Project is part of new youth empowerment center.  

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (April 3, 2024) Salesian missionaries with Don Bosco Yuva Spandana (DB YES), located in Ajjanahalli in the Ramanagara District of Karnataka State, India, have built new bathrooms in a building that is being refurbished for a new youth empowerment center. Once fully operational, the center is expected to provide training and empowerment programs for 400 youth each year. Funding for the bathrooms was provided by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. 

In 2003, the Salesian Province of Bangalore started a project in the Ajjanahalli village to rehabilitate children living on the streets from the city of Bangalore who were also suffering from drug addiction. Over the years, more than 1,200 youth benefited from this center. Salesians are now able to accommodate the current children living on the street in their Bosco Bangalore Center that offers eight care homes around the city. This left the building in Ajjanahalli village empty. 

Salesians will use the building for the new DB YES empowerment center. A Salesian noted, “Youth empowerment is important for an inclusive development and peace building, particularly in light of the current issues among youth in the Karnataka State. In order to fill the vacuum left by the youth’s poor mental health, high prevalence of drug misuse and unemployment, it is vital to provide youth with support and guidance in their lives and help them on a career path.” 

DB YES will also focus on skill development and entrepreneurship that can lead to increased youth employment rates. By supporting young entrepreneurs, Salesians hope to stimulate economic growth and reduce unemployment among the youth population. 

The Salesian explained, “Empowered and gainfully employed youth are less likely to engage in risky behaviors or criminal activities. In the last few years, the prevalence of anti-social activities, including drug abuse, is increasing at an alarming rate in the city of Bangalore, Ramanagara, and across the states in Karnataka and Kerala. When youth are given a sense of purpose and opportunities to contribute positively to their communities, it reduces the likelihood of them getting involved in anti-social activities.” 

The new bathroom facilities are just one step in the process of renovating this building to support new empowerment activities for youth. A range of training programs has already been developed for the center once construction is completed. 

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