ZAMBIA: Salesian College Farnborough’s Share the Light organization receives award in recognition of volunteer initiatives in Zambia
(MissionNewswire) Fundación Telefónica, a Spanish multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Madrid, Spain, has selected the Share the Light organization as one of its top five volunteer initiatives in recognition and appreciation of the value that volunteers bring to society. Share the Light was chosen among 339 projects presented. The award ceremony took place on Dec. 4 in Madrid.
Share the Light is a nonprofit organization created from projects developed by staff and students of the Salesian College Farnborough in the United Kingdom. The organization focuses specifically on helping youth in Mazabuka, a town in the Southern Province of Zambia. Having grown in recent years, Share the Light now includes a Scholarship Program, a Porridge Club and the City of Joy orphanage.
“Share the Light provides an opportunity for Salesian students to give back to the broader Salesian community through their work in Zambia,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Feeding programs, scholarships and programs that aid young women in gaining an education are all vital to combat poverty and give youth a chance for a better future in Zambia and around the globe.”
Volunteers at Share the Light consist of older students and teachers who specialize in the fields of graphic arts, mechanics, electricity and telecommunications. They visit Zambia every year near the end of June to help support the City of Joy orphanage run by Salesian Sisters in Mazabuka. The orphanage is home to a growing number of girls and young women who are unable to live with their families. Share the Light aims to meet the residents’ medical and nutritional needs and provide them clothing, school uniforms and school equipment. In addition, the organization provides transport to enable groups from the City of Joy to travel out together in safety.
Share the Light’s Scholarship Program provides children and older youth access to education, enabling them to achieve their goals and pursue a brighter future. It offers both financial and practical help to students at all levels of education.
The organization also focuses on nutrition. Its Porridge Club has become Share the Light’s longest running project. The club provides daily nutritious meals to the 700 students attending Luyobolola Community Primary School. The porridge provided at school not only gives children vital nutrients, it has improved their attendance and ability to concentrate and learn. Share the Light’s Nutrition Program also works to support the community in Mazabuka by providing essential food items, clothing and blankets for those who are sick or out of work. It has proved to be an essential lifeline for those in need.
Share the Light has also been awarded a Blanquerna Impulsa Award as the first finalist in the field of health. These awards aim to raise awareness of sustainable development to motivate and encourage the involvement of members of the educational community.
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