The stories rarely, if ever, make the headlines: news of natural disasters in remote and impoverished communities far from the orbit of entertainment-thirsty attention. And yet -- whenever and wherever catastrophe strikes -- our Salesian missionaries are among the first to respond.
Read Full StoryVision for Sustainable Water – and Futures
April 10, 2015On March 22, Salesian Missions joined the international community in celebrating World Water Day -- an annual event that focuses attention on the importance of safe, clean water; calls for equitable and just access to water as a basic human right; and advocates for the sustainable management of...
New Shoes, New Hope for Impoverished Youth
March 9, 2015Until recently, 14-year-old Carmen suffered from what she called “much abused feet.” Living under the blistering sun of Tuxtla Gutierez, Mexico, her long walks to school without proper footwear left her vulnerable to sunburn, cuts and infections. Not only that, but the fact that she felt poorly...
Defending the Human Rights of Youth
March 9, 2015I Am Not A Witch Video“It is impossible that a child has made a pact with the devil.” These are the words of Father José Luis de la Fuente, a Salesian missionary working on behalf of marginalized children in Kara, Togo. Sadly, too many adults in his community believe just that -- and as a...
Small Loans, Huge Opportunities
March 9, 2015Touching lives for a better future. For the past 21 years, this motto has guided the activities of Bosco Seva Kendra (BSK), the development arm of the Salesian Province of St. Joseph in Hyderabad, India. From poverty-eradication programs, to sustainable development initiatives, to education and...
New Hope for East Timor’s Orphans
February 5, 2015Living conditions in East Timor are among the worst in the world. More than one million people struggle with extreme poverty, malnutrition and poor health -- conditions directly related to a brutal and lengthy civil war that claimed an estimated 183,000 lives and left survivors struggling to meet...
Help for Sri Lanka’s Flood Victims
February 4, 2015On Dec. 26 in Sri Lanka, a week of non-stop torrential rains unleashed nature’s fury -- triggering catastrophic flooding and mudslides that killed at least 39 people and forced more than one million men, women and children from their homes. Salesian missionaries in the central and northern...
A Contract for the Future of Colombia’s Youth
February 4, 2015For 15 years, Father Jaime Garcia enacted his dream of training the poor youth of Colombia for future employment. Now, a new program called Pacto Motor is helping ensure that the vast majority of his students find decent jobs immediately after graduating.