youth to succeed,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The Salesians have always grown and adapted their offerings to best fit the needs of youth whether through education, technical training or programs that help youth gain the confidence, strength and perseverance to set goals in life and achieve them.”

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – Scholarship for students of the Salesian Vocational Training Centre at Atocha

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Scholarship Funding at Salesian Institute Allows Poor Students Access to Technical Training first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since its inception in 2001, the Salesian Pinardi Federation has been developing programs to help poor youth between the ages of 12 and 16 and is currently operating close to 40 projects aiding more than 2,000 youth. Projects focus on promoting the quality of children’s lives, helping youth retain employment and supporting migrants through family mediation. Other community projects work to raise awareness of volunteerism.

At the end of June, the Pinardi Federation’s third Hilton Hopes Project came to a close. The project, which has graduated 20 young people, provides training and real life work experience in the hotel management industry. Students attend four months of intensive collaborative training through the Pinardi Salesian Center and the Hotel Hilton-Madrid Airport.

Started three years ago, the Hilton Hopes Project is supported by the United States Embassy in Madrid and the Vatel International School of Hotel Management and Tourism. The goal is to harness the talents of young people living in poverty by providing them the opportunity to learn employable skills and gain self-confidence through their first employment experience.

“The aim of the hotel in recent months had been to ensure that the young people in the program rose to the challenge and improved their self-esteem,” says Íñigo Arruti, director of the Hilton. “The Hilton has also developed thanks to these young people and this program.”

The Salesian Pinardi Federation specializes in developing training programs that collaborate directly with the business sector so that students learn marketable skills and make an easier transition from coursework into employment. It encourages the business community to take an active role in program development as well as meeting with the students to help shape standards and the students’ academic and social development, ensuring greater opportunities for employment after graduation.

Two of the students that graduated from the Hilton Hopes Project in June have already received employment offers. One student will be selected by Vatel to study for three years at its School of Hotel Management. To date, more than 75 percent of the students attending coursework through the project have found stable employment.

“With so many young people out of work and facing conditions of poverty in Spain, it is important that Salesian workforce development programs respond to the market demand,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students in these programs have a real opportunity to enter the workforce prepared both in terms of the skills they have learned and in their social development, ensuring a lifelong ability to retain livable wage employment and escape poverty.”

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Sources:

ANS – Spain – Work Preparation Programme for young people by the Hilton Hotel and the Salesian Social Services

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian Partnership with Hilton Hotel Provides Training, Work Experience and Hope for Poor Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

While India has made some progress in the supply of safe water, there remain gross disparities in safe water access across the country. The World Bank estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water with diarrhea alone causing more than 1,600 deaths daily. Access to proper sanitation is extremely poor particularly in rural areas where only 14 percent of the population have access to a latrine. In addition, hand washing is not commonplace and leads to an increase in the spread of disease.

Salesian missionaries across India are dedicated to ensuring that access to safe water is a priority in Salesian-run programs and schools and in the communities in which they operate.

In Mumbai, alumni from the Don Bosco High School Matuga class of 1969 recently enacted the Aqua Pure Water Project. A group of 65 alumni met to determine how best to give back to the school with the outcome being the donation of a clean drinking water purification system. Today, this alumni-led volunteer project is ensuring clean water access at the school for nearly 3,500 children.

One of the alums, A.V. Suresh, CEO of Eureka Forbes, a water purification company, installed the water purification system at Don Bosco High School, Matuga. As a result of the project, he promised that the Eureka Forbes company would commit itself to providing clean drinking water to the school for the next 10 years. In addition, the company is initiating a collaborative project with Don Bosco High School for water harvesting and water recycling at the school, which, when it is completed, will be the first of its kind in the country.

“Children in India’s communities are often forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many other children are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for clean water. This new purification system will ensure that students can access safe water while also gaining an education.”

Recently, two Salesian students at the Assam Don Bosco University Researchers of the Electronics and Communication Engineering Department at the Don Bosco College of Engineering and Technology in Guwahati, developed an on-the-spot water contamination sensor that can assess whether the amount of metal ions present is in the range that is safe for human consumption.

The sensor works on the principle of Surface Plasmon Resonance causing the sensing solution to change color when the concentration of mental contaminants shifts, alerting the user the water is unsafe. It is extremely low cost and designed to be a use and throw away device, making it accessible for those who need it most. The sensor has been refined enough to be able to detect metals like copper and zinc in concentrations as low as two parts per million, which falls below the danger limit for human consumption.

Salesian students, Mrs. Sandhyabanti Dutta Bora and Mr. Arup Bora, designed, tested and fabricated the sensor under the guidance of Dr. Sunandan Baruah. These researchers are now working on an opto-electronic version of the sensor which will specify the concentration of different metal contaminants in drinking water.

“Water is vital for life,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

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Sources

Don Bosco India – Don Bosco Alumni donate Aqua Pure Water Project to Students

Two Circles.net – Portable water contamination sensor developed

Water.org – India

The post INDIA: Salesian Alumni Project Providing Safe Drinking Water for 3,500 Students first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

In May, the Salesian publisher Edebé-Brazil took part in BETT, formerly known as British Education Training and Technology, a trade show held in the United Kingdom that highlights the use of information technology in education. During this event, Edebé-Brazil was able to highlight its innovative approach to digital education including digital education materials used in the Network of Salesian Schools in Brazil.

“We showed the significance of Edebé, a publisher that started with digital material and that now offers a complete solution for schools, which includes a platform for academic management and teaching, online training for teachers and digital learning materials consisting of an interactive digital book and notebook,” says Cynthia Bagatin Lapa, editorial director of Edebé-Brazil.

Edebé-Brazil officially launched in November 2013 and was the result of a four year collaboration between the Network of Salesian Schools Brazil and Edebé-Spain in Barcelona. The publisher’s launch began with an integrated education project for the Network of Salesian Schools.

A platform named Esemtia was set-up to facilitate the work of academic managers and to integrate the Salesian educative and pastoral communities. Materials were also produced for digital learning and are gradually being introduced to traditional school settings.

The materials for digital learning consist of an interactive instructional book and notebook that are easy to navigate, make use of different languages and encourage collaborative study. Already more than 65,000 digital books have been downloaded and are being utilized by educators and students.

“These permit the user to access information in real time, highlighting the most important issues of the moment in each discipline,” adds Bagatin Lapa.

To date, more than 12,000 students and 2,642 teachers, administrators and managers use the educational platform and digital materials to enhance educational experiences.

“The gap in opportunity for rich and poor continues to be very wide in Brazil, even with government efforts,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians are seeing that youth who are already at a social or economic disadvantage fall even further behind because of a lack of access to quality education. Salesians work hard to close that gap by bringing the latest in education, skills training and technology to those who might not otherwise have access.”

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Sources:

ANS – Brazil – Edebé-Brazil introduces innovations in digital education

World Bank – Brazil

The post BRAZIL: Salesian Publisher Brings Digital Learning Opportunities to Students and Teachers in Salesian Schools first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Often those with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments, are kept out of school and denied an education. As a result, their future employment prospects are diminished and the cycle of poverty continues.

For more than 35 years, Salesian Father Carlo Verlado has been the director of the Nonthaburi Skills Development Center for the Blind in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. Each year, 40 students with visual impairments embark on an intensive two-year educational program. When the program first started students were taught trade skills in carpentry and woodworking. Some students were able to find work but many others were denied employment because local employers feared workplace injuries and were put off by the higher costs of insuring visually impaired employees.

As a result, the program changed focus and in 1983 began training its students to be massage therapists. As an acknowledgement of the high quality training offered and the program’s years of success, the Ministry of Public Health has begun to license graduates as doctors of Thai traditional massage. Most graduates are able to find work immediately and continue to hone their skills for many years. Through the program, the therapists-in-training see more than 150 clients each day.

“When I started the program, the blind were shunned and the common perception was that they could do only two things – sell lottery tickets or be telephone operators,” says Fr. Verlado. “Today, students are learning a valuable trade and living productive lives while giving back to their communities.”

Other programs at the school offer a comprehensive curriculum that goes beyond teaching a trade. In addition to gaining an education and learning valuable job skills, students participate in activities such as judo, baseball, bicycle riding and competitive running, all of which foster physical development and self-confidence.

“It’s quite daunting for a blind person to play baseball or run a race, but once they get good at it, they think, ‘Well, what else can I do?'” says Fr. Verlado. “One of our more successful activities is teaching the students judo for self-defense. We were able to get instructors from the local police force. As a result, some of our students have even won national judo competitions.”

Living in the communities in which they work, Salesians are adept at identifying and responding to local needs. As a result, they are able to specialize in developing customized trade education that leads to stable and livable wage employment. Through a commitment to defend the rights of those with disabilities and the development of specialized training, Fr. Verlado and his team are helping visually impaired youth not only to gain independence, but also transition from social isolation to leading lives of inclusion and productivity.

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Sources:

ANS – Thailand – Preparing the Blind for Work and for Life

World Bank – Thailand 

The post THAILAND: Salesian Program Provides Education and Employment Skills for the Blind first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Due to the high number of homeless youth in the country, Salesian programs in India have been created to provide safe shelter, rehabilitation services and educational opportunities to those living on the streets.

In May, Salesian missionaries began two summer camps for street children in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, located in the Indian state of Telangana in central India. More than 100 youth from the Don Bosco Navajeevans Rehabilitation Center and the Salesian-run Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Sisters of Charity of Jesus centers participated in the two camps.

The camps ran from morning to mid-afternoon and focused on English language courses and social activities including music, dancing, football, basketball and volleyball. The camps provide recreation for street youth as well as teach important life lessons in collaboration, teamwork and working towards a common goal.

“The Salesians in India are working hard to rehabilitate street children and restore their childhoods,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many take for granted things like having a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat and access to medical care. The Salesians recognize how critical it is to meet these basic needs before youth can focus on education.”

Salesians in India also work with the government and child protection system on training, advocacy and outreach program development to help reduce the number of street children and provide a safety net of resources for finding, identifying and rehabilitating youth currently living on the streets.

In April, BOSCO, a Salesian-run program that has been working with at-risk youth in Bangalore since 1980, held a training session for the city’s railway authority and police personnel to alert them to the risks faced by youth who arrive at the city railway stations and train them in how to safeguard the rights of these youth. The training was supported by the Department of Women and Child Development, the government of Karnataka and South Western Railways, Bangalore Division. More than 35 people took part in the day-long session.

Participants of the training learned about a week-long survey and rescue operation held in March by BOSCO staff in collaboration with the Department of Women and Child Development. This event helped rescue 202 children at the city railway station within a week’s time. Over the last 18 years, BOSCO has rescued and rehabilitated more than 50,000 youth at the city railway station.

“The children who come into our hands are safe,” says Father George PS, executive director of BOSCO. “The majority of youth we are not able to reach fall into the hands of the brokers and middle men who hand them over to the hotels as cheap labor or abuse and exploit them. If these children are not protected, there is a higher chance they will turn to criminal activity themselves.”

In meetings following the training, the National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Children together with local Salesians developed the “Recommendations for the Protection of Children in Railway Stations.” These recommendations lay the ground work for future training and best practices for helping the city’s street youth population. The document highlights the need for separate services for boys and girls and for the continued education of at-risk youth on the dangers of living on the streets. The recommendations also call for police to adopt a more reassuring approach when encountering street children at the railways platforms and for better collaboration between all who are working for the protection of children.

“Salesians are making steady progress in fighting for children’s rights in India, but there is so much more to be done. As long as children face unspeakable hardships, Salesians will be there to offer shelter, education and other supports in the hopes of providing a brighter future,” adds Fr. Hyde.

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Sources:

ANS – India – Training for Street Children

ANS – India – Camps for Street Children

World Bank – India

The post INDIA: Salesians Provide Protection and Rehabilitation for Street Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

An estimated 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related causes. Close to 99 percent of those deaths occur in developing countries with children being most at risk—a child dies from a water-related illness every 21 seconds. Each day worldwide, an estimated 4,100 children under the age of five die from diarrhea and 2,350 more die from malnutrition due to dirty water, inadequate sanitation and hygiene.

Women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households. For women, particularly those that are head of households, this is time spent away from income-generating jobs and caring for family members. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water—water that often proves contaminated and seriously sickens those who consume it. Many of these children are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells.

In response to this crisis, Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has made building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian programs help vulnerable youth and others living in poverty. The charity is appealing for donations to support this important initiative.

“The poorest children have the least access to safe water and adequate sanitation and they pay the highest price,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “From helping to ensure our communities have access to clean water for drinking and agriculture to helping build a hydro-electric power station, Salesian missionaries working in 132 countries around the globe are committed to focusing on clean water and sanitation projects to ensure clean water access for those we serve.”

Salesian Missions has a long history of developing special infrastructure projects that help communities in need. In addition to building hospitals, schools and youth centers, Salesians have already helped communities which lack clean water, sanitation and electricity. From new water wells in countries throughout Africa to a hydro-electrical station in Bolivia, Salesian Missions and its partners are bringing hope to many communities.

“This is not new work for Salesian programs around the globe,” adds Fr. Hyde. “We have carried out clean water projects in many countries but this is a renewed commitment to these initiatives because access to clean water is essential for the health of those we serve. It is also important for youth to be in school gaining an education and laying the foundation for a productive life instead of being forced to search for water.”

To give to the Salesian Missions Clean Water Initiative, to to SalesianMissions.org.

Some examples of Salesian Missions clean water projects:

BRAZIL
To address serious water issues resulting from pesticide pollution in a remote area of western Brazil, Salesian Missions worked with members of the Xavante and Bororo Indian communities to obtain clean water from previously inaccessible areas. To do so, they first created wells and designed a mobile drilling truck. To create power, they invented and patented a seesaw pump that would draw water from the depths of the well as children were playing. Now, solar panels are used. The result is reduced risk of disease, access to potable water, improved infrastructure and expanded farming. The endeavor began as an immediate response to a community crisis but has become a well-organized project that ensures the growth of two indigenous groups.

CAMBODIA
Salesians have a long history of working with poor youth in Cambodia. Continuing this work, the Don Bosco Technical School in Kep Province built a new Mary Help of Youth Water Tower as part of a Water System Project at the school that was made possible by donors through Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn, Germany. Its construction will guarantee water for this large educational community for years to come. Most people in the region utilize well water and this tower, constructed by a group of volunteers, will go significantly deeper than the average well and has two reserve tanks to hold additional water. Using green technologies, the water pump is generated by installed solar panels.

ETHIOPIA
A project started in 2011 by Salesians and International Voluntary Service for Development volunteers was responsible for digging five wells in the Gambella area of Ethiopia. The wells are operated by a hand pump and are between 50 and 60 meters deep, guaranteeing water to local villages that will benefit close to 1,200 people. To ensure that the wells last as long as possible, a village committee has been set up to oversee their management and maintenance.

INDIA
Safe drinking water is essential for child survival. In India, progress has been made with 84.5 percent of rural and 95 percent of urban populations having sustainable access to safe drinking water, according to the World Bank. At the Don Bosco Center for Learning in Kurla, a new training facility focuses on job training in developing technologies concerning water, ranging from plumbing and sanitation to developing efficient methods for utilization and analyzing existing systems for efficient transportation of water. The courses are designed to help youth, who had previously left school, enter the workforce.

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PHOTO: UNICEF

Sources:

Salesian Missions

Water.org

The post GLOBAL: Salesian Missions Focuses Efforts on Clean Water Initiatives first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Peru has also been plagued by hunger and disaster. According to the World Bank, close to 25 percent of children in the country are chronically malnourished. Communities continue to rebuild after an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007, which killed more than 500 people in the central coastal cities of Chincha, Pisco and Ica, and injured hundreds more. The quake destroyed close to 60,000 residential and commercial buildings, leveled hundreds of acres of farmland and left countless Peruvians without means of livelihood.

Salesians in Peru have provided life-saving support and education to poor youth and their families as well as help with rebuilding efforts. Among the first to respond when the earthquake struck, Salesians in the country were able to offer immediate humanitarian assistance. They established several new facilities offering food, shelter and education to approximately 500 children while their parents helped in reconstruction. Today, these youth centers serve as a model for expansion in other areas of Peru.

Since 2005, the Don Bosco Foundation of Peru has partnered with Ulysses Medical, a medically focused humanitarian organization and volunteer medical professionals to operate medical and surgical clinics for people living in extreme poverty in various regions of Peru. Most recently, a team of volunteer doctors performed 80 surgeries in Pucallpa, a city in eastern Peru located on the banks of the Ucayali River.

Three Italian and French doctors from Ulysses Medical as well as three Peruvian surgeons and an anesthesiologist collaborated to perform the 80 surgeries, which were primarily focused on the stomach and bladder to remove hernias and lipomas. This is the third time a medical clinic of this scale has been successfully operated in the area of Pucallpa. Two local organizations, the Lions Club and Yarinacocha Amazonian Hospital, also provided support to the clinic.

“Those living in poverty in Peru are in great need,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Many need proper nutrition, shelter, healthcare and education in order to survive and thrive. Salesian programs are working to ensure those in poverty have the resources they need to lead safe, healthy and productive lives.”

Due to the great need for medical care in the country, doctors from Ulysses Medical are planning to open another medical clinic in the city of Lima in November which will benefit close to 200 people.

“Good health is important and the more we can do to help those living in extreme poverty, without access to medical care, the better,” adds Fr. Hyde. “These clinics in Peru, like many other health clinics Salesians provide, rely on the support of volunteers and donated medical supplies so we are very thankful to our partners and those that help support our programs.”

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Sources

ANS – Peru – Humanitarian Medical Campaign in the mission area of Pucallpa

World Bank – Peru

The post PERU: Salesian Medical Clinic Provides 80 Surgeries for People in Need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources

Salesian Missions – Haiti

World Bank – Haiti 

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

Since its inception in 2001, the Salesian Pinardi Federation has been developing programs to help poor youth between the ages of 12 and 16 and is currently operating close to 40 projects aiding more than 2,000 youth. Projects focus on promoting the quality of children’s lives, helping youth retain employment and supporting migrants through family mediation. Other community projects work to raise awareness of volunteerism.

Recently, the Pinardi Federation and Kyocera Document Solutions España SA, have come together in a collaboration to feed youth in Spain’s capital city, Madrid. Thanks to this program, more than 50 youth who are participating in socio-educational programs at a Salesian Center in Parla, Madrid are receiving a free afternoon meal.

For Kyocera, the initiative is part of a corporate social responsibility plan that aims to make employees aware of the needs of children while encouraging them to offer their support. One of many projects Kyocera has worked on with the Pinardi Federation, this project has more than 10 Kyocera staff volunteering to collect donated food from company employees and then deliver it to Parla’s Salesian Center each month.

The afternoon meal offered to each child every afternoon helps to combat the rampant poverty that has affected so many families in Madrid. For some, this is the only balanced meal they receive each day and the hope is that it will give them the energy they need for study and play. The project also aims to educate young people on the importance of nutrition and a balanced healthy diet.

“For many families, their economic situations are in decline in Madrid,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Even those families who were once in the middle class are seeing the effects of poverty. Youth in the program are suffering from a lack of food and nutrition, and as a result are often tired and unable to focus. The food aids the families in caring for their children and in helping youth be better prepared for their activities and lessons.”

The Pinardi Federation is also working to meet the needs of families that are struggling to pay rent, mortgages, utility bills, school fees and food bills. The organization has set up scholarships to help cover the costs of transportation and education materials for youth to enable them to continue in their pursuit of higher or professional education.

“Because Salesians are working directly with families in their local communities, they are able to identify the most pressing needs and then create programs to meet those needs, such as assisting youth continue their education and social development,” adds Fr. Hyde.

These new initiatives are part of a larger program that the Pinardi Federation has developed which includes physical education classes, recreational activities, sports programs, family support and psychological counseling.

Sources

ANS – Spain – Programmes to improve nutrition among young people

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: New Initiatives Help Youth in Need through Scholarships and Nutrition Program first appeared on MissionNewswire.

According to the World Bank, the jump in the poverty rate after 1990 was directly linked to the country’s transition to a market economy after the breakup of the Soviet Union and the collapse of Mongolia’s centrally planned economy. Today, in part due to Mongolia’s vast mineral resources and mining, the country’s economy is rebounding and the poverty rate is in decline, having decreased from 38.7 percent in 2010 to 27.4 percent in 2012.

Salesians in Mongolia have focused their work on providing opportunities for children and families struggling to improve their lives. Salesian programs aid students who are having difficulty coping in traditional high school settings and families who are arriving in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar in desperate need of employment.

Since 2001, youth who have not been able to complete a traditional high school education have found educational opportunities at the Don Bosco Technical and Industrial Training Center in Ulaanbaatar. The training facility started with 30 students and today has more than 300 gaining skills in car mechanics, tailoring, secretarial services, welding and construction.

“Nearly 90 percent of the students at Don Bosco Technical and Industrial Training Center can be defined as school dropouts and come from very poor families,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students receive training that is critical to their success and to guarantee the best opportunities after graduation, courses are structured in collaboration with local industries.”

Recently, 60 students graduated from the center ready to embark on professional employment in their chosen fields. The center provides training in skills required in industries that have a need for new employees and that offer a livable wage. Creating coursework to meet the needs of local industry increases the rate of student success upon graduation. As a result, the employment rate for graduates of the center is among the highest in the country.

“Salesian programs enable students to quickly transition from the classroom into employment, putting their knowledge and skills into practice. Students that are able to quickly connect with livable wage employment are then able to give back to their families and their communities,” adds Fr. Hyde.

As more people than ever before are moving to the capital of Ulaanbaatar, unemployment and homelessness among youth is on the rise. Salesians in the city continue to create programs to assist those in need. From teaching job skills and providing shelters to street children to building full-time youth centers, Salesians are providing for those most in need and helping poor families break the cycle of poverty.

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Sources:

Salesian Missions – Mongolia

World Bank – Mongolia

The post MONGOLIA: Don Bosco Technical and Industrial Training Center Helps More Than 300 Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

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

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

Recently, Salesian-run Don Bosco Technical High School and Mary Help of Christians Catholic High School, both located in the capital city of Monrovia, received desks, chairs and other furniture thanks to an ongoing partnership between Salesian Missions and the Institution Recycling Network (IRN). More than 1000 students at both schools benefited from the new furniture in their classrooms, libraries, laboratories and school offices.

“The children have comfortable tables and chairs to use and students, especially those in the elementary grades, are very happy with the improvement,” says Father Sony Joseph Pottenplackal, rector and principal of Don Bosco Technical High School. “The furniture has contributed greatly to their discipline and learning environment, and has brought a smile to the faces of many of the young students. This has been a great contribution to the school.”

Desks and chairs help to provide a more dignified and organized educational environment for students to complete their studies. As a result, students are often more focused on their classroom work and more prepared for their lessons.

Salesian Missions’ partnership with IRN has provided valuable furniture to equip Salesian classrooms, offices and administrative buildings around the world, including desks, bookshelves, workstations, chairs, whiteboards, filing cabinets, auditorium seating and more.

“There was a clear match between Salesian Missions’ need for furniture and equipment for their worldwide projects, and the supplies of surplus to which IRN has access,” says Mark Lennon, principal of the Institution Recycling Network. “Salesian Missions has been an excellent partner.”

The Institution Recycling Network was started in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every education, commercial, and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment they need to get rid of. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

IRN partners with nonprofits who are known to be reputable and effective providers of relief and development assistance, and who are able to use the types of surplus that IRN can provide. The organization has a “wish list” from each of its nonprofit partners of the types and quantities of surplus they can use.

In addition to the donation in Liberia, IRN has sent shipments of furniture and workstations to Salesian sites in Haiti, Guatemala, the Philippines, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Togo as well as other sites around the globe.

“IRN donations have furnished Salesian schools and development offices in Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia,” explains Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer for Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “We plan to continue working with IRN because they are a reliable partner who is eager to assist in our mission and provide quality donations to our programs.”

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Sources

Salesian Missions – Liberia

World Bank – Liberia

The post LIBERIA: More Than 1,000 Students Benefit from New School Furniture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

More than 70 percent of those living in poverty reside in rural areas and rely on farming and fishing to make a living. The vast majority of the rural population lives on less than $1.25 a day and lacks basic services such as access to safe water, health care and education.

Recently, the Austrian Salesian Youth of the World program planned its second agricultural project in the town of Moatize, located in the Tete province in northern Mozambique. The project, which will be carried out in seven different rural communities, aims to educate farmers in the latest innovations in agriculture and livestock techniques in order to improve food security and increase income potential. Educators will help farmers introduce or intensify the production of vegetables, experiment with new methods of production and processing of products and assist with raising livestock.

“Investing in agriculture education is vital to developing countries,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Teaching farmers innovative techniques to increase the production and sales of their products is essential not only to overcome hunger and poverty, but also to ensure overall economic growth for surrounding villages and cities.”

The project will train close to a thousand families, or about 5,000 people. With increased food production in the small rural communities participating in the program, about 8,000 residents will be positively impacted.

The project will focus on several areas of development and education. Farmers will learn new skills in agriculture and animal husbandry, horticulture and fruit growing and breeding cattle and sheep. They will also be provided with irrigation pumps which will help to support local schools and health care centers. In addition, Salesian staff will work with local residents to establish community associations for product sharing and sales.

The success of the first Salesian agricultural training in the community led to a continuation of the project in the hopes of reaching more families. Farmers who attended the initial training have been able to put into practice a variety of the techniques they learned, which has led to increased food production and improved financial standing. Some were able to grow items they had never previously had success with, such as tomatoes. Others were able to sell their products for the first time and, as a result of the additional income earned, were able to improve their homes. Food insecurity decreased as farmers prospered and more food was available to the community.

“Salesians have been working in Mozambique to provide educational opportunities to poor youth for many years,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Salesian technical and agricultural programs and other services educate youth and help them learn the necessary skills to enhance their livelihoods and break the cycle of poverty.”

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ANS – Mozambique – A social project for a rural area

World Bank – Mozambique

The post MOZAMBIQUE: Agriculture Training Project Works to Improve Food Security and Income for Rural Farmers first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesians in Spain have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth through residential and technical and vocational training programs.

A Salesian program started in 2012 is working to address the needs of young men who have aged out of residential youth programs, many of whom are left without resources and little support and direction for the future. For these young people, it can be difficult to find stable employment and a place to live and many do not have an existing or adequate social network to offer them the support they need to live life fully as an adult.

In southern Spain, the Don Bosco Foundation in Cordoba provides support for close to 50 young men. The Foundation’s program includes housing, socio-educational services and workforce development.

“The program focuses on 18 year old youth who were once residents within Spain’s centers for minors and who, upon leaving there, did not have any further support to live with dignity,” says Antonio Moriana, director of Don Bosco Foundation Cordoba. “These young people, who are often immigrants, are now provided support that includes education, health, housing and the use of other resources in the city.”

Young men in the program have several options to help them transition out of residential programs for youth, including moving into a shared apartment, a local hostel or a group home managed in collaboration with Caritas, the international network of charitable organizations of the Catholic Church. Included in the program is a range of support services, including assistance preparing and applying for work. The young men are able to hone their business and professional skills in a supportive environment with other young men in similar situations and under the supervision of adult mentors who provide guidance during the transition into adulthood.

Don Bosco Foundation also offers a residential program for younger children aged eight to 17 that provides a group home environment for up to 24 youth. The focus is on building an alternative home environment for each child that is structured and supportive. Youth in this residential program attend school and have the opportunity to engage in social activities that help them transition from their teen years into adulthood. Older youth attending high school are offered pre-employment training, help applying for internships and access to employment placement agencies.

“At the Foundation, we are helping youth both in a group setting but also with their individual needs, including working on personal and educational skills so they are able to move forward with higher levels of school studies, carry out apprenticeships and apply for work,” adds Moriana.

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Sources

ANS – Spain – New opportunities for young people not living in a family

World Bank – Spain

The post SPAIN: Salesian Program Helps Youth Without Families Who Have Outgrown Available Services first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Access to education and training provides a foundation for youth to break the cycle of poverty and gain employment. Salesians have been working in Argentina to provide educational opportunities to poor youth through schools, technical and agricultural programs and other services that help youth learn skills to gain stable employment.

At the end of March, the President of Argentina, the Honorable Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, signed a decree for the creation of the Salesian University of Argentina in the city of Bahía Blanca, located in the southwest of the province of Buenos Aires. The decree was delivered to Rector Major Father Ángel Fernández Artime and Professor Marta Pines, during a ceremony which marked the official opening of the university. This decree is the culmination of more than eight years of preparation and development by the Salesian Province of Argentina South and the grant of official approval by the National Commission for University Approval and Accreditation last year.

The new university, set up as a nonprofit, will offer quality education to young people who are looking to continue their academic studies. Its focus is on development and research, advancement in technology, formation of human resources and attention to innovative practices for the common good of the people and the progress of the nation. Coursework will be offered in psychology, law, communication and education, and it is anticipated that additional courses will be added later to meet the specific needs of students.

“For eight years we worked hard to get approval”, said Brother Hugo Carlos Vera, Salesian and academic secretary at the university. “Now we have an opportunity to give quality service to young people in the region. Salesian University of Argentina wants to reach ordinary people and offer education to respond to the problems facing young people.”

Salesians have a long history of working with poor youth and their families in Argentina, providing primary and secondary schools along with trade, agricultural and college programs.

Last year, the Salesian Pascual Gentilini Agricultural School in San Jose celebrated its 85th anniversary. Its curriculum includes lessons in community service, vegetable gardening, cooking, maintenance, music, cultivation of annual crops and tea, fruit farming, zootechnics, bee-keeping, cattle-raising, leadership training and social work.

“Salesian programs adapt to local needs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian educational institutions teach, train and work with local youth living in poverty who want opportunities for a brighter future. The academic and technical programs offered show how education and training not only benefit the individual student, but also entire communities.”

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Sources

ANS – Argentina – A new Salesian University

World Bank – Poverty in Argentina

The post ARGENTINA: Argentine President Signs Decree for Creation of New Salesian University first appeared on MissionNewswire.