The chapel project has benefited 500 young children, 400 older youth, and 600 women and men.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (July 6, 2021) Salesian missionaries with Corpus Christi Catholic Church, located in Ikoto, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria, have been able to make improvements to their chapel thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

This project has benefited 500 young children, 400 older youth, and 600 women and men. The chapel can now be used by all who want to find solace, peace and quiet, as well as by groups and organizations who are holding prayer meetings, reflections, retreats and novenas. Salesians are also creating capacity development measures to ensure that those directly responsible for daily operations and management of the facility will be able to maintain it going forward.

“We appreciate our donors who have helped make improvements to this chapel so that people have a place to pray and come together with one another,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “In addition to important projects like this, Salesian missionaries in Nigeria have been able to impact young lives through the delivery of training, education and providing for their basic needs like shelter.”

Salesians have been working in Nigeria since 1982 and have grown their presence in the country during this time. Today, Salesians operate a health center, technical and vocational training centers, secondary schools, a working farm, child protection centers, job service offices, a migration office, and a school of philosophy. A number of clean water projects have also taken place to ensure Salesian centers and the surrounding communities have access to clean, safe water.

According to UNICEF, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and the ninth most populous country in the world. By United Nations estimates, Nigeria will be one of the countries responsible for most of the world’s total population increase by 2050. While Nigeria has the second strongest economy in Africa, it also has extreme rates of poverty with 100 million people living on less than $1 a day.

About 64 percent of households in Nigeria consider themselves to be poor while 32 percent of households say their economic situation had worsened over a period of one year, according to UNICEF. Poverty still remains one of the most critical challenges facing the country and population growth rates have meant a steady increase in the number of people living in conditions of poverty.

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