(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe in recognizing Universal Children’s Day, also known as World Children’s Day. Celebrated each year on Nov. 20, the day was established in 1954 to promote international togetherness and awareness on children’s issues worldwide. To date, 194 countries have signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and are bound by international law to ensure it is implemented.

The theme for this year is “Inclusion, For Every Child.” UNICEF noted, “From climate change, education and mental health, to ending racism and discrimination, children and young people are raising their voices on the issues that matter to their generation and calling for adults to create a better future.”

Through education and social development programming, Salesian missionaries in more than 130 countries around the globe are working to break the cycle of poverty and bring a sense of dignity to all those they serve. Missionaries are also working to ensure that all youth know their rights, are able to fully participate in their communities and have their voices heard.

Whether it’s combating child labor, assisting homeless youth or building schools where children previously had no access to education, Salesian missionaries are making sure those in need have access to programs and services. With more than 5,500 Salesian educational institutions and youth centers, missionaries are educating children in some of the poorest places on the planet.

“Children living in conditions of poverty need equal access to education and social supports to ensure they have a bright productive future,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “At Salesian schools, youth gain an education, learn about their rights and freedoms, and participate in sports and other activities — all in a safe environment that encourages learning and growth. They also have access to nutritional and other support that enhance the learning environment.”

In honor of Universal Children’s Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight social and educational programs that benefit children around the globe.

BRAZIL

In Brazil, Salesian missionaries are providing food support to children in Xavante villages.

Salesian missionaries are concerned about child malnutrition in the Xavante villages in the municipality of Nova Xavantina in Campinápolis, Brazil. A lack of rain, poor food, hygiene conditions and the length of distance to travel to urban centers were identified as the causes that most affect the situation.

In each of these villages, food kits were distributed to children. Provided by Operation Mato Grosso, the kits contained food purchased by volunteers and sent by benefactors from the Immaculate Conception Parish in the city of Bilac. The most worrisome cases of malnutrition were recorded in the village of Teihidzatsé where children were checked for weight. Vitamins were administered in the most severe cases.

In addition, a soup kitchen was set up in Santa Helena to provide meals with vegetables, pasta, and ground meat. In Betânia, clothes, food, and hygiene materials for infants prepared by the Campinápolis Children’s Pastoral Care team were distributed. The AMA (Mobile Missionary Assistance) project team is providing maintenance and efficiency of water wells, pumps, and tanks in São Francisco, and food items were also distributed.

CAMBODIA

In Cambodia, students from the St. Anne Orphanage received scholarships thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.

Students from the St. Anne Orphanage were granted scholarships to attend Don Bosco Vithayalai in Battambang, Cambodia, thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The scholarships were provided in February 2022 and May 2021.

Children attending Salesian schools in Cambodia have faced a number of issues including abandonment from their families, abuse, child labor and trafficking, and migration. As a result, they often miss school and fall behind academically. Salesian schools ensure that young students are able to attend school even if they are unable to pay for it.

INDIA

In India, the Ekalavya Children’s Home supports youth who have dropped out of school, rescues child laborers and provides basic needs for at-risk children.

Children living at the Ekalavya Children’s Home were supported by donor funding from Salesian Missions. The home was created by the Salesian-run People’s Action for Rural Awakening for disadvantaged children in Konaseema, located in the East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh, India.

The home, which can accommodate up to 50 children, was started to support school dropouts, rescue child laborers, and provide a home for at-risk children, those living on the street, or those who have run away from dysfunctional families. Ekalavya Children’s Home is a child care institution licensed under the Juvenile Justice Act. Every home for children at risk needs to be licensed by the Women Development and Child Welfare Department of the state government.

Ekalavya Children’s Home is located behind a railway station in Rajahmundry. Children who have run away use the railway station for travel and to beg for money to survive. Salesian staff members have good relationships with the railway police department to rescue children from the station and bring them to the courts and then onto the Ekalavya Children’s Home.

PAKISTAN

In Pakistan, students at the Don Bosco Learning Center have a new computer lab thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.

Students at the Don Bosco Learning Center, within the Don Bosco Quetta community in Pakistan, have a new digital computer lab thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The center has been teaching primary and secondary school in Quetta since 2000. More than 780 students, ages 8-22, were positively impacted by this new lab.

The funding provided new computers, a projector, printers, a computer table, chairs, and Wi-Fi connection. Teachers are beginning to develop classes for Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, networking, graphic design and web design.

The Don Bosco Learning Center is teaching computer literacy skills and technology to students. The lab will be used for daily classes for grades 3 to 10. In the evening, computer classes for other students and those in the community will be held. Salesians in Quetta also have a long tradition of assisting Afghan refugees. This project will also enable refugees to learn skills after they are settled.

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Sources:

BRAZIL: Work helps prevent child malnutrition/ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

CAMBODIA: Students at orphanage granted scholarships/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

INDIA: Donor funding from Salesian Missions supports Ekalavya Children’s Home/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

PAKISTAN: Students gain technology skills with new computer lab/Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions

Universal Children’s Day 2022

The post UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY: Salesian Missions highlights social and educational programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian organizations and countries around the globe in recognizing Universal Children’s Day, also known as World Children’s Day. Celebrated each year on Nov. 20, the day was established in 1954 to promote international togetherness and awareness on children’s issues worldwide. To date, 194 countries have signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and are bound by international law to ensure it is implemented.

Through education and social development programming, Salesian missionaries in more than 130 countries around the globe are working to break the cycle of poverty and bring a sense of dignity to all those they serve. Missionaries are also working to ensure that all youth know their rights, are able to fully participate in their communities and have their voices heard.

Whether it’s combating child labor, assisting homeless youth or building schools where children previously had no access to education, Salesian missionaries are making sure those in need have access to programs and services. With more than 5,500 Salesian educational institutions and youth centers, missionaries are educating children in some of the poorest places on the planet.

“Education is always our primary focus but we know youth are dealing with much more than just needing access to education,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian missionaries provide education on human rights which gives vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth. At Salesian schools, young children gain an education, learn about their rights and freedoms, and participate in sports and other activities—all in a safe environment that encourages learning and growth.”

In honor of Universal Children’s Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight social and educational programs that benefit children around the globe.

BRAZIL

The “Don Bosco Dreams with Us” project provides education for Brazilian and Venezuelan children ages 6-12.

Don Bosco College in Manaus, Brazil, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year. Salesian missionaries first arrived in Manaus in 1921 to start a school to educate youth in the Amazon. The goal was to create a school that would rival those already providing quality education in other regions of Brazil. Salesians first set up youth centers and then offered evening classes before launching a boarding school, which would later become the current Salesian school.

Don Bosco College has modern equipment and a large library as well as computer, physics, chemistry and biology laboratories. The structure of the school is complete with a gym suitable for playing various sports, a swimming pool, indoor sports fields, an auditorium that can accommodate 600 people, a ballroom, a judo room and a space for leisure time.

In 2019, Don Bosco College started assessing the need for a local kindergarten and how it could accommodate that within the building’s current structure. The renovation was completed this year and in July, the “Don Bosco Dreams with Us” project was launched to provide education for Brazilian and Venezuelan children ages 6-12.

Don Bosco College currently offers courses ranging from kindergarten to level I and II primary schools and high school, with opportunities for full-time education, catechesis, sports, and cultural courses that serve students and the educational community.

FIJI

In Fiji, Salesian missionaries visit youth in the villages of Muanikoso and Makoi to provide educational materials.

Salesian missionaries in Suva, Fiji, recently went to the villages of Muanikoso and Makoi to check on youth and provide them educational materials. Since the start of the pandemic and the lockdowns that followed, Salesians have been working to maintain relationships with youth in their programs and school. They have connected through calls, emails and social media.

Meetings have been organized on Zoom, but most youth in the villages do not have access to digital devices. In order to ensure these youth aren’t falling behind academically, the Salesian community decided to photocopy lessons and catechism activities, cook sweet doughnuts, and visit youth and their families while maintaining a safe distance.

Families appreciated the conversations and efforts that Salesians made to ensure youth had copies of the materials. The visits also included moments of prayer and the distribution of rosaries and copies of the Salesian Bulletin.

In Suva, thanks to the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund and support from the local community, Salesians constructed a new multipurpose community center. Once pandemic restrictions ease, the new center will provide youth a place where they can learn, engage in safe activities, and connect with peers and supportive adults.

The center includes a multipurpose community space, open areas for learning, a kitchen and dining area, a sporting and recreational facility, and a community garden. The idea is to make the center as self-sustainable and eco-friendly as possible.

NAMIBIA

Don Bosco Youth Center in Namibia renovates playground thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.

Don Bosco Youth Center in Rundu, Namibia, has renovated a children’s playground thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. Prior to the renovations, the playground was in a dilapidated state and dangerous, leaving children without a place to play and connect with their peers.

With the donor funding, Salesians were able to buy renovation materials and paint. The children who attend the youth center come very poor families and some of them have been abandoned. Since the launch of the primary school, close to 120 children use the playground each morning before school. On the weekends, 180 youth attending programs at the youth center utilize the playground. To safeguard the playground, Salesians have asked the school to contribute a small amount of money toward the maintenance.

“Youth at the center would like to extend their thanks to donors who gave so generously to help renovate the playground,” said Martha Kalilomba, who attends activities at Don Bosco Youth Center. “The youth center has become more appealing since the renovation and we cannot express enough how much that means to us.”

Don Bosco Youth Center was opened in 2002, and provides shelter and services for homeless youth. The center offers computer classes for 65 students, pre-school for 70 children and school for 104 students who have dropped out of formal education. In addition, more than 80 youth attend the daily oratory activities including sports programming.

RWANDA

In Rwanda, a sewing program helps young mothers gain an education for employment.

Don Bosco Technical and Vocational Training School in Rango, in the city of Butare in southern Rwanda, currently offers courses in construction, carpentry, welding and sewing. Each course spans two years of training, and the majority of students in the program are youth who come from vulnerable situations and have been living in poverty. Youth are 17-25 years old, and some are single mothers looking to improve their lives for their children.

The rate of teenage pregnancies in the country has had exponential growth in recent years and is becoming a major obstacle to social and economic development among the poorest populations. Salesians have launched projects to help educate and promote family involvement while also providing skills training so that young mothers can find employment or start a small business, ensuring that they can live in a dignified manner with their children.

Recently, in collaboration with the Salesian Mission Office in Turin, Italy, Salesian missionaries launched a project to purchase 40 sewing machines to train and empower young mothers so they can acquire the skills to start a small business. Launching a modest tailoring or dressmaking shop or a simple sewing workshop can help provide an income for families.

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Sources:

BRAZIL: Don Bosco College celebrates 100 years with new kindergarten

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

FIJI: Youth receive educational materials at home through home visits

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

NAMIBIA: Don Bosco Youth Center renovates playground thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

RWANDA: Young mothers benefit from sewing program

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

Salesian Missions

Universal Children’s Day 2021

The post UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY: Salesian Missions highlights social and educational programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The theme of Universal Children’s Day 2019 is a continuation of the 2018 theme, “Children are taking over and turning the world blue.” This theme focuses on building a world where every child is in school, knows his or her rights, and is safe from harm. The day calls on global leaders to #GoBlue and commit to ensuring all children have access to education and are able to meet their potential.

Through education and social development programming, Salesian missionaries in more than 130 countries around the globe are working to break the cycle of poverty and bring a sense of dignity to all those they serve. Missionaries are also working to ensure that all youth know their rights, are able to fully participate in their communities and have their voices heard.

Whether it’s combating child labor, assisting homeless youth or building schools where children previously had no access to education, Salesian missionaries are on the front lines making sure those in need have access to programs and services. With more than 5,500 Salesian educational institutions and youth centers around the globe, missionaries are educating children in some of the poorest places on the planet.

“Education is always our primary focus but we know youth are dealing with much more than just needing access to education,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian missionaries provide education on human rights which gives vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth. At Salesian schools, young children gain an education, learn about their rights and freedoms, and participate in sports and other activities—all in a safe environment that encourages learning and growth.”

In honor of Universal Children’s Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight initiatives around the world that ensure children understand their rights and are able to access education.

ETHIOPIA

The Bosco Children Project in Ethiopia rescues children from the dangers of the street. The project provides support and educational services in addition to an outreach orientation center and a hostel for youth, mostly boys, who are orphaned or live on the street.

The Bosco Children Project utilizes a three-step method for rehabilitation, including making initial contact with the children on the streets and building a relationship in an informal manner. This includes offering youth safe accommodation at the hostel where they can access meals, warm clothing, psychosocial counseling, and access to basic education and literacy classes.

When children are ready, and if they choose to, they are invited to formally take part in the next part of the program, which includes personalized care through counseling and specialized skills training in auto mechanics, carpentry, culinary arts, metallurgy, leather craft and more. Once training is complete, the project provides financial and career placement assistance, supporting the youth as they move on to become independent.

GUATEMALA

The Don Bosco Center, located in Tzacanihá, near San Pedro Carcha, Guatemala, has been welcoming children and youth from Raxruhá and the nearby city of Chamelco for 37 years. Father Antonio De Groot, founder of the center, lived and worked in Raxruhá before launching the center. This remote area, found at the edge of the forest, was almost inaccessible and had no basic services. The people in the region lacked basic education and lived primarily off the land.

One day, a young man asked Fr. De Groot if he could visit his home to help teach him how to read and write. Shortly thereafter, a second young man joined, then a third, and soon a small group had formed—all who wanted to learn. As the group increased in numbers, elementary structures were developed.

Today, the Don Bosco Center features beautiful and functional buildings and green areas. Salesian missionaries working at the center educate more than 1,500 students across three locations. The Don Bosco Center has been a true educational revolution within this geographical location.

The ability to attend formal schooling has highlighted the young students’ intelligence and attentiveness, their great desire to learn and their boundless energy. Many students who have succeeded in graduating from the Don Bosco Center have gone on to higher learning at the university level and are now working as professionals.

INDIA

Salesian missionaries have been working with children in need in Jamtoli, located within the Indian state of Jharkhand, since 2012. The Salesian center, which is still small and under development, is dedicated to the education of children and older youth and the literacy of adults. Jamtoli is a tribal area lacking in social, educational, health and infrastructure opportunities. Here, every year, thousands of children aged 9-14 stop studying to work in the mines.

The people living in the Jamtoli area are extremely poor and mostly illiterate or semi-illiterate. They survive by practicing subsistence farming and animal breeding using rudimentary methods. Youth have very few opportunities to find stable employment and break the cycle of poverty common in the region.

Salesian missionaries bought 12 acres of land and have established some temporary housing for the Salesians on site and space for education. The goal is to build a formal school building with four classrooms where children and others in the local community can access education. The space would also be used for community gatherings and offer a play area for children.

More than 900 children, belonging to various tribal ethnic groups, would be positively impacted by this project along with 300 older youth and adults who could use the same space for literacy courses. The Salesian school’s long-term plan is to reach almost 1,600 children 5-14 years old.

NIGERIA

Salesian missionaries in Onitsha, Nigeria, are establishing the Don Bosco Solar Energy Training Center thanks to donors from Salesian Missions. Donors have provided the funding for the materials, labor and staff for the new center.

The launch of this new Solar Energy Training Center is the first of a four-step process to develop a reliable and renewable energy plan in the region. The center will teach local youth the skills required to install and maintain solar energy systems and will also create job opportunities for the local community.

As the world faces growing environmental degradation and climate change challenges, there is a need to embrace sustainable development more than ever before. According to an article from Reuters, Nigeria has faced a population boom that has increased carbon emissions and stretched the country’s power supply. The country currently needs 10 times its current electricity to supply its 198 million people, half of whom have no access to power at all.

This new Salesian initiative will train poor youth in a sector that is highly sought after at this time in Nigeria. It will also provide the country with skilled labor to enable it to meet its renewable energy goals.

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Sources:

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

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Photo courtesy of Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

ETHIOPIA: Young student thankful for the education he’s received through the Bosco Children Project

GUATEMALA: The Don Bosco Center in Tzacanihá provides education to more than 1,500 youth

INDIA: Salesian missionaries aim to build a school in Jamtoli to provide education and literacy classes

NIGERIA: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for the establishment of Don Bosco Solar Energy Training Center

Salesian Missions

Universal Children’s Day 2019

The post UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY: Salesian Missions highlights educational initiatives that bring hope to children around the globe first appeared on MissionNewswire.